2023-02-15
Philippians 4:6 CEV
Paul writes: “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel” (vv. 6-7 CEV). Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair; it’s always in motion and it keeps you busy, but it never actually gets you anywhere. In fact, if you do it too long, it wears you out!
One medical expert says that we create about thirty thousand thoughts per day, and through an uncontrolled thought life, we create favourable conditions for illness; we make ourselves sick! Another medical researcher estimates that 87 percent of illness is connected to wrong thought patterns.
The cause of worry is simple: It’s the failure to trust God to take care of the various situations in your life. Most of us have spent our lives trying to take care of ourselves, so it takes time – lots of it – to learn how to trust God instead. And the only way you learn that is by doing it. Each time you pray and turn the problem over to God, you experience His faithfulness. That makes it easier for you to trust Him next time.
And when it comes to life’s problems, there will always be a “next time.” So each time you begin to feel anxious, say, “I trust God completely; there is no need to worry!” The more you think about this truth, the more you will find yourself choosing trust over worry.
Soul food: Gen 47-49; Luke 9:46-56; Ps 145:14-21; Prov 4:23-24
2023-02-14
Romans 5:3 NLT
In World War II, Viktor Frankl was sentenced to a Nazi concentration camp. The guards deprived him of everything. They took his wife, his family, his clothes. They even stole his wedding ring. But he had one thing no one could take from him. In a classic book, he wrote, “The last of human freedoms is the ability to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.” The guards could not take from Frankl his freedom to choose his attitude.
We do not know what is going to occur tomorrow, or even today. We can’t control all our circumstances, but we can control how we respond to them. We can control whether an experience makes us stronger or weaker, increases our faith or our fear, makes us a better person or a bitter person. The saying goes: “The same sunshine that melts the butter hardens the clay.” God wants our struggles to strengthen us.
Paul writes: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation [deliverance]. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (vv. 3-5 NLT).
And here is another thought – a very important one. The tests and trials we go through in this life are what qualify us to rule and reign with Christ in the next life. Knowing that will help you to respond the right way!
Soul food: Eph 5:21-33; S of Sol 2:1-7; Ps 45; Prov 5:15-19
2023-02-13
Psalm 29:11 NIV
Everybody wants peace of mind. Whether you’re a businessperson facing the pressure of deadlines, a homemaker trying to round up kids, or a student trying to make it through the college semester, everyone wants peace of mind. But most of us experience more stress than peace.
How acquainted are you with stress? One author writes: “Here is a little quiz. Complete each of these sentences with the appropriate word: ‘I am ready to throw in the… I am at the end of my… I am just a bundle of… My life is falling… I am at my wits’… I feel like resigning from the human…’ How did you do? If you answered, ‘towel, rope, nerves, apart, end, and race,’ give yourself an A+.” Most of us have muttered these words so often that they’re almost second nature.
Stress is a regrettable fact of life in our contemporary world. Sales of sedatives are at an all-time high, and books on peace of mind become immediate best sellers. We are warned that too much stress is unhealthy. So what else is new? We have understood that for centuries.
Thousands of years ago, Solomon wrote, “A heart at peace gives life to the body” (Proverbs 14:30 NIV). We know about stress, but where can we go to find peace? To God! Take a moment and read these two promises: (1) “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” (2) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).
Soul food: Gen 44-46; Luke 9:37-45; Ps 145:1-13; Prov 4:20-22
2023-02-12
Psalm 119:71 NLT
God uses problems, pressures, and people to prune you for greater fruitfulness. Are you aware of Him using any of these three things in your life today? God can use all situations in your life to help you grow if you will just have the right attitude. He will use a major frustration, a financial setback, a sudden sickness, a broken marriage, a rebellious child, or even the death of a loved one to get your attention. You say, “But it hurts so much!” Yes, pruning is painful.
Sometimes a gardener will prune a tree until it looks like a totem pole or a giant toothpick. It’s not a pretty sight. But the pruning process is positive. God is not mad at you. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NKJV). God does not punish His genuine children. Jesus took your punishment on the cross. God’s pruning is for your best, for more fruitfulness in your life. Can God’s pruning fail to produce? Sure, if you don’t cooperate.
How does God produce “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” in your life? (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT). He produces these qualities by allowing you to face situations and people with exactly the opposite qualities. He teaches you to love by putting you around difficult people. He teaches you patience by letting things frustrate you.
You say, “How can I cooperate with God?” The Bible tells you: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT).
Soul food: Matt 5:1-12; Josh 10:5-14
2023-02-11
Hebrews 12:10 NLT
Did you know that some master gardeners actually talk to their plants? Why? Because it helps them grow! Imagine yourself saying, “You’re such a good plant. My, you sure are looking fine today! I’m so proud of you!” Now picture yourself talking to a plant you’re pruning and saying, “This pains me more than it pains you.” Whack! “You will thank me for this afterward!” Whack! “It’s for your own good!” Whack! Now picture the plant talking back: “You don’t have a heart. You hate me. I’ve worked long and hard to make those roses you just cut off.”
Isn’t that what we say to God while He prunes us? “Don’t you love me? Don’t you care about me? Don’t you see what’s going on in my life right now?” We think God is mad at us. No, He is not mad. One of the major mistakes we make is confusing pruning with punishment. Don’t equate the two.
God sees you as someone who can bear more fruit, someone with potential for greatness, someone He wants to utilize in a significant way. He wants you to be as fruitful as you can conceivably be, so He prunes you, even lopping off some of the things He has been blessing in your life. Have you lost a job you loved? Or a relationship you loved? God may have something much better in mind.
Can you trust Him? Do you believe He is at work in your life? His Word says, “God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished” (Philippians 1:6 NLT).
Soul food: Gen 42-43; Luke 9:28-36; Ps 141; Prov 4:18-19
2023-02-10
1 Peter 3:15 NIV
The Bible says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Two ways to get an egg out of an eggshell are to (1) crack it open, or (2) put it in a warm, loving environment and allow it to incubate and hatch. The second way preserves the chick, while the first kills it. Similarly, two ways to get the good news of the gospel across to people are to (1) pound them over the head with it, or (2) love them into God’s family.
Have you noticed that a lot of evangelism is just a thinly-veiled insult? “You need what I have because you’re so awful.” People do need the good news, but your disposition can keep them from receiving it. Respect unbelievers; don’t humiliate them. Respecting means accepting them. That doesn’t mean you have to approve of their lifestyle. Acceptance and approval are different. But everybody has the right to be treated in a respectful way.
The best way to share the gospel with unbelievers is to surround them with love and acceptance as you share it with them. Be respectful, sensitive, and caring. Theologian D. T. Niles said, “Evangelism is just one beggar telling another where to find bread.” Share God’s Word! You do the sharing, and God will do the saving. Once you sow the seed of God’s Word into someone’s heart, you can love them and leave them and trust God to do His part.
Soul food: Gen 40-41; Luke 9:18-27; Ps 138; Prov 4:14-17
