2020-06-13
2 Peter 1:3 NIV
Peter writes, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life” (v. 3 NIV). Living life to the fullest requires three things: (1) A little extra. This is the extra mile principle Jesus taught (See Matthew 5:41), and it calls for two things: (a) Extra effort. Life coach and author Art Williams said, “You beat 50 percent of the people by working hard…the other 40 percent by being a person of honesty and integrity and standing for something…the last 10 percent is a dogfight.” If you want to win, make up your mind to always do “a little extra.” (b) Extra time. “Though [your vision] linger, wait for it; it will certainly come [to pass]” (Habakkuk 2:3 NIV). Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor who created the Mount Rushmore memorial to America’s presidents, was asked if he considered his work to be perfect. He replied, “Not today. The nose of President Washington is an inch too long. It’s better that way, though. It will erode and be exactly right in ten thousand years.” (2) Your best effort. Andrew Carnegie said, “There’s no use trying to help people who won’t help themselves. You can’t push anyone up a ladder unless he or she is first willing to climb it.” (3) The right mentor. Paul writes, “Pattern your lives after mine” (Philippians 3:17 NLT). Good mentors lead by example; they know that to be followed, they must first be respected. They know whether you learn visually or verbally. They know whether you need a pat on the back or a kick in the seat of the pants. If you have such a mentor, you’re blessed. If not, ask God to send one into your life today.
Soul food: 2 Kings 4:18-6:33; Mark 16; Ps 80:12-19; Prov 13:13-16
2020-06-12
Psalm 123:2 NKJV
It’s always nice to be appreciated for the work you do, and when that doesn’t happen, it can affect your sense of self-worth. That’s why the Bible says, “As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters…our eyes look to the Lord our God.” Your true worth comes from God, not your boss. And when you forget that, you set yourself up for frustration in the workplace. Taken to the extreme, you become less effective on the job because you’re not willing to make decisions and take risks in case it negatively affects what others think about you. In essence, you become a “yes” man or woman who nods and agrees with everyone just to please them and have them like you. Consequently, your value to the company plummets because you’re not utilizing your God-given gifts to the fullest. Whatever your position, it’s only a small part of who you are, a spoke radiating from the center of your identity as a son or daughter of the King of kings. You’re not the hub turning the wheel. Knowing who you are, apart from what you do, is as essential to your success in the workplace as your credentials and your skill set. When others know that you constantly need approval, it empowers them to manipulate you, define you, and influence your self-worth. That’s too much power to give anybody! Whether you’re pushing a broom or planning a multi-million-dollar project: “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT).
Soul food: 2 Kings 1:1-4:17; Mark 15:33-47; Ps 80:1-11; Prov 13:11-12
2020-06-11
Psalm 26:3 NKJV
The story’s told of a little boy who was asked, “Do you say your prayers every night?” He replied, “No, some nights I don’t need anything!” We smile, but the point is painfully obvious. If the only time your husband or wife communicated with you was when they were in trouble or had a need they couldn’t meet, how long do you think your relationship would last? There must be a balance between your praises and your petitions. You say, “If the Lord is big enough to create and run the universe, I doubt He’s bothered when somebody as insignificant as me fails to say thanks.” Not so! When Jesus healed ten lepers and only one returned to give thanks, He asked, “Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17 NIV). If God dealt with you solely on the basis of His righteousness and your proclivity for unrighteousness, you’d be sunk! But He doesn’t. He says, “I have loved you…with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself” (Jeremiah 31:3 NLT). Realizing this, the psalmist wrote, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live” (Psalm 63:3-4 NKJV). Again he writes: “I will…praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name. In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul” (Psalm 138:2-3 NKJV). Someone quipped, “God doesn’t mind getting invoiced as long as He gets thanked!” So, take a moment and recall God’s lovingkindness to you.
Soul food: Rev 19-22; Mark 15:21-32; Ps 143; Prov 13:9-10
2020-06-10
Genesis 19:26 NKJV
Before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, angels of the Lord rescued Lot and his family. “When they had brought them outside…he said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed'” (v. 17 NKJV). But the record reads: “His wife looked back… and…became a pillar of salt.” There’s an important lesson here for each of us: Resist the temptation to linger in the quicksand of past mistakes – either your own or other people’s. It can be hard to see ahead when horrendous things have happened to you in the past. But when you get bogged down in the past, you miss what God has for you in the present, and fail to see its connection to your future. The good news is that it’s not too late to allow God to use you and move you forward on your journey. He can heal the wounds others have inflicted on you. He can make you wiser as a result of the poor decisions you made in the past. It’s not too late to become who you might have been. God delights in transforming our weakness into strength. He can create treasure from what you’ve discarded as trash. Even if you’ve backslidden and detoured from the path you know He wants you to follow, now is the time to return to His highway. “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT). So move forward – and don’t look back.
Soul food: Rev 15-18; Mark 15:1-20; Ps 132:11-18; Prov 13:7-8
2020-06-09
Psalm 119:11 NLT
Are you discouraged because you keep committing the same sins over and over again? Here’s your answer: Soak your mind in God’s Word! Just like you soak a sponge in water and it comes out dripping and filled to capacity, soak your mind in Scripture until it’s filled to the brim with God’s Word. That way, when you’re tempted to do wrong, your first recourse will be a “Spirit and Word”¬ empowered response. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting the same results. So if you are sick and tired of living in defeat, here’s a time-tested prescription from God’s Word for making you whole: “How can a young person (or an older one) stay pure? By obeying your word” (v. 9 NLT). “You are already clean because of the word…I have spoken to you” (John 15:3 NKJV). “That He might sanctify and cleanse [you] with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26 NKJV). “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV). “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name” (Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV). These Scriptures all lead to one conclusion: If you’re serious about wanting to walk in victory, you must get into God’s Word and get God’s Word into you. There is no other way.
Soul food: Rev 10-14; Mark 14:66-72; Ps 132:1-10; Prov 13:4-6
2020-06-08
Isaiah 54:13 NKJV
Few things in life can break your heart like a child on drugs, or running with the wrong crowd and being involved in activities you know can destroy their lives. As a parent, what can you do? First and foremost, pray for them and speak God’s promises over them. You may not be able to change them, but God can. His Word says, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.” What if your child is out of control and living at home? Then you have a big challenge that requires God’s help. Sometimes your “problem child” is a child of destiny with a great future, and Satan knows that. God has a calling on their life, and that’s what the battle is all about! As a parent, you need God’s wisdom when it comes to: (1) Setting clear boundaries with appropriate and consistent consequences. The Bible says, “Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; the cure comes through tough-minded discipline” (Proverbs 22:15 MSG). (2) Overcoming the fear that your child will reject you when you make an unpopular, but wise decision. Satan will try to convince you that you’ll lose them if you discipline them. The truth is that you’ll lose them if you don’t! Remember: “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT). Prayer and standing firmly on His Word are two of the greatest weapons God has provided when it comes to engaging Satan over your child’s future. And if you stay true to God – you’ll win.
Soul food: Rev 5-9; Mark 14:53-65; Ps 48; Prov 13:2-3
