2020-01-13
Psalm 32:5 NLT
When God forgave David for adultery and murder, he wrote: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said…’I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone” (vv. 1-5 NLT). Unconfessed, unforgiven sin will make you miserable. But after you’ve acknowledged it and received God’s forgiveness, you shouldn’t continue to feel miserable. So why do we feel miserable? Many times it’s because of how we were raised. We grew up hearing words like, “I hope you feel bad about what you’ve done!” or “Shame on you!” And if our offense was great, like wrecking the family car, we may even have been put on probation! In other words, we’re programmed for long-term guilt. The good news is, God’s forgiveness doesn’t work that way. The moment that brings conviction and confession of sin also brings cleansing of sin, and leads to restored confidence before God. Don’t let Satan keep condemning you. Refuse to walk around feeling guilty and ashamed. Today say with the psalmist, “You forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” Now go out and live freely, confidently, and with joy!
Soul food: Exo 13-15; Matt 6:9-18; Ps 71:17-24; Prov 2:3-5
2020-01-12
Jude 24 MSG
Pick friends who respect your values; otherwise, you will end up under pressure to compromise your convictions to maintain their friendship. That’s too high a price to pay! Joseph said no to the sexual advances of his boss’s wife, and there’s a lesson for you in his story. There are people in the workplace who will push every button and probe every weakness you have, in order to bring you down to their level. And if they succeed, they’ll attack you rather than appreciate you. What should you do? Turn to God for help! “[He] will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV). When someone seeks to compromise your character, God promises to “make a way of escape” so you don’t have to succumb to temptation. Even if your decision results in you being penalized, alienated, or terminated, ask God for courage to do the right thing. His promise to you is: “Them that honour me I will honour” (1 Samuel 2:30). Remember, it’s better to be alone and walk with God than give in to temptation, violate His Word, and compromise your convictions by “going along to get along.” When you stand tall and do the right thing, you bring honor and glory to God. Jude writes, “To him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall…God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength…now, and to the end of all time” (Jude 24-25 MSG).
Soul food: Isa 61; Heb 12:2; Isa 35:3-10
2020-01-11
Proverbs 29:11 AMP
Anger is like fire: When it’s kept under control, it can bring warmth and comfort. But when it’s out of control, it can destroy everything in its path. The Bible says, “A…fool always loses his temper and displays his anger, but a wise man [uses self-control and] holds it back.” You can express anger verbally or through silence. When you use silence as a weapon to hurt someone, you’re resorting to emotional manipulation and indulging in childish immaturity. When you were a child and someone refused to do what you wanted, do you remember saying, “I’m not talking to you anymore”? That may be acceptable behavior for a child, but not those who are called to be spiritually mature. If you’re given to frequent outbursts of temper, here are some Scriptures you’d do well to take to heart: (1) “Better…one with self-control than one who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32 NIV). (2) “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11 NIV). (3) “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9 NIV). (4) “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness…God desires” (James 1:19-20 NIV). (5) “Get rid of all bitterness, rage…anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV). So ask God to help you get your anger under control.
Soul food: Exo 10-12; Matt 6:1-8; Ps 71:1-16; Prov 2:1-2
2020-01-10
Isaiah 26:14 NKJV
Psychologists tell us that one out of three people has experienced physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Most are ashamed to talk about it! They walk around filled with resentment, thinking not only about the offender, but also the people who should have protected them and didn’t. The truth is, if they don’t get help, the memory of what was perpetrated against them can end up hurting them more than the event that actually happened. If you’re a victim of abuse, here are some Scriptures you need to read, stand on, and turn into a prayer: “I cried out to You, O Lord…’You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors [memories], for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison [the past], that I may praise Your name'” (Psalm 142:5-7 NKJV). “O Lord…masters besides You have had dominion over us; but by You only we make mention of Your name. They are dead, they will not live; they are deceased, they will not rise…You have punished and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish” (Isaiah 26:13-14 NKJV). Now, by an act of your will (not your emotions), forgive your offender and their power over you will be broken! Once you’ve done that, place them in God’s hands and allow Him to deal with them. Refuse to remain a victim. Instead of continuing to live in secret shame, start testifying to others about the power of God that can “[heal] the brokenhearted and [bind] up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3 NKJV).
Soul food: Exo 7-9; Matt 5:38-48; Ps 46; Prov 1:32-33
2020-01-09
Proverbs 29:18 NLT
Karen Williams continues: “To function successfully as a team, each person needs to be trained in understanding how the others function. That’s the only way they’ll be able to communicate, as they all speak completely different languages. The visionary has to become the cheerleader, holding the vision out before the people over the entire lifetime of the implementation stage so they can remember why they’re doing what they do. They have to understand that the process person and the task person have different measures for their own success, and they must acknowledge progress and milestones with praise and celebration. The process person has to be able to encourage the visionary that through the processes their vision will be accomplished. And they also have to encourage the task person that each and every task is imperative to the success of the completed vision, and that performing tasks according to the defined processes is critical for success. Likewise, the process person and the task person must realize that the visionary needs encouragement via responses that demonstrate their support for their vision. The visionary can’t lead without this understanding. The process person can’t serve or lead without this understanding. The task person can’t serve without this understanding. There are different ‘measurables’ for each person, allowing them to consider themselves a success in his or her particular role. And of course, the key is placing the right gift in the right role, communicating its value to the entire team, and constantly supporting it privately and publicly.” This is why Paul wrote to his team: “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (Philippians 1:3 NLT).
Soul food: Exo 4-6; Matt 5:27-37; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 1:28-31
2020-01-08
Romans 12:6 NLT
In ministry, like any other field, we need to understand the individual process that comes with each person’s gifting. Karen Williams, president of Strategic Media Solutions, writes: “A ministry is composed of several gifted individuals…led by a common vision God has birthed in its leader. These individuals can typically be grouped into three categories: (1) visionary; (2) process-oriented; (3) task-oriented. There’s an emotional response for each person in their area of giftedness as it relates to the birth and successful completion of a vision. A visionary gets an ’emotional high’ when the vision becomes clear to them. When they present it to those who’ll be charged with ‘making it happen,’ they think those in attendance will be as ‘high’ as they are upon hearing this perfectly clear, world-changing vision. For a visionary, when the vision is fully clear, it’s effectively 100% complete. That’s why they can go on to create and receive other visions long before the first one is truly manifested. But for the process-oriented person, the vision that has been presented is ‘on hold’ until it can be translated it into processes. The emotional ‘high’ for them comes when the processes are clearly defined and documented and they feel they’ll successfully support the completion of the vision. So their ‘high’ doesn’t come until well after the vision has been presented. For the task-oriented person, the vision that’s been presented is also ‘on hold’ as they haven’t yet been given anything to do. Their emotional ‘high’ comes with the completion of tasks, things they can mark off their to-do list. Thus their ‘high’ doesn’t occur until the end of the completed tasks mapped out within the processes.”
Soul food: Exo 1-3; Matt 5:13-26; Ps 42:1-5; Prov 1:20-27
