2019-09-27
2 Corinthians 10:4 NKJV
The story of Joseph the prisoner becoming Joseph the prime minister teaches us that we can rise above the circumstances, overcome the challenges, and live in the fullness of our God-given potential. His journey was a long one, and yours may be too. But if you don’t take the first step, you’ll remain stuck where you are. Sometimes your “stronghold” was established early in life. Family pain is the deepest pain, because it’s inflicted so early and involves people who should have been trustworthy. You were too young to process the mistreatment. You didn’t know how to defend yourself. Your dad, mom, uncle, big brother – they towered over you, usually in size, always in rank. When they judged you falsely, you believed them. All this time you were operating on faulty data: “You’re stupid…slow…dumb like your daddy…fat like your mama…” Decades later those voices of defeat still echo in your subconscious. But they don’t have to! “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” Use the “reject and repeat” strategy and you’ll win the victory in your thinking. When negative, fearful, guilt-ridden, inferior, condemning thoughts arise, reject them and begin to repeat what God says about you in His Word. As God’s Word comes to life within you, your old thoughts will begin to die and lose their control over you. Today pull down that stronghold and let your healing begin.
Soul food: 1 Sam 24-26; Matt 28:1-10; Ps 51; Prov 22:12-16
2019-09-26
Mark 6:31 NLT
There’s an ancient legend that says the apostle John had a partridge he enjoyed feeding and tending. One day a hunter visited him and was astonished to see him playing with the bird. “I’m surprised to see you engaged in such amusement when there are great matters related to the gospel with which you could be busy.” John replied, “Do you always keep your bow bent?” The hunter said, “No, that would render it useless. I loosen the string unless I am hunting.” The apostle nodded and said, “Me too; I unbend my mind for the same reason.” Guess who said, “Let’s get away from the crowds for awhile and rest.” Jesus, the most-in-demand person Who ever lived. Why did He say it? The Bible tells us, “There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn’t even have time to eat.” And Jesus is our example. One summer a pastor announced he wasn’t going to take a vacation, since the Devil never goes on vacation. Some of his congregation laughed; others thought he was very “spiritual.” One man went home, however, to see if Jesus had the same attitude. He found that in His three years of active ministry Jesus had ten periods when He got away from the crowds, in addition to His nightly rest and Sabbath day rest. Next Sunday he asked his pastor, “Are you following the Devil’s example or the Lord’s example?” Recreation is just that: re-creation, a time to renew your energy and nurture your most valuable relationships. So, take time to rest.
Soul food: 1 Sam 20:30-23:29; Matt 27:57-66; Ps 60; Prov 22:7-11
2019-09-25
2 Corinthians 11:28 NIV
Preachers prepare sermons, teachers plan lessons, accountants crunch numbers, and mechanics fix engines. But there’s no institution of higher learning that can fully prepare you for the pressures of leadership. That only comes through on-the-job training. Paul lists the pressures of leadership along with being whipped, beaten, stoned, betrayed, and shipwrecked. It’s why over half of all pastors leave the ministry in less than ten years. As author Zig Ziglar said, “It’s lonely at the top.” If you’re a leader in any area of life – and most of us are whether we realize it or not – the buck not only stops at your door, but you can’t move it with a bulldozer. As a leader you will hear little when things go according to plan, but when they don’t go well, watch out. Leaders draw criticism as surely as a picnic draws flies. Influencing others always comes at a price. A leader will pay the cost in time, thought, and trust. The installments look like daily risk taking, visionary thinking, diligent working, and problem solving. But the biggest cost is dealing with people, especially those who may wear the same uniform but aren’t on the same team. Paul refers to it this way: “In danger from false brothers” (v. 26 NIV). If this is what you are experiencing today, here’s what God said to Moses: “Stand near me…As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand” (Exodus 33:21-22 NLT). What’s the answer to the pressures of leadership? A consciousness of God’s presence in your life.
