2019-08-28
Galatians 4:19 NIV
When you become a Christian you discover that part of you wants to walk “in newness of life” (Romans 6:4), while another part wants to walk “after the flesh” (Romans 8:5). And you would, if it weren’t for God’s Spirit who lives in your divided house and “groans” when you do certain things, challenging you with God’s Word (See John 16:7-14). The truth is, your new heart is still living in your old body. One author writes: “When I first came to Christ I thought others had mastered a level of holiness that always eluded me. So I attacked my carnality with passion! I didn’t realize that everything that’s born needs time to grow. I was expecting an immediate, all-inclusive metamorphosis that would make me the kind of person God could really love. I now realize His love isn’t doled out on a merit system: If you do well, He loves you, and if you don’t, He doesn’t.” God doesn’t want do-it-yourself righteousness. The Bible says, “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Paul writes, “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” God alone knows the process it will take for the Christ who saved you to be formed in you! We each travel our own paths at our own pace, but our goal is the same: to bear a greater resemblance to our heavenly Father. And getting us there is God’s job – so let Him do it. Your job is to keep walking with Him day by day as He does it.
Soul food: Ezek 14:1-16:52; Matt 21:33-46; Ps 103:1-12; Prov 19:12-16
2019-08-27
Genesis 32:24 NLT
Some of your toughest battles in life will be with God. That’s because there’s a “Jacob nature” in each of us that resists the will of God, and it has to be dealt with. The same God who asked Jacob, “What is your name?” will ask you to identify yourself too. And until you’re willing to do an honest evaluation and answer truthfully, your life can’t change for the better. God had to break Jacob by dislocating his hip, the thing he depended on. Jacob got his blessing at the same time he got his limp. Ask yourself, “Do I really want the blessing of God on my life?” Before you answer, stop and ask yourself these questions: (1) Am I willing to let go of what I want if it’s not God’s will for me? (2) Do I covet what others have instead of waiting for God’s provision for me? (3) Do I keep talking about my rights because I haven’t fully surrendered to the Lord? (4) Do I truly love others and think of them first? (5) Am I practicing the daily disciplines of prayer and Bible reading? (6) Am I allowing God to handle my public relations instead of promoting myself? (7) Am I expressing joy in the midst of adversity and trusting God to reproduce the character of Jesus in me? (8) Am I taking risks in obedience to Christ instead of giving in to fear and playing it safe? Not only will your answers to these questions determine your discipleship, your direction, and your destiny – they will also determine your level of blessing.
Soul food: Ezek 10-13; Matt 21:18-32; Ps 84; Prov 19:11
2019-08-26
Romans 8:28 NLT
If you want things to work out right for you in life, you need to discover your God-ordained purpose and give yourself fully to it. The Bible says, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (v. 28 NKJV). The focal point of your life should be discovering and doing God’s will. What you believe about that will determine the direction you take and what you accomplish. There’s a big difference between talent and purpose. You’re called according to God’s purpose, not your talent. When you are talented but not called, you can be comfortable anywhere. That’s because talent, like justice, is blind; it sees all opportunities the same. But when you are aware of your God-given purpose and it governs your life, there are things you simply won’t do because you know they’ll derail, dilute, or defeat God’s purpose for you. Being “called according to his purpose” enables you to focus on the development of your talent only as it relates to God’s will for you. So instead of asking God to bless what you’re doing, ask Him to reveal His purpose for your life. Once you discover and fulfill that, you’ll be blessed, because His plan is already blessed! Let’s read it again: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT). So have you discovered God’s purpose for your life yet? If not, get into His presence and stay there until He reveals it to you. It’s the only way you’ll ever be totally fulfilled.
Soul food: Ezek 5-9; Matt 21:12-17; Ps 119:169-176; Prov 19:9-10
2019-08-25
1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV
It’s easy to forget that this world isn’t your home, that you’re going to spend eternity with Christ in a home specially prepared for you, and when you get to heaven you’ll be rewarded for how well you fulfilled your God-given assignment here on earth. The Bible not only teaches this, it spells out the specifics. Here are three you need to keep in mind. (1) Your greatest reward will be in heaven, not on earth. Yes, there are earthly rewards (See Mark 10:30), but God reserves His greatest blessings for the day when “each man’s work will become evident” and “he will receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:13-14 NAS). It’s your service now that determines your status then, so always give God your best. (2) Your reward will be based on quality, not quantity. We are impressed with size and status, but God is moved by sincerity. When He rewards you it will be based on what you did with what you had, and the “heart” you put into it. That means we all have equal opportunity when it comes to rewards. (3) Your reward may be delayed, but it will never be denied. Think about that. When you’ve done what was needed yet you were ignored and misunderstood, remember, “Your labor is not in vain.” When you’ve done the right thing but received neither credit nor acknowledgment, remember, “Your labor is not in vain.” When you’ve served, given, and sacrificed, then willingly stepped aside so God would get all the glory, remember, “Your labor is not in vain.” In the words of Jesus: “Your father, who sees everything, will reward you” (Matthew 6:4 NLT).
Soul food: 2 Ki 4:42-44; Mark 6:30-44
2019-08-24
Galatians 2:20 NKJV
A man who inherited an antique grandfather clock with a brass pendulum watched as it pushed the big heavy weight back and forth. “What a burden for a 100-year-old clock to bear,” he thought. So one day he opened the glass case and unhooked the pendulum. “Why did you remove my weight?” the clock asked. The man replied, “It was heavy and I wanted to lighten your load.” The old clock exclaimed, “What you don’t understand is, it’s the weight that keeps me going!” Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and…I now live…by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” God allows us to experience frustrations and burdens in order to develop our patience and humility and make us more dependent on Him. Unlike us, He knows “it’s the weight that keeps us going.” That’s why: “The child he loves…he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating…training us…discipline isn’t much fun…It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later…it pays off…for the well-trained…find themselves mature in their relationship with God” (Hebrews 12:6-11 MSG). What “weight” is God using to produce the nature of Christ in you? Paul goes on to say, “Mortify…your members which are upon the earth” (Colossians 3:5). The word “mortify” comes from mortuary – a place where there’s nothing but dead, inactive bodies. In other words, instead of letting your earthly nature rule, ask the Holy Spirit to bring forth new life in you.
Soul food: Ezek 1-4; Matt 21:1-11; Ps 119:161-168; Prov 19:3-8
2019-08-23
Hebrews 11:34 NIV
Always try to be open to constructive criticism, but don’t personalize rejection. Don’t allow your opinion of yourself to be colored by the opinion of those who fail to see your best qualities and potential. Successful people all have one thing in common: they had to overcome rejection. In 1902 an aspiring young writer received a rejection letter from the poetry editor of The Atlantic Monthly. Enclosed with a sheaf of poems the twenty-eight-year-old poet had sent them was this curt note: “Our magazine has no room for your vigorous verse.” Yet he became one of the most beloved and popular American poets of all time. Who was he? Robert Frost. In 1907, the University of Bern turned down a PhD dissertation from a young physics student. Yet that student went on to change the scientific world forever. Who was he? Albert Einstein. When a sixteen-year-old student got his report card from his rhetoric teacher in school, there was a note attached that read: “A conspicuous lack of success.” But he refused to accept it. Who was he? Winston Churchill. After listing the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:34 we read, “Whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle.” That can be your story too. David, who experienced spectacular failure in life, wrote, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7). The only people who can let you down are the people you lean on. So lean less on people and more on God.
Soul food: Amos 5:18-9:15; Matt 20:29-34; Ps 119:145-160; Prov 19:1-2
