2020-10-30
Proverbs 15:23 NLT
William Penn, founder of the British colony of Pennsylvania in 1677 (the U.S. state of Pennsylvania is named in his honour), formulated six principles for conversation:
“(1) Avoid company where it is not profitable or necessary, and on those occasions, speak little, and last. (2) Silence is wisdom, where speaking is folly; and always safe. (3) Some are so foolish as to interrupt and anticipate those that speak, instead of hearing and thinking before they answer, which is uncivil, as well as silly. (4) If you think twice before you speak once, you will speak twice the better for it. (5) Better to say nothing, than not to the purpose. And to speak pertinently, consider both what is fit, and when it is fit to speak. (6) In all debates, let truth be your aim, not victory or unjust interest; endeavor to gain, rather than to expose your critic.”
In short: Never speak without thinking! Give yourself time to incorporate wisdom into your words, avoiding those that make others feel intimidated or inferior. One of the best ways to persuade others is by listening to them.
A gossip talks about others and a bore talks about himself, but a good conversationalist talks about what interests you, and listens attentively to what you have to say. The truth is, sometimes the more you speak, the less people remember. And they’re more likely to remember your words if they feel like you care enough to listen to their thoughts and concerns. The Bible says, “Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!”
Soul food: Ezra 3-5; John 7:25-44; Ps 108; Prov 24:29
2020-10-29
Colossians 3:2 AMPC
The Bible says, “Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.” There are many things that happen in this world which can easily affect our mind and emotions, and we need to learn how to rise above them. When negative thoughts are building up and trying to take control of our emotions, we need to take a few minutes to “set our minds and keep them set” on “the higher things.”
It often helps to speak positively about whatever is bothering you. For example, have a chat with yourself that goes something like this: “My family may not be everything I’d like it to be, but I’m thankful I have a family. My house may not be as nice as I’d like it to be, but it’s still a good place to live. I might be going through a difficult time right now, but Jesus is with me and He’s going to get me through it.” The Devil knows which of your buttons to push to get an emotional reaction. So what should you do?
Stand on God’s Word: “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline…instruct…and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity” (Psalm 94:12-13 AMPC).
The more you discipline yourself to say no to your feelings and yes to the wisdom of God, the easier it becomes to defeat the Enemy in a spiritual tug-of-war. So decide today that you won’t arrange your life around unreliable emotions, and focus instead on “the higher things”!
Soul food: Ezra 1-2; John 7:14-24; Ps 104:24-35; Prov 24:28
2020-10-28
Philippians 4:6 CEV
Rachel and Jim owned a commercial building, half of which Jim used for his dental practice. For fifteen years they had no difficulty renting out the other half, which provided extra money to pay their bills. Then they lost their renter, and a real estate agent told them, “Forget about advertising for a while – absolutely nobody is renting.”
To ease her stress, Rachel started swimming laps at the local YMCA pool. One day when she was feeling especially anxious, she decided to pray as she swam, using the alphabet to keep track of the number of laps. She focused on adjectives to describe God, starting with the letter A. “You are Almighty God,” she prayed during lap one. B. “A benevolent God, a bountiful God,” she prayed on the next lap. And then C, “You are a caring, creative, can-do God.” By the time she’d completed twenty-six laps, an hour had passed and her fears were gone. She knew God would provide.
A short time later a physical therapist called to say she’d noticed the “For Rent” sign, and asked to see the office. It was exactly what she wanted, so she and her partner rented the space.
Rachel still prays while she’s swimming laps. “After all,” she says, “I’ve discovered God’s goodness stretches from A to Z.”
Are you worrying about something today? Here’s a better option: “With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Jesus Christ, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel” (vv. 6-7 CEV).
Soul food: Zeph 1-3; John 7:1-13; Ps 104:1-23; Prov 24:26-27
2020-10-27
Hebrews 11:27 NIV
Fourth: You must persevere when life gets difficult. You could sum up the life of Moses in these two words: “He persevered.”
It’s a fact of life that there’s no gain without pain, no advancement without adversity, and no progress without problems. Moses understood that difficulties come into every life, and he knew how to respond to them correctly and move on. And we must learn to do that too. As followers of Christ, we should never let problems defeat us; instead, we should let them draw us closer to God.
Someone has said that we should never let problems get us down – except down on our knees to pray! God allows specific situations in our lives to bring growth. And without perseverance we won’t get very far.
Notice the words “By faith…he persevered.” Faith in what? Faith in whom? Faith in God! We’re not talking here about some white-knuckled, flesh-based form of self-help. No, we’re talking about the fact that when God calls you to do a job, He equips and empowers you. He goes ahead of you and provides everything you need. When you say yes to His plan for your life, you can stand on this promise: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).
So you must (a) know who you are; (b) take responsibility for your life; (c) determine your priorities; and (d) persevere when life gets difficult. If you abide by these four Bible truths, you will live a life that is truly blessed by God.
Soul food: 1 Tim 4-6; John 6:52-71; Ps 114; Prov 24:23-25
2020-10-26
Hebrews 11:26 NIV
Third: You must determine your priorities. “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
Much of the world’s wealth during that time was stored in Egypt. So Moses already had what most people spend their lives trying to get: popularity, pleasure, and possessions. Yet God asked him to do something that was more important – and he did it. It was a matter of priorities.
Moses could easily have rationalized, “The slave situation is bad, so I’ll stay in the system and work for reform.” Most of us want to be liked, but there’s one big problem with popularity: It never lasts. You can be the big shot on campus for a while, but when you return a few years after graduation, you’ll likely find that nobody thinks you’re special anymore.
Then there’s pleasure. Is pleasure wrong? It isn’t wrong unless it’s sinful.
Then there are possessions. And there’s nothing wrong with material success. Some of the greatest people in the Bible were extremely wealthy, including Abraham and Solomon. But Jesus said, “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15 NIV).
Ultimately wealth doesn’t bring happiness. Ask the people who have it, “How much money does it take to be happy?” Answer: “Just a little bit more!” Money is to be used – not loved! God wants us to use things and love people. But if we love things we’ll end up using people. Moses had his priorities right; he devalued material things because there was something more important in his life – namely, God’s will!
Soul food: 1 Tim 1-3; John 6:35-51; Ps 127; Prov 24:19-22
2020-10-25
Hebrews 11:25 NIV
Second: You must take responsibility for your life. “Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (vv. 24-25 NIV). First, Moses refused to be anyone but himself. Next, he chose to go God’s way.
The principle here is that you can always replace a negative with a positive. You don’t just stop doing something – you start doing something else. The Christian life isn’t a matter of negative rules and regulations. It’s a matter of relationships – with God, with other people, and with yourself.
Notice, Moses made his decision “when he had grown up.” It’s a mark of maturity when you can settle the issue of personal responsibility. When Moses was a baby, it was okay to postpone the decision about who he was. But when he became an adult he had to make a choice, assume responsibility for his own life, and move ahead. It’s always easy to blame others: “I’d go God’s way if my boyfriend or girlfriend, mother or father, husband or wife, would do it too.” Or, “I’d be a better person today if I had better parents.”
You can’t choose all the circumstances that come into your life, but you can choose whether those things will make you a bitter person or a better person. Ultimately no one can ruin your life except you! The Devil can’t, because he doesn’t have enough power – and God won’t, because He loves you. So choose to go God’s way!
Soul food: Matt 6:5-15; Jas 5:13-18; 1 Thes 5:16-18
