2024-03-07
Proverbs 22:7 NIV
It’s not by accident that these two Scriptures are back-to-back: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender” (vv. 6-7 NIV). Your child’s college education, an affordable home, and a reliable car are okay to borrow money for. Otherwise, unless you can pay for something – learn to wait!
Jesus said, “If any man would be my disciple, he must deny himself” (See Luke 9:23). We’re not very good at denying ourselves the things we want. But unless you want your kids to inherit your debt, end up getting into debt themselves, and passing the principle of instant gratification on to their children, break the cycle now. Get out of debt and stay out of debt!
Say: “Lord, I’m through making excuses. I take responsibility for the mess I’m in. I gave in to my impulses, overspent, ignored your principles of good stewardship, and I repent. Give me the courage to face my debts and take an honest look at where I stand. Don’t let me live in denial. You warned us not to be ignorant of Satan’s tactics (See 2 Corinthians 2:11). He is attempting to keep me in financial bondage, and as a result, I am unable to respond when it’s time to sow and finance your work. Direct me to a trustworthy source that can help me develop a debt-eliminating strategy. Help me to stop making additional credit charges. Deliver me from emotional spending. Please, help me to get out of debt. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
Soul food: Rev 10-14; Matt 21:18-32; Ps 136:1-12; Prov 6:30-31
2024-03-05
Matthew 5:41 NIV
Jesus said, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” Roman soldiers were permitted to force a Jew to carry a burden a mile for them. They treated Jews as tools to be used. So, what do you do in that kind of situation? Jesus invites us to take the high road. A Roman soldier like these could probably be a young boy, a stranger there, probably poor himself. All he receives is local resentment. So, you finish the mile and say, “You look tired. Can I help you some more? Can I carry it for you another mile?” That would blow the soldier’s mind. Nobody asked that! That’s what you’re called to do!
When someone takes advantage of you, you want to think of them as unlikable rather than a real person with their own story. It’s said that a friend offered to introduce English essayist Charles Lamb to a man whom Lamb had disliked for a long time. “Don’t make me meet him,” Lamb said. “I want to go on hating him, and I can’t do that to a man I know.”
Understand this: You can give the gift of empathy. You can remember that the person you don’t like is also a human being. You can put yourself in his place. You can take the time to imagine how he feels, what he has been through, and how life has treated him. When you do that, your problem becomes an opportunity to practice the Christ life. Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t that what you signed up for in the first place?
Soul food: Rev 1-4; Matt 20:17-34; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
2024-03-04
1 Chronicles 28:11-12 NIV
The first Jewish temple ranks as one of the architectural wonders of the ancient world. Built in the tenth century BC, the project’s scope was so massive that Solomon employed thirty thousand loggers and eighty thousand stonecutters. More than three thousand foremen managed the seven-year project. The temple was the epicenter of Judaism. It was the place of sacrifice. It was the place of worship. It was the place of pilgrimage. But like everything else, the temple was once a figment of the imagination.
The cumulative history of the Jewish temple can be traced all the way back to an idea in the mind of King David. But it wasn’t David’s idea. “David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord.”
We have no idea how God downloaded the plans to David. JPEGs? PDFs? Mental images? Detailed drawings? One thing is sure: The plans for the temple were not manufactured in David’s mind, they originated with the Spirit of God. The temple wasn’t just a good idea, it was a God idea.
So, ask God for an idea. Pray for a plan. Why? Two reasons. First because the Bible says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NIV). Second, when something is conceived by God’s Spirit, it is sure to succeed.
Soul food: 1 Kings 21-22; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 66:13-20; Prov 6:23-25
2024-03-03
Revelation 21:1 NIV
Perhaps the reason many of us are not as excited about heaven as we should be is because of what we have been told; that we will stand around playing harps, singing songs, and worshiping God forever. Think about it. When the singing and prayers in the average Sunday-morning service last longer than fifteen minutes, many get bored. So when we hear we will be doing this nonstop, twenty-four hours a day, forever in heaven, you understand why we can’t comprehend it or celebrate it. But there is more than one way of worshiping God.
Astronomers approximate the existence of hundreds of billions of galaxies, more than ten galaxies for each person alive today! So, you won’t run out of things to do in heaven, and it certainly won’t be boring. It has taken thousands of years for billions of humans to explore a single tiny planet, and we have barely scratched the surface. Exploring the marvels of the new heavens and the new earth will keep us intrigued forever. And our love for God will grow infinitely bigger as a result. So, we will never cease to worship Him.
Jesus told the woman at the well that God is looking for those who “worship… in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23 NIV). If you worship out of ignorance, worship is empty. God doesn’t just want you to worship Him; He wants you to know who you are worshiping and why you are worshiping Him. Worship is twofold; “in the Spirit and in truth.” So, learning the truth about God will keep you busy, excited, satisfied, and fulfilled for all eternity.
Soul food: Exo 20:16; Prov 24:28; Matt 5:33-37; Acts 5:1-11
2024-03-02
Psalm 46:1 NLT
When your business is failing, you can lose your sense of security, your peace of mind, and your ability to sleep. It even affects your family. If that’s where you are today, read these words: “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” Clear your mind for a moment and think about this: Everything you have belongs to God, including your business, right? He is the owner, and you’re the manager. So when trouble comes, you have the right (and the responsibility) to go to Him for help and expect Him to turn things around for you.
When nobody else was catching fish, Jesus told the disciples where to find a boatload of them. The Bible says that there is nothing too hard for God (See Jeremiah 32:27), and that includes the problem you’re facing and the situation you are in right now. The writer of Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT). And He can guide you through the advice of a friend who is succeeding where you’re failing: “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success” (Proverbs 15:22 NLT).
Sometimes this calls for changing your policies, products, or personnel – and that takes courage and commitment. But if you have built your business on a foundation of integrity, fairness, quality products, and good service, you have the right to go to God in times of trouble, ask for His help, and expect to receive it.
Soul food: 1 Kings 18:16-20:43; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 66:1-12; Prov 6:20-22
2024-03-01
1 Peter 3:9 NLT
Some of the negative people in your life lack intimate relationships. So, they keep others at arm’s length, rarely share their feelings, and are uncomfortable with those who do. They find it easier to condemn than to accept. Their hard-and-fast views make them inflexible. Often these people can’t handle freedom. They need rules that limit their choices, and they only feel secure within their own boundaries.
Understanding that will help you deal with them the right way, which is to “take the high road.” Peter gives us the rules of that road. (Interestingly, this is now the older, mellower, more spiritual Peter, not the one who whipped out his sword and chopped off the ear of the high priest’s servant.) “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will bless you for it. For the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil'” (vv. 8-12 NLT).
So, the word for you today is – don’t retaliate, respond with love.
Soul food: 1 Kings 16:1-18:15; Matt 19:1-14; Ps 61; Prov 6:16-19
