2023-08-18
1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV
The Bible says, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (v. 13 NKJV). Our minds are like a hotel. The manager cannot keep someone from entering the lobby, but he can keep them from getting a room. And it’s the same with temptation.
When God redeemed you, you became a regenerate spirit living in an unregenerate body. And you were “sealed [by the Holy Spirit] unto the day of redemption” (See Ephesians 4:30). When you seal an envelope, its contents are protected until it’s delivered to its destination. Getting the idea? Satan can’t prevail against your regenerate spirit, so he attacks you through your lower nature.
Paul acknowledged this: “I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (Romans 7:19 NLT). You will never be immune to temptation, but you can overcome it. Notice three things in this Scripture:
(1) “God is faithful.” Like a shepherd who never abandons his sheep, when you go astray, He will bring you back to the fold.
(2) “Will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.” Like a good coach training you, God will permit the weight of your temptations to strengthen you but not break or destroy you.
(3) “With the temptation will also make the way of escape.” If you choose your own way, you will go down in defeat. God’s “way of escape” is through prayer, His Word, Christian fellowship, and Spirit-filled living. That’s how to overcome temptation.
Soul food: Ruth 1-4; Mark 6:14-29; Ps 119:81-88; Prov 18:1-5
2023-08-17
Proverbs 5:19 NKJV
When you first met your husband or wife and fell in love, you thought about them day and night. You couldn’t wait to be together; you hung on every word they spoke. The relationship was stimulating and exciting because you engaged each other’s minds, excited each other’s emotions, and ignited each other’s imagination on a wide range of life’s topics.
But numerous marriages don’t survive because they die of boredom. One partner gets involved in an affair, or the other becomes addicted to porn or some other deviant behaviour because they’re bored in the relationship. That’s not an excuse for wrongdoing, but boredom functions like low-grade poison; it takes an unavoidable toll on each of you.
The secret to a good marriage lies in finding ways to keep improving yourself, then bringing that to the table of your relationship. Learn something new about your husband’s career field. Care about the details of your wife’s day. Have a shared dream you’re working toward and talk about it. When you’re engaged in another person’s life, you fortify their desire to share more about their day and themselves.
And here is something else to keep in mind: It’s important for you to have a life outside of the person you’re interested in. Partners who want to grow together realize they must encourage each other to nurture friendships, hobbies, and interests independently. Exciting people excite each other! They understand how to develop their own lives without disregarding the shared life they have together. That’s what the Bible means when it says, “Always be enraptured with her [or his] love.”
Soul food: Obadiah; Mark 6:1-13; Ps 119:73-80; Prov 17:27-28
2023-08-16
Proverbs 20:7 NKJV
When the Bible speaks of integrity, it means having a good character. And good character sets boundaries. It may not always determine what you will do, but it always determines what you won’t do. Character lets you realize how much you’re willing to pay to get what you want. When someone in a relationship has no character, they’re dangerous. The writer of Proverbs says, “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.”
Character doesn’t have to be in the spotlight, excessively running the show. And it doesn’t resort to intimidation or shaming to get its own way. The person who thinks he or she can get what they want by lying, cheating, or manipulating is sadly mistaken. Understand this: No matter where you go, the real you will eventually show up!
And if you don’t work on your character, you won’t be able to build healthy relationships. Genuine relationships require integrity; someone who shows consistent character in all circumstances; someone who plays by the rules and can be relied upon; someone who offers credit where credit is due; someone who lives by faith; someone who trusts God to enable them to accomplish all that he or she was created and called to do.
The Bible tells us the wicked may prosper for a season, but they will not endure. And ultimately, they will most certainly not triumph (See Proverbs 11:21). The psalmist says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (Proverbs 11:3 NKJV). So, the word for you today is – work on your character.
Soul food: 1 Pet 3-5; Mark 5:31-43; Ps 119:65-72; Prov 17:23-26
2023-08-15
1 Thessalonians 4:13 TLB
Do you remember the first time death forced you to say the final goodbye to a loved one? At the funeral you heard words like departed, passed on, gone ahead. These were unfamiliar terms. You wondered, “Departed to where? Passed on to what? Gone ahead for how long?” When someone dies after a full life, you can accept that. But what if they die as a result of violence? Or after a long battle with illness? Now your dreams are buried as they lower the casket into the ground.
Paul writes: “I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those are who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died” (vv.13-14 TLB).
Those words turn our hopeless sorrow into hope-filled sorrow. How? By assuring us that we will see our loved ones again. Isn’t that what we desire to believe? We long to know our loved ones are safe in death. We yearn for the reassurance that the soul goes instantly to be with God.
But do we dare to believe it? According to the Scriptures, yes! At death a Christian immediately enters the presence of God and delights in conscious fellowship with the Father and with others who have gone before. These words on a believer’s tombstone say it all: “The parting is for a moment, but the meeting will be for eternity.”
Soul food: 1 Pet 1-2; Mark 5:21-30; Ps 119:57-64; Prov 17:22
2023-08-14
Matthew 6:13 NIV
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Understand this: Satan is always trying to lead you into temptation, whereas the Holy Spirit who lives within you is always trying to deliver you from temptation. It is informative that while the Devil is named the tempter, he is also named the accuser. “For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down” (Revelation 12:10 NIV).
There is no such thing as fair play with the Devil. As soon as he gets you to give in to temptation, he will switch hats and try to convince you that because you have yielded to it, you’re beyond God’s grace and redemption. But Satan is a liar, and there is no truth in him. It’s only when you deny your sin and reject God’s mercy that you’re beyond redemption. The Bible says: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9 NIV).
Some people are delivered from temptation instantly; others battle it for a long time before finding deliverance and victory. It’s never a matter of God’s unwillingness to extend grace to us but of our inability to receive it. So whether you come the easy way or the hard way, as long as your desire is to come to God, “He will also provide a way out” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).
Soul food: Deut 32:29-34:12; Mark 5:11-20; Ps 119:49-56; Prov 17:18-21
2023-08-13
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV
Ever notice when you’re hungry, everything on the menu looks good? Similarly, when your soul is dissatisfied, sin looks tempting. That’s why you must always be spiritually self-aware and monitor your level of soul satisfaction. On the dashboard of your car are lights that tell you how hot the engine is running or when you’re about to run out of oil. They’re sometimes referred to as “idiot lights,” because only an idiot would ignore them.
The main light on the dashboard of your heart is your “soul-satisfaction” light. That’s why in the Bible there are so many Scriptures that call us to joy: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11 NIV). “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3 NIV). “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24 NIV).
So, why do otherwise intelligent people keep getting snared? Because when we’re dissatisfied with our lives, we’re vulnerable to temptation. And the deeper our level of discontent, the more susceptible we are. We were made for soul satisfaction; we can’t live without it. And if we don’t find it in our relationship with God, we will look for it in all the wrong places. Paul says, “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17 NIV). Note the words “joy in the Holy Spirit.” The secret to joy lies in Spirit-directed living – it always has, and it always will.
Soul food: Est 4:13-5:3; Matt 6:16-21; Mark 2:18-22
