2022-02-04
Mark 4:19 CEV
In the parable of the sower, Jesus said the seed fell into four kinds of soil. Here is one of them: “The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are…people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything” (vv. 18-19 CEV).
Observe what keeps God’s Word from working effectively in your life: (1) Worrying that God won’t take care of you. (2) Thinking if you had more money, a bigger house, a better car, or a more attractive appearance, you would be happier.
Here is the question: Do you remember when you thought your present career, the house you live in now, and the financial portfolio you have acquired would make all your worries disappear? But it doesn’t work that way, does it? The more “things” you have, the more you have to lose, protect, maintain, and be concerned about. Worrying about material things can “choke” the life out of you!
Peace and happiness come from trusting God for what you need; knowing if something is right for you, He will provide it, and if it’s not, He will give you something better. An amazing thing happens when you meditate on God’s promises. Your worries shrink, your mind and attitude are reprogrammed, and you enjoy life more. Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else…live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT). So today, put prayer and Bible reading at the top of your to-do list.
Soul food: Isa 1-3; Luke 8:1-15; Ps 108; Pro 3:31-32
2022-02-03
Psalm 37:7 CEV
Patience is born of trust. David said, “Trust the Lord and live right! The land will be yours, and you will be safe. Do what the Lord wants, and he will give you your heart’s desire” (vv. 3-4 CEV). God has a plan for your life. It includes things you can’t have today that you will be able to enjoy tomorrow. When spring comes, the grass grows on its own. So, stop struggling to accomplish something now that will be easy when the time is right.
When you refuse to give a toddler something that’s not good for him, he stomps his foot and cries, “I want it now!” So, do you give in to him? No, because he is not ready for it yet. Paul writes, “Patience […has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]” (Colossians 3:12 AMPC). Not only is God teaching you how to wait but how to have a good attitude while you’re doing it.
James writes, “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature” (James 1:4 MSG). God permits certain things to happen in life to teach us important principles like (1) maintaining our faith when times get tough, (2) showing grace under pressure by controlling our responses, and (3) developing new skills and better ways of thinking.
The truth is, God is developing qualities in you right now that can’t be developed any other way. When He’s finished, you will have the maturity to handle what He has in mind for you. So, don’t let the Enemy rattle you or the circumstances put you into overdrive. “Be patient and trust the Lord.”
Soul food: Rom 15-16; Luke 7:36-50; Ps 111; Pro 3:29-30
2022-02-02
Matthew 4:19 NLT
When others don’t see your potential, Jesus does. In common fishermen, He saw the capacity to change the world. Here is something you may not have considered: There are two sides to following Jesus – you believe in Him, and He believes in you. Jesus told Simon Peter and Andrew, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to…”
Do you doubt that? So did Nathanael. When he was invited to meet Jesus, he said, “Can…any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see” (John 1:46 KJV). Even after three years of witnessing Jesus’ miracles, His disciples still had doubts. Notice how often He said to them, “O ye of little faith”; “Still you do not believe”; and “If you believed, you would see.”
Knowing they were anxious about what would happen when He left them and went back to heaven, Jesus said, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16 KJV). The Greek word for comforter is parakletos, meaning “one who comes alongside to help you.”
The truth is, there will never be a day when you don’t need God’s help or when it isn’t available to you. Maybe you still have doubts. If so, take heart! Jesus loves doubters. Didn’t he handpick Thomas? Maybe you think you have too many weaknesses. So did Peter – but Jesus made him the head of the church. Just come as you are, and let His presence rub off on you. What do you have to lose? If you have tried it your way and it’s not working, come, give Jesus a chance!
Soul food: Rom 12-14; Luke 7:24-35; Ps 107:33-43; Pro 3:27-28
2022-02-01
1 John 3:1 CEV
When you struggle with a sense of rejection, it will manifest itself in things like these:
(1) Perfectionism. But it doesn’t work, because other people’s needs and expectations vary so much that it’s impossible to make everybody happy.
(2) Settling for less. You put up with neglect and abuse because you think it’s what you deserve. Or you’re concerned this may be your only chance at “love.”
(3) Becoming aggressive. Rejection can feel like you’re being attacked when you’re not, so you put on your boxing gloves and come out swinging.
(4) Putting up a tough front. You tell yourself, “I can handle it…Who needs other people anyway?” As a result, you shut yourself off from others and your physical, spiritual, and emotional needs go unmet and you feel lonely.
(5) Vowing never again to let anyone get close enough to hurt you. That sounds good in theory, but by closing people out, you close yourself in and all your relationships suffer.
(6) Attracting the wrong people. As long as you behave with a diminished sense of self-worth, you will keep attracting the wrong people.
The truth is, when your self-worth is based on any opinion other than God’s, you will always be vulnerable to rejection. Criticism will diminish you, failing will keep you from trying again, and what’s worse, you will never discover the unique and wonderful person God made you to be.
So, what’s the answer? John tells us, “Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are” (v. 1 CEV). Overcoming rejection starts with understanding and accepting how much God loves and values us.
Soul food: Rom 9:17-11:36; Luke 7:11-23; Ps 107:23-32; Pro 3:25-26
2022-01-31
Isaiah 6:9 NKJV
When you’re involved in God’s work, it’s easy to get out of balance and end up enjoying the work of the Lord more than the Lord of the work. First, Jesus called His disciples to Him; then, He sent them out from Him. The power you need to succeed in your God-given assignment comes from the time you spend with the Lord, not people.
One day Jesus took three of His disciples to the top of the Mount of Transfiguration. “His face shone like the sun…there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus” (Matthew 17:2-3 NIV). Peter was elated by the experience: “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters” (v. 4 NIV). Peter wanted to stay, but God spoke from heaven and said, “This is My beloved Son….Listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5). Afterward, Jesus took His disciples back down the mountain and they began to minister to needy people.
It’s good to have periodic “mountaintop experiences” with God, but you can’t stay there. There is work to be done at the foot of the mountain, and we have been called to do it. There must be a balance between taking in and giving out. One day a year, the high priest entered the holiest of holies and had the privilege of seeing God’s glory. What an honor! But the rest of the year was spent outside, ministering to the people. After an encounter with God during which the building shook, Isaiah cried, “I am undone” (Isaiah 6:5 NKJV). Then God touched his mouth and said, “Go, and tell this people” (v. 9 NKJV). Are you getting the idea?
Soul food: Rom 7:1-9:16; Luke 7:1-10; Ps 107:17-22; Pro 3:21-24
2022-01-30
Genesis 28:16 NKJV
We have all heard people say, “The Lord told me,” and it turned out not to be so. As a result, we have become doubting and cynical. What a loss! God speaks through people, and your fear of someone “getting it wrong” can rob you of vital input – in some cases, the very input you need.
One night, God appeared to Jacob in a dream, saying: “‘I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and…bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.’ Then Jacob awoke…and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven'” (vv.15-17 NKJV).
In order to hear from God, you must (1) desire it above all else, (2) eliminate mental clutter, slow down, and take time to understand what He is saying to you, and (3) believe that God will actually speak to you. If you don’t believe, you will be left to the mercy of your own best thinking – or be influenced by others who think just like you.
Seven times in chapters two and three of The Book of Revelation, God said, “He that hath an ear [a spiritually developed one], let him hear what the Spirit says.” The question is this: How can you know what you’re hearing is actually from God? Because it will always agree with His Word, and your spirit will say, “Amen!”
Soul food: Exo 16:1-35; John 6:30-40
