2020-08-25
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
God is crystal clear on this issue: We are all called to be thanks-givers. Who? You! When? In all circumstances! Why? Because it’s God’s will for you! Whatever else you may be confused about concerning God’s will, this part is clear. It’s not a suggestion – it’s a commandment. And since there are more commands in Scripture about thanksgiving than anything else, God evidently enjoys receiving thanks. The psalmist said, “I will praise the name of God with a song; and…magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock” (Psalm 69:30-31 KJV). Why does God need to remind us to give thanks? For the same reason you remind your child to do it – it’s considerate, and until it becomes habitual, we forget! David, a man after God’s own heart, prodded his often-forgetful soul into thanksgiving: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2 KJV). When you feel ungrateful, stop and read David’s “benefit list” in your Bible – it will fire up your attitude of gratitude. Even when circumstances don’t look good, God can turn them around for your benefit. In all things He deserves your thanks. Even at his lowest point in the belly of a whale, Jonah recognized the need to thank God, and “out of the belly of hell cried…I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving” (Jonah 2:2, 9 KJV). So make a habit of “giving thanks always for all things unto God” (Ephesians 5:20 KJV). In other words, develop an attitude of gratitude.
Soul food: Judg 19:16-21:25; Luke 17:11-19; Ps 119:137-144; Prov 18:22-24
2020-08-24
2 Timothy 2:22 NLT
The Bible sets the scene for us: “‘You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are! My bed is spread with…coloured sheets of Egyptian linen…Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses, for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip…and won’t return until later this month’…and enticed him with her flattery. He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter…like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart…like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life” (Proverbs 7:15-23 NLT). Let’s modernize the setting. The bed could be a water bed or the back seat of a car. The linens could be plush carpet in front of a fireplace. The spices could be beer and pizza accompanied by soft background music. Today we call such liaisons “friends with benefits.” It means each has all the benefits of sexual intimacy without a shred of commitment or concern for the other person’s well-being. And experts can document a growing mountain of evidence that it always ends the same way: with guilt, depression, and devastated lives. Solomon pleads: “Listen to me, my sons…pay attention to my words. Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death” (vv. 24-27 NLT). In other words: Remove yourself from harm’s way before you get in over your head!
Soul food: Judg 16:1-19:15; Luke 17:1-10; Ps 119:129-136; Prov 18:21
2020-08-23
2 Corinthians 5:9 NIV
Paul writes: “We make it our goal to please him…For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (vv. 9-10 NIV). If pleasing people is your main goal in life, you’ll be disappointed. The moment you stop pleasing them, chances are they’ll criticize you or leave you. Plus, they won’t be with you when you stand at the judgment seat of Christ to be evaluated and rewarded! Bottom line: You’re not assigned to everybody! So once you discover your God-given gift, ask, “Lord, to whom are You sending me?” “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God” (Acts 18:9-11 NIV). To whom has God sent you? As surely as a plant only thrives in the right kind of soil, you’ll only succeed in the place to which God has assigned you. Peter did well preaching to the Jewish people, whereas Paul writes, “God…was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16 NIV). You must love people, and listen to the right people. But when it comes to your calling – you must be led by God! So go where He sends you and trust Him to take care of you.
Soul food: Job 2:7-10; Job 40:1-5; Job 42:7-17; Jas 5:10-11
2020-08-22
1 Corinthians 12:5 NKJV
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in ministry is to compare yourself to someone else. In fact, it’s been said that if any two of us are identical, one of us may be unnecessary! The apostle Paul writes, “There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.” It’s true that without help from others, you’ll never become all you can be, but God wants you to be mentored, not cloned. He has called each of us to emphasize certain truths at different times. For example, John emphasized love, Solomon emphasized wisdom, and Paul’s major emphasis was grace over law. The need determines the emphasis. If God calls you to be a pastor, it’s like being a general practitioner. If He calls you to be an evangelist or a teacher, He’s calling you to be a specialist. “For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (vv. 8-11 NKJV). Not everyone will understand or appreciate your style of ministry. And that’s okay – it’s not a popularity contest. You’re called to be a servant, not a star. And a major prerequisite for ministry is “that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2 NIV).
Soul food: Judg 12-15; Luke 16:19-31; Ps 119:121-128; Prov 18:13-20
2020-08-21
Luke 17:3 NKJV
Sometimes you are called upon to confront behavior that negatively affects you. Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” Now, that doesn’t give you the right to vent your anger or charge in like a bull in a china shop. Jesus also said, “And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (v. 4 NKJV). And here’s another thought: Respect the other person’s decision not to pursue a relationship with you. They may not belong in your life, and you may not belong in theirs. Think about the last time you went shopping. Did you purchase every single item you examined? Of course not. Did you reject them because they were inferior? Surely not. You simply decided they were not for you. Of course, if you experience a pattern of rejection and you’re baffled about the cause, you may want to consider finding out why. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6 KJV). Sometimes it’s wise to ask, “I’d like to get some feedback from you for my personal development. My objective here is not to resume our relationship. I would just like to ask what it was that made you decide to terminate it. I’d really appreciate your honest feedback.” Be sure to project an upbeat attitude, not a negative one. Listen objectively, and don’t be defensive. You are gathering information. And be willing to change if there is merit to what they say.
Soul food: Judg 9:34-11:40; Luke 16:1-18; Ps 119:113-120; Prov 20:25; Ecc 5:4-6
2020-08-20
Proverbs 31:18 NKJV
The mistakes you have made may be big, bad, and oft repeated. But they haven’t changed God’s mind about you. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you…will be rebuilt” (Jeremiah 31:3-4 NIV). Yes, God will correct you when you need it. But His correction is not rejection – it’s proof of His love. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:6 NIV). God’s purpose in discipline is to develop you to your highest potential. So don’t let anyone put you down. Be your authentic self when you’re with others. Focus on what you have to give, rather than on how others perceive you. Don’t put on airs, brag, or name-drop in an attempt to level the playing field. You are already equal – even if you don’t have a similar education, experience, financial status, social standing, or background. Since when did such things make anybody inherently superior to another – especially in the eyes of your heavenly Father? If your goal in life is to please everyone and have them speak well of you, your self-worth will always be at their mercy. Solomon describes the qualities of a virtuous woman. Here’s one of them: “She perceives that her merchandise is good.” This woman wasn’t prideful, she was just confident in who God had made her to be and the assignment He had given her to fulfill. Her confidence came from within, not from without. Solomon ends the chapter in these words: “Honour her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise” (Proverbs 31:31 NIV).
Soul food: Judg 7:1-9:33; Luke 15:11-32; Ps 119:105-112; Prov 18:10-12
