2024-02-23
Ephesians 6:11 NLT
Every day you live, you will battle the world, the flesh, and the Devil. In order to be armed for spiritual warfare, Paul gives us six specific pieces of spiritual armor. Here are the first three:
(1) The sturdy “belt of truth” (v. 14 NLT). During World War II, a plane flew many miles past its destination. Why? Because the crew, not realizing there were such strong tailwinds, refused to believe the cockpit instruments. As a result, everyone on board perished. Yet when the plane was found years later, the instruments were still in perfect working order. You can depend on God’s Word to guide you right. Read it daily and believe it no matter what your mind or emotions tell you.
(2) “The body armor of God’s righteousness” (v. 14 NLT). Note, it is God’s righteousness, not yours. You’re not saved by trusting your own performance but by trusting Christ’s performance on the cross. When you know that, God’s righteousness becomes the breastplate that protects your heart from doubts about your salvation (See 2 Corinthians 5:21).
(3) “For shoes, put on… peace” (Ephesians 6:15 NLT). Shoes indicate you’re going somewhere, so don’t expect to hear from God if you’re determined to remain frozen in the same spot. When you start moving ahead, He confirms the rightness of your direction by giving you a sense of peace (See Colossians 3:15). You “know in your knower” that you’re on the right track. When you don’t have peace about it, seek God for direction. This is particularly important if you’re a self-starter who loves what you do. God wants you to have an abiding sense of His peace – so, don’t go without it.
Soul food: 1 Kings 6-7; Matt 16:1-12; Ps 36; Prov 5:21-23
2024-02-22
John 20:25 NLT
John writes: “Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he replied, ‘I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.’ Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them… Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’ ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas exclaimed” (vv. 24-28 NLT).
Jesus picked a doubter to be His disciple. And when he doubted, Jesus didn’t denounce and dismiss him. He actually put in a special appearance to resolve his doubts and build his faith. Elisabeth Elliott said, “True faith only goes into operation when there are no answers.”
God says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8 KJV). The truth is, God doesn’t think like us. He sees the big picture, and He works toward a specific end. Jesus said, “I have many more things to say… but they are too much for you now” (John 16:12 NCV). So when you find yourself doubting, pray: “Lord, believing isn’t easy when I’m hurt and confused, and You are silent. Like Thomas, I want proof that you love me. Help me to see beyond my desire for peace and comfort, beyond my doubts and unanswered questions, and to grasp the truth of Your unfailing love and grace.”
Soul food: 1 Kings 3-5; Matt 15:15-39; Ps 33:13-22; Prov 5:15-20
2024-02-21
Genesis 19:14 NKJV
Make your life an open book. Establish a system of values against which all of life is judged. Walk with God; maintain your integrity at work and at home, and you will make the right choice every time. Lot failed to do this, and it cost him dearly. “Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, and said, ‘Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!’ But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.” (v. 14 NKJV).
Parent, when you lose your integrity, you lose your credibility. So, guard your children physically when they’re young, and emotionally as they mature. Teach your son to respect girls and interview the guys that date your daughter. Be sure to check what they and you watch on TV and do on the internet. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be fun to be around. Show your children your lighter side. Don’t be so preoccupied with work or church that you’re a prude or a bore. “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance” (Proverbs 15:13 KJV).
The point is, if you “talk the talk,” be sure you “walk the walk.” When Lot tried to warn his family, they “looked at him as though he had lost his senses” (Genesis 19:14 TLB). Was he too busy making a living to teach them what mattered most in life? Did he say one thing and do another? We don’t know. But any way you cut it, his loss was tragic. The truth is that your integrity, or the lack of it, will have consequences not only in your own life but also in the lives of your children.
Soul food: 1 Kings 1-2; Matt 15:1-14; Ps 33:1-12; Prov 5:7-14
2024-02-20
Acts 20:24 KJV
The story is told of a wealthy woman sailing on Titanic. When it struck the iceberg, she was given a place in one of the lifeboats. Asking if she could return to her stateroom, she was given three minutes. Stepping over money and precious gems littering her cabin floor, she grabbed three oranges and returned to the lifeboat. Circumstances transformed her values; tragedy clarified her priorities.
The question is not will your calendar be full, but who will fill it and what will it be filled with? If you’re wise, you will consult God as to your life’s priorities, then keep them before you at all times (See Proverbs 3:6).
In a survey, people over ninety were asked, “If you had your life to live over, what would you do differently?” Three answers constantly emerged: (1) I would spend more time with my family and friends. (2) I would try more things and take more risks. (3) I would give myself to something that would live on after I’m gone.
Petty things steal too much of our time, and we finish up living by the wrong priorities. If you say yes to every request, you will never get around to doing what God has called you to do. Paul had it figured out: “The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me.” A life in which anything goes is a life in which nothing goes. Your greatest challenge is thinking and doing things that ultimately matter. “Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!” (Deuteronomy 32:29 NKJV).
Soul food: Heb 11:17-13:25; Matt 14:13-36; Ps 28; Prov 5:3-6
2024-02-19
Matthew 14:19 NKJV
The Bible says that Jesus “took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes” (v. 19 NKJV). Notice the progression in this story: The loaves were taken, blessed, broken, then given to others. That’s how God works! In order to bless others through you, He will take you, bless you, break you, and give you to others.
Paul had to be broken of pride. “I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh… Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me… For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NLT). So, if you have a “thorny” person or situation in your life, God wants you to experience His grace and power through dealing with them.
Paul finally reached the place where he could thank God for his “thorn.” The Bible speaks about “the sacrifice of praise to God” (Hebrews 13:15 KJV). When you’re willing to sacrifice in order to have something, it means you value it enough to pay the price for it. Do you want to walk in God’s power? To experience His blessing? Then thank God for your “thorny situation,” and embrace the breaking process through which He is taking you today.
Soul food: Heb 9:1-11:16; Matt 14:1-12; Ps 5; Prov 5:1-2
2024-02-18
Psalm 51:17 NLT
Brokenness leads to blessing. To receive a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, Elisha, who was a farmer, had to break and burn his plow. To demonstrate her love for Jesus, Mary had to break open her box of costly ointment and pour it over Him. To defeat the armies of Midian, Gideon’s three hundred soldiers had to break their pitchers, let their light shine, and make themselves a target. The truth is, God has to break each of us in different areas in order to use us. What areas? Bad habits. Stubborn wills. Inflated egos. Evil thoughts. Crippling fears. Secret prejudices. Misguided ambitions. The list is endless. If you’re facing east, you won’t go west, so God has to turn you around.
Sometimes that requires discipline. And it’s you, not God, who determines the length of that discipline and the extent of it. “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (Hebrews 12:11 NLT). If you’re a parent, you understand this. One child will collapse in tears, whereas another will defy you. God will do whatever it takes to break you of self-sufficiency!
Paul writes, “Now may… God… sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NAS). Notice that your body comes last in order of transformation. As a regenerate spirit living in an unregenerate body, you will always be “fighting the flesh.” What’s the secret of victory? Brokenness and surrender!
Soul food: Exo 20:14; Prov 6:23-35; Matt 5:27-30; 1 Cor 6:9-20
