2024-06-17
Acts 16:25 NKJV
Don’t allow what’s wrong with you to keep you from worshiping what’s right with God. With their feet locked in stocks, their backs lacerated with whips, and the unjust contempt of society heaped upon them, the Bible says, “At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.” They decided to stop focusing on what was wrong with their circumstances and start focusing on what is right with God. They could have complained, but they made a choice to worship God despite their external circumstances.
And that is often the most challenging and crucial choice we can make. It’s similar to hitting the refresh key on your computer. Doing so restores the joy of your salvation, recalibrates your spirit, and renews your mind. And it empowers you to discover something good to praise God about, even when everything seems to be going wrong.
Is it simple? Definitely not. But one of the purest forms of worship is praising God when you don’t want to. “Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15 NKJV). Note the words “sacrifice of praise.” And it’s a sacrifice that moves God and brings results: “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed” (Acts 16:26 NKJV). When you’re in a situation with no way out, praise opens doors. When you’re shackled by lack and limitation, praise breaks chains. So, worship your way through it.
Soul food: Eze 34-36; Luke 1:1-10; Ps 80:12-19; Prov 15:15-17
2024-06-16
Hebrews 11:20 KJV
Dad, here are two Bible ingredients for blessing your children and grandchildren:
(1) The power of prayer. In Scripture, a father’s blessing included an open-eyed prayer to God for his children. Isaac, who was a farmer, said to his son, “May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness – an abundance of grain and new wine” (Genesis 27:28 NIV). Have your children ever heard you talk to God about them? Perhaps they have heard you say harsh words like, “How could you be so stupid? Don’t you ever think? You will never amount to anything!” If so, apologize today and ask for their forgiveness. Let them hear you invoke God’s richest blessing over each of their lives. A father’s prayer of blessing over his family is a powerful thing – it’s life changing!
(2) The vision of a glorious future. The Bible says, “When there’s no vision, the people get out of control” (Proverbs 29:18 CEB). School counselors tell us that many of their students lack vision. Why? Because they see nothing ahead for them except economic gloom, unemployment, and hard times. They need somebody to believe in them and their future… to believe they can succeed and live happy lives… that the best is still ahead for them. Isaac didn’t wait for his boys to devise their own vision for the future. He prayed openly for their future success, their rise to prominence, and for respect and favour with family and society. Your kids don’t need you to manipulate them; they need you to motivate them. And you do that by blessing them!
Soul food: Matt 5:4; Isa 51:1-16; Ps 30; Job 5:8-11
2024-06-15
Psalm 32:5 NLT
In Scripture, the word confession is comprised of two Greek words: homo, meaning “the same,” and logeo, meaning “to speak.” Therefore, confessing your sin to God means saying the same thing about it as He does. It means calling a spade a spade – not a gardening tool! Nowhere does the Bible refer to our sins as mistakes, bad judgments, and slips. However, it clearly says God forgives our sin: “I… am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV). So let’s be clear.
(1) Confessing isn’t about apologizing. Saying you’re sorry is appropriate and necessary at times. But you could never be sorry enough to deserve or earn God’s forgiveness. Confessing is agreeing with God about the nature, extent, and offensiveness of your transgressions.
(2) Confessing isn’t about feelings. Some of us plunge into remorse, guilt, and depression over our sins. And when such feelings lead to confession, that’s good. But even when we don’t feel these emotions, our confession is just as genuine and effective.
(3) Confessing isn’t complaining. Making a laundry list of your sins and telling God how terrible you are is more akin to complaining than confessing. Coming clean with God and agreeing with His evaluation of your sin is what He wants from you. Then, like David, you can say, “I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt… And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”
So, confess your sins to God – then start acting like someone who has been forgiven!
Soul food: Eze 31-33; Mark 16:1-20; Ps 80:1-11; Prov 15:11-14
2024-06-14
2 Kings 6:6 KJV
Second Kings 6 tells of a prophet chopping trees near a river when his iron ax-head falls in. He said to Elisha: “Alas, master! For it was borrowed” (v. 5 NKJV). He uses the past tense. As far as he is concerned, this ax-head is gone forever. He has no expectation whatsoever that the ax-head will be retrieved. He shows Elisha where he lost it. Elisha cuts a stick and flings it into the water, and something happens that most likely never happened before or since. “And the iron did swim.” Notice, this isn’t a life-or-death situation. Yes, it’s a loaned ax-head. Yes, it disappeared. But if that’s the worst thing you have gone through, you have led a pretty sheltered life.
You could put this into the same category as Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding party. Why waste your first miracle on helping a bride and groom avoid embarrassment because they didn’t stock enough wine for their reception? This reveals something about God. He concerns Himself with the little things, like wedding receptions and borrowed ax-heads. Nothing is too big for our great God, and nothing is too small for Him either.
“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV). Note the words “all your care.” If it matters to you, it matters to your loving heavenly Father. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6 NKJV). Note the words “all your ways.” Today God wants you to share every detail of your life with Him.
Soul food: Eze 27:25-30:26; Mark 15:33-47; Ps 143; Prov 15:8-10
2024-06-13
Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV
Anytime you substitute positive thinking for faith in God and obedience to His Word, you’re on dangerous ground! But don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. As a believer, you’re supposed to train your brain to trust God and think positive thoughts that are founded on His Word. A study conducted in the Netherlands found that people who are optimistic have healthier hearts than those who are grumpy. Self-described optimists died of cardiovascular disease at a lower rate than those of pessimists.
Dr. Becca Levy of Yale University conducted a study which concluded that “a positive attitude towards aging was greater than physiological measures such as low blood pressure and cholesterol,” each of which is believed to add a maximum of four years to a person’s life. The same study discovered that optimistic people live longer than people who always worry, and that a positive attitude can add more years to life than exercising or refraining from smoking.
Additionally upholding the mind-body connection, a 2005 Associated Press article reported, “New research suggests that once Alzheimer’s disease robs someone of the ability to expect that a proven painkiller will help them, it doesn’t work nearly as well.” Isn’t that remarkable? When people are able to think painkillers work, the medicines seem to help. Our minds are amazing! The Bible says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” And that’s not just spiritual strength, but physical, mental, and emotional strength.
If you want to have a healthy life, you must have a healthy mind, and that starts with thinking positively instead of negatively. So, train your brain.
Soul food: Eze 24:1-27:24; Mark 15:21-32; Ps 132:11-18; Prov 15:5-7
2024-06-12
Proverbs 28:13 NKJV
The Bible says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper. But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (v. 13 NKJV). Could this be the reason you’re not succeeding? Unresolved guilt has the ability to corrode your confidence like acid. But there is an answer: “Whoever confesses and forsakes [his sins] will have mercy.” Confess it to God! He already knows what you have done – He is just waiting for you to deal with it so He can forgive you and bless you again.
“God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way]” (1 John 1:5 AMPC). The light of God reveals things. When a light is switched on in a room, we can see dust and bugs scattering. And when God gets involved in our lives, He begins to show us things we may prefer not to see; things we have been hiding, even from ourselves. We’re often deceived, especially about ourselves. We don’t want to deal with our faults, and we don’t enjoy having them exposed. Privately we feel condemned about them, but at least we feel like they’re hidden.
But anything hidden has power over us because we fear it may be discovered. Refuse to live that way. The best and most liberating thing you can do is to face what God wants to take care of and get beyond the fear of it. David said, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5 NKJV).
Soul food: Eze 22-23; Mark 15:1-20; Ps 132:1-10; Prov 15:1-4
