2022-08-31
1 Samuel 16:10 NLT
David had seven brothers. When it came time to pick a king to replace Saul, Samuel thought any one of them would make a better king than David. But God rejected all seven. Why? Because: (1) They had the looks but not the spiritual core. God explained to Samuel, “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v. 7 NLT). David’s spiritual core was formed by years spent with God. His heart’s cry was, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God” (Psalm 42:1 NKJV).
(2) They had no personal experiences with God to fall back on. The lion and the bear were big, and Goliath was bigger yet. But David wasn’t intimidated. “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and… the bear… will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37 NKJV). There are no insignificant battles. The little ones equip you for the big ones that shape your destiny, so stand on your “God experiences.” How you respond in a crisis is determined by the experiences you have had with God.
(3) They were easily influenced by others. David’s brothers allowed the fears of those around them to erode their faith. Fear is contagious; if you listen to it long enough, you will get infected. No, you shouldn’t be isolated from the world, but you must be insulated against its negative influences. Listening to Goliath frightened David’s brothers, but it didn’t frighten David.
So who are you listening to today? Get God’s opinion and build your life upon it; allow His Word to settle every issue.
Soul food: Lam 1:1-3:39; Mark 9:14-29; Ps 119:169-176; Prov 19:9-10
2022-08-30
Proverbs 13:12 NKJV
You say, “Surely a man or woman can change when they meet the right partner?” No. Only God can change people – and you are not God! Plus, when you “need to be needed,” it can cause you to make disastrous relationship choices in life. Perhaps you have heard stories of people who have experienced massive change through their marriage. But the truth is, the power to change must come from within the person themselves, not from you. When you try to change your spouse, it doesn’t work, and eventually your “hope” for change makes you “sick.”
In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases Solomon’s words: “Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick.” When you keep longing for and envisioning something that never materialises, you get heartsick. Then you start making excuses for what’s not working in the relationship, even as it becomes obvious to those around you.
Sound relationship decisions are not based on hope. And add to this the fact that people of faith often try to spiritualise every issue. In the name of “faith,” they dumb down their instincts and ignore their senses. That’s not having faith in God! Faith in God should be just that – faith in God. We must not place our faith in fallible men and women, because they will fail us.
God gives each of us a will, but He doesn’t force us to change. Change must come from within each of us as we accept the grace that God extends to us each day. “The Lord opened [Lydia’s] heart to heed the things spoken by Paul” (Acts 16:14 NKJV). Here is a better option: Pray for them, and let God change them!
Soul food: Gal 4-6; Mark 9:1-13; Ps 119:161-168; Prov 19:3-8
2022-08-29
Revelation 2:4 NLT
One of Paul’s letters was to the church at Ephesus. They were spiritual, doctrinally sound, and exemplary in their love for Christ. Then Jesus says to that same church years later, “You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first” (vv. 4-5 NLT).
Has your love for God grown cold? Then you must go back to where you first met Him and seek Him again like you did before you had heard so much and seen so much; before the pressures of life had worn you down. “But I’m busy doing the Lord’s work,” you say. Beware; busyness and barrenness go hand in hand! Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” Finally, Peter said, “Lord, You know all things; You know [the extent to which] I love You” (John 21:17 NKJV).
Oswald Chambers said, “Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him.” When Peter decided to go fishing that night, he may have been making a decision to get away from everything and go back to where he first met the Lord. That’s a good move if you also seek the Lord there! When you get discouraged, you will either go back to the One who can save, keep, and satisfy, or you will go back to whatever was going on in your life before you met Him. That’s not a good move! Why? Because the Bible says Peter fished all night and caught nothing.
Soul food: Gal 1-3; Mark 8:27-38; Ps 119:145-160; Prov 19:1-2
2022-08-28
Genesis 19:27 NKJV
Abraham was known as “the Friend of God” (James 2:23 KJV). What an honor! But the secret of his greatness is easy to overlook: “Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.” He started his day with God. Do you? The way you get up in the morning sets the tone for your day.
So try this: First thing tomorrow, get alone with God for a few minutes and go over your plans for the day. As you’re going over them, you will have some concerns. Just hand them over to Him. Maybe you will notice a particular problem you’re worried about. Ask Him for wisdom. The Bible says He will give it to you gladly (See James 1:5). If He doesn’t give you an immediate answer, realise it’s because He wants you to trust Him. He has something in mind, something that you haven’t thought of yet.
So many of us start our day anxious, hurried, fearful, or rushed. But you don’t have to. You’re going to start your day anyway; why not start it with God? You’re going to have a first thought anyhow, so why not let it belong to God before whom all our anxieties flee?
When you’re having a bad day, pause and ask yourself, “Did I start this day with God, or did I forget to include Him?” Here are two Scriptures you need to consider: “In the morning… I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (Psalm 5:3 NIV). “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14 NIV).
Soul food: Gen 11:1-9; Phil 2:1-11
2022-08-27
Ephesians 6:4 CEV
When you raise each of your children the same way and yet one of them turns out to be a problem child, what should you do?
(1) Pray for wisdom. “Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established” (Proverbs 24:3 NKJV). Don’t obsess over one child and shortchange the others. Reduce your concentration on your problem child. Instead of continually trying to fix them, enjoy all your children and watch things improve.
(2) God didn’t make two snowflakes alike, nor two children. Some problem children are just late arrivers; they develop at different rates and in different ways, so give them the time they need.
(3) Many families have a problem child, and they make us uncomfortable by not doing things like the rest of the family. What should you do? Accept what you don’t like about them until God either changes them or teaches the family mature, unconditional, non-controlling love toward them.
(4) Do your best and ask God to do the rest. The prophet Samuel’s sons “did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice” (1 Samuel 8:3 NIV). Yes, it was embarrassing and disappointing, but no charge of parental failure is laid on Samuel’s doorstep. He was as godly a man as ever lived. Yet when push came to shove, his sons didn’t choose to follow in his footsteps or embrace his values.
(5) However dysfunctional your child may be, their greatest asset is a parent who responds by faith, not fixing; by praying, not prying; and who gets out of God’s way and lets Him work.
Soul food: Judg 19:16-21:25; Mark 8:14-26; Ps 119:137-144; Prov 18:22-24
2022-08-26
Psalm 48:8 KJV
Seventy-one times in the book of Psalms we read the word “Selah” at the end of a Scripture. What does it mean? To “pause and calmly think about it.” You can’t rush into Bible revelation. You can’t skim the surface and discover the treasure hidden within it. That’s why David wrote, “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:10-11 KJV).
When you hide God’s Word in your heart through meditation and memorisation, you’re able to stand on it when you have a particular need. Meditation involves taking time to reflect; to “pause and calmly think about it.” It’s a time-tested method God put in place for you. He wants you to learn to pray the Scriptures and meditate on them because these habits will help you to experience all He has for you.
The most important thing you can ask yourself when you face life’s challenges is, “What does God say about this in His Word?” Why is asking that important? Read these two Scriptures, and you will find the answer: “Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89 NKJV). “The word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8 NKJV).
God’s Word is His will! When God called Jeremiah to leadership, Jeremiah had reservations about his ability. So God said, “I have put My words in your mouth” (Jeremiah 1:9 NKJV). Then He told Jeremiah, “I am ready to perform My word” (v. 12 NKJV). The only thing you can count on for sure is that God will keep His Word. Selah!
Soul food: Judg 16:1-19:15; Mark 8:1-13; Ps 119:129-136; Prov 18:21
