2023-01-04
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (v. 6 NKJV). Here is something God can’t do: Be pleased without faith! Twelve spies entered the promised land, but only two came back and said, “We are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30 NKJV). God had promised it to them, but the majority thought it couldn’t be done.
People who think “possible” not only create forward-looking, optimistic pictures of the future in their own minds, but also in the minds of others. And the opposite is true. Sam Ewing said, “Nothing is so embarrassing as watching someone do something that you said couldn’t be done.” Now, believing you can doesn’t guarantee you will. But believing you can’t guarantees you won’t!
So how’s your approach to life? When you face the unknown, the undone, or the untried, do you focus on all the things that can go wrong or all the things that can go right? Ballistic rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun said, “I have learned to use the word ‘impossible’ with the greatest caution.” You say, “Who was he?” The scientist who made it possible for the first man to walk on the moon! John Andrew Holmes said: “Never tell a young person that something cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for somebody ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing.”
If you want to achieve something, give yourself permission to believe it is possible – and trust God for success.
Soul food: Isa 4-7; Luke 1:11-25; Ps 90:7-17; Prov 1:5-9
2023-01-03
Matthew 19:26 KJV
Read these two Scriptures: “With God all things are possible” (v. 26). “He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58 KJV). Those two verses mean this: Many things that are possible remain undone because of doubt and unbelief. So, this year, think “possible.”
If God’s Word says you can succeed, but you’re failing, it may mean this: You don’t really believe what He says, or you’re not willing to do your part. When you think “possible,” it increases your energy level. Who gets energized at the prospect of losing? If you know something can’t succeed, how much time and energy are you willing to give it? Nobody goes looking for a lost cause. You only invest yourself in what you believe can succeed. So when you think “possible” and trust God for success, your faith becomes the energizing force.
Some people believe that possibility thinkers are naive or foolish. If you’re one of them, answer this question: How many highly successful people do you know who are continually negative? How many impossibility thinkers are you acquainted with who achieve big things? None! The first step to thinking “possible” is to stop yourself from searching for and dwelling on what’s wrong with each situation.
People with an it-can’t-be-done mindset have two choices: they can expect the worst and continually experience it, or change their thinking. And that begins with eliminating the negative self-talk you hear in your head before you have even opened your mouth. “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences” (Proverbs 18:21 NLT). In order to think “possible,” you must believe and speak “possible.”
Soul food: Isa 2-3; Luke 1:5-10; Ps 90:1-6; Prov 1:3-4
2023-01-02
John 15:11 AMPC
You need to enjoy each day of your life for Christ’s sake, because He paid a very high price for you to be able to. He said, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” (John 10:10 AMPC). He said: “I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing” (John 15:11 AMPC). He said, “Ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete” (John 16:24 AMPC).
Jesus actually prayed that you would have joy: “Now I am coming to You… so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts]” (John 17:13 AMPC).
With Jesus Himself praying such powerful words about His desire for you to have joy, how could you ever doubt that God wants you to be happy and enjoy your life? As a redeemed child of God, you’re a walking billboard for Christianity! Don’t go around looking severe, stern, strict, sour, and sensorial, believing that you’re coming across as “spiritual.” No, that’s a turnoff to non-Christians! You need a new mindset; a scriptural one that will enable you to enjoy life and make you a more enjoyable person to be around.
Soul food: Isa 1; Luke 1:1-4; Ps 1; Prov 1:1-2
2023-01-01
Psalm 118:24 CEV
Each day is a gift from God. Next to your salvation, today is the most valuable gift you will ever receive. When you receive a gift, what do you do? Thank the giver, unwrap it, and enjoy it. Getting the idea?
One Bible teacher writes: “I make an effort to focus on and enjoy every moment of my life, but doing so has been a long and difficult journey for me… I am a planner, and if I am not careful, I find myself planning the next thing while doing the current thing, which of course steals the present moment from me. Although being focused is a good thing, I can also easily get so focused on my work that I fail to enjoy the magic of the moment. For example, I was usually working while my children were little and found it difficult to even take a moment to stop and enjoy the cute things they said or did. I missed many of those moments and will never get them back. We should celebrate life and the people God has placed in our path. Life is to be enjoyed, not dreaded or regretted.”
Solomon wrote: “There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy good in his labor. Even this, I have seen, is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24 AMPC). Note these two phrases: (1) “From the hand of God.” That means it’s God’s will for you to enjoy every day. (2) “Make himself enjoy good.” That means you must look for things to celebrate each day. And you can start doing this – today!
Soul food: Rom 13:12-14:19; John 1:1-14
2022-12-31
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Susan Alexander Yates suggests five resolutions to work on.
“(1) Reach someone who doesn’t know Christ. God commands us to be salt and light… (Matthew 5:13-16 KJV); that won’t happen if we spend all our time with believers…. While reaching out feels scary, when you take the risk, you’ll see God work through you.
(2) Be more grateful. I used to wake… thinking about all the things I had to do and… the people who needed me. I got depressed before I… got out of bed!… So I started meditating on… God’s character traits… thinking about how awesome God is. My perspective… changed.
(3) Spend quality time with your spouse. I used to have a… raspberry patch. In the early years I… tended it, and it produced prolific crops. Then I got busy… and… weeds took over… A marriage can become like [that]. We get busy with kids, career, church… We think [we’ll] spend time [together] when life calms down. The problem is life never does. Don’t let the weeds… choke your marriage… You’re raising future husbands and wives who need to know a happy marriage takes time.
(4) Say ‘no’ to something. Maturing means you postpone something you’d like to do to focus on something more important. In 10 years, what will matter most – that you signed your child up for another activity or said ‘no’ and had family dinners together?
(5) Pursue Christ with fresh vigor. [David prayed], ‘Restore to me the joy of your salvation’ (Psalm 51:12 NIV). Vary [your routine]… [Pick] a new topic for Bible study. Begin a fresh journal. If you… still feel stale, ask God to show you the reason.” “Let us throw off everything that hinders and… run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).
Soul food: Isa 43:9-21; John 21:15-25; Ps 139:13-24; Prov 31:28-31
2022-12-30
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
Author Ellen Vaughn continues: “(3) We must also forget our successes. That doesn’t necessarily mean we must forget the great projects we have completed. We are to work and live with excellence unto God, and He takes pleasure in our successes as they are offered to His glory. But we should forget past successes if they have defined our identity or caused us to be complacent, smug and self-congratulatory. We’re not to fondle the past, dwelling on past glories. (Similarly, we must make sure our stories of God’s work and grace in our lives are not all old. If we can only point to instances of God’s faithfulness from five years ago but none from this week, our connection with Christ isn’t very current.)
Paul warns the Philippians against those who would put their confidence in human criteria and accomplishment: ‘If someone… thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more’ (Philippians 3:4 NIV), he said, citing his power résumé that many in his day would have coveted. But his focus wasn’t on his past: ‘Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ… But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 3:7, 13-14 NIV).”
The good news is, God doesn’t analyse your past in order to determine your future. He says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past… I am doing a new thing!” Learn from the past, leave it, and don’t look back!
Soul food: Malachi 1-2; John 21:1-14; Ps 139:1-12; Prov 31:25-27
