2019-12-11
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
The Bible tells us that fear is a “spirit.” This spirit has a mind that thinks and a voice that speaks, and if you allow it to – it will control you. Today if you’re battling a “spirit of fear,” make this your prayer: “Lord, Your Word says when I seek Your face, You’ll hear me and deliver me from all my fears (See Psalm 34:4). So I cast down every anxious thought that rises up against what I know about You and Your power (See 2 Corinthians 10:5). I stand on the promise that You’ll never leave nor forsake me (See Hebrews 13:5). I rest in the truth that nothing is too hard for You (See Jeremiah 32:17). I rejoice in the assurance that You’ve already given Your angels responsibility for keeping and protecting me in all my ways (See Psalm 91:11). I resist the spirit of fear, and command it to flee in Jesus’ name (See James 4:7). By faith I decree that Your peace, which passes human understanding, will guard my heart and mind (See Philippians 4:7). Therefore, I will not let my heart be troubled or afraid (See John 14:27). In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.” Now instead of focusing on the problem, focus on the Problem-Solver – God! That may not immediately resolve your difficulty, but it’ll keep you in a peaceful state of mind while you wait for God to work. Isaiah said, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT). Note the word “fixed.” As you go through this day with your mind “fixed” on God, you’ll have “perfect and constant peace” (AMPC).
Soul food: Neh 11-13; John 19:1-16; Ps 105:8-15; Prov 30:5-9
2019-12-10
Psalm 34:10 NLT
Have you lost your job? Are you facing the possibility of losing your home or going bankrupt? Are you in the toughest place you’ve ever been? Paul “suffered the loss of all things” (Philippians 3:8 NAS), but he didn’t stay there. He went on to say, “My God shall supply all your need” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV). And God can do that for you – with or without a paycheck or some other anticipated source of income. The psalmist said, “Those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” One of the things you have to watch out for is Satan’s worst-case-scenario talk. If you allow him, he will paint mental images of you living in a cardboard box, under a bridge. Stand on God’s Word today and declare: “Lord, You said if I’m willing and obedient, I will enjoy the best You have to offer (See Isaiah 1:19). You promise to surround me with favour (See Psalm 5:12). Your Word says that You can do more than anything I could even ask or think, according to Your power that works within me (See Ephesians 3:20). Even though nothing seems to be going right for me just now, give me faith to believe You for good things and better days. Your Word tells me to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let my requests be made known to You. That Your peace, which surpasses human understanding, will guard my heart and mind (See Philippians 4:6-7). Lord, honor Your Word today, in the name of Jesus, Amen.”
Soul food: Neh 8-10; John 18:25-40; Ps 105:1-7; Prov 30:1-4
2019-12-09
Ecclesiastes 2:24 NLT
There will be times in life when it feels like there’s too much to do, and not enough time to do it. However, when you’re constantly on overload, it shows up in your attitude, your relationships, your job performance, and even your walk with God. If that’s where you are today, here’s what you need to do: (1) Pray. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22 NIV). Before you fall apart, ask God for the wisdom to evaluate what you are doing, and then be honest with yourself about why you’re in this predicament. The writer of Proverbs says, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off…like an eagle” (Proverbs 23:4-5 NIV). Ask God to show you where you may be sacrificing your peace, health, and relationships on the altar of materialism. (2) Delegate. Moses, one of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament, was falling apart under the weight of responsibilities he needed to share with others. He got so depressed that he asked God to take his life! There were capable people all around him who were willing to help, but he wouldn’t let them. Sound familiar? As long as you insist on controlling and doing everything yourself, your productivity will stall and your peace of mind will evaporate. Bottom line: If you’re on overload today, start making some changes.
Soul food: Neh 5-7; John 18:12-24; Ps 150; Prov 29:22-27
2019-12-08
Proverbs 10:9 NIV
There are those who live with integrity and those who don’t, and interestingly they’re both rewarded. The first group lives with an abiding sense of God’s peace and security, the second group with the constant fear of being found out. “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity” (Proverbs 11:3 NIV). A person with integrity is “complete and undivided.” They adhere to high moral principles in every area of life. Does that mean you’ll never fall? No. “A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV). Everybody falls, but people of integrity always get back up. God is patient; He’ll work with you until you get it. And if you suffer from a lack of integrity, He can still put your life back together again if you surrender to Him. Before he wrestled with the Lord, Jacob was a cheat and a deceiver (See Genesis 27:35-36 NLT). And after he wrestled with the Lord, he walked with a limp. But God would rather have someone who walks with a limp because they’ve wrestled with their issues and won, than someone living under false pretenses. Daniel, a Jew living in captivity, refused to eat non-kosher food because it violated God’s law. Joseph was single, far from home, and lonely, but he refused to sleep with his boss’s wife. Paul says, “When you are tempted, he will…provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV). God always has a way out, and when you’re committed to walking in integrity, He’ll reveal it to you.
Soul food: Josh 1:7-8; 2 Tim 3:14-17; Ps 119:1-16
2019-12-07
Mark 4:15 NIV
In the parable of the sower, Jesus said, “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.” Ever notice how you can sit at home and watch a two-hour, commercial-packed movie without feeling restless or bored, yet when the pastor’s sermon exceeds thirty or forty minutes, you keep glancing at your watch and can’t wait to get out of church? And if someone asked you the next day what he preached about, most times you couldn’t tell them. Jesus said, “Satan comes and takes away the word.” So how can you retain it? (1) Write it down (See Exodus 17:14 NIV). When you make notes on what you read and hear, you’ll retain more, be more impacted, and get much more out of it. (2) Pray it through. Unless you pray over the Word you’re hearing, you’ll keep coming home from church moved but unchanged. Many of the great saints of old read through the Bible on their knees. You should try that too! (3) Discuss it with others. God’s Word is like a seed that multiplies and grows when it’s watered by conversation with others who share your faith. The Bible says, “Those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard” (Malachi 3:16 NIV). (4) Practice it daily. John tells us, “The Word was made flesh” (John 1:14). The best way to retain God’s Word is to practice its principles, or “flesh it out!”
Soul food: Neh 1-4; John 18:1-11; Ps 148:7-14; Prov 29:16-21
2019-12-06
Esther 4:14 NKJV
Moses began his ministry when he was eighty. Esther started hers as a teenaged girl. When she heard the words of Mordecai – “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” – she could easily have said, “Give me time to grow up, get married, have children, and fulfill my dreams before asking me to put my life on the line to save the Jewish people.” But she didn’t. She said, “I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish” (v. 16 AMPC). Often what God does in you while you’re waiting is more important than the thing you’re waiting for. Sometimes you think you’re ready but God knows you’re not, so He puts you into the school of faith. That’s where you learn to listen to “the teacher” (the Holy Spirit), study your lessons, pass the tests, and graduate so that God can use you. It’s not a comfortable place to be, but God is more interested in your character than your comfort. Missionary Nancy Cockrell writes: “It was God’s plan all along to bring you here to serve Him, by using your gifts to minister to others – for such a time as this. He has given you the grace to reflect the love and character of Christ, to be a light in a darkened world – for such a time as this. You have a unique place of service in God’s kingdom, touching lives as only you can do – for such a time as this.” So here’s the question: Is God telling you today – your time has come?
Soul food: Col 3-4; Philemon; John 17:13-26; Ps 148:1-6; Prov 29:11-15
