2020-05-17
Isaiah 40:29 NKJV
When the battle continues to rage with no end in sight, you grow weary. Is that where you are today? Are things that once ran smoothly no longer working? Have you done all you know to do but it hasn’t helped? What should you do? Spend more time with God in prayer, and listen to Him as He speaks to you through His Word. As long as you don’t give up within, victory is assured without. It’s a matter of replenishing your strength by drawing on God’s strength, refocusing your faith toward victory, and ” [calling] to remembrance” God’s promises (Psalm 77:6 NKJV). When you feel overwhelmed by trouble in your marriage, your business, your health, your job, or your finances, stand on these two Bible promises: “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31 NLT). “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and…thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God…And he did rescue us…We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us” (2 Corinthians 1:8-10 NLT). Instead of trying to escape the situation, seek God and He will give you strength and a strategy to come out of it stronger.
Soul food: Matt 4:12-16; Matt 5:14-16; Acts 9:1-19
2020-05-16
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV
When you’re physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained, you become vulnerable. When Samson grew tired, he lay down in Delilah’s lap. Jesus called for 100 percent commitment, but He also knew the importance of staying in balance; of work and rest; of giving out and taking in. “Then Jesus said: ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone” (Mark 6:31-32 NLT). A good general will never commit all his soldiers to the battlefield at the same time. He keeps a reserve force to relieve the exhausted ones when they stagger back from the front lines. Yes, you may have the greatest assignment in the world and be succeeding in it, but unless you “keep a reserve,” you’re opening yourself up to potential danger. That’s why setting aside time each day to be alone with God in prayer and Bible reading is so important. If Satan can’t defeat you outright, he will settle for an exhausted, ineffective version of the person God wants you to be. If you’re a type A, high-energy person, you’re particularly at risk. What’s the answer? “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:30-31 NKJV).
Soul food: Num 34-36; Mark 9:30-37; Ps 18:30-50; Prov 11:22
2020-05-15
2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV
There’s a difference between confessing your sin and repenting of it. In Scripture, the word “repentance” means “to turn away from sin.” By confessing your sin you acknowledge what you have done; by repenting you turn away from it. And the good news is that there’s no limit to God’s forgiveness. The moment you ask for it, you receive it. However, God doesn’t intend you to keep repeating your sinful patterns over and over again. That’s where “godly sorrow” comes in. Paul writes, “You sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you” (v. 11 NKJV). The purpose of godly sorrow is to make you more diligent when it comes to changing behavior. When you allow sin into your life, you violate your core of righteousness. “For [God]…made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). At the point of salvation God literally made you “the righteousness of God in Christ.” You’re a regenerated spirit living in an unregenerated body, and when you permit sin into your life, it violates the very core of who you are! And that will cause you godly sorrow, leading to repentance and turning away from sin. Don’t settle for saying, “This is a habit I can’t break. But it’s okay because God will forgive me.” Yes, He will forgive you, but He doesn’t want you to settle for a cycle of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and then repeating the same sin. He wants you to be strong and effective in His service. That’s why He’s calling you to a higher level.
Soul food: Num 32:25-33:56; Mark 9:14-29; Ps 18:1-29; Prov 11:19-21
2020-05-14
Proverbs 3:5 NLT
When it comes to having the right attitude – stay in touch with the control tower. Air traffic controllers “see the big picture” when it comes to what’s going on in the sky. They have the knowledge and authority to tell pilots to slow down or speed up, fly higher or lower, avoid or navigate through storms, or take alternate routes. Amazingly, air traffic controllers in the United States handle some 87,000 flights every day, and 64 million takeoffs and landings every year. They manage commercial flights, private aviation, military, and cargo air traffic, as well as air taxis. In fact, if all the flights air traffic controllers handled at any given time were to be posted in airports, more than 460 monitors would be needed! With so many flights taking off and landing every second, pilots have to stay in touch with the control tower. Similarly, you must stay in touch with God – the One who sees the big picture for your life and orchestrates everything that involves you. He makes sure everything that needs to happen, happens at the right time, and moves at the appropriate speed to make sure you arrive safely at the destination He’s planned for you. That’s why staying in communication with God should be at the top of your daily to-do list. He will help you navigate the ups and downs of life, and find your way through cloudy days when you can’t see the next step you need to take. In short, when you “seek his will in all you do…he will show you which path to take.”
Soul food: Num 30:1-32:24; Mark 9:1-13; Ps 49; Prov 11:16-18
2020-05-13
Daniel 2:21 NIV
Realize that rough times won’t last forever. As surely as God created spring to follow winter, “He changes times and seasons…He gives wisdom.” The season of adversity you’re in will end. And when it does, you’ll glean from it the wisdom to build a better future. Sometimes your greatest blessings come from your most negative circumstances. Paul writes, “Our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT). Tough times don’t last, but tough people do! Out of your greatest tests come your greatest testimonies. Don’t make major decisions during a storm. Thoughts and feelings often run wild in the midst of a crisis; those are times when you need to be careful about making decisions. Remain calm, discipline yourself to focus on what you can do, and trust God to do what you can’t. Just as a pilot error can cause a plane to be diverted from its intended destination, or have to make a dangerous emergency landing, a bad decision can divert or delay you from reaching your destiny. Let your emotions subside – before you decide. You may not always have that option, but as much as possible, put significant decisions on hold until your storm passes. Just as the wind blows about wildly during a storm, your thoughts can become wild and frantic, and that’s not the best time to make crucial assessments. What should you do? Paul answers, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and…His peace will guard your hearts and minds” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).
Soul food: Num 27-29; Mark 8:27-38; Ps 62; Prov 11:15
