2020-08-11
Philippians 3:13-14 NIV
The greater the offense, the harder it is to forgive – but you must. Because whatever you refuse to forgive and let go of, you carry with you. And it will be like an albatross around your neck. Has someone abused you, cheated on you, lied about you, fired you, or otherwise mistreated you? Have you failed yourself? Are you asking, “How can I get beyond my past mistakes and become successful again?” Whatever your particular hurt, the solution isn’t feeding it or denying it. You have to forgive and let it go, or you will continue to hurt yourself. Someone said that choosing not to forgive somebody is like eating poison and expecting the other person to die. In order to move forward, you have to “let go” and be at peace with the past. Paul could easily have allowed the memory of the Christians he put to death before meeting Christ to destroy him and rob him of his destiny. But he refused to do it. Instead he wrote: “Dear brothers [and sisters], I am still not all that I should be but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” (vv.13-14 TLB). And here’s one more Scripture: “If you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25 NIV). So the word for you today is – “Forgive and move on.”
Soul food: Deut 28-29; Luke 12:35-48; Ps 119:41-48; Prov 17:17
2020-08-10
Ephesians 2:8 NKJV
In a sense there were two prodigal sons, and both grew up in a religious culture that praised rule keepers and punished rule breakers. Notice how this chapter begins: “All the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Him…And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners…So He spoke this parable to them” (Luke 15:1-3 NKJV). Here Jesus is talking to two different groups: (1) Rule breakers like the Prodigal Son, who know it’s only through God’s grace that we are saved. (2) Rule keepers like the older brother, who think they can earn or contribute to salvation by doing good works. And that makes rule keepers judgmental toward rule breakers. The older brother refused to attend his brother’s homecoming party. Why? Listen: “Father, unlike him, I have served you and kept your commandments. This is not right or fair” (See Luke 15:29). Sound familiar? Here’s what the father told him: “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours” (v. 31 NKJV). Observe the word “son.” Jesus was teaching that we’re saved by “relationship,” not “rule keeping.” The older brother thought his father’s acceptance depended on his performance. Yes, there’s a place in God’s kingdom for performance. Your rewards in heaven are based upon your performance on earth. But your redemption depends on Christ’s performance only: “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV). Yes, God will challenge, chastise, and cleanse you in order to change you into the person He wants you to be. But you are saved by grace alone.
Soul food: Deut 25-27; Luke 12:22-34; Ps 119:33-40; Prov 17:16
2020-08-09
Matthew 5:39 NCV
Jesus said, “If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other…also.” In Jesus’ day, society was built around shame and honour. The left hand was considered unclean; it was not to be used for eating – or for hitting. So a blow to the right cheek would be done with the backhand. It was a way to publicly insult someone. A backhanded slap was something done only to a social inferior, such as a slave or a child. So when someone insults you, what should you do? Everyone expects one of two responses: retaliation or cowering. Jesus is saying, “Your safety and your honour are in the hands of your heavenly Father.” So now we get creative. One possibility is that we could turn the other cheek. Our enemy can’t backhand our left cheek. Either he has to fight you as an equal, which he doesn’t want to do, or he has to find a nonviolent way to resolve the conflict. So, who do you get insulted by? “Slaps” often take the form of barbs, digs, and “backhanded” comments. Someone demeans your idea at work. Someone accuses you falsely at home. A relative says something judgmental about you. What is your first instinct – retaliation, fear, or both? With the Holy Spirit helping you, there’s a new possibility. Don’t run and hide. Don’t strike back. Confront the other person with honesty and strength. Be creative, patient, and active. Lovingly work toward reconciliation. It is the reason the Bible calls the Christian life a “high calling” (Philippians 3:14 KJV). So, the next time someone upsets you, “Take the high road!”
Soul food: Ruth 2:5-12; Ruth 3:1-6; Ruth 4:9-17
2020-08-08
Romans 12:19 NIV
Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you…If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other…also” (Matthew 5:38-39 NIV). Though the “eye for an eye” statement sounds harsh to us, it was actually an enormous step forward in the ancient legal world, where powerful people could kill you for a slight injury. This law limited retribution by teaching proportional justice. But it still leaves us with a problem. Instinct says if someone hurts you, you hurt them back – and the pain you experience always seems worse than the pain you cause the other person. In an experiment, a group of subjects was paired up, and each person received pressure against their finger. Then they were told to exert the same amount of pressure on the other person’s finger. When it was their turn, they always inflicted more pain than they received. Always. The result is an eye “plus-a-little-something-extra” for an eye. You say, “But this person hurt me and they should pay for it.” How much should they pay? God alone is capable of answering that question fairly! And His Word says: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:19-21 NIV).
Soul food: Deut 22-24; Luke 12:13-21; Ps 119:25-32; Prov 17:11-15
2020-08-07
1 Peter 2:23 NLT
No one mastered the art of dealing with difficult people better than Jesus. The Romans wanted to silence Him, Herod wanted to kill Him, Pilate washed his hands of Him, religious leaders envied Him, His family thought He’d lost His mind, His townspeople wanted to stone Him, Thomas doubted Him, Peter denied Him, Judas betrayed Him, soldiers beat Him, the crowds shouted for His crucifixion, and His closest followers ran out on Him. Yet Jesus never prayed for God to remove the difficult people from His life. If He had, there would have been nobody left. Sometimes even prayer can be misused as a way of avoidance. Sometimes we ask God to remove a difficult person from our life because we’re not willing to confront that person honestly. And if God answered that prayer the way we wanted, we’d lose the opportunity for growth that is His great desire for us. Jesus’ teachings about dealing with difficult people flowed out of deep, intimate, painful experiences and wisdom. And they’ve influenced world leaders and movements like no other words that have ever been spoken – from Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King Jr. to Nelson Mandela. Peter writes: “If you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps…He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly” (vv. 20-23 NLT). And you are called to follow His example.
Soul food: Deut 18-21; Luke 12:1-12; Ps 119:17-24; Prov 17:7-10
2020-08-06
Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV
God designed us in such a way that in times of intense difficulty, we have a built-in moment to turn to Him for help. The primary place in your brain that processes strong negative emotions, such as rage and fear, is called the amygdala. And when it’s removed from certain animals, they become incapable of expressing rage and fear. Normally when input comes into your brain, it goes to the cortex for processing. In about 5 percent of cases, however, when something extremely emotional happens, it goes to your amygdala, and the thinking part of your brain gets short-circuited. But in between your brain’s intake and your body’s response time, there’s what researchers call the “life-giving quarter-second.” And that quarter-second – although it doesn’t sound very long – is huge. Paul writes, “In your anger do not sin…and do not give the devil a foothold.” That quarter-second is the time when the Holy Spirit can take control. That’s when you can choose to give the foothold to the Holy Spirit, or you can give it to sin. That one quarter-second in your mind can be an opportunity to say, “Holy Spirit, I’ve got this impulse right now; should I act on it?” It’s amazing how the desire to hurt someone you love can be so strong, then lead to such pain when you indulge it. But another piece of good news is that when you blow it – and you will blow it – God sends another quarter-second right behind the first one. He’s committed to you, and He will keep working with you until you get it right!
Soul food: Deut 14-17; Luke 11:45-54; Ps 119:9-16; Prov 17:4-6
