2022-07-03
Isaiah 28:16 NKJV
Every time you get in a hurry mode, you send a “state of emergency” signal to your body. And it responds by releasing the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol that prepare you to deal with danger. The body cannot distinguish between physical danger, or the danger of losing your job, or any other form of stress and pressure. It only knows that action has to be taken and that it must energize you to deal with it. Now, this is a good thing if you’re indeed physically threatened.
But to live with your body constantly on high alert is like fighting a fifteen-round nonstop boxing match. Sooner or later, you pay the price in the form of heart disease, ulcers, forgetfulness, and a multitude of other conditions.
What’s the cure? A-B-C: Awareness, Belief, Change. Become aware of your continual high-gear mode and what part you play each time you hurry. Ask yourself, “How could I have prevented this?” Believe that the Holy Spirit will give you victory if you ask Him and begin to change your behaviour. Change – consciously slow down. Talk slower, move slower. “Haste makes waste.” Haste causes duplication of work, accidents, and other things that result in wasted time.
Question: Are you speed-reading today’s devotion? If so, this is the word for you today: Try taking twice as long to read and meditate on what you’re reading, and ask God, “What are you saying to me? What changes do you want to bring about in my life? In what ways do you want me to improve?” God is not in a hurry, so slow down and get in sync with Him.
Soul food: Exo 20:1-17; Matt 5:1-12
2022-07-02
Isaiah 52:12 NLT
Have you heard of “hurry sickness”? Those who have it zoom in and out of lanes in congested traffic; try to be the first off the plane, even though they must wait forever at baggage claim; honk at you if you don’t take off like a racehorse when the traffic light turns green; tap their fingers against anything they can find when they have to wait; punch the elevator button repeatedly to attempt to move it faster.
They remind us of hummingbirds. These tiny birds can fly forward, then hover in mid-air going nowhere. Their tiny wings can move up to seventy-five times each second! The trouble is, their average life span is only three years compared to an eagle that lives thirty years. What’s the difference? The eagle has learned to conserve its energy by riding the God-given wind currents.
The message here is simple: When you draw on the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, you last longer and go higher than you ever dreamed. One pastor said he was a “stress-distributing machine” when he was younger, and everybody around him felt it. One day one of his kids said to him, “Daddy, I’ll try to hurry up and tell you this.” He replied, “It’s okay, honey, you can speak slowly.” After a long pause, he had an “aha” moment when his child said, “Then – listen – slowly!”
Deciding to move at a slower pace will definitely improve the quality of your life and your relationships.
Soul food: Jer 14-17; Matt 23:1-12; Ps 95; Prov 14:29-33
2022-07-01
Romans 8:32 NIV
The Bible says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
One author gives this analogy: “Suppose a man comes upon a child being beaten by thugs. He dashes into the mob, rescues the boy, and carries him to a hospital. The youngster is nursed to health. The man pays for the child’s treatment. He learns that the child is an orphan and adopts him as his own and gives the boy his name. Then one night, months later, the father hears the son sobbing into his pillow. He goes to him and asks about the tears. ‘I’m worried, Daddy… about tomorrow. Where will I get food to eat? How am I going to buy clothes to stay warm? And where will I sleep?’ The father is rightfully troubled. ‘Haven’t I shown you? Don’t you understand? I risked my life to save you. I gave my money to treat you. You wear my name. I’ve called you my son. Would I do all that and then not meet your needs?’
Honestly, now. Did God save you so you would fret? Would He teach you to walk just to watch you fall? Would He be nailed to the cross for your sins and then disregard your prayers? Come on! Is Scripture teasing us when it says, ‘He has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go’ (Psalm 91:11 NCV)?” You know better, don’t you? So stop worrying, and stand securely on His promise that He will “graciously give us all things.”
Soul food: Jer 10-13; Matt 22:34-46; Ps 64; Prov 14:25-28
2022-06-30
Galatians 6:2 NLT
God created our physical bodies with internal systems that support each other. And it’s the same in our relationships. Everybody needs a support system. Sometimes when others disappoint us, we say, “From now on it’s just going to be God and me!” That’s a big mistake! It’s the sheep who strays from the fold that gets eaten by the wolf. Satan will isolate you in order to destroy you. “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT).
Studies show that people who have caring support live longer, recover from illness faster, and find life more meaningful. Support gives us a sense of connection and acceptance, which are core human needs. It provides an arena in which you can be vulnerable; a place where you can feel safe in saying, “I don’t know,” or “Can you help me,” or “I need a hug.” This is support – God’s way. And if you can’t find it in your own family, turn to the family of God.
And one more thought: Don’t forget to express your appreciation to those who support you. Tokens of gratitude go a long way in saying, “I’m grateful for your help.”
Support is not a one-way street: “Share each other’s burdens.” Don’t get so engrossed in your own problems that you forget others have problems too. Take the time to inquire about their concerns. No one likes a taker. It’s in the give-and-take of mutual support that we grow and fulfill our God-given potential in life.
Soul food: Jer 7-9; Matt 22:23-33; Ps 59:9-17; Pro 14:23-24
2022-06-29
Proverbs 23:7 NKJV
When we’re young, we’re told, “Mind your manners.” When we launch out into a career, we’re told, “Mind your business.” Well, here is some wise counsel that applies to all of life: “Mind your mind!” When you lose out in that arena, you lose out everywhere else! In Proverbs 23, Solomon outlines six principles to live by when it comes to thinking:
(1) Your thoughts determine your character. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Before you tell a lie, you first entertain it and think like a liar. Before you commit adultery, you first entertain a fantasy. So if you don’t want to do something, stop dwelling on it!
(2) Don’t waste your thoughts on people who don’t value them. “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words” (v. 9 NKJV).
(3) The first person you must learn to lead is yourself. “Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge” (v. 12 NKJV). As long as you keep growing, you can keep leading.
(4) Be sure your role models are people of principle and integrity. “Do not let your heart envy sinners” (v. 17 NKJV).
(5) Remain confident that the vision God has given you will come to pass. “Be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off” (vv. 17-18 NKJV).
(6) Remain steadfast in what you know is right. Don’t get sidetracked. “Hear… be wise; and guide your heart in the way” (v. 19 NKJV). Bottom line: Mind your mind.
Soul food: Jer 4-6; Matt 22:15-22; Ps 59:1-8; Pro 14:21-22
2022-06-28
Psalm 27:14 NKJV
When we become impatient and react without thinking, we can do damage to ourselves and others. Sometimes when we pray and God doesn’t respond quickly enough, we decide to take matters into our own hands and things get worse as a result. When God tells you to wait, He is saying, “Trust me with the timing, the ways and means, and you will get a better result.” David wrote: “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (vv. 13-14 NKJV).
It can be tough to wait on the Lord. It’s much easier in the heat of the moment to lose your calm. Stop and look back. How did the hasty and prayerless decisions you made in the past turn out? Do you think this situation will be different? Not a chance! What do you want? Temporary relief or a permanent solution?
Haste makes waste! When you act in haste, you do things you end up regretting and having to apologize for. Or worse, justifying! Impulsiveness got King Saul into serious trouble. Instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel to arrive and the priests to offer a peace offering to God ensuring their victory over the Philistines, Saul grew impatient, usurped the role of a priest, and offered the sacrifice himself. When Samuel asked him why, he replied, “I felt compelled” (1 Samuel 13:12 NKJV). And the result? “Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly… now your kingdom shall not continue'” (vv. 13-14 NKJV). So, wait on God.
Soul food: Jer 1-3; Matt 22:1-14; Ps 21; Pro 14:17-20
