2021-05-26
John 17:4 NIV
Joseph’s brothers despised his dream, so they threw him into a pit. Jesus’ family didn’t understand His calling; one time they actually thought He was mad. Yet, when He reached the end of His life, He could say, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.” If you wait for everybody to understand and agree with you, you’ll never do what God called you to do.
In the latter part of the nineteenth century when the Methodists were holding a denominational convention, one leader stood up and shared his vision for both the church and society at large. He told his fellow ministers how he believed that someday men would fly from place to place instead of travelling on horseback. It was a concept too outlandish for many in the audience to handle.
One man, Bishop Wright, stood up and furiously protested: “Heresy! Flight is reserved for the angels!” He went on to say that if God had intended man to fly, He would have bestowed him with wings. Clearly the bishop was unable to envision what the speaker was predicting. When he finished his protest, he collected his two sons, Orville and Wilbur, and left the auditorium. That’s right – his sons were the famous Orville and Wilbur Wright! And several years later on December 17, 1903, they did what their father had declared impossible; they recorded the first human flight.
Understand this: Many people prefer the comforts of the past to the risks of the future. If you need their support and approval, you’ll never do what God called you to do.
Soul food: 1 Ki 12-13; Mark 11:27-33; Ps 128; Prov 12:10-11
2021-05-25
2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV
Pastor Andy Stanley writes: “As you move forward in your relationship with God, occasionally He will test your grip on your wallet. It’s a faith thing….every so often, God will prompt you to step out of your generosity comfort zone. And if you really want to keep God in control of your finances, you need to follow. There’s a line you must be willing to cross. You must be willing to go where you can’t rely on your own financial stockpiling, but only on the Lord Himself as your provider.
I’m not talking about acting irresponsibly with your money. I’m talking about an attitude in which God’s voice is louder than the soundtrack of ‘what ifs’ in your life. You can think of that line as the ‘what if’ line. You’ll know you’re getting close to it when your desire to follow your generosity is met by thoughts like, What if the interest rates change? or What if inflation picks up?…that line is different for everybody….
As frightening as it might feel at times, God gives us financial seed for one purpose: sowing. Unless we open our palms and let the seed fly, we will never know what fruit He might bring from it.” Here’s a biblical principle that you can always be certain of: “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV).
When you take that step of faith and cross the “what if” line, God promises, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (v. 11 NIV). Go ahead; start to sow and watch what happens.
Soul food: 1 Ki 10-11; Mark 11:12-26; Ps 45; Prov 12:7-9
2021-05-24
Matthew 6:32 NLT
Jesus gave this advice to a group of people who were anxious about their finances: “Don’t worry about these things…your heavenly Father already knows all your needs…and he will give you everything you need” (vv. 31-33 NLT). He will do this from day to day, if you live for Him and make the kingdom of God your primary concern.
What do you fear most? Not having enough money, or not having God’s blessing on your finances? If your fear of not having enough is trumped by your fear of missing out on God’s involvement in your finances, you’ll invest in something that can’t fail – God’s kingdom. You’ll sow generously, and as a result you’ll experience a peace that can’t be explained rationally and a joy that comes from knowing God is your backer, your banker, and your blesser. The Bible talks about “casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7 KJV).
None of us can escape financial uncertainty. As one pastor writes, “When the unexpected rolls around, we will be affected. Our net worth, and possibly our income, will be impacted.” And at times like that when everything seems up for grabs, we long for the assurance that we’re not alone. We want to know with certainty that when we cast our financial cares on our heavenly Father, He will, in fact, take good care of us.
Ironically, financial peace of mind doesn’t come from hoarding and withholding, but from giving when it doesn’t seem to make sense. It’s your willingness to give now that guarantees God’s promise to give back to you when you need it. That’s why it’s imperative to sow generously any time you can.
Soul food: 1 Ki 8-9; Mark 11:1-11; Ps 47; Prov 12:4-6
2021-05-23
Proverbs 10:7 NIV
Inventor Charles F. Kettering once said, “The greatest thing this generation can do is lay a few stepping-stones for the next generation.” Short term, when people recall your name, they may talk with admiration about what you accomplished and acquired for yourself. Long term, what they’ll remember most is what you did for others. That’s why the Bible says, “The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot.”
If you want to be a blessing to others, (1) you must truly care about people and show it, and (2) you must appreciate how great an impact a good legacy can have. Educator D. Elton Trueblood is said to have written, “We have made at least a start in discovering the meaning in human life when we plant shade trees under which we know full well we will never sit.”
The great orator Henry Ward Beecher said: “We should so live and labor in our times that what came to us as seed may go to the next generation as blossom, and what came to us as blossom may go to them as fruit. This expresses the true spirit in the love of mankind.”
So what will your legacy be? What must you stop doing…start doing…or do more of to make it a reality? It’s never too early to start thinking about what you want your life to mean after you’re gone. Just like the PS at the bottom of a letter, your legacy tells the people who follow you: “This is what my life was all about!”
Soul food: Acts 1:4-8; Rom 12:1-8; 1 Cor 12:1-13
2021-05-22
Psalm 61:5 NLT
The story’s told of a hypochondriac whose tombstone read: “Now maybe you’ll believe I was sick.” Seriously, what would you like your grave marker to say about you? In Walden, Henry David Thoreau voiced his concern that when it came time to die, he would discover he had never fully lived.
When it comes to your legacy, here are two things you need to keep in mind: (1) Nobody will care about the legacy you leave as much as you do. So, be intentional when you decide on your legacy; that way, you greatly increase the odds of making an impact on the next generation. (2) The sum of how you live your life each day becomes your legacy. Tally each action over many years, and you can see your legacy begin to take shape.
In Inspiration and Ideals, Grenville Kleiser writes: “Your life is like a book. The title-page is your name. The preface is your introduction to the world. The pages are a daily chronicle of your efforts, trials, pleasures, discouragements, ambitions, and achievements….Day by day your thoughts and acts are being inscribed as evidence of your success or failure….Hour by hour the record is being made which must stand for all time. One day the word “Finis” must be written. Let it then be said of your book that it is a record of noble purpose, generous service, and work well done.”
Most of us don’t get to choose when or how we’re going to die, but we all get to decide how we’re going to live. And that’s the legacy we leave to those who follow us.
Soul food: 1 Ki 6-7; Mark 10:35-52; Ps 97; Prov 12:1-3
2021-05-21
Proverbs 13:22 NIV
Leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell writes: “On December 18, 1998, I had a serious heart attack. That night as I lay on the floor waiting for an ambulance, I remember thinking two things: First, I was too young to die. Second, I had not completed some of the things I wanted to accomplish….One of the most beneficial outcomes of my heart attack experience was that it motivated me to ask myself, ‘What will my legacy be?’ A legacy is something we leave behind to the next generation. It can be possessions that we place in the hands of others. It can be principles we lived that carry on beyond our lives. It also can be people we have influenced whose lives are better as a result of knowing us.”
Always try to keep these two things in mind: (1) Today is all you’ve got. Remember the words on a tombstone that read: “I expected this, but not just yet! “We all hope for a long life, but none of us knows if we’ll see tomorrow. “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Proverbs 27:1 NIV).
(2) You will leave a legacy. “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.” Note, a good man or woman can leave a legacy that blesses the next two generations.
So focus on being good and doing good, and ask yourself regularly, “How do I want to be remembered by my loved ones? When my time here runs out, will I continue to influence others for good and for God?”
Soul food: 1 Ki 3-5; Mark 10:23-34; Ps 93; Prov 11:30-31
