2020-01-19
Genesis 4:4-5 NIV
Cain cultivated the ground, planted the seed, gathered the harvest, and offered God the fruits of his labors. He thought God would be impressed, and that He would feel obligated to bless him. But that’s not how it works! Abel, on the other hand, told God, “I did nothing. You created the lamb I’m offering. I’m just giving You back what’s Yours, and asking You to bless it.” And God did! You can tell a lot about somebody by how they approach God. Some of us act like God owes us something. Others among us are so impressed with our spiritual status and accomplishments that we feel the need to approach Him with lofty phraseology and high-sounding “thee’s” and “thou’s.” But God isn’t impressed, so let’s get real! “The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.” That’s because unlike his brother, Abel wasn’t seeking credit for anything. He wanted God to have all the glory. That’s the kind of offering that moves God’s heart and invites His richest blessing upon our lives. So what are you offering God today? Your achievements? Your denominational credentials? Your self-reliance? Your shallow emotion? If you are, don’t bother! The only thing He asks is that you humbly open your heart and let Him recreate you in the likeness of Jesus. When you do that, something wonderful happens. By downplaying your own self-interests and giving God an acceptable offering, not only will He receive and respect it, He will bless you and equip you to bless others too. That’s how it works!
Soul food: Luke 2:8-20; Prov 3:13-18; Ps 119:161-168
2020-01-18
Psalm 102:28 NLT
When you ask parents about their future hopes for their kids, you’ll hear words like happy, secure, and self-confident. Those are nice sentiments, but not guarantees. But what makes that kind of adult? A childhood filled with trophies and good grades? A life in the country, far away from the crime-ridden city? Enriching pastimes like travel and music? The truth is, not one of these things predicts later happiness. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encourage children to study and excel; having parents who value knowledge makes a difference. The important qualities, however, aren’t external, they’re internal. Psychologist Dr. Edward Hallowell says to feel secure, your children need to develop two crucial skills: (1) The ability to overcome adversity. (2) The capacity to sustain joy. He says, “Life is full of disappointments. Only by failing the first time and learning to try, try, and try again will a person get the most out of their abilities.” But how do you teach your kids to be joyful in the face of adversity? There’s only one way to do it: Introduce them to the source of joy. Isaiah said, “My soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with…salvation” (Isaiah 61:10). David said, “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11). Jeremiah said, “Thy word was unto me the joy…of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). God never promised us a life without problems, but His Word says, “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives…joy” (Galatians 5:22 NLT).
Soul food: Exo 28-29; Matt 8:10-17; Ps 84; Prov 2:16-19
2020-01-17
Romans 12:2 NCV
What we consume determines our performance. That’s why you need to be careful what you feed your body, your children, your pets, and even your car. But what you feed your mind is equally important, especially when you consider these two laws that operate in life: (1) The law of cognition. Your thoughts influence your emotions and your behavior. The Bible says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Jesus said a good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit (See Matthew 7:18). In other words, good thinking can’t produce bad results, just as bad thinking can’t produce good results. (2) The law of exposure. The Bible says, “Do not…be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking.” You’ll always think about what you are exposed to the most. And given the violence, lust, and greed portrayed by the media, it’s not surprising that crime and immorality are on the rise. You can’t just say, “I’m going to read this magazine, watch this program, listen to this music, but it won’t affect me.” Social science now confirms what God said all along – it does affect you! Where you go, what you read, (or don’t read), what you watch, and the dreams you entertain all shape your mind. Paul writes, “Remember what Christ taught and let his words enrich your lives and make you wise” (Colossians 3:16 TLB). So when you need the right mind-fuel, remember: “God whose gracious Word can make you into what He wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need” (Acts 20:32 MSG).
Soul food: Exo 25-27; Matt 8:1-9; Ps 81; Prov 2:11-15
2020-01-16
2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV
An ox and a donkey each have a tail, two eyes, and four legs. But if you harness them together, they won’t get along or work well together. Actually, they will pull in different directions. That’s because God made them with very different natures and attributes! With that picture in your mind, here’s some advice on dating you’d be wise to heed. Looks soon fade, so choose someone who has other, less obvious attributes. For example: (1) Consider their manners and how they treat the waiter at the restaurant. (2) What type of interests do they have? (3) Do they share your spiritual values and beliefs? (4) Do they show genuine interest in what you have to say? (5) How do they treat people they’re not trying to impress? Once the newness of the initial attraction wears off, there must be something more, or the relationship is doomed. And make sure you’re the chooser, and not the chosen. Think about what you really want, and don’t entrust your heart to someone without first ascertaining their suitability. The only way to do that is to ask questions and develop X-ray vision so you can learn to read their motives through their mannerisms. If you’re going to make an informed decision about sharing your life with this person, and share the most intimate, vulnerable parts of yourself literally and figuratively, you must open your eyes, along with all your senses, and really see the other person. Stop. Look. Listen. Pray. That’s the Bible’s formula for making a wise decision when it comes to choosing a mate for life.
Soul food: Exo 22-24; Matt 7:15-29; Ps 79; Prov 2:9-10
2020-01-15
Psalm 127:3 NLT
Children aren’t bargaining chips to secure attention. Reasons like, “I want someone to love me,” or “I agreed to have children because my partner wanted them” are immature at best and a recipe for disaster at worst. If you are considering having children, it is vitally important to take time to ask yourself if you are emotionally, financially, and spiritually ready for the job. Becoming a parent means taking on the immense task of being responsible for another human being – for the rest of your life! You can’t exchange them, or return them, or divorce them when things don’t go well. It’s a lifetime commitment, and you must accept this reality without pretending otherwise. Don’t go starry-eyed over the babies you see in strollers at the mall. Don’t deceive yourself about parenthood, and think you’ll just “grow into it” after the baby arrives. You will be on call around the clock for the next twenty years or so! Make sure you’re ready for the leap of faith required to love someone more powerfully than ever before. You owe it to them, and to yourself. So approach parenthood with prayer, consideration, deliberation, and most of all, a sense of humor before you take that leap. One wrong decision on your part can sentence your entire family to a lifetime of heartbreak. And it can be avoided by praying, and waiting a little while longer to do things right! If you’re not ready to lead a totally different lifestyle for the next few decades, slow down. Babies who have babies leave our communities on life support and our marriages on respirators. Think about it and talk to God about it.
Soul food: Exo 19-21; Matt 7:1-14; Ps 74:12-23; Prov 2:7-8
2020-01-14
Psalm 34:1 NIV
You can praise God too little, but you can never praise Him too much. David writes, “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised” (Psalm 113:3). “Seven times a day do I praise thee” (Psalm 119:164). “His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” When you are overwhelmed by circumstances, the last thing you feel like doing is praising God. But it’s the first thing you should do, because praise gets your attention off yourself and onto God’s miraculous power. Jehoshaphat faced an army he had no hope of defeating. But when he started to praise God, his enemies destroyed each other while he looked on in amazement. When Paul and Silas praised God in prison, their chains broke and the doors opened. It’s normal to focus on the problem and forget to praise God, but praise solves problems. Peter writes: “The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). Start to acknowledge the power of praise and choose to exalt God regardless of how you feel. Praise brings you into God’s presence and positions you for His favour and blessing. You say, “But I don’t understand how praise works.” Think about it like this: You don’t have to understand aerodynamics in order to fly. You just get on the plane and the pilot takes you where you need to go. It’s the same when you praise God – just do it and you’ll get results.
Soul food: Exo 16-18; Matt 6:19-34; Ps 74:1-11; Prov 2:6
