2020-03-03
Psalm 27:8 NIV
In his book, Talking Dogs, Sam Mason discusses how God can use our pets to speak to us. Looking back on some dogs he has owned and the lessons he learned from them, he writes: “One such occasion was when Ranger, our eleven-pound Italian greyhound, was sitting on my lap as I relaxed in the recliner. I noticed that familiar, endearing little tilt of the head, as he looked me directly in the face. I found myself wondering what his purpose was. A second later, I warmed to the pleasure of divine inspiration, as the explanation flowed into my stream of thought. Ranger was seeking my face! You see, dogs become students of their owners. Their comprehension of spoken human language is limited to a handful of words. Their capacity to understand a creature of far greater intellect is restricted. So they study our movements: facial expressions, hand gestures, and other body language. Likewise, we have limited understanding of our Master. So how do we ‘seek the face’ of Someone who is so far our superior? The Lord reveals Himself through His Word. That’s where our pursuit begins. How sad that so few professing Christians read and study the Bible on any regular basis. But beyond the Scriptures, there are other ways to seek God’s face. Pay attention to the ways of God as the Holy Spirit moves upon your heart during church services. Learn from His interventions in your life and those of your fellow believers. Behind His works are His ways! Determine to become a student of the Master at every opportunity.”
Soul food: Gen 20-23; Matt 19:15-30; Ps 66:13-20; Prov 6:23-25
2020-03-01
Psalm 32:5 NIV
When you are struggling with a stubborn habit or addiction, you will find strength in the right support group. And when you need help, don’t be ashamed to reach for it – but be careful to whom you confess your sins! The psalmist wrote, “I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” One Bible teacher put it like this: “Never discuss what you want someone else to forget. Your words make thoughts permanent; they give life and longevity to everything discussed. Arguments would die and conflicts would cease, except your words sustained them. Words breathe life into everything. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof’ (Proverbs 18:21). And words can wound. ‘The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly’ (Proverbs 18:8). You can’t stop others from talking about you, but don’t give them information you may want them to forget. And never give unnecessary information that requires, demands, or inspires the pursuit of more questions. Be cautious when confessing your mistakes. Your attempt to be open may be very sincere, but your mistake may loom larger in their memory than the lesson you’ve learned and are trying to share with them. Certainly, there are times when additional information and clarification are advisable, beneficial, and even necessary, but you must be wise. Focus on your future, not your past. And never say anything you don’t want to be repeated for the rest of your life.”
Soul food: Acts 2:1-21; Joel 2:23-32
2020-02-29
Ecclesiastes 4:10 NIV
God never meant us to “fly solo.” We all need help and encouragement from time to time, but be careful who you turn to. (1) Don’t go to someone who can’t handle your problem. By sharing your situation with them you may experience temporary relief, but what if they’re not mature enough to handle it? Jesus said, “Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me…better…a millstone were hanged about his neck, and…he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). (2) It’s okay to turn to a proven friend as long as they’re spiritually mature. The Bible says, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17). But you must know they’re a true friend. Peter writes, “Love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8 NIV). Someone who truly loves you will pray for you, and walk with you until you have the victory. And when you’re on the wrong path, they won’t cover up or make excuses for you – they will hold you accountable. (3) When possible, turn to a spiritual father. Paul says, “You might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers” (1 Corinthians 4:15 NKJV). Think of a good father’s attributes. He corrects, but never condemns you. He won’t give up on you. He evaluates you based on your best qualities rather than your worst. Instead of reacting negatively to your failures, he recognizes your potential and keeps on working with you. So ask God today for a spiritual father, and stay in regular communication with him.
Soul food: Gen 17-19; Matt 19:1-14; Ps 66:1-12; Prov 6:20-22
2020-02-28
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
If you’re praying for an unsaved loved one, here is a Bible promise you can stand on today: “He is patient…not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Remove the word “everyone” and insert the name of your loved one. As long as there’s life, there’s hope! The last miracle Jesus worked was saving a thief who hung on a cross beside Him: “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). In the words of the hymnist, Annie Johnson Flint: “His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus – He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.” No matter how far gone your loved one may be, God’s grace and mercy can still reach them – so keep praying for them. Listen: “The arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear” (Isaiah 59:1 NIV). Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father…draws them” (John 6:44 NIV). So ask God to send someone across your loved one’s path who will show them the way of salvation. Above all, don’t get discouraged and give in to doubt. Remember, it’s God’s will to save them, and when you know you’re praying in accordance with His will, you can approach Him with confidence. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know…he hears us – whatever we ask – we know…we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15 NIV).
Soul food: Gen 13-16; Matt 18:21-35; Ps 61; Prov 6:16-19
2020-02-27
Psalm 119:130 NKJV
In December 2005, Brian Hardin says God told him to podcast the Bible. Hardin writes: “On New Year’s Eve when I read my first podcast…I said, ‘I’m Brian…I have no broadcast experience. I really don’t know what I’m doing, but I plan to read through the Bible this year. If you get this, here’s my email address.’ I expected about five people to sign up. On New Year’s Day 2006, I had 257 responses, and by June the daily audio Bible had been downloaded 200,000 times. Now, following our sixth anniversary, it’s been downloaded more than 51 million times and is still one of the top podcasts on iTunes. With more than 1.5 million downloads monthly, the daily audio Bible is one of the most listened to podcasts in the world. We’ve become a vast online family that prays and hears the Bible together. When somebody calls or goes into the online prayer line with a request, thousands of people pray for that person…We receive an endless stream of emails from disenfranchised believers who have found the place appealing…Separated couples who had nothing left to do but sign divorce papers…started listening to the Bible and found their marriages restored. I can tell you many stories of people who were hopeless – I mean suicidally hopeless – who found comfort in God’s Word and were restored. The Bible has a voice, and if given a chance to speak – in context – it will create amazing things in your heart. The Bible can transform even the most tangled life. I know. It radically changed mine.” Bottom line: Reading the Bible will change your life.
Soul food: Gen 10-12; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 58; Prov 6:12-15
2020-02-26
1 Samuel 30:8 NKJV
God’s Word promises that whatever you are addicted to today, you can be set free from. And there’s more! You can get back what you’ve lost, or something even better. How? By doing what David did when the Amalekite armies destroyed his home and took his family captive: (1) He turned to God for strength to deal with his problem. “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (v. 6 NKJV). Face it; if you could have solved the problem by yourself, you’d already have done it, right? Don’t feel bad about that, feel good. Acknowledging that you are powerless is the first step to victory. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV). Now, acknowledging that you’re powerless isn’t the same thing as giving in to hopelessness. It means acknowledging that you can’t, God can, and that He will when you surrender the problem to Him. (2) God gave David a plan to deal with his problem. “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” Armed with God’s strength and His plan, David went after the enemy and kept attacking until he recovered everything that had been stolen from him. And God wants to do that for you too. He promised, “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten” (Joel 2:25). When you turn to God, He can give you more joy and success in the years ahead than in all the years behind you. That’s His recovery plan for you!
Soul food: Gen 7-9; Matt 18:1-9; Ps 53; Prov 6:9-11
