2023-10-16
Psalm 23:4 NKJV
Here is the truth about death: (1) It’s a sure thing. The story is told of a hypochondriac who put these words on his tombstone: “Now maybe you’ll believe I was sick.” Seriously, if you’re wise, you won’t obsess about death, but you will prepare for it.
(2) It’s a sojourn. The word “walk” means each step you take brings your departure date one day closer. The word “through” tells you it’s only a temporary passage and not your final destination. The word metamorphosis pictures a humble caterpillar being transformed into a beautiful butterfly that can soar. Likewise, the Bible describes your new body in these words:
(a) “Incorruptible,” meaning you will never again contend with pain or sickness (See 1 Corinthians 15:53).
(b) “Immortal,” meaning you will be ageless and incapable of dying (See v. 53).
(c) “Shadow.” Now, a shadow might frighten you, but it cannot harm you. Indeed, the only way to have a shadow is to have a light shining. Don’t you find it interesting that many of the people who have died and come back tell others about emerging from a tunnel into a bright, celestial light?
No wonder we need “fear no evil.” Why? Because the Lord is with us, and He has conquered death, hell, and the grave. Jesus said, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Revelation 1:18 NKJV). Rejoice; the key to your eternal destiny is not in your own hands or anybody else’s but in the hands of the One who loves you.
Soul food: 2 Sam 1:1-3:21; John 4:1-12; Ps 89:38-52; Prov 23:19-21
2023-10-15
Romans 8:28 NKJV
This is one of the most often quoted and comforting Scriptures in the Bible: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (v. 8 NKJV). This verse is to believers; to redeemed children of God who love the Lord and walk according to His purposes and operate according to scriptural principles.
Interestingly, the Bible translates our English word “know” from a Greek word meaning we know “intuitively.” Something within us says, “I don’t understand it and can’t explain it, but I know that God is at work and something good will come out of it.” Note the words “things work together.” Would you enjoy eating baking soda? Or flour? No. But when you put them together, add a few other ingredients, mix them up, and place them in the oven, they come out as something “good.”
When the Bible says, “All things,” it includes things that are painful, unfair, and difficult. The path to the throne of Egypt led Joseph through betrayal, slander, false imprisonment, and disappointment. But looking back, he could say, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day” (Genesis 50:20 NKJV).
In ways you cannot see or understand right now, what you are going through is working for your good. Do you love God? Do you believe that He has a plan and purpose for your life? Are you endeavoring to please Him? Then trust Him to work “all things” out for your good.
Soul food: Est 4:9-5:3; Heb 4:7-16
2023-10-14
Psalm 119:130 NIV
President Woodrow Wilson said: “I am sorry for men who do not read the Bible every day; I wonder why they deprive themselves of the strength and of the pleasure. It is one of the most singular books in the world, for every time you open it, some old text that you have read a score of times suddenly beams with a new meaning. There is no other book that I know of, of which this is true; there is no other book that yields its meaning so personally, that seems to fit itself so intimately to the very spirit that is seeking its guidance.”
If you want to get the most out of your Bible, ask these questions:
(1) Is there a warning to heed?
(2) Is there a promise to claim?
(3) Is there a sin to forsake?
(4) Is there a command to obey?
(5) Is there a lesson to learn?
(6) Is there a principle to apply?
(7) Is there an example to follow?
As you ask yourself these seven questions, keep a journal to write down the answers God gives you, and you will be amazed at the wisdom you glean. You will be thrilled by the success principles you learn. Your anxieties will begin to lift, your mind will clear, and you will experience peace.
John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 NIV). Notice the phrase “the Word was God.” The more you read your Bible, the more of God’s presence and power you will experience. You might even adopt the old slogan used by American Express: “Don’t leave home without it.”
