2026-03-15
Leviticus 19:3 NKJV
When your parents grow old and become less capable of taking care of themselves, they need certain things from you, like love, kindness, patience, tenderness, sensitivity, and understanding. When you were a child, perhaps your mother picked you up at school because you didn’t like to ride the bus, and now you’re upset with her for being five minutes late.
If you are a teen or a preteen, it’s wrong to be more kind, considerate, and patient with your friends and your friends’ mothers than your own mother. Indeed, if you treated your friends like you treat your mom, you wouldn’t have many friends left. And if you treated their mom like you do your own, their mom wouldn’t let her child have anything to do with you.
When your mother gets old and needs more care, it’s payback time! “But she is always complaining,” you say. Yes, just like you did, right? “But she talks about herself and asks the same questions over and over.” As they get older, our parents experience fears they never had before, and they need you to reassure them that you will always be there for them.
One of the last things Jesus did when He was dying on the cross was to commit the care of His mother, Mary, to His close friend and disciple, John: “Then he said to the disciple, ‘She is now your mother.’ From then on, that disciple took her into his own home” (John 19:27 CEV). So, the word for you today is – take good care of your mother.
Soul food: Matt 6:11; John 6:31-40; 1 Cor 11:23-24
2026-03-14
Exodus 14:14 NIV
During World War II, the British Department of Information designed three “home publicity” posters. The first said, “Your courage, your cheerfulness, your resolution will bring us victory.” The second said, “Freedom is in peril.” The third and most famous said, “Keep calm and carry on.” The department printed 2.45 million of the third posters, but they were never publicly displayed. That motto had all but vanished from Britain’s consciousness when a bookstore-owning couple in Alnwick – Stuart and Mary Manley – discovered an original copy of the poster at the bottom of a box of old books.
With Pharaoh’s chariots bearing down on Moses from behind, and the Red Sea in front of him, he was “between a rock and a hard place.” That’s when God gave Moses these instructions: “The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14 NIV). That sounds an awful lot like keep calm and carry on, doesn’t it? What would be the hardest thing to do if Egyptian chariots were charging straight at you at full speed? To be still!
When we find ourselves in this sort of situation, we want to do something – anything. We have a nervous energy that tries to solve problems as quickly as possible. But these are the tests that reveal trust. Sometimes God leads us to a place where we have nowhere to turn but to Him. Is that where you are today? Then trust God’s power, love, and faithfulness, and He will bring you safely through it.
Soul food: Rev 1-4; Luke 17:1-19; Ps 26; Prov 7:26-27
2026-03-13
Colossians 3:13 NKJV
When you study the lives of those who were greatly used by God in the Bible, you see that they were not spared from hurt, disappointment, or even betrayal. The truth is, if you live long enough, you’ll be wronged by someone. The question is, how will you react? The apostle Paul tells us how we should react: “Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
The story is told of two friends who were walking through the desert when they got into an argument. One friend slapped the other in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt. But without saying anything, he wrote in the sand, “Today my best friend slapped me in the face.” They kept walking until they found an oasis. Since they were thirsty, they stopped for water. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire, fell in, and started to drown. His friend then reached out and saved him. That night, he etched this in a stone: “Today my best friend saved my life.”
The friend who had first slapped him and then saved him asked, “After I hurt you, you wrote in sand. And now you write on a stone. Why?” He replied: “When someone hurts us, we should write it in sand, where the winds of forgiveness can blow and erase it. But when someone does something good for us, we should engrave it in stone where it will be long remembered.” Mercy forgets wrongs and remembers rights!
Soul food: 2 Ki 24-25; Luke 16:19-31; Ps 24; Prov 7:24-25
2026-03-12
Psalm 39:8 KJV
After his violation of Bathsheba, King David finally got honest and confessed his sin to Nathan the prophet. “Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However… by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme'” (2 Samuel 12:13-14 KJV). Later, David would write in the Psalms: “Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the foolish.” Let’s take a moment and consider the “downside” of immorality when it is found out:
(1) Your mate experiences shame, rejection, betrayal, and heartache. No amount of repentance or asking forgiveness can soften the blow. Suspicion replaces trust.
(2) The innocence and trust of your children are dealt a devastating blow. Their healthy outlook on life is likely to be severely damaged.
(3) The heartache experienced by your parents, family, and peers is indescribable. And you are likely to be embarrassed in facing other Christians, especially those who have openly appreciated, respected, and trusted you.
(4) Your fall may be perceived by others as a license for them to do the same.
(5) Your inner peace will be gone.
(6) Your confidence before God will be forfeited.
(7) Your enemies will have further reason to jeer and sneer, and the cause you represent will suffer harm.
What a high price to pay. What’s the answer? Be filled and stay filled with the Holy Spirit. Here’s why: “The fruit of the Spirit is… self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV).
Soul food: 2 Ki 21-23; Luke 16:1-18; Ps 135; Prov 7:21-23
2026-03-11
Deuteronomy 28:2 NKJV
An observant Jew says a minimum of one hundred blessing prayers each day, beginning with the Hebrew formula: Baruch Atah Adonai. Practicing Jews bless God when they see or experience something for the first time. They bless God for smells and tastes. And if something is pleasurable, they bless God. If you enjoy something without saying a blessing, according to the Talmud, it’s as if you had stolen it. “All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you.” Note the words “come upon” and “overtake.”
You never know how or when His blessings will overtake you. But unlike His goodness and mercy, which “follow” us all the days of our lives (See Psalm 23:6), the blessings of God are tracking you down like a heat-seeking missile. They’re hot on your trail. And one day they’re going to overtake you.
Now God doesn’t bless us so we can raise our standard of living; He blesses us so we can raise our standard of giving. The greatest blessing is the ability to bless others. Have you been blessed? That’s where you need to flip the blessing. Where has God shown you favour? That’s where you need to return the favour. There is no greater joy than being on the giving end of a gift. Isn’t that what Jesus said? “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NIV).
There are hundreds of blessings in Scripture, each with your name on it. If you are in Christ, the blessings belong to you. “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV). So, count your blessings.
Soul food: 2 Ki 18:17-20:21; Luke 15:11-32; Ps 27; Prov 7:10-20
2026-03-10
Philippians 1:3 NIV
Paul takes one entire chapter in the book of Romans to name the people who helped him and to express his appreciation for them. Showing that you care about people beyond what they can do for you lets them know you truly care about them. Sincere praise can energize others and cause them to spring up like wilted flowers that have just been watered. Oh, the dividends that a husband or a wife (or anyone else) would reap from expressing appreciation for the little things.
Just in case your gratitude muscle has grown weak, and you take most kindnesses and efforts for granted, read the following list of tasks and responsibilities that you should show appreciation for: Cleaning the house. Preparing meals. Paying the bills. Going to work. Spending wisely. Buying groceries. Washing and folding the clothes. Bathing the kids. Taking out the trash. Filling the car with gasoline. Being on time. Watering the grass or plants. Sending out Christmas and special occasion cards. Selecting family birthday presents. Supporting your career. Being accountable. Listening. The list could go on and on.
Why not set a goal of appreciating at least one thing per day for a particular person in your life? If you are a man, don’t be so insecure that you fear you will appear weak if you start to notice the little things. It takes a real man to look beyond his needs and recognize the efforts of another. When you are secure in your own identity, you are able to give people more power by keeping them informed, trusting them, caring about them, and appreciating them.
Soul food: 2 Ki 16:1-18:16; Luke 15:1-10; Ps 112; Prov 7:6-9
