2021-07-23
Matthew 11:30 MSG
Jesus said: “I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (vv. 28-30 MSG).
Note the words, “I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.” It’s good to know we don’t have to worry about things, figure everything out, or carry the burdens in our lives. It can actually be quite refreshing to realize that we don’t need to know everything about everything! We need to get comfortable saying, “I don’t know the answer to this predicament, and I’m not going to worry about it because God’s in control, and I trust Him. I’m going to relax in Him and live freely and lightly!”
When we’re overburdened with the cares of life – struggling, laboring, and worrying – we need a mental and emotional break. Our minds need to rest from thinking about resolving problems, and our emotions need to rest from being upset. Worry robs us of rest and its benefits. So the next time you find yourself worried and anxious, remember, you can “live freely and lightly.”
All you have to do is rest in the assurance of God’s love, provision, and guidance. If someone asks you what you’re going to do about your problem, tell them you’re not thinking about it right now. If they ask you why, tell them you’ve turned it over to God, and you’re trusting Him to work it out for you.
Soul food: Acts 24-26; Luke 9:18-27; Ps 1; Prov 16:10-15
2021-07-22
Psalm 34:3 NKJV
Notice two things about the Lord’s Prayer. It begins with the words “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9 KJV), and ends with “Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (v. 13). God wants you to begin and end your prayers thinking of Him. Why? Because it does you twice as much good to focus on God as it does to focus on anyone or anything else!
When you magnify an object, you enlarge it so that you can see and understand it more. When we magnify God, we do the same thing. We enlarge our awareness of Him, so we can understand Him more. This is what happens when we worship Him – we take our minds off of ourselves and set them on God. We put the emphasis on Him. In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases the final words of the Lord’s Prayer this way: “You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes” (Matthew 6:13). Could it be any plainer? God is in charge!
Speaking of Jesus Christ, Peterson paraphrases Paul’s words like this: “God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules” (Ephesians 1:20-23 MSG). So when you magnify the Lord, you’re saying: “You not only rule the universe, you rule my heart!”
Soul food: Acts 22-23; Luke 9:1-17; Ps 65; Prov 16:8-9
2021-07-21
Matthew 9:36 NKJV
The Bible says, “A good leader motivates, doesn’t mislead, doesn’t exploit” (Proverbs 16:10 MSG). Jesus was a good leader. He loved people, but He never used them for His own ends. He was busy, but never too busy to stop and help them. In relating the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus said: “As he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him…bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him” (Luke 10:33-34 NIV). Note the words, “took care of him.”
To lead someone, you must be able to influence them, and you do that by taking the time to nurture them. At the heart of the nurturing process is a genuine care for others. If you want to help and positively influence people, you can’t dislike or disparage them, because they’ll sense it. You must love and respect them. The old adage “Fake it till you make it” won’t work; people know whether or not you care.
Maybe you’re wondering why you need to assume a nurturing role; after all, isn’t that something they should get somewhere else, like from their family? Many of the people you come into contact with every day are desperate for encouragement, and, sadly, if they don’t get it from you, there’s no one else who will give it to them. When you become a nurturer in the life of another person, you have a real opportunity to influence them for good and for God. So become a nurturer!
Soul food: Acts 20-21; Luke 8:40-56; Ps 14; Prov 16:6-7
2021-07-20
Revelation 12:10 NIV
Have you ever been guilty of accusing someone before you knew all the facts? If so, be aware that you’re tugging on the same end of the rope as Satan, the official “accuser” of God’s children. The Bible says: “The accuser of our brothers…who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down”(v. 10 NIV).
Emotional and spiritual maturity demand that you first seek to understand, rather than making a hasty accusation. Look at the example God gave us in the garden of Eden. He could easily have said, “Adam and Eve, you unappreciative sinners, I should never have trusted you in my garden!” God’s non-accusatory style in confronting Adam and Eve about their sin supplies a powerful model for those of us who tend to speak before we’re in possession of all the relevant information.
The Bible says: “The Lord God called to Adam…’Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?'” (Genesis 3:9-11 NKJV). Notice God already knew the answers to all three questions He asked. Nevertheless, He gave Adam an opportunity to explain his side of the story. And in Adam’s case, he couldn’t.
However, the divine principle still stands: Asking a clarifying question and listening carefully to the response are key steps in overcoming your tendency to criticize or accuse. Have you ever been unjustly accused? If you have, don’t do it to others. Ask, and listen!
Soul food: Acts 18-19; Luke 8:26-39; Ps 146; Prov 16:4-5
2021-07-19
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV
One of the most prevalent themes in the Bible is perseverance. The apostle Paul writes: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Again he writes: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 NIV). And James adds: “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12 NIV). The dividing line between winning and losing isn’t talent; it’s tenacity.
Being tenacious means this: (1) Giving it everything you have, not more than you have. Some people inaccurately believe that being tenacious demands more than they have to offer. As a result, they get discouraged and stop pushing themselves. But being tenacious means giving 100 percent – not more, and certainly not less.
(2) Working with determination instead of waiting on destiny. Persistent people don’t rely on luck, fate, or destiny for their success. They recognize that trying times aren’t the times to quit trying.
(3) Quitting when the job is finished, not when you’re tired. To succeed, you often have to push beyond what you think you can do. Remember, victory isn’t determined until the last step in the race has been run. So draw on God’s grace, refuse to give up, and keep going until you cross the finish line and win the prize.
Soul food: Acts 16-17; Luke 8:16-25; Ps 140; Prov 16:3
2021-07-18
Philippians 1:3 NIV
The ability to bring out the best in others is important for two reasons. First, we usually see in people what we expect to see. Second, they generally rise to our level of expectation.
Dr. John Maxwell writes: “I’ve never known a positive person yet who didn’t love people and try to see the best in them. And one of the most effective ways to help you see the best in others is to do what I call putting a ’10’ on people’s heads. Here’s what I mean: We all have expectations of others, but we can choose whether those expectations are positive or negative. We can think that others are worthless or wonderful. When we make the decision to expect the best and actually look for the good instead of the bad, we’re seeing them as a ’10.'”
Try to imagine how the Philippian believers felt when Paul said, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” When you have faith in someone, you give them an incredible gift, maybe the best gift you can give another person. Give them money, and they may soon have spent it. Give them resources, and they may not use them to the greatest advantage. Give them help, and within a short period of time, chances are that they’ll find themselves back where they started. But demonstrate faith in them, and they become confident, invigorated, self-reliant, and motivated to obtain the skills they need to succeed on their own. Then later if you do share money, resources, and other kinds of help, they’re better equipped to use them to build a better future.
Soul food: 1 Sam 21:1-6; Hosea 6:4-6; Matt 12:1-14
