2019-07-06
Psalm 37:4 NKJV
Your capacity to desire certain things is a gift from God; it’s a powerful motivator. Picture two kids taking swimming lessons. One does it because he watched the Olympic Games and wants to win a gold medal when he grows up. The other takes lessons because his dad said he had to. Which kid do you think is likely to make it to the Olympics? In Genesis we read: “Jacob served seven [more] years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her” (Genesis 29:20 NIV). What kind of person would see seven years’ hard work as a mere few days? Someone working toward his or her dream! Jesus told the story of a man with a “got-to-have-it” desire. When he discovered treasure buried in a field, he “went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44 NIV). Similarly, the people who listened to Jesus were so drawn to His peace, courage, and wisdom that they thought, “I must have what He has.” Do our desires sometimes lead us astray? For sure! In order to be able to trust them, you must do two things: (1) Desire a relationship with God above all else. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (2) Make sure your desires are in harmony with His will. “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8 NKJV). When you center your life around God and His Word, you can trust “the desires of your heart.” And God will give them to you!
Soul food: Joel 1-3; Matt 7:15-29; Ps 79; Prov 15:18-21
2019-07-05
Philippians 3:13 NKJV
As long as you’re holding on to the past, you’ll never be able to take hold of the future. The past can be an unbearably heavy burden when you try to carry it. The way to let go of it is to stop thinking about it. Get it off your mind and out of your conversation. Satan will constantly remind you of your past because he wants you to remain stuck in it. But you don’t have to. You can choose your own thoughts. You say, “I can’t help thinking about it.” Yes, you can! Before he met Christ, Paul destroyed churches and put Christians to death. Now he was going back into some of those same towns, and who was waiting for him there? Widows. Orphans. People whose lives he’d devastated. Had Paul not been able to move beyond that, he’d never have fulfilled his God-given assignment. Now, Paul didn’t suffer from amnesia; he could remember the actual events. But knowing God had forgiven him, and that he’d forgiven himself, he chose to forget the past. “But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Note the words, “but one thing I do.” When you decide to forget, God will enable you to do it and give you the grace and peace to move on. Indeed, He will make you stronger and wiser as a result of it. If you’re struggling with guilt, condemnation, shame, blame, or regret about your past, let God forgive you, set you free, and enable you to move forward.
Soul food: Jer 51-52; Matt 7:1-14; Ps 137; Prov 15:15-17
2019-07-04
Romans 12:10 NIV
As you approach the latter years of your life, you realize that it’s not just what you do that matters, but what you do for others. The most miserable people on earth are those who hate, hinder, and hurt others, while the happiest are those who spend their lives helping others. The degree to which you’re helpful is the degree to which you’re happy – it’s that simple. Poet John Albert Holmes said, “It’s well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others.” So, what are you doing for others? How good are you at letting someone else take credit for what gets accomplished? Paul writes, “Honor one another above yourselves.” Next time somebody shares their accomplishments, pay attention to your need to jump in and tell them something as good or better about yourself. When you do that, you minimize their joy, create distance between you, and everybody loses. Instead, bite your tongue, look at them and say, “That’s wonderful; tell me more.” And mean it! When you treat people this way two things happen: (1) The other person enjoys your company because they sense you’re really “there” for them, instead of sitting on the edge of your seat waiting your turn to speak. (2) They feel that instead of competing with them, you care about their success. Consequently your relationships grow stronger because you no longer need to grab all the attention and glory. It’s called “living for others.”
Soul food: Jer 49-50; Matt 6:19-34; Ps 122; Prov 15:10-14
2019-07-03
Psalm 27:1 NKJV
Author Jon Gordon says: “There was a time [as children] when we jumped from the jungle gym and went on roller coaster rides. No goal was unattainable. Then [when we grew up] the doubters dissuaded us from going after our dreams…’You’re crazy…it’s too hard…play it safe…dreams weren’t meant for people like us.’ They instilled their insecurities in us…and with so many people saying we can’t…and so few saying we can, we let fear into our lives. We’re so scared of losing what we have that we don’t go after what we want. We hold on so tightly to the status quo that we never experience what could be…I call this ‘playing to lose.’ We see it in sports. When a team has the lead, they start thinking about how not to lose instead of how to win. They play safe and scared while the other team takes chances, plays without fear, and wins. David said, ‘The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ Living a life [of faith] means overcoming fear and adopting a ‘play to win’ mindset…one that says even if you do fail you won’t give up or let your dreams die. Success isn’t automatically given to us, it’s pursued with all the energy and sweat we can muster. Obstacles and struggles are part of life…they make us appreciate success. If everything came easy we’d never know how it feels to succeed. Obstacles were meant to be overcome. Fear was meant to be conquered. Success was meant to be achieved. They’re part of life, and those who succeed refuse to give up till the game is over.”
Soul food: Jer 45-48; Matt 6:9-18; Ps 110; Prov 15:8-9
2019-07-02
Ezekiel 37:9-10 NIV
In the Garden of Eden Adam was perfectly formed, but he had no life. He “had it all together,” but he wasn’t going anywhere until God’s Spirit breathed into him. Then he started walking with God, taking initiative, and fulfilling his purpose in life. You say, “I need what God breathed into Adam that day.” And you can have it! Think about Ezekiel’s Valley of Dry Bones. They were dead and in disarray. If that describes your life right now, there’s good news. When God breathed into those bones they came to life, stood up, and became a force to be reckoned with. Notice that the Spirit of God came from “the four winds,” or the four corners of the earth. That means there’s no place where His Spirit can’t reach you if you’re available to Him. Notice also that when the Spirit of God came into Ezekiel’s valley, broken things were mended and dead things brought back to life. And God wants to do the same for you! Notice what else took place: a “shaking” (v. 7). That’s standard procedure with God. Before He uses you, He shakes up your comfort zone, your proven methods, and your set-in-concrete ideas. Your past is no problem for Him, because His eyes are on your future. So come into His presence today and pray, “Breathe on me, Breath of God. Fill me with life anew. That I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do.” When He does, you’ll never be the same.
Soul food: Jer 41-44; Matt 5:38-6:8; Ps 102:18-28; Prov 15:4-7
2019-07-01
1 Thessalonians 4:17 MSG
The Message paraphrases Christ’s return this way: “The Master Himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God’s trumpet blast! He’ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise – they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master…then there will be one huge family reunion…So reassure one another with these words” (vv. 16-18 TM). The second coming of Christ will be inaugurated by the trumpet blast of the archangel. Cemeteries and seas will give up their dead. “Christ…will appear a second time…to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28 ESV). The event will be witnessed by all humanity. “Every eye shall see him” (Revelation 1:7). From Adam to the baby born as the trumpet sounds, every one of us will witness the moment. But not everyone will welcome it. “Unready people all over the world…will raise a huge lament as they watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven” (Matthew 24:30 TM). You don’t go to heaven by chance, you go by choice. And God will honor your choice. Those who acknowledge Christ as their Savior will arise to celebrate the greatest family reunion of all time. Are you going to heaven? If you’re not sure, don’t let this day end until you put your trust in Christ and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.
Soul food: Jer 36:27-40:16; Matt 5:21-37; Ps 102:12-17; Prov 15:3
