2021-08-16
2 Chronicles 26:5 NIV
Think about these questions and answer them honestly. (1) Do you believe you can be successful and spiritual at the same time? Some folks equate poverty with humility and conclude that successful people can’t be humble. Not so. “As long as [Uzziah] sought the Lord, God gave him success.” Success doesn’t give you the right to look down on others but, when successful people speak, others listen. Leaders like Joseph and Daniel influenced entire nations for God. The fact is, we’ve a message of hope others need to hear, but without adequate resources, how will they hear it? (See Romans 10:14-17). If you’ve been settling for less, pray for greater faith and start aiming higher in life.
(2) Are you afraid of success? Perhaps you fear the pressures and the price tag that accompany it. Leadership is lonely; maybe you’d rather be with the crowd. Or maybe you’ve been knocked down and you’re afraid to get up again. When Thomas Edison was asked about his success, he replied, “I start where other men leave off!” John Foster Dulles, former U.S. Secretary of State said, “The measure of success isn’t whether you’ve a tough problem to deal with, but whether it’s the same problem you had last year.” Paul wrote, “We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going” (2 Corinthians 4:9 TLB).
(3) Are you satisfied with the way things are right now? If you’re not, accept responsibility for your life and take a step of faith. Ultimately the only one who can stop you from becoming the person God intended you to be – is you! Bottom line: God wants you to succeed.
Soul food: Judg 9:34-11:40; Luke 14:1-14; Ps 119:73-80; Prov 20:25; Ecc 5:4-6
2021-08-15
Mark 2:3 CEV
“Jesus was still teaching when four people came up, carrying a crippled man on a mat. But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they made a hole in the roof above him and let the man down in front of everyone. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man…’Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home'” (vv. 2-5, 11 CEV).
If your loved one needs a miracle today: (1) Use your faith. Even though you’re praying for someone who may have little or no faith of their own, God will honour your faith on their behalf. “When Jesus saw how much faith [the man’s friends] had, He said to the crippled man…’Get up!'”
(2) Refuse to give up. Do what these four friends did. The crowd was a problem – so they went around it. The roof was a problem – so they broke through it. They refused to give up or get discouraged. Bottom line: if what you’ve tried so far hasn’t worked, ask God and He will show you the way. Doctors can treat people, but only God can heal them within and without, so bring your loved one to Him in prayer.
(3) Look for faith partners. It took four people to get this man to Jesus, so don’t do it alone. Find someone who’ll agree with you in prayer. Jesus said, “I promise…when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matthew 18:19 CEV). So, keep praying and believing God for a miracle!
Soul food: Eze 47:1-12; Rev 21:22-22:5
2021-08-14
1 Peter 5:8 NIV
Your areas of vulnerability will change as the seasons of your life change, but the truth is that you’ll always be tempted in some way. But the good news is that you can be tempted and triumphant. Jesus showed us how to do it. When He faced the tempter in the wilderness He stood on God’s Word. Here are some Scriptures you can stand on when you’re tempted.
(1) “The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials” (2 Peter 2:9 NLT).
(2) “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and…find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NLT).
(3) “Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm” (Ephesians 6:13 NLT).
(4) “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet…the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” (Romans 16:20 NLT).
(5) “I give unto you power…over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19 KJV).
(6) “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).
Soul food: Judg 7:1-9:33; Luke 13:18-35; Ps 119:65-72; Prov 17:23-26
2021-08-13
James 4:10 KJV
In the Old Testament God marked His priests by putting blood on their right ear lobe, their right thumb, and the big toe of their right foot. That meant they were called to honour God in their hearing, their skills, and their daily walk.
You can’t just do your own thing; you’re called to walk according to God’s Word. When you don’t, God will call you to repentance. And if you don’t repent, He will discipline you. “Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV).
Note two important phrases: (1) “Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline.” Your “Nobody’s-going-to-tell-me-what-to-do!” attitude will rob you of God’s best and prevent Him from using you effectively. “God opposes the proud, but shows favour to the humble” (James 4:6 NIV).
(2) “Do not lose heart when he rebukes you.” Instead of seeing God’s correction as rejection, see it as proof that you’re His child…that He has a plan for your life…and that it begins when you humble yourself and do what He tells you.
God’s patience is amazing – but He won’t wait forever. He said of Jezebel, “I gave her time to repent…and she did not…I will cast her into a sickbed” (Revelation 2:21-22 NKJV). On the other hand when Ahab, Jezebel’s wicked husband, humbled himself, God healed and restored him. Humbling yourself before God will turn things around in your life when nothing else will work. So, the word for you today is: make things right with God!
Soul food: Judg 4-6; Luke 13:1-17; Ps 119:57-64; Prov 17:22
2021-08-12
Matthew 19:5 NLT
Dr. Joyce Brothers once joked, “My husband and I have never considered divorce…sometimes murder, but never divorce!” Getting married is easy; living together successfully is hard. So how do you do it? By identifying issues that must be resolved, working on them, and learning to live with the rest! Snoring, endless hours of watching TV sports, not communicating, dirty socks on the floor, unmade beds – your partner’s habits can drive you crazy. And since Jesus said, “Let no one split apart what God has joined together” (v. 6 NLT), how should you handle conflicts when they arise?
(1) Attack the problem instead of each other.
(2) Keep your voice low, stay calm, and your partner is more likely to pay attention.
(3) Choose the best time to address the issue, not when the kids are hungry or you’re both tired.
(4) Remember, men and women see things differently. So, when your spouse expresses their viewpoint, don’t sigh and roll your eyes. What marriage therapists refer to as “active listening,” calls for affirming your spouse through paraphrasing, validation, and positive feedback.
(5) There’ll be times when each of you will have to compromise.
(6) Choose your words carefully. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV). “Encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). “Forgiving one another” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT). “Pray for each other” (James 5:16 NIV). “Spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24 NIV). “Carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2 NIV). “Giving preference to one another” (Romans 12:10 NKJV).
Now work on your marriage!
Soul food: Judg 1-3; Luke 12:49-59; Ps 119:49-56; Prov 17:18-21
2021-08-11
Proverbs 12:1 NKJV
There are two kinds of kinds of criticism: (1) Unfair criticism. There’ll always be people who love to rain on your parade; people who try to build themselves up by tearing others down. Mark Twain said, “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
(2) Constructive criticism. Solomon said, “Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear” (Proverbs 25:12 NIV). There’s a major obstacle you must overcome in order to reach your highest potential. What is it? Our natural reluctance to discover anything unflattering about ourselves. When you erect defenses against your inadequacies and try to hide your faults, you close the door to a vital source of self-knowledge. And in so doing, you deny yourself the joy of growing.
Every one of us can improve what we’re doing or the way we’re doing it. In fact, if you’re still celebrating what you did last year – you’re not making enough progress this year. After winning his third world championship, instead of having a big celebration, bull rider Tuff Hedeman moved on to Denver to start a new season – the whole process over again. His line of reasoning was: “The bull in Denver won’t be impressed with what I did last week.” Whether you’re an untested rookie or a veteran, if you want to be a champion tomorrow, you must be teachable today. Or as Solomon puts it: “Whoever learns from correction is wise” (Proverbs 15:5 NLT).
Soul food: Ruth 1-4; Luke 12:35-48; Ps 119:41-48; Prov 17:17
