2023-12-14
Joshua 1:5 NKJV
Because we are keenly aware of our limitations, we tend to limit our pursuits to our comfort zone. And that can lead to a life of mediocrity and unfulfilled dreams. Your efforts don’t rest solely on your shoulders, but on God’s. Yes, you have a part to play. But when you have done your best, you must trust God to do the rest.
On the threshold of the promised land, God said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you, nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage” (vv. 5-6). Your ability is limited, but God’s ability is unlimited. You may experience failure on your way to success, but God’s guarantee is, “I will not fail thee.”
The fear of failure is often based on the erroneous belief that success rests solely on our abilities. And because we’re aware of our inadequacies, we stay in our comfort zone instead of tackling the giants in the promised land. This can lead to a life of frustration over “what could have been.”
When you know that what you want lines up with God’s will, be bold and know that you will eventually succeed. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15 NKJV). When your confidence is “in Him,” your success is assured. When you know that what you want is what God wants, you can move forward in strength.
Soul food: Col 1-2; John 16:19-33; Ps 105:8-15; Prov 30:5-9
2023-12-13
Psalm 119:15 NKJV
If you want to grow spiritually, you need a consistent diet of Scripture. In fact, you will never outgrow your diet of Scripture. There is no substitute. There is no supplement. The poet T. S. Eliot said, “Everything we eat has some… effect upon us. It affects us during the process of assimilation and digestion; and I believe that exactly the same is true of anything we read.” We are what we read.
But let’s take that a step further. Reading without meditating is like eating without digesting. If you want to absorb the nutrients, you can’t just read it; you have to chew on it. Meditation is the way we metabolize Scripture. That’s how it gets into our spirit and our soul.
The French writer Jacques Réda had a particular habit. He would walk the streets of Paris with the purpose of seeing one new thing every day. It was how he renewed his love for the city. We renew our love for God in a similar way. Our love grows as we see new dimensions of His personality, and His personality is predominantly revealed in the pages of the Bible. What if we approached God’s Word the way Jacques Réda walked the streets of Paris?
Here is the secret of spiritual growth: You can’t merely read the Bible, you have to meditate on it. Reading provides breadth to our understanding, but meditation provides depth. If all we do is read Scripture, our understanding of God and our experience with Him is one-dimensional. The Bible is a kaleidoscope. Each time you turn it, another beautiful pattern of truth is revealed.
Soul food: Josh 22-24; John 16:12-18; Ps 105:1-7; Prov 30:1-4
2023-12-12
2 Corinthians 1:18 NLT
Paul writes, “Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say ‘Yes’ when they really mean ‘No’? As surely as God is faithful, our word to you does not waver” (vv.17-18 NLT). Paul had learned to set boundaries on his relationships, and you must do the same. A wise man said, “Never complain about what you permit.” Unless you set boundaries, you have no right to complain about people who take advantage of you and waste your time.
“Jesus… does not waver between ‘Yes’ and ‘No’… he always does what he says” (v. 19 NLT). And as His follower, you must learn when it’s appropriate to say yes and when it’s appropriate to say no. When people back you into a corner, confront them promptly, privately, and personally. And if they won’t listen, take someone with you. And if they won’t listen to both of you, take it to the church leadership (See Matthew 18:15-17). Be clear about what you will and won’t tolerate. In the words of the country song, “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.”
Get comfortable voicing your wishes and preferences without fear of rejection and alienation. Make this your prayer today: “Lord, let me serve and give to others from a pure heart rather than a need for love and acceptance. On the authority of your Word, I command the spirit of fear that has prevented me from setting healthy boundaries to leave now. I place my trust in you. I will not fear what people can do to me (See Psalm 56:11). In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Soul food: Josh 19:24-21:45; John 16:1-11; Ps 150; Prov 29:22-27
2023-12-11
Psalm 148:8 NAS
The winds were contrary when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they were contrary on their way to the promised land, and they were contrary when they got there. There is no such thing as a storm-free voyage: “Through… hardships and tribulations we… enter the kingdom” (Acts 14:22 AMPC).
