2019-10-21
Genesis 15:14 NIV
When the children of Israel were leaving Egypt, God transferred the wealth from one nation of people to another. And He did it overnight. That’s because His people were called to fulfill His purposes in the earth. After 400 years (ten generations) of making bricks, polishing brass, and sweeping floors, God said in essence, “It’s payday! All that stuff you’ve been scrubbing and shining is going to be yours.” The greater the affliction, the greater the abundance! Let’s be clear, the Bible teaches that money isn’t offensive to God; the misuse of it is! One pastor says: “Money speaks. It says to land, ‘I can own you.’ It says to buildings, ‘I can build you.’ It says to vision, “I can fulfill you.’ It says to a missionary, ‘I can support you.’ It says to poverty, ‘I can feed you.’ And it says to opportunity, ‘I can accept you.'” Why did Pharaoh pursue the Israelites? To get back the wealth of Egypt. Stop and think about that! The Devil doesn’t care who gets the money, as long as it doesn’t go to God’s people or fulfill His purposes. Satan dreads the thought of a generation of prosperous believers committed to reaching the world with the gospel. And he will keep us enslaved to ignorance if he can. “But I’m not a slave,” you say. How about slavery to debt, or hopelessness, or fear, or old habits? God wants to set you free from anything that keeps you from fulfilling His will. Once you realize that, you’ll start to pray in earnest and believe God for the resources to do it!
Soul food: Zeph 1-3; John 6:1-24; Ps 85; Prov 24:11-14
2019-10-20
Proverbs 18:24 NIV
To fulfill God’s plan for your life, you need relationships with the right people, those who stick by you come what may. Remember Jonathan, who loved David even at the cost of his own life? And Ruth, who loved her mother-in-law Naomi and gave her a reason to live again? God can introduce you to such people and help you build a relationship with them. Think about it: He wouldn’t say, “It is not good that man should be alone,” then ask you to live in isolation (Genesis 2:18 NKJV). Sometimes when you’re by yourself, you’re in the worst possible company! But you may need to be healed within before you can build healthy relationships and make healthy choices. That means learning to differentiate between “using” relationships and “heart ties.” Blood ties don’t wear as well as heart ties. Allow God to work on you and when you’re ready, He will facilitate the necessary introductions. In the meantime get to know Him better because He’s the source of true self-esteem. If your last relationship stripped you of self-worth and drained you spiritually, use this time to get back on your feet. You may never have this opportunity again! Begin to love like God loves. He sees our imperfections, handles our rejection, and loves us regardless. Knowing that will help you not to discard a good person because they did a bad thing. Would you throw your car away because of a faulty part? If God forgave you the way you forgive others, could you stand? (See Psalm 130:3). Ask Him today to show you how to build healthy, fulfilling relationships. He will do it!
Soul food: Exo 20:1-17; Matt 5:1-12
2019-10-19
Isaiah 40:29 TLB
Sports Illustrated magazine says, “Stress fractures begin when the shocks and strains of playing game after game create tiny cracks in outer layers of bone. When those cracks become large enough to cause severe pain, they are known as ‘stress fractures.'” If you’ve ever had a stress-fractured mind, you can relate. It eats at you by day and keeps you awake at night. And when you try to “medicate” it with alcohol, or drugs, or an affair, or overeating, or a hyperactive lifestyle, it gets worse. What should you do? (1) Change your focus. “Come to me…and I will give you rest…Let me teach you…and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29 NLT). “He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak…they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:29-31 TLB). Instead of struggling alone with the burden, share it with the burden-bearer and let Him strengthen you. (2) Lighten up! “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). Don’t make such a big deal out of everything! Lighten up and laugh more, especially at yourself! Do you even remember the last time you enjoyed a good laugh? Accept your imperfections. Let some stuff go. Stop trying to be Wonder Woman or Superman. Get away for some fun. Yes, you need fun too! Cancel some of your not-so-important meetings. If you want things to change, you will have to change them. Today talk to God; He knows how to heal stress fractures.
Soul food: 1 Tim 4-6; John 5:31-47; Ps 126; Prov 24:10
2019-10-18
Proverbs 2:10 NLT
One Friday morning an eager young Stanford University student stood before Louis Janin, a well-known mining engineer. He was seeking employment. Janin informed him, “All I need right now is a stenographer.” The young man said eagerly, “Fine, I’ll take the job.” Then he added, “But I can’t come back until Tuesday.” Janin agreed, and the next Tuesday the young man reported for work as scheduled. Janin asked him, “Why is it that you couldn’t come back before Tuesday?” The young man replied, “Because I had to rent a typewriter and learn how to use it.” The young typist was Herbert Hoover, whose can-do attitude eventually led him through the doors of the White House to become one of America’s presidents. By taking shortcuts – you risk shortchanging your future. Your unwillingness to learn today will leave you unprepared for tomorrow’s opportunities. No skill you learn will ever be lost. Gleaning knowledge and learning new skills builds confidence and sharpens your mind. Successful people have one thing in common: They never quit learning! Furthermore, God calls prepared people, so prepare yourself. The Bible says: “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver…Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy” (Proverbs 2:2-10 NLT).
Soul food: 1 Tim 1-3; John 5:16-30; Ps 5; Prov 24:8-9
2019-10-17
Ephesians 5:19 NKJV
The truths of God’s Word have been passed down from generation to generation through preaching, teaching, and publishing. But they have also been passed down through hymns of worship we sing in church. When you sing them, you’re proclaiming the truth of God’s Word and simultaneously ingesting it. You grow spiritually through the Word you hear, the Word you study, the Word you speak, and yes, the Word you sing. Paul writes, “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (vv. 18-19 NKJV). Jesus didn’t just preach the Word, He sang it too: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30). Why does the Bible place such emphasis on speaking God’s Word? Because when you read God’s Word aloud you ingest it in two ways – through the eye-gate and the ear-gate. And the same thing happens when you sing God’s Word. The readers of God’s Word shouldn’t look down on the singers of God’s Word, and the singers shouldn’t feel spiritually inferior to the readers. The important thing is to get into God’s Word and get God’s Word into you. Some of us do that best through a sermon, others through personal Bible study, and others through songs that proclaim the life-changing truths of His Word. So, when you worship, you’re taking in God’s Word.
Soul food: Hab 1-3; John 5:1-15; Ps 15; Prov 24:7
2019-10-16
Proverbs 13:4 NLT
Charlie “Tremendous” Jones tells the story of a man who dreamed he’d inherited a million dollars. In the dream he tried to take a shower, but the shower wouldn’t work. He tried to shave, but his shaver wouldn’t shave. He tried to make breakfast, but the coffee wouldn’t perk and the toaster wouldn’t toast. He went to get a newspaper, but the newspaper box was empty. He went to catch the bus to work, but the bus didn’t come. Finally, after waiting an hour, he asked somebody, “What’s going on here?” They replied, “Haven’t you heard? Everybody has inherited a million dollars and nobody’s working anymore.” Suddenly the man woke up, discovered that it was all a dream, and said, “Thank God!” So he went and had a tremendous shower, a tremendous shave, a tremendous cup of coffee, and a tremendous piece of toast while he was reading a tremendous newspaper. Finally he caught a tremendous bus to a tremendous job! Thank God today for the job He has given you, and put your very best into it. Your position and paycheck would most likely have been a dream-come-true for some of your ancestors. You may not be called to “the ministry” per se, but if your job affords you the privilege of being a solution to somebody’s problem and offers you the dignity of making a difference in life, be grateful. Imagine what your life would be like without it! “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.”
Soul food: Nahum 1-3; John 4:39-54; Ps 41; Prov 24:5-6
