2021-01-01
Deuteronomy 11:12 NKJV
As you enter the New Year, read this Scripture and stand on it: “The land which you go to…is not like the land…from which you have come…the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord…are always on it, from the beginning…to the very end of the year” (vv. 10-12 NKJV).
For the next few days, let’s break this Scripture down. “The land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come.” Egypt was the place of stress, sorrow, and struggle. But Canaan was the place of God-given success, self-worth, and spiritual growth. In other words, this year doesn’t have to be like last year for you. Why? Because “the Lord your God cares.”
Jeremiah said: “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’ The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him” (Lamentations 3:21-25 NLT).
David said: “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NLT).
You don’t have to dread what lies ahead. This year you can experience God’s love, mercy, faithfulness, goodness, and favour in your life.
Soul food: Rom 13:12-14:19; John 1:1-14
2020-12-31
Psalm 55:22 NLT
Are you burdened about someone you love? Have your efforts to help them failed? Let go, and let God deal with them! Letting go doesn’t mean you stop caring; it just means you can’t do it for them. Letting go isn’t about cutting yourself off; it’s about realizing you didn’t cause the problem, and you can’t cure it, and you can’t control it. It’s about letting others learn from their consequences. It’s admitting that this time the outcome is not in your hands. It’s not about blaming or trying to change the other person; but having the wisdom to recognize you can only change yourself. It’s “caring about,” instead of “caretaking.” It’s being supportive without trying to fix them, and instead of judging, allowing them to be a human being.
Letting go means instead of wading into the middle and trying to control every possible outcome, you allow others to affect their own outcomes. Instead of hovering and being overprotective, it’s about permitting them to face reality. It’s about accepting instead of denying. And rather than nagging, scolding, and arguing, learning to work on your own shortcomings. Letting go means instead of trying to adjust everything to your own desires, you take each day as it comes and cherish each moment. It means instead of criticizing and regulating, you learn to focus on the purpose to which God has called you. It means not looking back with regret on the past, and focusing instead on growing and living for the future. Letting go is about fearing less and loving more. The word for you today is – let go, and let God!
Soul food: 2 Cor 5:14-21; Phil 3:8-14; Ps 77:11-20; Prov 9:10-12
2020-12-30
Genesis 35:15 NLT
What should you do when you’re discouraged and afraid you’ve lost your way? That’s the question Jacob was facing. And when he turned his heart toward God, here is the answer he got: “‘Go up to Bethel…build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.'” So Jacob said to his household and all who were with him, ‘Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone'” (vv. 1-3 NIV).
Now, you may not be into idol worshiping, but what do you need to “get rid of”? Bethel means “the place where God dwells.” So Jacob went back to the place where he had met God, where he had received a vision of his future, and where he had first experienced the joy of living in a covenant relationship with the Lord.
Have you made a mess of your life? Then go back to Bethel, to where you first met God. Build an altar and place your life on it. Do what the Scripture says: “In view of God’s mercy…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2 NIV).
Soul food: 2 Cor 6:14-7:1; Matt 3:1-10; Ps 116; Prov 31:30-31
2020-12-29
Numbers 13:32 NLT
Discouragement caused the Israelites to doubt God’s promise, give up their dream, and die in the wilderness. Ironically, they were only several days’ journey from the Promised Land! How did it happen?
After spending forty days in Canaan, a land of such fruitfulness that it took two men to carry one cluster of grapes, ten out of twelve spies came back saying, “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are! So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites” (vv. 31-32 NLT). Now, would you like to know how God feels about people who spread such discouragement? “The ten men…who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report – were struck dead with a plague…only Joshua and Caleb remained alive” (Numbers 14:36-38 NLT).
So how about you? When you see others facing negative circumstances, do you express doubt about their ability to succeed? Can you listen to someone’s plans without making disheartening remarks? Even if you can’t quite envision their dreams, at least agree to stand in faith with them for God’s perfect will to be done concerning the proposed endeavor. Think of all the people who have encouraged you during your lifetime! In a world plagued with negativity and bad news, everyone needs a little encouragement from time to time.
So make a conscious effort to speak sincere words of affirmation, support, and inspiration to those within your circle of influence. And when you encounter a discourager, don’t let them derail you. Remind yourself and them that God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV). Because He can!
Soul food: Mal 3-4; Matt 2:16-23; Ps 139:13-24; Prov 31:28-29
2020-12-28
Romans 12:6, Romans12:8
Did you know that there’s such a thing as “the gift of encouragement”? There is! The Bible says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is…to encourage, then give encouragement.”
And you don’t have to be talented or have a high IQ to demonstrate this gift. Every day you meet people in need of encouragement. They may not show it on the surface, but underneath they’re struggling to keep their head above water. Some of them are at the point of despair, and your words can lift them. Even a smile can do it.
Job said, “When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them” (Job 29:24 NLT). Solomon said, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad” (Proverbs 12:25 NKJV).
Don’t assume because people exhibit the trappings of status and success, that they don’t need encouragement. David was a best-selling author whose psalms are still read around the world. He was Israel’s most popular king. His victories in battle are the envy of every military academy strategist. But he had days when he felt so low that he was reaching up to touch the bottom: “I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain” (Psalm 38:17 NLT). It’s not just average people who need encouragement – best-selling authors, kings, and generals need it too. Everybody does! And that’s good, because when you have the gift of encouragement you will never be without a job.
So today be sensitive to God’s leading, and when He prompts you to encourage someone – do it!
Soul food: Mal 1-2; Matt 2:9-15; Ps 139:1-12; Prov 31:25-27
2020-12-27
Matthew 22:39 NLT
When God saves you, He positions you “in Christ.” From that moment on, He views you as being righteous. Not because of your “own righteousness…but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God” (Philippians 3:9 NKJV).
When you are growing up, your parents may have given you the impression that if you were good enough they would love and accept you. As a result, you think God feels the same way about you. But He doesn’t. In truth, you could never be good enough to earn God’s love; that’s why He clothes you in Christ’s righteousness and says, “I love you unconditionally in spite of all your faults.” Now you have a true basis for loving yourself!
Think: If God loves you then you are worthy of loving, right? That means you can love yourself! And in fact, you must, because you can only give love to others from the wellspring of your own self-esteem. If you wrestle with insecurity, guilt, self-doubt, and self-loathing, eventually it will manifest itself in your relationships.
Swiss Psychologist Paul Tournier said: “If a person will love God the way he ought to…he will then love others the way he ought to…and when he loves God and others the way they ought to be loved, he will never need a psychiatrist.” God’s love gives you a mental image of yourself that enables and empowers you to give and receive love from others. The truth is, if you had been the only sinner who ever lived, Christ would have died for you. And when that truly dawns on you, you’ll start to love yourself and develop into the fullness of your God-given potential.
Soul food: Ps 103:8-18; John 3:16-18; Acts 2:38-41
