2021-05-29
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
The story is told of a traveler who met a guru along the road and asked him, “Where’s the road to success?” The bearded sage didn’t speak but instead pointed to a place off in the far distance. The man, thrilled at the prospect of quick and easy success, rushed off in the appropriate direction. Splat! Down he went! He limped back, bruised and stunned. Assuming he must have misinterpreted the message, he repeated his question, and again the philosopher pointed silently in the same direction. So the traveler took off once more. This time the splat was deafening. Crawling back bloody, broken, and irate, he shouted at the guru, “I asked you which way is success! I followed the direction you indicated, and all I got was splattered! No more pointing – talk!” Only then did the sage speak. “Success is that way. It’s just a little beyond the splat.”
The fact is, all of us have experienced “the splat.” There’s no way to avoid it. But it’s what we do after the splat that makes all the difference. And perseverance always wins. The Bible says: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Champion racer Rick Mears is attributed with saying: “To finish first, you must first finish.” So if you’ve fallen, get up again and keep going.
American educator Hamilton Holt said: “Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Half effort does not produce half results. It produces no results. Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last.” So the word for you today is – keep persevering and you’ll win.
Soul food: 1 Ki 18:16-20:43; Mark 12:28-44; Ps 113; Prov 12:15-17
2021-05-28
1 Corinthians 7:33-34 NKJV
Doctor James Dobson writes: “Which of the following couples is more likely to enjoy the greatest physical attraction in the marriage? The couple that spends every waking hour together and focuses almost exclusively on one another, or the man and woman who has other interests, and then after some time of independence, come closer together again as the pendulum swings? Surprisingly, it’s the one that varies from time to time.
According to behavioral researchers, the healthiest marriages and those with the highest sexual voltage are those that breathe – relationships that move from a time of closeness and tenderness to a more distant posture, and then come together for another reunion as the cycle concludes. This is why it’s not always advantageous for a husband and wife to work together, or to concentrate exclusively on one another in the absence of friends and colleagues outside the family.
There is something about the diversity of interests and activities by each partner that keeps the couple from consuming one another and burning out the relationship in the short run. Marriage is, after all, a marathon and not a sprint. Husbands and wives need to maintain a regenerating system that will keep love alive for a lifetime. Cultivating a healthy interest in many things is one big step in that direction.”
How do you do this? (1) By sharing without smothering. (2) By being so secure in your love that you trust one another. (3) By recognizing that your partner’s personal growth requires some elements you cannot personally provide, and being okay with that.
Soul food: 1 Ki 16:1-18:15; Mark 12:13-27; Ps 108; Prov 12:14
2021-05-27
1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV
Have you heard the story about the woman who had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital? On the operating table she had a near-death experience during which she saw God and asked Him if her life was over. “No,” God replied, “You have another forty-three years, two months, and eights days left to live.”
The woman was so thrilled she decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, a tummy tuck – the whole works. She even had a stylist come in and change her hair color, figuring since she had so much time left, she should make the most of it. After being discharged from the hospital, however, she was crossing the road when she was killed by a speeding ambulance. Arriving back in God’s presence, she fumed, “I thought you said I had forty-plus years left.” Whereupon God replied, “I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”
Seriously, God will help you to be the best you can be, but He won’t help you become something He never intended you to be. So accept yourself, love yourself, and enjoy being the best version of yourself.
English theologian Julius Hare said, “Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are.” When you think about it, the opposite of courage isn’t fear, it’s conformity. And nothing is more exhausting and frustrating than trying to live your life as someone you’re not. So today be who God made you to be! Rise up and declare this with the apostle Paul: “By the grace of God I am what I am.”
Soul food: 1 Ki 14-15; Mark 12:1-12; Ps 101; Prov 12:12-13
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
