2019-12-02
Romans 12:2 NKJV
The story is told of a man who lived on a beautiful farm. When he died, the property, which had been in the family for over 200 years, was sold to one of the neighbours. One day, the new owner was walking in a field when he noticed an odd-looking rock sticking out of the dirt. He took it home, washed it, and took it to a jewelry store. The jeweler confirmed what the owner already suspected. The old stone, which had been in the field for thousands of years, was a large, uncut emerald, and proved to be worth several million dollars. This gemstone had been in the field all along, waiting for someone to come along and discover it. Over the years, people had walked past it thousands of times and overlooked it, because it looked like nothing more than a common old garden rock. When we “discover” something, in actuality, we’re finding something that already exists even though we were unaware of it. Here’s the point: While many of us are seeking God’s will for our lives, often what we’re looking for is right under our nose but we keep searching because we don’t recognize it. To recognize a precious stone, you need to be familiar with its characteristics and know what to look for. Likewise, to recognize God’s will you must live by this Scripture: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” That calls for quality time reading your Bible, and talking with and listening to the Author.
Soul food: Josh 16:1-19:23; John 16:1-11; Ps 130; Prov 28:21-24
2019-12-01
Psalm 3:2 NLT
Have you been praying for years that God will save your husband, your wife, your children, or your friends? Does your heart long to see the people you love serving Him? Are you getting discouraged? Has someone told you, “You’re wasting your time. They’ll never change?” If so, read what the psalmist wrote: “Many are they who say of me, ‘There is no help for him in God.’ But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill” (vv. 2-4 NKJV). Pay particular attention to the phrase, “many are they who say.” Everybody has an opinion, but until God speaks on the matter, the jury is still out! As long as He’s still on the throne and His promises are still true, keep praying and believing God for a miracle. “But they’re so far from God right now!” you say. They may be, but read this and rejoice: “The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1 NKJV). Your loved one is not too far gone for God. They may be messed up on drugs and alcohol, having an affair, or even be in prison. Wherever they are today, the long arm of God’s grace can reach out and save them. Satan knows that and he wants you to get discouraged and give up. Don’t do it! Just as power flows through electric wire, God’s power flows through your prayers. So keep praying and believing God!
Soul food: Jer 31:31-37; Heb 8:1-13
2019-11-30
1 Peter 4:10 NIV
Guess which big company felt like “choking on its own candies” after it elected not to feature one of its products in the 1982 blockbuster film E.T.? If you said M&M’s, you’d be right! How did it happen? Turns out the Mars candy bar company executives decided nothing could be gained from allowing their M&M’s candies to be used in what some of them considered “a silly movie.” Consequently, the little boy Elliott wound up luring the loveable alien E.T. with Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces. That one scene drew millions of customers world-wide into candy stores in quest of Reese’s Pieces! Thanks to this movie mega-hit, Hershey’s sales shot up 65 percent! It’s interesting that the Mars executives who said “No” probably lived in big houses, drove big cars, and earned big salaries! Yep, doubt and fear stalk the rich as well as the poor; you’ll find nay-sayers at the top and bottom of the corporate ladder. Do you recall these words from the famous poem by John Greenleaf Whittier: “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been'”? Think of all the times opportunity knocked and nobody answered. Are you standing before a door of opportunity today? Are you afraid to walk through it? Don’t be. God is with you. His Word says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” When God gives you a gift He gives you the grace and grit to use it. So step out in faith, “commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT).
Soul food: Josh 14-15; John 15:18-27; Ps 65; Prov 28:17-20
2019-11-29
Matthew 25:23 NIV
In 1975 a low-level Hewlett Packard engineer called Steve Wozniak, whom nobody had ever heard of, shared a dream with his pal, Steve Jobs. It was about building and selling an easy-to-use personal computer to the masses around the world. The pair worked round the clock to create their compact PC. But when they offered it to Hewlett Packard, one of the world’s great companies, the powers-that-be failed to see its incredible potential and gave it the thumbs down. So Wozniak and Jobs went off on their own and founded a little company called Apple Computers – and revolutionized the computer industry! There’s no shortage of people who will tell you, “It can’t be done” or “It won’t work.” There’s a name for those people: “dream killers” – and if you listen to them you’ll give up before you even begin. Behind every major accomplishment you’ll find ordinary people with dreams, who are willing to take responsibility and risks. They are the people who enjoy the rewards! Jesus wrapped up one of His parables with these words: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” In spite of your failures, your struggles, and your limitations, if you’re willing to disregard the naysayers, step out in faith, and use the gifts God has given you, He will see to it that you succeed.
Soul food: Josh 11-13; John 15:5-17; Ps 14; Prov 28:13-16
2019-11-28
Habakkuk 2:3 NKJV
One missionary evangelist writes: “There are times and seasons in God’s will. And we can easily become frustrated if we don’t understand that just as there are times and seasons in nature, there are also times and seasons in the process of fulfilling God’s will for our lives. Years ago a group of senior missionaries came together to discuss life principles they’d discovered…their purpose was to share this wealth of experience with succeeding generations…They’d all encountered common stages of transition in their ministries, and collectively they identified a five-step cyclical process God had taken them through.” Bottom line: Timing is all-important! When executives at Decca Records told the Beatles, “Groups with guitars are on the way out,” they signed up with EMI – and the rest is history! Don’t miss the lesson here. Each of us has been placed on earth as a caretaker of God’s business. And that’s true whether you are a judge or a janitor. You’ve been given an allotment of life and charged with the responsibility of taking care of it, investing it, increasing it, and presenting it back to God. Simply saying, “I was afraid of failing,” or “I was worried about being criticized,” or “I didn’t think I was good enough,” won’t work. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Excuses always replace progress.” God will accept your trials and errors, but He won’t accept your excuses for not having tried. So pray, accept responsibility, and step out in faith. You may fail many times on your way to success, but if you keep trying and trusting God, you’ll eventually succeed.
Soul food: Josh 8:30-10:43; John 14:26-15:4; Ps 146; Prov 28:9-12
2019-11-27
Psalm 32:8 NKJV
Why are you still here? When Jesus saved you, why didn’t He simply take you to heaven to be with Him? Because He’s not only interested in your final destination; He wants to do a work in you and through you on the way to it. We get impatient when it comes to God’s will for our lives. We just want to get there! But a great deal of time usually elapses between when God calls us and when we’ve fulfilled His will for our lives. And until we accept that, we’re not ready to go anywhere! We need to understand that the journey is an important process. It matters to God what you become on the way to where you’re going. And following Him in obedience through many unknowns, trials, and difficulties is an integral and indispensable part of your preparation. God uses the journey to teach you faith, refine your character, and equip you for greater challenges that lie ahead. In fact, if you’re in the process of seeking God’s will right now, you’re already fulfilling part of it in your life. God said, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.” Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you don’t know all you’d like to, you’re not making progress. Something is happening right now. Your faith is being stretched, your patience is being developed, your doubts are being confronted and conquered, and your relationship with God is growing deeper. He always prepares us in advance for what He has planned ahead for us. Yes, the struggle is uncomfortable – but it’s a necessary part of the process.
Soul food: Josh 5:1-8:29; John 14:15-25; Ps 118:19-29; Prov 28:5-8
