2020-05-01
John 20:24 NKJV
The Bible says: “Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails…and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’ And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace to you!’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!'” (vv. 24-28 NKJV). Note the words “Thomas, called the Twin.” Do you know who the other twin is? You! Whoever you are, reading this page today, you are Thomas’s twin. Think about it: How often have you doubted God’s love, His goodness, His grace, His faithfulness, and His promises? So what’s the solution? An up-close-and-personal encounter with Jesus like Thomas had. It happens when you read His Word and a verse leaps off the page, causing you to exclaim, “My Lord and my God!” It happens in conversation with a friend when he or she shares such wisdom and insight that you find yourself saying, “My Lord and my God!” It happens when you pray like the psalmist: “Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions” (Psalm 119:17-18 NLT).
Soul food: Num 3:1-4:33; Mark 5:31-43; Ps 2; Prov 10:30-32
2020-04-30
Job 2:10 NKJV
If you could ask God one question and be guaranteed an answer, what would you ask? When pollster George Barna asked this question in a national survey, the primary response was: “Why is there pain and suffering in the world?” The short answer is: Christ’s first coming was to save us from the penalty of our sin; His second coming is to save us from the presence of sin and restore paradise lost. But at some point in your life you will face pain and suffering. Job was a good and godly man, yet all ten of his children died tragically in a single day. “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ But he said to her…’Shall we indeed accept good from God, and…not…adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (vv. 9-10 NKJV). Observe two things about adversity. First, the opposite of integrity [wholeness] is fragmentation; we either fall apart or draw closer to God. Second, what we say is crucial: “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Yes, he grieved deeply. And he had lots of questions for God, including unanswered ones. Yet when he spoke, here’s what he said: “He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:10-12 NKJV).
Soul food: Num 1-2; Mark 5:21-30; Ps 35; Prov 10:28-29
2020-04-29
John 17:4 NIV
Over half of those who enter the ministry quit within ten years because of stress and discouragement. How can you avoid that? By following Christ’s example. How did Jesus do it? He tells us: “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does…By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” (John 5:19-20, 30 NIV). That sounds simple, right? Simple – but not easy. People will try to talk you into doing good things that are not necessarily God’s highest priority for you. You can spend your life doing the “good” and never get around to doing the “best.” Jesus said, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” If God doesn’t give it to you, don’t take it on. And if He does, don’t try it without His help. Grandfather clocks come with two simple instructions: First, don’t let it run down. Second, don’t wind it too tight. Why did Jesus rise before dawn to pray and sometimes pray all night? To avoid getting run-down, or wound up too tight! The Bible says, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (Psalm 55:22 NLT). But He can only carry them when you give them to Him.
Soul food: Jam 3-5; Mark 5:11-20; Ps 94:12-23; Prov 10:27
2020-04-28
1 Timothy 6:4 NIV
Some people miss all the good things in life by focusing only on what’s wrong. They miss the flowers in the garden and point out the weeds. Who are they? They’re the “Yes, but” people. In order to help them and to deal with them the right way, you must: (1) Be discerning. Recognize that often their outward bravado masks a deep inner insecurity. It lets them shift the focus off their own fears and onto the faults of others. (2) Be accepting. Our first inclination is to ignore and isolate difficult people. That’s a mistake. Difficult people often want to be ignored, and avoiding them just provides the emotional distance for them to hide. Plus, it confirms their belief that you don’t care and won’t listen because you think they’re wrong and you’re right. (3) Be interested. Show genuine concern for their family, their work, and their well-being. “Yes, but” people usually struggle with giving and receiving love; they’re inclined to elevate opinion and loyalty above communication and reconciliation. And nowhere is it more evident than in their personal lives. So be prepared to empathize with the trail of broken relationships you’re likely to find. (4) Be kind. The Bible says, “Love is patient, love is kind…It…always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV). Avoiding “Yes, but” people doesn’t work; neither does arguing with them or trying to straighten them out. You can’t change the habits of a lifetime in one or two conversations. But given enough time, the one strategy that never fails is love.
Soul food: Jam 1-2; Mark 5:1-10; Ps 94:1-11; Prov 10:24-26
2020-04-27
Psalm 35:13 NIV
Misdirected prayers. Some folks turn the blessing at mealtime into a public airing of their frustrations. Others bounce their prayers off God, hoping to hit the person across the table – the one they’re trying to win to Christ. Don’t do that. God gets enough bad press without you adding to it! Jesus said, “When you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production” (Matthew 6:5 MSG). Judgmental prayers. In one church a childless couple was praying for a baby. The prayer group arbitrarily decided the husband wasn’t “godly” enough to be a father, so they spent their time asking God to change him. If God gave children only to perfect parents, the human race would be extinct! The Bible says, “We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy” (Daniel 9:18 NLT). Quorum-based prayers. You think there’s a better chance of getting your prayers answered if you involve a lot of people, like having a quorum at a business meeting. With God, what matters is the faith with which you pray, not the number of people. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24 NIV). Now, when you face a situation that’s too big to handle alone, it’s wise to reach for someone who really knows God and can pray in agreement with you. “If two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19 NIV). Which raises the question: Do you have prayer partners you can call on? Are you a prayer partner for someone else?
Soul food: Dan 11-12; Mark 4:26-41; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 10:22-23
2020-04-26
Mark 11:25 NIV
When someone hurts us, our natural response is to either hurt them back or hope they will suffer for what they have done to us. Yet as redeemed children of God, we know this is the wrong response. That is when we discover forgiving someone doesn’t come naturally or easily; it requires supernatural grace on our part. And where do we get that? Through prayer! Jesus said, “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Recalling God’s grace toward you leaves you no choice but to extend that same grace toward someone who hurts you. Someone once said, “Forgiveness is a decision to set a prisoner free, and then discovering that the prisoner is you.” So if you have a desire to forgive someone, get excited; the Holy Spirit has already done half the job. To complete the other half, humble yourself and pray: “Father, I turn from every desire I have to avenge this wrong. You saw the situation before it happened, and in Your infinite wisdom You allowed it to be so. Your Word says that “all things work together for [my] good” (Romans 8:28), so from this moment on, with the help of Your Holy Spirit, I forgive them. I will not dwell on the situation but will declare Your Word instead.” That’s called “a prayer of release.” And you’re not just releasing your offender; you’re releasing and repositioning yourself to walk in God’s blessing. That’s why you must forgive them!
Soul food: Matt 5:8; Ps 24:3-6; 2 Pet 3:3-14; Ps 51:10
