2022-03-06
Judges 16:28 NLT
In prison Samson prayed: “Lord… please strengthen me just one more time…. Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands… the temple crashed down… So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime” (vv. 28-30 NLT). How did Samson end up in this prison? Delilah! The Bible says, “She pressed him daily” (v. 16).
Satan is persistent, and he waits to catch you in an unguarded moment. That’s why there are certain doors in life you should never open. If you feed the wrong appetite for a day, you can end up struggling with it for a lifetime. Perhaps you have seen the poster that says: “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”
The good news is, Samson remembered God! And it’s a wonderful day when you remember God and reach again for Him. Note the words “he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime” (v. 30 NLT). Samson’s greatest victory was recorded in the final chapter of his life. In fact, he is named among the heroes of faith in Hebrews chapter eleven. Regardless of where you are today or what shape you’re in, turn to God. He will help you make a comeback. It’s not too late for you.
Soul food: 1 Sam 21:1-6; Hosea 6:4-6; Matt 12:1-14
2022-03-05
Genesis 32:30 NIV
“Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.’ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip” (vv. 30-31 NIV). The truth is, without God’s protective hand on your life, you wouldn’t be here today! The reason you didn’t die in the accident, or that tumor didn’t claim you, is because God is not finished with you yet. Do you remember when some of your friends (and your enemies) didn’t think you would make it? But God rescued you and placed you where you are today. After God finished wrestling with him, Jacob said, “My life was spared.” And so was yours, right? That’s because there is more to come.
The Bible says, “God… creates new things out of nothing” (Romans 4:17 NLT). He wants to set in place in your life things that weren’t there before. Good things! But notice something very important: “Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak” (Genesis 32:24 NIV). When God deals with you on important issues, He does it one-on-one, not as part of the crowd. In fact, being in a crowd can keep you from hearing His voice. Being alone with God can feel threatening because your facade and ego get stripped away. Your first impulse may be to stay with the crowd, but you soon discover they can’t calm the restlessness in your spirit. That restlessness is God calling you to a meeting! So, like Jacob, don’t be afraid to wrestle with Him until a new day breaks for you.
Soul food: Exo 22-24; Luke 13:18-35; Ps 136:1-12; Pro 6:30-31
2022-03-04
Proverbs 14:30 NLT
Is it hard for you to compliment others on their achievements? When someone’s name comes up in conversation, do you feel good because something bad has happened to them? When you hear something complimentary about another person, do you feel the need to say, “Yes, but…” and proceed to point out their negative traits or failures? Do you keep comparing yourself to other people? Are you preoccupied with what they’re doing, buying, wearing, and who they mix and mingle with? Do you trust the people you love, or are you always checking up on them?
The Bible says, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones” (v. 30 NLT). Note the word “healthy.” If you want to be mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically healthy, don’t give place to jealousy or it will consume you. The most miserable people in life are filled with jealousy. It eats away at them and steals their joy. They think of little else but the things somebody else has that they want, which in turn leads to resentment and strife.
How do you conquer jealousy? (1) Acknowledge you have a problem. (2) Repent and ask for God’s help. (3) Pray for the person who is the target of your jealousy. At first it will feel awkward, but as you keep doing it, God will change your heart and replace jealousy with love. Start celebrating other people’s successes with them and make a point of complimenting them.
Remember, nobody else is as good at being you as you. So, you have no competition. When you’re secure in who you are before God, you don’t have to be jealous of anybody.
Soul food: Exo 19-21; Luke 13:1-17; Ps 77; Pro 6:29
2022-03-03
Psalm 3:3 NKJV
When Elijah was at his lowest point, God told him these three important things: (1) Spend more time with God. “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord” (1 Kings 19:11 NKJV). That was where God spoke to him in “a still small voice” (v. 12 NKJV). The word “still” teaches us that instead of always working for God, we need to spend time with Him. If you don’t, you will run on empty, and get nowhere. When David was feeling down, he wrote: “Many are saying… ‘God won’t rescue him.’ But, Lord, you are my shield, my wonderful God who gives me courage. I will pray to the Lord and he will answer me” (Psalm 3:2-4 NCV).
(2) Stop trying to do it all yourself. That’s the fast route to depression. Leadership isn’t just about getting the job done; it’s about developing others and getting it done through them. Elijah wasn’t alone. God told him, “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel… whose knees have not bowed to Baal” (1 Kings 19:18 NKJV). Don’t just operate – learn to cooperate!
(3) Realize your assignment isn’t over. God showed Elijah there were still kings to anoint, battles to win, and a successor to be prepared (See v. 16). Need a reason to get out of bed in the morning? God will give you one! When you’re “down,” He doesn’t get mad at you. On the contrary, His Word says, “He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the dimly burning flame. He will encourage the fainthearted, those tempted to despair” (Isaiah 42:3 TLB). That’s the loving-kindness of God!
Soul food: Exo 16-18; Luke 12:49-59; Ps 70; Pro 6:26-28
2022-03-02
James 5:17 CEV
Elijah got so “down” that he was ready to end it all. And it happened on the heels of his greatest victory. He had just called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel, when he went from exhilaration to exhaustion. We forget that even when we’re successful and love what we do, it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. So, if you’re a purpose-driven person with no boundaries, pay attention!
(1) Exhaustion made Elijah lose perspective. He had just defeated 850 false prophets (See 1 Kings 18:19), and now he was running from one woman: Jezebel. General George Patton Jr. said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” When fatigue walks in, faith walks out! It distorts our thinking and makes us overlook God’s power and His promises. Mental fatigue coupled with physical exhaustion is a deadly combination that invites hopelessness and creates the illusion that we have no options.
(2) Fear made Elijah isolate himself. Leaving his servant in Beersheba, he went into the wilderness and told God, “I am the only one left… now they are trying to kill me” (1 Kings 19:10 NIV). At that moment, Elijah was in the worst possible company – his own! When you feel down, that isn’t the time to isolate yourself. That’s when you need to reach for God and the people who love you and can help you get back up. Even Paul needed help. After writing, “[In] Macedonia, we… found trouble all around us… fighting on the outside and fear on the inside,” he added, “But God, who comforts those who are troubled, comforted us when Titus came” (2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NCV).
So, who do you need to call? Who do you need to reach for? Don’t keep putting it off – do it!
Soul food: Exo 13-15; Luke 12:35-48; Ps 66:13-20; Pro 6:23-25
2022-03-01
Philippians 2:13 CEV
The engine in your car is its power source, and it’s activated when you put the car in gear. Only then do you have the momentum you need to get where you need to go. One of the dangers in seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit is that you can reduce it to an “experience,” rather than “putting it in gear” to accomplish great things for God.
In the New Testament when someone was filled with the Holy Spirit – things happened. People turned to Christ. Healings took place. On one occasion, they had a book burning in the town square (See Acts 19:19). They didn’t just celebrate in church – they took it to the streets!
In Scripture, the first picture we have of God is of Him in His creative role. He creates us in His image, breathes life into us, then tells us, “Go out and become productive” (See Genesis 1:28).
If you’re praying for someone with all the answers to come along and change your circumstances, it won’t happen. You’re not a helpless bystander. What God has placed inside you will change what’s outside you – provided you put it to work! What’s within you is greater than the trouble you have been through, the situation you’re in, or the obstacles that lie in your path.
When everything around you is saying no and something within you is saying yes, that’s “God… working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.” The “willing” is your part; the “able” is His part. When you get those two things working in sync, your life will change.
Soul food: Exo 10-12; Luke 12:22-34; Ps 66:1-12; Pro 6:20-22