Soul food: 1 Sam 18:1-20:29; Matt 27:45-56; Ps 68:19-35; Prov 22:6
2019-09-24
Philippians 3:8-9 MSG
Before you discover your God-given purpose in life, you’ll often experience a series of adversities that cause you to relinquish what’s temporal and grasp what’s eternal. For Paul it meant the loss of every earthly possession. For others it can mean the heat of battle in a divorce court. When the person you thought was “everything” walks away, suddenly you’re stripped down to what you had before. Look at Job; his home was a shambles, his marriage seemed a joke, and his children were dead. That’s when he discovered you can be stripped of the temporal, but not the eternal; stripped of your wealth, friends, and fame, but not of your character and your faith in God – those things survive the strippings of life. The Bible says, “Then Job…fell down upon the ground, and worshipped” (Job 1:20). True worship is born in the fire of sacrifice. When you can lay upon the altar something you thought you had to have because you realize it was God’s all along – that’s worship. Look at Abraham’s altar. God didn’t want the slain body of Isaac; He wanted to know if there was anything Abraham loved more than Him. That’s it – reaching the place where you can pray: “Lord, here are my grudges and unforgiveness, my need to impress, my time, talent and treasure, anything I’m wrapped up in that hinders me from being completely Yours. You’ll never have to take these things from me, for I gladly give You all it takes to be what You want me to be.” Can you pray that prayer today? It’s not easy, but it’ll change your life.
Soul food: 1 Sam 16-17; Matt 27:32-44; Ps 68:1-18; Prov 22:1-5
2019-09-23
Job 8:21 NIV
Sometimes when your heart has been broken, the healing comes first and the answers come later. But when you think about it, wouldn’t you rather walk with God in the darkness than walk alone in the light? It’s doubtful Job ever fully comprehended all the losses he experienced in life or why. But there came a time when he was able to look back and say with confidence, “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” And that’s God’s promise to you too! Theologian E. Stanley Jones said, “Anything less than God will let you down.” For every predicament you face in life, God has sufficient grace to carry you through. For every need, He has a supply. For every problem, He has an answer. For every hurt, He has a cure. After recalling everything God had brought him through, Jeremiah concluded, “There is nothing too hard for You” (Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV). God looks for opportunities to show you what He can do on your behalf when you put your trust in Him. David said, “According to Your mercy remember me” (Psalm 25:7 NKJV). Aren’t you glad God’s goodness and mercy are based on His character and not yours? Corrie ten Boom said, “If you want to be depressed, look within. If you want to be defeated, look back. If you want to be distracted, look around. But if you want to be delivered, look up.” So the word for you today is: By God’s grace, you will get through this.
Soul food: 1 Sam 14-15; Matt 27:11-31; Ps 91; Prov 21:28-31
2019-09-22
Luke 17:17 NLT
One day Jesus healed ten men of leprosy, which at the time was a death sentence because there was no known cure for it. Amazingly, only one of them remembered to come back and thank Him. What’s the story with the other nine? Were they too busy to be thankful? Surely they felt grateful, yet they didn’t take time express it. Did they just get caught up in other things and forget? Were they too cautious to be thankful? Maybe they thought their healing wouldn’t last, so they wanted to give it time before announcing it. Or maybe they were concerned that Jesus wanted something in return that they were either unwilling or unable to give. Were they too self-centered to be thankful? In some ways, the sick life was a simpler life. Now they had to get a job, take responsibility, and play a role in society. Were they too arrogant to be thankful? Maybe they thought that given enough time, they would have recovered by themselves. Plus, to be grateful is to admit to being needy. Who wants to show weakness when you have an image to protect? If this story is any indication, nine out of ten of us have a problem with gratitude – at least when it comes to expressing it. Don’t be like that. Be one of the 10 percent! In three back-to-back psalms – 105, 106, and 107 – David repeats similar words: “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Don’t let a day pass without remembering God’s goodness to you and thanking Him for it.
Soul food: Gen 1:1-2:3; John 1:1-18
