2022-10-06
Psalm 56:3 NKJV
Fear and faith are both powerful forces. And the one you surrender to will control you. So here are some Scriptures to fight your fears: “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord…will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (1 Chronicles 28:20 NKJV). “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust” (Psalm 18:2 NKJV). “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Ps 56:11 NKJV). “He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:7 NKJV). “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4 NKJV). “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27 NKJV). “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, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). “Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38 NLT).
Bottom line: Fight your fears with God’s Word!
Soul food: 1 Sam 14-15; John 1:14-28; Ps 63; Prov 22:17-23
2022-10-05
2 Corinthians 9:10 NIV
Here is what the Bible teaches about giving: (1) You always get back more than you give. “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will… increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (v. 10 NIV). When Paul talks here about “seed,” he’s talking about money. Notice, some of the money God gives you is to be used for your own needs, and some is to create “a harvest of righteousness.” What does that mean?
Paul explains: “They have… scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever” (v. 9 NIV). In other words, you must show compassion toward those who are hurting and give generously to those who are unable to provide for themselves. The Bible says that when you give to the poor, you actually lend to the Lord, and He will repay you (See Proverbs 19:17). Can you imagine the interest God pays?
Jesus said: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38 NIV).
(2) You should give, expecting to be blessed. You say, “If I get more, I’ll give more.” No, you have the cart before the horse. It’s the level of your giving that determines the level of your receiving, not vice versa. So break through your barrier of fear and put God to the test. He won’t disappoint you. Once you have experienced His blessing, you will never want to live any other way.
oul food: Lev 16; Lev 23:26-32; Heb 9:1-14; Heb 13:11-16
2022-10-04
Psalm 77:12 NIV
What does the word meditate mean? “To engage in contemplation or reflection or to focus one’s thoughts on.” David said, “I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds…” Question: Until you meditate on God’s Word, what can you say that will make any real difference? All you will be doing is sharing your opinion, which is just one of many. You will not be able to speak convincingly or make any real difference in the life of the person to whom you are speaking. It’s God’s Word that changes people’s lives, not yours!
Here are ten benefits of meditating on God’s Word: (1) It cultivates within you a love for God and His Word.
(2) It gives you new insights and spiritual understanding.
(3) It’s a source of reassurance and strength.
(4) It empowers you to be a genuine witness for Jesus Christ.
(5) It renews your mind.
(6) It protects you from sin.
(7) It restores your soul and your emotions.
(8) It enables you to trust in the Lord with all your heart.
(9) It causes your spirit to come alive.
(10) It assists you in understanding God, others, and yourself.
There is great power in God’s Word, and Bible meditation gives you access to that power. “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you – your tickets to participation in the life of God” (2 Peter 1:3-4 MSG).
Soul food: 1 Sam 11-13; John 1:1-13; Ps 51; Prov 22:12-16
2022-10-03
Romans 12:4 MSG
Paul writes: “We are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be… If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them” (vv. 4-8 MSG).
Often unhappiness isn’t the absence of affection; it’s the absence of connection. It’s not in having a cell phone with a lot of numbers in it; it’s in sharing your life with those who live for causes greater than themselves. Where should you start? By visiting a lonely, forgotten person in the nearest nursing home. By volunteering to work in a soup kitchen once a week. By saying to your pastor, “Please give me a job that involves helping others.” These are small steps, but you will be amazed how they enrich your life.
Soul food: 1 Sam 8-10; Mark 16:9-20; Ps 60; Prov 22:7-11
2022-10-02
1 John 3:14 NIV
There is a direct link between your health and your relationships. When you’re disconnected and isolated from others, you’re two to five times more likely to die than people with close ties! Even people with bad habits like smoking, overeating, and physical inactivity – but who remain socially connected – live longer than people with great health habits but who are isolated.
We see the physical, life-giving power of connection in the life of Winston Churchill. He had a wonderful marriage, was deeply connected to his family, his friends, his nation, and his work. But his health habits were terrible. His diet was awful, and he constantly smoked cigars. He drank too much, had weird sleep habits, and was completely sedentary – yet he lived to ninety years old.
That reminds me of the newspaper reporter questioning an old man about his longevity: “I suppose it’s because you take systematic exercise.” The man quipped, “The only exercise I take is acting as a pallbearer to my friends who have indulged in strenuous exercise!”
(Note: We’re not condoning bad habits!) God said, “It is not good… to be alone” (Genesis 2:18 NIV), because when you’re alone, you’re more likely to succumb to temptation and discouragement, become self-absorbed, and spend money in selfish ways. Not only do you suffer, the people God put in your life get cheated out of the love He intended you to share with them. You say, “But I’ve been hurt by people.” We all have. But just as the answer to a snakebite is snake venom, the answer to bad relationships is good relationships. And God has some in store for you – so talk to Him about it today.
Soul food: Exo 17:8-16; 2 Cor 1:3-7
2022-10-01
Genesis 2:18 NIV
At creation, God looked at everything He had made and said, “That’s good.” Then there came a time when He realized man was lonely, unfulfilled, and incomplete. That’s when He said, “It is not good… to be alone,” and He made Eve, the first woman.
The fact is, none of us can develop to our highest potential unless we’re plugged in to nurturing, life-giving relationships. Here is an example: In twelve-step recovery programs, the counselor only does 10 percent of the work by offering guidance. Ninety percent of the recovery process takes place because the people in the group challenge, comfort, and strengthen one another. The truth is – we’re shaped by people!
The right people help you to become the best version of yourself, and you get to do the same for them. They see a “you” you can’t see at times, they cheer you on as you move toward it, and they “get in your face” when you move away from it. The highest and best form of this relationship is referred to in Scripture as the “fellowship of the Spirit” (Philippians 2:1; See 2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV and 1 John 1:6 NIV). It’s not just a social, relational, or intellectual connection, but a deep spiritual link that causes us to thrive.
It’s like the difference between bees and butterflies. Butterflies cover more territory, but bees gather more honey. Why? Because they don’t just land on a flower briefly, they stay there and extract the life-giving nectar. God gave David the gift of a Jonathan, and Naomi the gift of a Ruth. And He has people He would like you to meet. So talk to Him today about it.
Soul food: 1 Sam 4-7; Mark 16:1-8; Ps 68:19-35; Prov 22:6
