2022-08-07
Mark 6:48 NKJV
“About the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and… when they saw Him… they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out… But immediately He… said to them, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’ Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased” (vv. 48-51 NKJV).
Darkness isn’t always the work of the Enemy; sometimes it’s one of God’s best teaching tools. You get to know the Lord best by going through storms with Him; by reaching the place where you think, “If God doesn’t come through for me, I’m sunk.” Then He comes, “walking on the sea.” Jesus said to His disciples, “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight” (Matthew 10:27 NIV). It’s in your darkest moments that God gives you some of your greatest insights. The psalmist said, “To you the night shines as bright as day” (Psalm 139:12 NLT).
So instead of running from your problems, ask God to develop your night vision and show you “treasures of darkness… hidden in secret places” (Isaiah 45:3 NRS). And one more thought: When the darkness you’re experiencing is God-ordained, don’t try to create your own light. “If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light… you will soon fall down in great torment” (Isaiah 50:10-11 NLT). When you’re in darkness by divine design, you don’t have to be afraid; God has promised to bring you through.
Soul food: Eccl 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; 2 Tim 4:6-8
2022-08-06
Psalm 112:4 NIV
Faith is like film; it’s developed in the dark. Dark days make you lean on God. The truth is, if your faith was never tested, you wouldn’t be motivated to draw closer to Him. Hymnist Edward Mote wrote: “When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace… When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
It’s easy to praise God when your health is good and your bills are paid. But it’s during the dark days that you discover what your faith is made of and where your trust truly lies: in yourself, in others, or in God. When your days feel as dark as your nights, here is a Scripture you can stand on: “Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God” (Isaiah 50:10 NIV).
Job lived an exemplary life, yet he lost everything. Troubled and perplexed, he cried, “He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness” (Job 19:8 NIV). Job could see no way through or around the situation. Then he discovered that when you can’t find the reason, you can trust the relationship. “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5 NIV). When he made that discovery, everything changed: “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part” (Job 42:12 NIV). What God did for Job – He will do for you.
Soul food: Deut 11-13; Mark 2:23-3:6; Ps 78:65-72; Prov 17:1-2
2022-08-05
Genesis 18:14 NKJV
Much of our stress is brought on by our need to know everything ahead of time – to be in control. Even after we pray and supposedly turn the problem over to God, we live by the philosophy “hope for the best and plan for the worst”! You don’t put your money into the bank and then stay awake all night worrying about it, right? Well, have at least that much confidence in God!
When you find yourself in the downward spiral of “How? What? When? Where?” stop and give it to God. Not the limited God of your understanding, but the unlimited God whose track record speaks for itself, whose faithfulness never fails, and who has earned the right to ask, “Is anything too hard for [me]?”
Jesus never suffered from the fear of failure like we do. Why? Because He never entertained the thought that He couldn’t do something that His Father had assured Him He could do. And He didn’t suffer from the fear of lack, either. Even though He lived a simple life, He was responsible for supporting Himself and a team of others. How did He do it? The Bible says He prayed morning, noon, and night, staying in constant touch with His heavenly Father. Consequently, He knew how to catch fish when they weren’t biting, and even find tax money in a fish’s mouth when He needed it.
Now, God may not provide for you in exactly that way, but He has promised to take care of you. Here is a promise you should live by today: “God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him” (1 Peter 5:7 CEV).
Soul food: Deut 8-10; Mark 2:13-22; Ps 78:56-64; Prov 16:33
2022-08-04
John 21:3 NKJV
When Jesus first called His disciples, He told them, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19 KJV). Yet after hearing Him promise to rise from the dead and actually seeing Him alive, they went back to what they were doing before they met Him: fishing.
Now, God will use your past experiences to teach you, but He always leads you forward – never back. When fear and uncertainty make you want to go back to the security of what you know, you end up like the disciples: “That night they caught nothing.” But there is good news: If God has called you, you’re still called. Notice how Jesus addresses them: “Children, have you any food?” (John 21:5 NKJV). In spite of your lackluster performance, you’re still God’s redeemed child.
Next, He tells them: “‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!'” (vv. 6-7 NIV).
Notice what Jesus did next. He ate breakfast with them, renewed fellowship, removed their doubts, and empowered them to change the world. There is an important lesson here. When you work outside God’s will, it’s like fishing on the wrong side of the boat; you wear yourself out and end up having little to show for your efforts. Are you failing? Maybe it’s because you’re fishing on the wrong side of the boat! Things will start to work out right when you submit to Christ, renew your fellowship with Him, and allow Him to direct you.
Soul food: Deut 5-7; Mark 2:1-12; Ps 78:40-55; Prov 16:32
2022-08-03
John 15:12 NKJV
Picture in your mind the person you find hardest to love. How can you learn to love this kind of person?
First, before you can love them, you must feel and understand how deeply God loves you. Paul writes: “I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves” (Ephesians 3:17-19 TLB).
Notice the words “feel… understand… experience.” God wants you to feel His love, and He wants you to understand His love. Why? First John 4:19 says that we love God because He first loved us. Why is it important to feel loved by God? Because unloved people are often unloving people. When you do not feel genuinely loved, you do not feel like giving love. So, first, you have to experience God’s love for yourself.
Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” During your worst acts, and in your lowest moments, Jesus loves you. Knowing you are loved by Christ gives you value and security; it also enables you to risk loving others. All God asks is that you be willing to love, and He will supply the power to do it. “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5 NKJV).
Soul food: Deut 3-4; Mark 1:35-45; Ps 78:32-39; Prov 16:31
2022-08-02
Ephesians 5:2 NKJV
The Greeks used four words to distinguish different types of love: (1) Storge, which means natural affection; (2) Eros, which means sexual attraction; (3) Philia, which means emotional affection or friendship; (4) Agape, which means unconditional, giving, sacrificial love.
When the Bible tells of God’s love for us and the type of love we are to have for Him and others, the word is always “agape,” indicating a commitment to act. Do you know it’s possible to love someone you don’t even like? Indeed, if God is going to educate us to love, He will bring certain hard-to-love people into our lives. The truth is, our lives are full of people we don’t like. We do not like the way some people speak. We do not like the way some behave. We do not like what others wear. But most of all, we tend to dislike people who don’t like us.
If you think about it for a minute, you can probably produce a list of people you don’t like. They would probably be people with whom you have difficulty getting along. Everyone is hard to love sometimes – even you – but some are hard to love at any time. But Jesus never demanded that we have a tender fondness for everyone. He did not feel warmth for the Pharisees. We don’t have to like everyone – isn’t that a relief? – but we must love them.
What does the Bible mean when it says, “Walk in love?” Like physical walking, this unconditional love (a) requires effort, (b) moves in a certain direction, and (c) is something you do every day.
Soul food: Deut 1-2; Mark 1:21-34; Ps 78:17-31; Prov 16:26-30
