2020-04-16
Proverbs 15:14 NLT
It’s been said that we forget more than 80 percent of what we learn in school and college. That raises the question, “Why bother? Is education really worth what we invest in it?” It is. There are many valid reasons for learning, even if forgetting will take its usual toll. Here are five of the most important ones: (1) The most important function of the learning process is the self-discipline and control that it fosters. Good students learn to follow directions, carry out assignments, and channel their mental faculties toward a constructive end. These are skills you’ll need in order to succeed in life. (2) Even if the facts and concepts can’t be recalled, you know they exist and where to find them. So you can retrieve the information when you need it later on. (3) Old learning makes new learning easier. Each mental exercise gives you more associative clues with which to link future ideas and concepts, and you are changed for having been through the process of learning. (4) Your brain is like the programming in your computer. You don’t really forget anything that is beyond the reach of your memory. The information is still stored in your brain and will return to consciousness when properly stimulated. (5) You are shaped by the influence of the people who teach you. The Bible says, “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,” (NKJV). Perhaps you wish that an easier process for shaping the human mind could be found, rather than the slow, painful experience of education. But until a “learning pill” is developed, the old-fashioned approach will have to do.
Soul food: Lev 18-20; Mark 1:21-34; Ps 43; Prov 10:10
2020-04-15
Proverbs 21:5 NLT
Without a plan for your life, life just “happens” to you. Some of us plan our lives one day at a time. We wake up, make our to-do list, and dive into action. Some of us even plan our lives one week at a time. We review the calendar for the week, check our appointments, review our goals, and then get to work. One leadership expert writes: “At the beginning of every month, I spend a half day working on my calendar for the next forty days. Forty days works for me rather than just thirty. That way, I get a jump on the next month and don’t get surprised. I begin by reviewing my travel schedule and planning activities with my family. Then I review what projects, lessons, and other objectives I want to accomplish during those five to six weeks. Then I start blocking out days and times for thinking, writing, working, meeting with people, etc. I set times to do fun things such as seeing a show, watching a ball game, or playing golf. I also set aside small blocks of time to compensate for the unexpected. By the time I’m done, I can tell you nearly everything I’ll be doing, almost hour by hour, during the coming weeks. This is one of the reasons I have been able to accomplish so much.” The thought of planning forty days at a time may overwhelm you, so start by planning your day. Then aim for a week, a month, a year, etc. And if you consult God, “he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:6 NLT).
Soul food: Lev 15-17; Mark 1:9-20; Ps 56; Prov 10:8-9
2020-04-14
Zechariah 3:1 NKJV
Sometimes Satan’s attacks are obvious. In the Old Testament the prophet Zechariah writes, “He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.” Satan usually prefers to work incognito, so frequently he will attack you through people – especially those closest to you. The Bible tells us, “The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas…to betray Jesus” (John 13:2 NIV). So what’s your best line of defense? The living Word of God. Exposed to a greater level of temptation than any of us will ever face, Jesus quoted the Scriptures to Satan three different times and put him to flight. When Satan attacks your mind with temptation, condemnation, doubts, and feelings of inadequacy, God’s Word is a shield he cannot penetrate. David said, “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished” (Psalm 119:92 NIV). Notice what happened when Jesus finished doing battle with the Enemy: “The devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus” (Matthew 4:11 NLT). You are not alone. God has placed a cordon of angels around you to sustain and protect you. And “angels are only servants – spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14 NLT). During seasons of adversity, remember you’re a champion, not a victim. Invest your words and energies into creating new goals and dreams. Stay awake, alert, aware, productive, and focused. Exude faith. And expect your faith to be supernaturally honored by the God who promised to intervene when you need Him most (See Isaiah 59:19).
Soul food: Lev 13:38-14:57; Mark 1:1-8; Ps 50:16-23; Prov 10:4-7
2020-04-13
1 Thessalonians 2:18 NKJV
Paul writes, “We wanted to come to you – even I, Paul…time and again – but Satan hindered us.” Note the words “time and again.” When you have an assignment from God, Satan will repeatedly attack you and try to stop you from fulfilling it. Observe three things: (1) His attacks reveal that he believes you’re capable of accomplishing your goal. That’s why when you’re down, he wants to keep you there. He knows if you rise again, you’ll be stronger and more effective than ever. (2) He always attacks the birth of something significant in your life. It may be the birth of your ministry, as with Jesus in the wilderness temptation. It may be the birth of your “child of destiny,” like the birth of Moses, which initiated the killing of newborn males in Egypt in an effort to stop the exodus. (3) He uses those closest to you as a gateway to your heart. Jesus said, “Your enemies will be right in your own household!” (Matthew 10:36 NLT). So what should you do? Pray for them. Your intercession is often the only covering they have, so pray daily for the grace and mercy of God to be downloaded into their hearts. And above all, never forget that your attitude is more important than the adversity you’re experiencing. Attacks pass, but your attitude, if bitter or demoralized, can grow into a root of bitterness that will poison every day of your future (See Hebrews 12:15). Your influence in God’s kingdom determines the level of attack the Enemy launches against you. So don’t get discouraged – keep on keeping on!
Soul food: Lev 11:1-13:37; Matt 28:11-20; Ps 50:1-15; Prov 10:3
2020-04-12
Galatians 2:20 NKJV
The cross must become a vital part of your everyday life. Why? Because you have three relentless enemies you must overcome each day: sin, Satan, self. How do you overcome them? By living the crucified life. Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” You say, “It’s too difficult to live a Christian life!” No, it’s not difficult…it’s impossible. The only way is to let the power and person of Christ live through you. That’s why Paul wrote, “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14 NKJV). After years in a Russian labor camp, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn became so depressed that he wanted to die. Laying his shovel down, he walked over to a bench and sat down, knowing that any moment a guard could come by and use that shovel to beat him to death. It was then that a fellow inmate took a stick, and in the sand at Solzhenitsyn’s feet traced out the sign of the cross. As he stared at it, his entire perspective shifted. Realizing the cross represented the greatest power in the universe, he slowly got up, picked up his shovel, and went back to work under the sign of the cross. And you must do that too. Each day, remind yourself: “Jesus died for me. I died with Him. When I die to me, He lives in me. When He lives in me, I can live for Him.” That’s the secret of a victorious Christian life.
Soul food: 1 Cor 15; Matt 28:1-10; Job 19:25-26; John 11:25-26; 1 Pet 1:3; Isa 25:8
2020-04-11
Jeremiah 8:9 NKJV
You will never understand the message of the cross, or receive the benefits of salvation that come from the cross, until you first kneel at the cross and receive Jesus Christ as your personal saviour. The story is told of a great preacher who was touring Italy. A friend told him to go to a certain village and see a painting of the crucifixion of Christ. “What is it like?” he asked. His friend said, “Never mind what it is like. I want you to see it. Please promise me you will.” He replied, “I will.” He went to the village and visited the chapel where the painting was. The old caretaker said, “You’ve come to see the painting, haven’t you?” He said, “Why, yes I have.” The caretaker responded, “Follow me.” The great preacher was not prepared for what he was about to see. Instead of a beautiful masterpiece, the painting seemed all out of proportion and didn’t make sense. “I don’t understand this painting,” he said. The caretaker replied, “Come closer.” He did. The caretaker said, “Get lower.” He did. Finally, as he was kneeling at the foot of the cross, he looked up and saw the power and beauty of the painting and was reduced to tears. It’s only when you lay aside your pride, your preconceived notions, and your intellectual approach, and humble yourself, that the message of the cross transforms you. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV).
Soul food: Num 21:4-9; Matt 27:57-66; Ps 69:7-21; Deut 21:22-23
