2020-07-19
Matthew 5:10 NLT
Jesus said: “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it!…For a great reward awaits you in heaven” (v. 11 NLT). If you’re thin-skinned you’ll always be an easy target. Endurance, not popularity, is the secret to long-term success. Paul endured desertion by his friends, ugly letters from the Corinthians, disappointment with the Galatians, mistreatment in Philippi, mocking in Athens, and beheading in Rome. He writes, “Be on the alert…stand firm in the faith…act like men…be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13 NAS). Let’s break this verse down: (1) Be on the alert. The Devil is out to get you. What’s he after? Your value to God’s kingdom. Your life is a seed capable of producing a harvest for God in the earth, so protect yourself. (2) Stand firm in the faith. You can’t stand on your circumstances or other people’s opinions, because those things constantly change. You can stand only on the Word of God. (3) Act like men. Immaturity will hurt you when the attack comes. The Bible says you must “[leave] the elementary…[and] press on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1 NAS). If you’re still making the same mistakes twenty-five years later, you’re not learning enough. (4) Be strong. Weakness is an invitation to the Enemy. It always precedes surrender, and quitting isn’t an option. God told His people that the Promised Land was theirs, but they had to fight for it. And only those who were willing to fight got to enter it. The same goes for you.
Soul food: Heb 11:8-12; Gen 17:1-27; Gen 22:1-18; Jas 2:21-24
2020-07-18
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
James writes, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown” (James 1:12 NIV). Are you thinking of quitting? Life is full of quitting points, but if you throw in the towel on your marriage, your career, or your dream, you may regret it for the rest of your life. Only by staying the course can God strengthen you and make you a winner. F. B. Meyer says, “You never test the resources of God until you attempt the impossible.” Quitting doesn’t build character, endurance does. It develops something in you that nothing else can; that’s why God calls it “blessed” (James 5:11 NKJV). It stustains courage, gives staying power to discipline, and turns dreams into reality. Nobody knew more about endurance than Jesus. He endured all the way to Calvary: when they plucked the hair from His face, when the whip tore His flesh, when they nailed Him to a cross, when His friends forsook Him, when bystanders mocked Him, when God turned His face away, and when hell rose up and cried, “Quit!” The Bible says, “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured.” God rewards those who diligently seek Him (See Hebrews 11:6). He promises that when you seek Him with all your heart, you’ll find Him (See Jeremiah 29:13). And those promises apply to you. So tell God, “I plan to keep going, and trusting You for the strength to break through.” When you pray that way, you’ll find your quitting point isn’t as solid as you thought.
Soul food: Acts 6-7; Luke 8:16-25; Ps 140; Prov 16:3
2020-07-17
Proverbs 20:5 NIV
The people who knew Simon knew he was impulsive and tended to put his foot in his mouth. But Jesus saw something else in him; that’s why He renamed him Peter, implying he was a stone suitable for a foundation. Can’t you imagine the look on the other disciples’ faces when Jesus said, “You are Peter…upon this rock I will build my church, and…hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT)? But Peter did become a pillar, a respected leader and founder of the church. And all because of Christ’s ability and willingness to look beyond the surface and see what was on the inside. Being made in God’s likeness gives a person amazing potential, but sometimes it takes “a man of understanding” to recognize it and draw it out. Too many of us see only what is on the surface. So we are quick to peg someone as arrogant, or quick-tempered, or weak, etc. But when you have spiritual insight, you see beyond all that, to the hopes and fears behind the person’s behavior. We don’t need more self-appointed critics, we need: (1) Parents who pray for their children, look beyond their flaws, and draw out their uniqueness. (2) Spouses who search for the hidden treasure in their mates. (3) Business leaders who treat their workers with respect, and match their responsibilities with their talents. (4) Believers who forgive immature, stumbling fellow Christians and work to develop them. (5) Soul winners who see lost people through the eyes of Jesus and recognize what His transforming power can do. So pray for spiritual insight.