When you have to fight to stay afloat day after day, it’s easy to get discouraged. Paul said, “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days… all hope… we would be saved was… given up” (Acts 27:20 NKJV). Maybe you’re weary and discouraged because of what you’re battling. You’re ready to call it quits – and humanly speaking, nobody would blame you.
But before you give up, ask yourself this: What if God is the One engineering this storm to get you where you need to go? What if He is the One who “spoke and raised a stormy wind” (Psalm 107:25 NAS), so you would have to keep your eyes on Him? What if He is the One who “hurled a great wind on the sea” (Jonah 1:4 NAS), to see if you would keep the faith when you can’t see the far shore?
A psalmist tells us God uses “fire… hail, snow… clouds [and] stormy wind” to fulfill His word. In Exodus 10, He “directed an east wind on the land all… day… and… night; and… it… brought the locusts… [He] shifted the wind to a very strong west wind, which picked up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea” (vv. 13, 19 NAS). One author adds, “When the Lord fought for Israel… stormy winds brought about their deliverance… And one day, by God’s great mercy, we too shall stand upon the sea of glass and see how stormy winds brought about our deliverance.”
Soul food: Josh 16:1-19:23; John 15:18-27; Ps 148:7-14; Prov 29:16-21
2023-12-10
Acts 27:10 RSV
Paul told everyone on board the ship bound for Rome, “The voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but… our lives” (v. 10 RSV). One author writes: “Paul didn’t talk about a little skirmish… a little loss… This voyage would be beset with disasters, with much loss, even to their lives… To Paul this journey meant eventual martyrdom. However, Paul would not die until his mission was completed, until he would strike a fatal blow at the heart of the Roman Empire, its political genius, military supremacy… pride and pomp.
When Paul walked into Rome with the Gospel, hell shook and all heaven rejoiced. We are all beneficiaries because that little battle-scarred man with a chain around his ankle started to convert many in Rome [and gave] us the books of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon while he was the prisoner of Jesus Christ… [These phrases] from Acts 27 bring this journey more to life: The winds were contrary… we sailed slowly… passing with difficulty… sailing was now dangerous… tempestuous winds arose… we secured the skiff with difficulty… we used cables to undergird the ship… exceedingly tempest tossed… we threw the ship’s tackle overboard… neither sun nor stars appeared for many days… all hope that we would get saved was given up… the stern was broken up.”
The destination is within reach – but not without “much loss.” Thank God that’s not the end of the story. The centurion, “wishing to save Paul… commanded those who could swim to throw themselves overboard… and make for the shore… the rest on… pieces of the vessel… escaped safely to land.” (Acts 27:43-44 AMPC). When you keep your eyes on Jesus, you will make it in spite of the storm. Guaranteed!
Soul food: 2 Sam 6:11-23; Luke 18:18-30
2023-12-09
Acts 27:4 KJV
When you set out to do anything for God, the Enemy will make sure you encounter “contrary winds.” In fact, if you’re not sailing against the wind, chances are you’re headed in the wrong direction! The Bible says Jesus was “tempted of the devil” (Matthew 4:1 KJV). Satan never let up, including the night before Jesus was crucified when “Satan entered into Judas… one of the twelve” (Luke 22:3 NLT).
Reimar Schultze says, “Wherever you go today, Satan will… try to get you at some street corner, at the office, or in the field. He will make you fall if you leave home without your spiritual armor on; if you leave your belt of truth… in the closet, your breastplate of righteousness… by the door, your gospel shoes under your bed, or if you leave your shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit and the helmet of salvation behind you… If you say at daybreak, ‘I will pray whenever I get a chance today,’ you just gave away your victory. Before long the wrong words will come out of your mouth, you will look at forbidden fruits and display an improper attitude. The most foolish thing [you] can do is to leave home unarmed and spiritually naked. A fool says, ‘I have no time to pray,’ but later… he finds all kinds of time to attempt to repair the damage prayerlessness… produced…. Following Jesus is not a walk in the park… Every good thing in the kingdom… from Adam on has come to us through men and women who stuck it out when the going got tough. The biblical history of the church ends with [these victorious words]… ‘and so we came to Rome'” (Acts 28:14 NLT).
Soul food: Josh 14-15; John 15:5-17; Ps 148:1-6; Prov 29:11-15
