2019-12-23
Psalm 27:13 NKJV
David was a giant killer, a psalm writer, and Israel’s most popular king. But when the stresses of life brought him to his breaking point, he wrote, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Are you at your breaking point today? When you get to that place, one of two things happens: You either break down or break through! It all depends on what you do. David experienced a breakthrough because he knew the right formula: “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart” (v. 14 NKJV). There’s an old saying – “The same sun that melts the butter hardens the clay.” When trouble comes, you can turn against God because you’ve served Him faithfully and don’t understand why He’s permitting you to go through such a hard time, or you can turn to Him for the answer! Nothing catches Him off guard, and nothing is too hard for Him. He said, “I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure'” (Isaiah 46:9-10 NKJV). You may be in a state of shock right now – but God isn’t. Your circumstances can actually become a platform for Him to demonstrate His unfailing love and care for you. So don’t lose heart; He’s going to bring you through this storm and bring glory to His name in the process.
Soul food: 1 Cor 4-6; Matt 1:12-16; Ps 117; Prov 31:18-21
2019-12-22
Ezekiel 3:15 NLT
There’s a popular reality show on American television called Undercover Boss. In it, the company owner goes undercover disguised as a regular staff member, and works alongside the other employees. He or she gets to experience their daily pressures and problems, becomes familiar with their strengths and weaknesses, and finds out what is and isn’t working. Some of the discoveries are truly eye-opening, and lead to major changes that end up making the organization a more efficient, more profitable, and a more enjoyable place for everyone to work. A good definition of the word understand is “to stand in another person’s shoes.” That’s what happened to the prophet Ezekiel. He writes: “Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles…I was overwhelmed and sat among them for seven days. After seven days the Lord gave me a message. He said, ‘Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman'” (vv. 15-17 NLT). When did God give Ezekiel a message for others? After he’d spent seven days and nights sitting with people who had lost everything, people in deep despair and in need of answers. Referring to Jesus, the Bible tells us, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT). Your most effective ministry to others can come out of some of the experiences you’re going through right now, especially the painful ones you’d like to escape and don’t even feel comfortable talking about. The truth is, your greatest mess can turn out to be your greatest message. So let God work on you until He gets you to where you need to be.
Soul food: John 14:6-11; Acts 4:8-12; Acts 16:22-34; Matt 1:18-21
2019-12-21
Genesis 2:15 NIV
God created the Garden of Eden, placed Adam in it, and told him to “work it.” God said, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:22 NIV). In other words, “Be successful.” But notice, there’s a definite sequence. First: God prepares a place for you. Second: He puts you in it. Third: He tells you to “work it.” Fourth: He says, “I want you to succeed.” This is called “the law of location.” You only flourish in the place where you belong, doing what God has called and equipped you to do. And you’ll have to work at it, so don’t expect it to be quick and easy. The law of location is evident throughout the Scriptures. After his life-changing encounter with God, we read, “Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared'” (Genesis 32:30 NIV). That’s when God changed his name from Jacob, which means “deceiver,” to Israel, which means “a prince with God.” God spoke to the prophet Elijah in the middle of a famine and said, “Go at once to Zarephath…I have directed a widow there to supply you with food” (1 Kings 17:9 NIV). Eden was the place of fruitfulness. Penial was the place of radical change. Zarephath was the place of divine supply. Question: Are you in the place God wants you to be? If you’re not sure, talk to Him today. “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 Cor 1-3; Matt 1:6b-11; Ps 113; Prov 31:14-17
2019-12-20
Genesis 12:2 NIV
God promised to bless Abraham and make his name “great” for one reason – so he would be a blessing to others. Jesus taught His disciples to be distributors of blessing and first responders to those in need. That’s why He often involved them in the miracle process; He was training them. In feeding the five thousand, the miracle of multiplication took place after the bread and fish left the disciples’ hands. Jesus was the source, they were the distributors (See Matthew 14:13-21). And God is calling you to be a distributor too. Sometimes we don’t recognize our blessing because it’s in seed form, so we conclude we don’t have what it takes. Not so. Jesus said: “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29 NIV). Note the words: “The seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.” Instead of saying, “How could God possibly use me?” become aware and alert to people’s needs. You have something God can use, and when He blesses it, you’ll be amazed at your potential. The miracle of the loaves and fishes began when someone said, “These people need to be fed.” That’s when the disciples discovered Jesus could use what they had, even though it seemed inadequate.
Soul food: Mal 1-4; Matt 1:1-6a; Ps 128; Prov 31:10-13
2019-12-19
1 Corinthians 16:9 NIV
Nothing becomes truly great until it overcomes something that looks insurmountable. Paul writes, “I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (vv. 8-9 NIV). Great doors of opportunity always come with great challenges, and each challenge calls for greater faith and tenacity. Think about it: If outstanding success came easily, everyone would have it. And if everyone had it, it wouldn’t be outstanding success. How does a caterpillar become a butterfly? By overcoming the cocoon. And the cocoon is so essential to the process that the caterpillar actually creates it. Wouldn’t it be easier just to stay in the warmth and comfort of the cocoon? On days when the caterpillar struggles to get out of it, he probably thinks so! But deep down, he knows the price of freedom. Flight and discovery require struggle, development, and breakthrough. There is no other way! Why did Jesus send His disciples into a life-threatening storm? To teach them to trust Him in all of life’s situations. Soon He’d be leaving them, and He was using every experience to prepare them for their future. So what are you struggling to overcome right now? Instead of complaining and asking God to take it away, see it for what it is – preparation. Remember, your level of preparation indicates the level of blessing that awaits you on the other side of it. So if God is opening doors of opportunity for you, be prepared for challenges, because you can’t have one without the other.
Soul food: Zech 12-14; John 21:15-25; Ps 47; Prov 31:6-9
2019-12-18
Ephesians 3:10 NLT
Here are three of the challenges the church faces today: (1) We can’t experience a new move of God if we insist on clinging to an old one. “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety.” The word revival doesn’t simply mean awakening something that’s asleep. It also means resurrecting that which is dead or dying, and causing it to come to life again. (2) We fear excess, so we embrace mediocrity and call it balance. People aren’t drawn to us because of our similarities, but because of the things that make us unique. When it comes to our faith and our testimony, we mustn’t downplay, soft-pedal, or sidestep the very things God has given us that make us distinctive. If we do, people will be disappointed and go elsewhere. The disciples didn’t blend in with the crowd; their message and the demonstration of its power made them stand out. (3) We need to make room in the church for risk-takers and faith-walkers. In the first miracle Jesus worked, changing water into wine, Mary told the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5). Our need to be liked and to be popular can lead to a religious spirit that cripples risk-taking and faith-walking. Jesus promised: “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8). So when God tells us to “do church” differently, let’s not be afraid to step out and obey Him.
Soul food: Zech 9-11; John 21:1-14; Ps 12; Prov 31:1-5
