2019-06-30
Proverbs 27:19 TLV
The kind of person you are is reflected in the friends you pick. So if your life is unproductive and stagnant, look at the people you’ve surrounded yourself with. Friendships, good and bad, indicate the direction you’re going. “Whoever walks with wise people will be wise, but whoever associates with fools will suffer” (Proverbs 13:20 GWT). Misery loves company, so steer clear of negative thinkers. It’s better to travel alone than spend your life listening to people who drag you down. When you come into agreement with the right people, you “can accomplish more than twice as much” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 TLB). Author John Mason writes: “The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. The right friends and associations bring out the original in you. You know the kind of people I’m talking about. After you’ve been with them you find yourself less critical, full of faith, and with a vision for the future. The Devil doesn’t [generally] use strangers to deter or stop you…your friends will either stretch your vision or choke your dream. As you grow in God, your associations will change. Some friends won’t want you to go on; they’ll want you to stay where they are. But as Edwin Louis Cole observed, ‘When you let someone else create your world for you…they always make it too small.’ Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. Respect those whom God has connected to you to help you. God cares for people through people…and wise is the person who fortifies their life with the right friendships.”
Soul food: Ps 23; John 10:7-18
2019-06-29
1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV
Cold and flu viruses aren’t the only things that are contagious; attitudes are also: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Researchers call it “emotional contagion,” and it affects every aspect of life in the same way a rotten apple corrupts the whole bushel. A relationship expert says: “One negative employee can pollute an entire squad and create a toxic work environment. One negative leader can make work miserable for his or her team. An employee in a bad mood can turn off countless customers. Complaining can act like a cancer and spread through the entire organization, sabotaging the morale and performance of teams with great talent and potential. You’re not just a creation of your culture…you’re creating it every day through your thoughts, beliefs, and actions…you can be negatively or positively contagious. You can be a germ and attack your organization’s immune system, or act like a dose of vitamin C and strengthen it…your emotions impact the world around you.” Paul says, “Put off your old self…be made new in the attitude of your minds” (Ephesians 4:22-23 NIV). How? By asking God to make you “a different person” (1 Samuel 10:6 NIV), and changing your attitude from one of negative contagion to one that positively impacts the people you deal with every day. At the same time, be selective about the company you keep. You know from experience the people who drag you down and drain your energy. Pray for them, but minimize the time you spend in their company.
Soul food: Jer 33:1-36:26; Matt 5:1-20; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 15:1-2
2019-06-28
Psalm 33:3 NLT
To “play skillfully” means to do it well and strive for excellence when it comes to your God-given talents. One author puts it this way: “There’s a remarkable difference between 99 percent and 100 percent commitment. At 100 percent you see your problems all the way through to their solution. At 99 percent you can still find a way to take the path of least resistance. We live in a culture where excellence is the exception, but God’s Word says, ‘Be a…different person with a fresh newness in all you do’ (Romans 12:2 TLB). You must be willing to pay the price, and here it is: ‘To win…you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best’ (1 Corinthians 9:25 TLB). People will gauge your character by the height of your ideals, the breadth of your compassion, the depth of your convictions, and the length of your persistence. Approach every task thinking how you can do it better.” If you’re good at crunching numbers, excel as an accountant. If you’re a skilled communicator, be the best teacher you can be. If you’re a visionary who can inspire others, be the best possible leader. A former president of Yale University points out that Hamlet could never have been written by a committee, or the Mona Lisa painted by a club, or the New Testament composed by a conference. Creative ideas usually come from individuals. And the great thing about life is if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you often get it!
Soul food: Jer 31-32; Matt 4:12-25; Ps 98; Prov 14:34-35
2019-06-27
Romans 12:3 NLT
God told Moses, “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring…the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10 NIV). But instead of thinking, “What an honor,” Moses replied, “Who am I to …lead the people?” (Exodus3:11 NLT). Moses’ upbringing as Pharaoh’s adopted grandson had prepared him for the job, but now he was in exile after killing an Egyptian. It’s easy to criticize Moses’ hesitancy, but Mark Roberts observes: “Wise leaders have a certain reluctance that comes from personal humility and taking seriously the responsibility of leadership…After all, God chose Moses knowing full well he’d be reluctant…God [could] have gone after someone with more self-confidence, but He didn’t…Consider how this scene might have been different if Moses had responded, ‘No problem, God. I’m your man…I’ve had years of experience in Pharaoh’s household!’ Would someone with such abundant self-confidence have been right for the job? I doubt it. If our reluctance to lead comes from a realistic sense of our limitations and a genuine recognition of heavy responsibility…it positions us perfectly to have healthy confidence as a leader…Instead of listing Moses’ abilities and accomplishments, God simply said, ‘I will be with you’ (v. 12 NLT).” In other words, “I know you can’t do this alone, but I’ll be with you and that’s what matters.” Paul writes, “Think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” (Romans 12:3 NIV). It doesn’t matter how much you know or how many people follow you, the litmus test of leadership is operating in God’s strength, not your own. “The Kingdom of God is not just…talk; it is living by God’s power (1 Corinthians 4:20 NLT).
Soul food: Jer 28-30; Matt 3:11-4:11; Ps 95; Prov 14:29-33
2019-06-26
Joshua 1:8 NIV
Second, let it in. The word “meditate” means “to ponder, ruminate, or examine attentively.” So don’t just read the Scriptures, thoroughly digest them. Pray, “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions” (Psalm 119:18 NLT). You can read a Scripture dozens of times and suddenly see something you’ve never seen before. The idea is to train your mind to see things from God’s viewpoint. Mark Twain said the two best days in a person’s life are the day they’re born, and the day they discover why they’re born. And the only person who can tell you that, is your Creator. Third, live it out. “Be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8 NIV). Yes, study the Bible, meditate on the Bible, and even memorize the Bible. But if you want to find success in life you must obey the Bible. You must translate truth into action. No one can guarantee you success except God – and that guarantee is found in reading, meditating, and obeying His Word. Value and worth are directly related to purpose. A car that won’t run is worthless. A pen that won’t write is useless. Likewise, if you are going to be what you need to be, you need to find your purpose in life and fulfill it. At death, your fame and fortune will not matter. The thing of eternal value will be your answer to this question: “Did I live my life in the presence of God and for His purpose?” C. S. Lewis put it this way: “He who has God and everything, has no more than the person who has God alone.”
Soul food: Jer 25-27; Matt 2:16-3:10; Ps 64; Prov 14:25-28
2019-06-25
Joshua 1:8 NIV
God told Joshua: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and…have good success” (v. 8 NKJV). God views success as simple to achieve, and equally simple for Him to measure. If we are going to succeed in things that really matter, we must follow the instructions for life found in Scripture. So here are three biblical rules for success: First, look it up. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth.” Or as the American Express credit card company likes to say, “Don’t leave home without it!” Success entails making the study of God’s Word a constant part of your life. This may mean a radical change for you. Ninety percent of Americans own a Bible. Fifty percent never read it, including 23 percent of all followers of Christ. And only 18 percent of those read it every day. Imagine going to a doctor when you’re sick and getting a prescription that can make you well. But you only take it once a week, or when you feel like it, or never at all. Would you blame the doctor for not getting well? Some of us do that with God: “Lord, why has this happened to me? I don’t understand it.” Would you say the medicine doesn’t work? Not if you don’t take it. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). So the word for you today is: Get into God’s Word and get it into you!
Soul food: Jer 22-24; Matt 2:1-15; Ps 59:9-17; Prov 14:23-24