Soul food: Eph 4:17-6:24; John 3:22-36; Ps 89:15-37; Prov 23:15-18
2023-10-13
Proverbs 2:4 NIV
When you think about it, studying the Bible is like prospecting for gold or silver. It involves two things: (1) You must look for it. Solomon writes, “If you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand… and find the knowledge of God” (vv. 4-5 NIV). Simply stepping into a mine and glancing around won’t cut it. If you want to get the gold or the silver, you must be searching for it. Any miner will inform you that gold doesn’t strike you – you strike gold. The purpose of this devotional isn’t to replace regular Bible reading but to whet your spiritual appetite for it. According to the Barna Research Group, only 9 percent of Christians read the Bible every day. The question is, are you one of them?
(2) You must dig for it. The Spirit of God within you speaks to you as you read His Word. The story is told about a guy who loved to study the Bible. Every time he came to something he didn’t understand, his friend Charlie would pop into his mind. Charlie was a great Bible student; he just seemed to ooze with biblical wisdom. So whenever the first guy encountered a Bible question, he would go to Charlie and say, “What does this verse mean? What is God trying to say here?” One day as he was reading, the Holy Spirit spoke to him and said, “Why don’t you just ask me? I’m the one who teaches Charlie.” So, expect God to speak to you today as you read His Word, and He will.
Soul food: Eph 1:1-4:16; John 3:9-21; Ps 89:1-14; Prov 23:10-14
2023-10-12
Isaiah 38:19 NKJV
A researcher at Johns Hopkins University informed us that children as young as eight months old are capable of hearing and remembering words, good or bad. “Little ears are listening,” said Dr. Peter Juscyzk. Babies in this study, which appeared in the esteemed journal, Science, were exposed to three taped stories for about ten days. Two weeks afterward, they were tested in a lab and clearly identified the words in the stories while failing to react to words they hadn’t heard.
Professor Emerita Robin Chapman, a language specialist at the University of Wisconsin at the time, emphasized the importance of this study. It demonstrates that very young children do pay attention to the sounds of language and are able to select those that are familiar. No, they may not fully understand them, but their brains are wired to record them and replay them later on. So, taking the time to talk to tiny children not only teaches them language skills but sows seeds of truth that can bloom later in life.
This shouldn’t surprise us; mothers have known it intuitively for thousands of years. Words are formative; they are creative! The first words your child hears will be spoken by you. The first music your child listens to, will be chosen by you. Your child is a precious lump of clay, and you are the potter God has called to mold them. In Scripture we read about vessels of “honour” and vessels of “dishonour” (See 2 Timothy 2:20 NKJV). As a parent, you help to shape the kind of vessel they become. If you’re wise, you will begin the godly molding process as early as possible.
Soul food: 1 Sam 27-31; John 3:1-8; Ps 110; Prov 23:6-9
2023-10-11
John 12:24 ESV
God takes two days to grow a mushroom but sixty years to grow an oak tree. So, would you like to be a mushroom or an oak tree? Spiritual growth takes time. Have you been wondering, “Why is it taking me so long to improve? I am still struggling with many of my weaknesses.” Why? Because spiritual growth, like natural growth, takes some time. The best fruit ripens gradually.
Jesus said, “Truly, truly… unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (v. 24 ESV). When Jesus says, “Truly, truly,” He means, “Now understand this! Listen! This is very important.” The point Jesus stresses here is that just like a grain of wheat has to die to produce fruit, so we also must die to ourselves to produce spiritual growth. And dying to our own self-absorption takes a while. Our inclination is to unearth the seed periodically to monitor its progress instead of trusting God to perform His work in our lives.
Christ will produce fruit in our lives if we stay in Him. Jesus said, “Abide in me” (John 15:4 KJV). The word “abide” means “to live in.” Abiding in Christ means staying in contact with Him, depending on Him, living for Him, and trusting Him to finish His work in our lives in His perfect timing. Wait for God’s promised harvest, and in the meantime, delight in His presence in your life. God is happy with you at every phase of your spiritual growth. He is not waiting until you’re perfect to begin loving you. He will never love you one drop more than He already does.
Soul food: 1 Sam 24-26; John 2:12-25; Ps 23; Prov 23:4-5