Soul food: Acts 3:11-5:42; Luke 8:1-15; Ps 133; Prov 16:2
2020-07-16
1 Corinthians 7:7 TLV
There’s nothing wrong with being single. Sometimes when we see a beautiful woman or a handsome man who’s not married we think, “I wonder what’s wrong with them?” Nothing! Indeed, something might be wrong with them if they were married, because it’s better to be single than to marry the wrong person. The story’s told of two friends. One noticed the other one wearing a wedding ring on the index finger of his right hand. So he said, “That’s strange. Is that your wedding ring?” His friend replied, “Yes.” The first one said, “Why are you wearing it on the wrong finger of the wrong hand?” His friend responded, “Because I married the wrong woman.” We smile, but the Bible teaches that the single life is not only a good life, it is a gifted life. Paul writes: “I wish everyone could get along without marrying, just as I do. But we are not all the same. God gives some the gift of [marriage], and others he gives the gift of being able to stay happily unmarried.” This doesn’t mean being single makes you more spiritual than if you were married. But the fact is, some people have been chosen and graced by the Lord to be single. Paul was one of them. He writes, “I say to the unmarried and to the widows: it is good for them if they remain even as I am” (v. 8 NKJV). Paul spent all but seven years of his ministry in prison, where he wrote the epistles. His God-given assignment in life was suited to singleness. The point is, no person should ever be ashamed or embarrassed because he or she is single.
Soul food: Acts 1:1-3:10; Luke 7:36-50; Ps 123; Prov 16:1
2020-07-15
John 8:44 NIV
Jesus said of Satan, “When he lies, he speaks his native language.” And he lies to us in three ways: (1) Doubts. His strategy is to discourage you, to make you throw up your hands and say, “What’s the use? Nothing has changed!” When you say that, you’re signing the receipt and accepting the package. Don’t do it! The Bible says, “You are snared with the words of your lips” (Proverbs 6:2 AMPC). What you say forms your perspective and creates the environment you live in. Never say anything that leads Satan to think he’s winning. (2) Shock. If you’re not expecting Satan’s attack, you’ll get alarmed and think, “I must not be making progress. Why else would I still be fighting the same old battles?” Why? Because Satan doesn’t give up without a fight, and his attack is proof you haven’t been conquered. (3) Feelings. Satan will try to convince you that you don’t deserve to be forgiven. He’ll tell you that because you don’t feel forgiven, you’re not. But remember, he’s a liar. Here’s where victory is decided. Stand your ground. The work has already been done in you. God’s Word says so; now you must begin to say so too. Time will strengthen and solidify your position. Satan will bring to your mind all the things God has delivered you from, and in dealing with them you’ll experience some of the emotions you had when you went through them. His strategy is to make you feel like nothing has changed. Don’t buy it! Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32 NIV).
Soul food: Joel 1-3; Luke 7:24-35; Ps 118:19-29; Prov 15:33
2020-07-14
Genesis 32:24 NIV
Why would God let someone wrestle with Him? Because wrestling requires close contact. Jacob was a self-made man with an independent attitude that said, “I don’t need anybody but myself.” How long will God wrestle with you? Only for a limited time. In Jacob’s case, “till daybreak.” God knew that if Jacob didn’t submit to Him that night, the rest of his life wouldn’t go right. There’s a lesson here for all of us. Don’t procrastinate; you may be running out of time. Before you forfeit your integrity or your family and your future, stop and realize that God knows things you don’t know. He knows when the Enemy plans to launch his next attack, or when death will be allowed to claim you. When He wrestles with you, it’s to make you realize that you’re wasting your life, or neglecting your family, or to show you that you’re not the center of the universe. Or it’s to encourage you to keep this job without quitting, or stay involved in this church, or invest in this marriage instead of bailing out. God will wrestle with you until you stop making excuses and face the truth. And He doesn’t sugarcoat things. He gives it to you straight. He won’t let you get away with some of the stuff you’ve pulled in the past! The very fact that God is willing to wrestle you into submission means He has great plans for you. Indeed, what He has in mind is greater than anything you could ever conceive or imagine. That is why God is wrestling with you.
Soul food: Jer 51-52; Luke 7:11-23; Ps 118:10-18; Prov 15:31-32
