2024-01-12
Isaiah 65:22 NIV
We live in a fickle society where a few wrinkles can devastate your self-worth. But you don’t have to be a victim of that value system. “As the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands” (v. 22 NIV). Someone said, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter!”
So: (1) Build a strong relationship with God. Spend time talking with Him and reading His Word. “Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying” (Proverbs 3:1-2 NLT).
(2) Come to grips with the reality of aging. Face it; you have been aging from the moment you were conceived. In fact, on the day of your birth, you were already nine months old. Therefore, fretting about getting older is as fruitless as worrying about the sun going down each day. Instead of worrying about the length of your life, maximize every day of it. Each morning look in the mirror and announce, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it” (See Psalm 118:24).
(3) Always have a goal. It doesn’t have to be something big in the eyes of the world, just something to look forward to doing with your hands and your mind. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “I could not at any age be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on.” Read, grow, contribute, stay involved, live until your last breath!
Soul food: Lev 18-20; Matt 5:13-26; Ps 71:1-16; Prov 2:1-2
2024-01-11
1 John 4:17 NLT
In today’s culture, the word “love” means different things to different people. You can love your husband or wife, your country, your dog, your new cell phone, and your car. But you don’t love your husband or wife the same way you love your cell phone or your car, right? The television and tabloid kind of love where you fall in and out of love at the drop of a hat isn’t real love, it’s selfishness and immaturity.
The Bible word “agape” (God’s love) is an unconditional commitment to love that’s rooted in an unchanging decision. It always gives, and doesn’t change whether the love is returned or not. It’s a decision of your heart to seek the other person’s highest good, no matter how they may respond. When the King James Bible translators came upon the Greek word “agape,” in addition to using the English word “love” to transliterate it, they often chose the word “charity.” This was meant to reinforce the idea that love is a selfless, unconditional, giving love. And as such, it directs kindness, respect, and loyalty toward the loved one. “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect” (vv. 16-17 NLT).
What causes us to stand out from the world isn’t our words but our love for one another. When we can overcome our differences, when we can cross lines of denomination, race, and culture and truly love one another, the world is drawn to Christ and it pays attention to what we say (See John 13:35).
Soul food: Lev 15-17; Matt 5:1-12; Ps 46; Prov 1:32-33
2024-01-10
Proverbs 24:16 NLT
When it comes to handling relationships, we all have our pluses and minuses, strengths and weaknesses. So to survive and flourish in a relationship, we must learn to persevere. Even when we have done the best we can to lessen our potential for failure, we must still be ready for it. If we stay mired in self-defeat, guilt, and shame over missed chances and incorrect choices in one particular relationship, we will never encounter the freedom to sustain our other relationships. One pastor says: “To counter that, I allow myself a 10 percent ratio for failure in a relationship to work out the way I thought it would.” That’s good advice!
So with that in mind, promise yourself that no matter what circumstances occur, or which relationships fail miserably, you will survive. You will arise, learn from them, draw closer to God, and if nothing else, thank Him for the blessings that still remain in your life. And when you consider them, you will notice many! When you think about the long list of gifts that remain in your life even in the middle of difficulties, losses, and frustrations, you’re better able to see the big picture and not just the current trouble in front of your eyes.
Gratitude is a sure remedy for self-pity and despair. Thanksgiving lifts you back to a position of seeing your relationships and life more clearly. Question: Do you really want this relationship to work? If so, commit to praying for the other person, loving them unconditionally, and investing in them. When you do that, trust God to do the rest!
Soul food: Lev 13:38-14:57; Matt 4:12-25; Ps 3; Prov 1:29-31
2024-01-09
Ephesians 5:2 NKJV
Spiritual healing takes place when you’re able to confess your problem to someone mature enough to handle it and committed enough to not give up on you. What does it mean to “walk in love?” (a) To be confident of God’s unfailing love toward you. (b) To show His love to others. (c) To be able to accept their love in return. Only then can you become spiritually whole.
You can only be loved to the extent that you’re known. When you keep part of your life a secret, others may tell you they love you, but deep inside you think, “If you knew the whole truth about me, you wouldn’t love me.” So, you’re unable to receive and be strengthened by their love. Sin isolates us, and sin and isolation will make us sick in our soul, and even our body. Confession and then prayer, connectedness to each other and to God, ushers in the Spirit and promotes healing.
To be fully known and fully loved is the most healing gift we can give to each other. The Bible says, “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (James 5:16 NAS). We’re all forgiven, recovering sinners, and no one can be secure in a relationship if they’re loved only because they’re intelligent, strong, pretty, or successful. One Bible teacher says: “When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find it is those who instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.”
Soul food: Lev 11:1-13:37; Matt 4:1-11; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 1:24-28
2024-01-08
Psalm 91:11 NIV
In Scripture there are over three hundred references to angels, and they’re described in two words: many and mighty. But it took only one angel to shut the mouths of lions for Daniel and bring Peter out of prison the night before he was due to be executed. And do you remember Elisha’s servant? When an enemy army surrounded the city of Dothan, Elisha asked God to open his servant’s eyes: “And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17 KJV).
If God opened your eyes today, what would you see? Angels escorting your children to school? Protecting you from drunk drivers? Guiding the hand of the surgeon? Guarding you while you sleep? One Bible teacher says, “If you’re a believer, expect powerful angels to accompany you in your life’s experience.” Does everybody have an angel looking out for them? No, the Bible says, “All angels [are] ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14 NIV).
When you reject Jesus, you forfeit the ultimate security, but when you accept Him as Lord and Saviour, you get around-the-clock protection because “the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him” (Psalm 34:7 NIV). Note, your angel doesn’t just wave as he flies past; he pitches his tent, lingers, and keeps vigilance. You can rest secure beneath the shadow of his wings – if that doesn’t lower your anxiety level, nothing will! The fact is, some of the wealthiest people on the planet don’t have it that good! How blessed we are.
Soul food: Lev 8-10; Matt 3:11-17; Ps 42:1-5; Prov 1:20-23
2024-01-07
Proverbs 21:11 NKJV
Whether in your personal life or your career, learning how to communicate with others is essential to success and happiness in a relationship. Apart from obtaining facts, communication should deliver a way to gain some understanding into the heart and mind of another person. And good communication calls for translation. Really, you’re learning that other person’s language. We all use the same words, but we have unique languages when it comes to love.
What you mean when you say, “I need someone to be here for me,” might not be what the other person means when they say, “I will be here for you.” You need to learn their language without prior assumptions and incorrect projections weighing you down. Such interpersonal literacy will serve you well for years to come. It will stop you from treating her as though she is simply you in a different shape, or imagining that he is just like your best girlfriend, etc.
We all need to love and be loved, but we use different means of communication to express our desires. Don’t be fearful of checking terms and comparing definitions to make sure you’re both singing from the same song sheet. A respected Bible teacher puts it like this: “Often in my own conversations, I will say, ‘Let me tell you what I heard so I can see if that is what you meant.’ I am shocked at how many times I hear something totally different from what is intended!”
Lasting happiness doesn’t come from owning things, it comes from having good relationships. So, work on improving your communication skills. It’s well worth the investment!
Soul food: Exo 20:1-3; Deut 6:1-9; Mark 12:28-34; Rev 2:1-7
