2023-03-23
Psalm 55:22 NIV
If you grow up in hard times, you will automatically do one of these two things: (1) Trust God more because you have experienced His faithfulness. (2) Worry, think, and incessantly talk about the “what ifs” in life. And there are lots of them to think about, because the future rests in God’s hands and not yours.
It’s possible for a thing to seem much bigger to you than it really is. That’s the essence of worry. It’s like a snowball; it starts small, but as you roll it over and over in your mind, it becomes bigger and bigger until it has the potential to bury you. What’s the answer?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV). Fill you heart with God’s Word. Then develop the habit of letting what’s in your heart be more real to you than what you see, think, or feel. You can choose to think about what God can do instead of what you cannot do.
If you continue to obsess about the difficulty of your situation, you will end up in despair. In other words, you will feel trapped. When that happens, it’s easy to panic and begin to do irrational things that just make the problem worse.
Instead, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” The word “sustain” means to strengthen, support, and hold you up. God may not take you out of the situation immediately, but His sustaining grace will bring you through it. Today, give your problem to God.
Soul food: Job 18-20; Luke 20:9-26; Ps 55:1-11; Prov 8:17-18
2023-03-22
Luke 5:5 NIV
You say: “What happened to the verse in Galatians 6 that promises whatever you sow you will also reap? I gave it my best shot. I trusted, sacrificed, did the right things, yet reaped nothing.” Whether it’s a lack of reaping in your finances, job, marriage, children, or ministry, it’s discouraging and sometimes makes you feel like quitting.
The disciples were experienced fishermen. But they had fished all night and caught nothing, so now they were discouraged. And that’s when Jesus showed up! When they thought there was nothing more that could be done, He stepped into their boat. And He still works that way.
As long as you think you can handle the situation yourself, Jesus knows you will keep trying to. So, He waits until you have exhausted your resources and acknowledged that you are out of options, then He gets involved. “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch,” He instructed (Luke 5:4 NIV). Peter replied, “We have already tried that and the fish just aren’t biting.” Maybe Peter was thinking, “Lord, you’re the preacher, but I’m a professional fisherman. If there was anything out there, I would have caught it.” Jesus was saying, “This time, try it my way!” Peter replied, “Master… because you say so, I will.” And that’s when the miracle happened.
Whatever Peter thought or felt, he obeyed Jesus anyway. That, too, is when your situation begins to change. When you’re clueless and helpless, thinking there is no way out, just get quiet and listen, and Jesus will tell you what to do. And when He does, even though you have questions, say, “Master, because you say so, I will obey.” Then, prepare for results only God can give.
Soul food: Job 15-17; Luke 19:41-20:8; Ps 13; Prov 8:14-16
2023-03-21
Colossians 3:23 NIV
If you were in charge of hiring people at work, what would you look for? Skill, dedication, punctuality, reliability, patience, kindness, and consistency? Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10 NIV). Life mostly consists of little things, so if you’re unfaithful in little things, you will be unfaithful in most of life.
Do you possess a “guilt pile” at work? It’s that little stack of items you haven’t gotten around to yet. Faithfulness includes how you handle it. It may not matter much to you that someone has sent you an email or written you a letter, but that person anticipates an answer. Their world may be counting on it. How do you manage the little things in life?
Jesus said, “If you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (v. 12 NIV). Question: If you owned the business you work for, would you be taking all those extra coffee breaks? Would you buy the rental car you just abused for a week? How you handle the things that are not yours is a test of faithfulness to God.
See how sensible this is? Faithfulness is important in all areas of life. God says you will be rewarded for your faithfulness, so do your best at work. “Work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23 NIV). As a follower of Christ, you should have a reputation for being the most dependable person on the job. Why? Because you’re aware of who your true boss is!
Soul food: Job 11-14; Luke 19:22-40; Ps 116:12-19; Prov 8:10-13
2023-03-20
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
Here are three truths from Scripture that will make your faith more effective: First, believe that God is. The force of the language used here is much more than a vague acknowledgment of God’s existence. Mankind claims scores of gods, but the God of the Bible is not one of them – or even the best of them. He is the only true God! And this Scripture says He is uniquely, genuinely, permanently present and active.
Second, believe that God is able. When two blind men approached Jesus seeking healing, He asked, “‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith let it be done to you'” (Matthew 9:28-29 NIV). Immediately, they could see. Jesus knew He was able to heal them, but He wanted them to know He was able. Until you believe in God’s ability to meet your need, you have no ground on which to base your confidence and prayers.
Third, believe that God is willing. After knowing He is able, you must take a step of belief. A leper approached Jesus saying, “‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Jesus… touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matthew 8:2-3 NAS). Is God willing? Consider His claim: He – not we – goes on record as being “a rewarder of those who… seek Him.” That leaves no room for doubt.
Today, God is not only able but willing to meet your need.
Soul food: Job 8-10; Luke 19:1-21; Ps 116:1-11; Prov 8:8-9
2023-03-19
Psalm 30:5 NLT
One marriage expert says a single mother sent him a story that helped explain the loneliness and stress often faced by those raising children alone. She said she was looking out her window one drizzly day and saw a mother robin and her little ones perched in a nest. As the rain poured down, the mother bird covered her chirping chicks beneath her extended wings. Then the hail began to fall. Instead of tucking her head safely in the nest, the mother robin raised her head upward and took the blows to protect her young. All of the chicks made it safely through the storm. What a graphic illustration of the challenges of single parenting!
The responsibility of raising kids alone is unrelenting, requiring a mom or dad to earn a living, cook, clean, supervise homework, take care of sick kids, and so on. Beyond these day-by-day duties, they must figure out how to meet their own personal and spiritual needs. Taken in context, this may be one of the toughest assignments on earth.
Single parents, whether mothers or fathers, need our continued support and prayers. To those who are taking the blows on behalf of their children, be assured that there are better days coming. The storm you’re in won’t last forever. A beautiful rainbow will soon appear. When the job has been completed and a brood of healthy little birds has been raised, there will be sweet benefits for the parents who don’t fly away. God’s Word promises: “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Soul food: Isa 40:1-31; John 9:1-39
2023-03-18
Psalm 77:2 KJV
Here are two important prayer principles: (1) Talk to God when troubles surround you. If you’re like most people, good times can make you trust in yourself instead of God. It’s the troubled times that drive you to your knees – a bad medical report, a child hooked on drugs, a lost job, or a troubled marriage. That’s God’s intention in allowing troubled times! He allows trouble to afflict us – not to make us miserable, but to bring us to Himself. Hosea the prophet said, “In their misery they will earnestly seek [God]” (Hosea 5:15 NIV). God’s fatherly heart wants above all that we abide and confide in Him. And if it takes trouble to do it, He loves us enough to permit it. But when we turn to Him in our troubles, we discover that He is “our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1 NLT).
(2) Talk to God at all times. In his widely-read classic, The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence speaks of prayer as a continual conversation with God – a practice for all times, places, and circumstances. While cooking and washing dishes, he found conversing with God as satisfying as in his allotted prayer times. He counsels us: “That we may accustom ourselves to a continual conversation with Him… in simplicity. That we need only to recognize God intimately present with us, and to address ourselves to Him every moment.” That sounds like Paul’s instructions on the subject: “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests… always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18 NIV).
Soul food: Job 5-7; Luke 18:18-43; Ps 19; Prov 8:6-7
