2022-05-23
Romans 13:14 NIV
Since first impressions are important, we’re encouraged to “dress for success.” And that’s a good thing. But as a redeemed child of God, your first concern shouldn’t be how you look to others, but to God. Just like a mirror reflects your physical appearance so that you can make adjustments, the Bible reveals your spiritual condition and tells you what to do about it.
James writes: “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror… goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:23-25 NIV). You must spend time each day in the Scriptures; otherwise, you will run around spiritually threadbare. Paul writes, “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:14 NIV).
As Chuck Swindoll observes: “The number one enemy of change is the hard-core, self-satisfied sin nature within you. Like a spoiled child, it has been gratified and indulged for years, so it will not give up without a violent temper tantrum… The flesh dies a slow, bitter, bloody death – kicking and struggling all the way down.” Lasting change takes place in first gear, not overdrive. So expect occasional setbacks, and don’t let them derail you. When you feel like throwing in the towel, get down on your knees and ask God to help you get back on track. He will do it.
Soul food: Heb 1-4; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 88:9b-18; Pro 11:27-29
2022-05-22
1 Timothy 2:1 NKJV
Paul writes: “I exhort… that… intercessions… be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (vv. 1-4 NKJV).
Intercession means “to mediate between parties with a view to reconciling those who differ or contend.” It happens every day in the court system when lawyers intercede on behalf of their clients. It also happened in Scripture.
When Israel made a golden calf and worshiped it, Moses interceded with God on their behalf, saying: “Oh, these people have committed a great sin… Yet now, if You will forgive their sin – but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written” (Exodus 32:31-32 NKJV). And it worked. God told Moses, “Go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you” (v. 34 NKJV).
Later when Israel turned again to worship false gods, Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray [intercede] to the Lord for you” (1 Samuel 7:5 NKJV). As a result, the Lord sent a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were defeated before Israel (See 1 Samuel 7:10 NKJV).
Interceding can be a lonely business, and it’s also hard work: “Always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12 NKJV). But when nothing else works, intercessory prayer does!
Soul food: Gen 24:1-51; 2 Cor 6:14-7:1
2022-05-21
1 John 4:18 NKJV
Question: Since we’re naturally drawn to people who love us, why is it so difficult for us to go to God in prayer? Answer: Because we need a fresh revelation of His love for us! Paul prayed that the Ephesian church would “be able to take in… the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love” (Ephesians 3:18 MSG). The word “extravagant” means going above and beyond all that’s expected or deserved.
The truth is, God couldn’t love you any more than He does right now. “What’s His love like?” you ask. Look at the cross. Had you been the only person who ever lived, Jesus would have died just for you. “What does His love cost?” you ask. Nothing! It comes with no strings attached. You didn’t do anything to deserve it, and when you mess up, you don’t forfeit it. “Absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love” (Romans 8:39 MSG). Once you accept that, you can acknowledge your weaknesses, seek God’s help, grow strong, and use the talents He has given you.
When you believe God loves you based on who you are in Christ, you have the ultimate self-esteem – born of God’s esteem for you. And since His is the only “perfect love,” it removes your “fear.” So, what are you afraid of? That you won’t get what you need? That you will lose something you have? John tells us: “His perfect love for us eliminates all dread… If we are afraid, it… shows… we are not fully convinced that he really loves us” (1 John 4:18 TLB).
Ask God today for a fresh revelation of His love for you, bearing in mind that what He loves, He prizes, protects, and provides for.
Soul food: Jonah 1-4; Matt 11:1-19; Ps 88:1-9a; Pro 11:24-26
2022-05-20
Psalm 119:105 NKJV
The psalmist highlights two important things Bible reading does for you: (1) It shows you your spiritual condition. In Bible times there were no paved roads, so when guests entered a house, they paused to wash the sand, dirt, and grime from their feet. That’s what Bible reading does. David said, “How can a young man [and an older one] cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word” (v. 9 NKJV).
(2) It shows you the direction you need to go. “Your word is… a light to my path.” When you’re faced with an important decision and you don’t know which way to go, God will guide you through His Word. David, who loved God’s Word and meditated on it constantly, prayed, “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness” (Psalm 143:10 NKJV).
Many of the mistakes we make could be prevented if we stopped long enough to seek God’s guidance. He knows what lies ahead; we don’t. So “commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5 NKJV).
Just like children need to be taught to cultivate a taste for healthy food instead of junk food, you need to cultivate a taste for God’s Word. The psalmist said, “I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love” (Psalm 119:47 NKJV). “Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it” (v. 140 NKJV). Today ask God to give you a love for His Word. That’s a prayer He will answer!
Soul food: Titus 1-3; Matt 10:32-42; Ps 75; Pro 11:23
2022-05-19
Psalm 119:15 NKJV
Another word for meditation is rumination. Rumination is what a cow is doing when she chews her cud. The cow eats grass, chews all she can, and then swallows it. It sits in one of her stomachs for a while, and then a little later, she burps it up – with renewed flavour. The cow chews on it some more and swallows it again. This process continues in all four stomachs. That’s rumination. The cow is pulling every ounce of nourishment from the grass. And meditation is simply thought digestion.
Meditation doesn’t mean putting your mind in neutral and thinking about nothing. On the contrary, it’s thinking seriously about what you’re reading. For example, you dwell on one verse of Scripture and ask, “What does this mean for my life?” You talk to yourself about it and talk to God about it. The Bible says this: “Keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise… And God, who gives peace, will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9 CEV).
Notice that we are to ponder different categories of things and, by implication, to avoid thinking about the opposite kind of things. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (KJV). You need to spend time every day – a minimum of ten to fifteen minutes – where you sit down, read a portion of the Bible, and think deeply about what you have just read. Then talk to the Lord about it in prayer. That’s the starting point for spiritual change and growth.
Soul food: Num 34-36; Matt 10:21-31; Ps 72:12-20; Pro 11:22
2022-05-18
Proverbs 4:23 GNT
Someone has wisely said, “You’re not what you think you are, but what you think – you are.” Lasting change always begins with new thinking. How do you become a Christian? By repenting of your sin and placing your trust in Christ. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, and it means to change your mind. We’re not changed by willpower, but by the transforming power of God’s Word when we use it to renew our minds each day.
The Bible clearly teaches that the way we think determines the way we feel, and the way we feel determines the way we act. So if you want to change your actions, you have to return to the source and change the way you think. At times you may act resentful. Why? Because you feel resentful. And do you know why you feel resentful? Because you are thinking resentful thoughts. The same is true of anger, worry, lust, and other destructive thought patterns.
Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT). When you base your life on truth – when you live with the right kind of thoughts, not misconceptions or false beliefs, and you base your life on thinking from God’s Word – you will be set free. You will find your old habits, feelings, and actions beginning to fall away. When you focus solely on removing bad thoughts, you create a vacuum into which the bad thoughts can return. But when you replace bad thoughts with good ones – scriptural ones – you are empowered by God to live the life of blessing He wants you to enjoy.
Soul food: Num 32:25-33:56; Matt 10:11-20; Ps 72:1-11; Pro 11:19-21
