2021-10-15
1 Samuel 3:9 NKJV
As a boy working in the temple, Samuel didn’t recognize God’s voice when He spoke to him. But later as a prophet, his ear was the portal through which God spoke to an entire nation. Learning to recognize God’s voice isn’t a skill that’s acquired overnight because He speaks to us at different times, in different ways, and in different settings.
Recognizing God’s voice: (1) Calls for spiritual maturity. Jesus said, “The sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:4 NKJV). Note, he said His sheep, not His lambs, know His voice. Baby sheep follow adult sheep until their senses are trained. That means there’s grace for the immature. So, if your spiritual ears aren’t developed yet, God will work with you till they are.
(2) Means not being limited by your previous experiences. When God spoke to Moses, a mountain shook, whereas He spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice. Don’t limit God, and don’t try to figure Him out. He can speak to you through your Bible, through those qualified to teach His Word, through a song, through a painful situation, and through your thoughts and desires when you’re submitted to Him. The key is to stay close to God and keep your receiver tuned.
(4) Means being obedient: David said, “I take joy in doing your will” (Psalm 40:8 NLT). When it comes to recognizing God’s voice, is your response, “When I get around to it? If I can fit you in”? “I’ll think about it”? Read this: “If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures” (Job 36:11 NKJV).
Soul food: 2 Sam 20:1-22:30; John 4:1-12; Ps 100; Prov 23:22-28
2021-10-14
Matthew 23:12 NLT
Paul had one of the greatest ministries the world has ever known, yet he said of himself, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15 KJV). When people told Paul how great he was, he stayed humble by remembering what he used to be. If you believe God has called you, your response should be to bow down in humility before Him.
When the Angel of the Lord told an aging Zacharias he would father a son named John the Baptist, Zacharias hit the floor and didn’t move, to the point where people wondered if he was dead. Ezekiel had a book in the Bible named after him. That’s heady stuff! Yet when God called him, he collapsed on the floor and God had to tell him to get up, saying, “Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee” (Ezekiel 2:1 KJV). When John the Revelator saw Jesus standing in the midst of the seven churches, he wrote, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead” (Revelation 1:17 KJV).
Can you see a pattern emerging here? Paul writes, “Walk…with…lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering” (Ephesians 4:1-2 NKJV). Think about the phrase “walking with God.” Whose company are you in? God’s! Can you think of a higher calling? And the higher your calling, the lower you must become in your own estimation. Humility doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself; it means thinking of yourself less. Jesus summed it up like this: “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Today, practice humility.
Soul food: 2 Sam 17:14-19:43; John 3:22-36; Ps 89:38-52; Prov 23:19-21
2021-10-13
Deuteronomy 1:38 NIV
When it comes to being an exhorter, observe two things: (1) Exhortation is a neglected gift. No ministry is more needed in the church today, as that of encouragement. It’s so easy to find discouragement and so difficult to find encouragement. Even in the church. Most churches have what’s called a “cold water committee.” They’re always ready to tell you why something won’t work and point out how some program went wrong. They seem to talk louder and longer than the encouragers, which leads to the next point.
(2) Exhortation is a needed gift. No matter how well things may be going, or how well someone looks on the outside, every one of us can use some encouragement. In fact, encouragement is so important that the whole church is to be involved in it. “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV).
Church is a place where people should be picked up, not knocked down. We need to encourage people when they don’t need it, instead of waiting until they do. If you wait too long your encouragement may be too late. Don’t wait until something good happens to speak an encouraging word; make it a regular practice. “But I don’t know what to say,” you protest. Ask God for wisdom and you’ll get it. “The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary” (Isaiah 50:4 NIV).
Soul food: 2 Sam 14:21-17:13; John 3:1-21; Ps 89:15-37; Prov 23:15-18
2021-10-12
Acts 14:22 NKJV
An exhorter has the ability to do three things: (1) Confirm. “When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God'” (vv. 21-22 NKJV). An exhorter is a pillar of strength in difficult times. They know how to motivate the tough to get going, when the going gets tough. They throw a life preserver of faith to the believer drowning in a sea of doubt.
(2) Console. “So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed” (Acts 16:40 NKJV). Here the gift of exhortation is demonstrated in its finest form. Paul and Silas had been falsely accused, beaten with rods and thrown into a dungeon with their hands and feet locked in stocks. When word of it reached the church, the believers were really depressed. Remarkably, after they were supernaturally released from prison, instead of looking for consolation and comfort, Paul and Silas went to church and offered it to others.
(3) Confront. “I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord…these women who labored with me in the gospel” (Philippians 4:2-3 NKJV). These two prominent women in the church couldn’t get along with one another, so Paul took on the role of a peacemaker and confronted them. He was friendly, he was fair, but he was firm. And you must be the same.
Soul food: 2 Sam 12:1-14:20; John 2:12-25; Ps 89:1-14; Prov 23:10-14
2021-10-11
Hebrews 3:13 NKJV
The Greek word for exhort is “parakalew.” It comes from two words, one meaning “alongside of” and the other meaning “to call.” This is the root of the Greek word “paraclete,” which is the name Jesus gave the Holy Spirit. The real ministry of the Holy Spirit is to exhort and encourage us in our walk with God. So you are never more like the Holy Spirit and never more in tune with His ministry, than when you are exhorting and encouraging others.
An exhorter can turn a loser into a winner, a shirker into a worker, and a pessimist into an optimist. They inspire others with renewed courage, spirit, and hope. They have a ministry of affirmation and appreciation.
It’s important to remember the distinction between appreciation and affirmation. We appreciate what a person does, but we affirm who a person is. Now appreciation comes and goes because it’s usually related to someone’s accomplishments, but affirmation goes right to the heart of a person because it is directed at that person’s individual worth. An exhorter has the ability to make you feel good about yourself. They uplift, inspire, motivate, and make you feel better just by being around you.
The Bible says that Barnabas was an exhorter. “Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord” (Acts 11:22-23 NKJV).
So the word for you today is: be an exhorter.
Soul food: 2 Sam 7:18-11:27; John 2:1-11; Ps 110; Prov 23:6-9
2021-10-10
Galatians 5:24 MSG
It’s estimated that the average person speaks about nine million words a year, and more than half are, “I, me, my, mine.” But following Christ means dying to self, and self-centeredness doesn’t give up without a fight. That’s why Paul writes, “Everything connected with getting our own way…is killed off for good.” Self interest won’t just roll over and die; it must be killed. And it’s a daily battle, because we have a tendency to cling to our own interests with a death grip.
Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever desires to be first…let him be your slave” (Matthew 20:27 NKJV). In those days a slave was considered to be the lowest employee among the household servants. That means you have been called to sacrifice your own interests in order to serve others.
And if He has to, God will leave you with “a reminder” of what it took to get through to you in your particular areas of stubbornness and self-centeredness. For example, after his encounter with God, Jacob walked with a limp, but it was a constant reminder of his total dependence on God. And the great apostle Paul writes, “So I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations” (2 Corinthians 12:7 MSG).
What’s your handicap? A habit you battle? A fear that dogs your tracks? A difficult relationship? A financial shortfall? A physical ailment? Why doesn’t God just take it away? Because He considers anything that makes you more dependent on Him and less dependent on yourself, a plus, and not a minus.
Soul food: Eze 37:1-14; Matt 27:50-53; 1 Thes 4:13-18
