2019-06-24
Matthew 6:5 TM
Jesus said the Pharisees turned prayer into “a theatrical production,” and that God wasn’t moved by it. Author John Ortberg points out five things about them: “(1) Their prayers had become a shallow exercise rather than a deep relationship-building one. (2) They were rituals, rather than authentic expressions of a loving heart. (3) They were long and wordy, designed to impress others. (4) They were filled with meaningless clichés. (5) They became a cause for pride rather than an opportunity to express humble reliance on God.” Can you imagine your child approaching you with a whole bunch of religious “thee’s” and “thou’s”? How would it make you feel? When it comes to prayer, Jesus said: “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace. The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply” (vv. 6-8 NIV). You can pray anywhere, at any time: in your car, in the bathroom, lying in bed, while you’re exercising, or at work. All God asks is that you be spontaneous, personal, and honest. In other words, pray from your heart.
Soul food: Jer 18-21; Matt 1:1-25; Ps 59:1-8; Prov 14:21-22
2019-06-23
Deuteronomy 28:8 NKJV
Almost anybody can spot the problem, discuss the problem, and complain about the problem. But a solution-oriented person looks for ways to solve the problem. Murray Spangler was such a person. As a department store janitor, he decided that the only way to overcome the boredom of his job, which consisted of sweeping floors, was to find a more innovative way to do it. Plus, he had the added incentive of being allergic to the dust he was sweeping every day. Then a thought came to him: “Instead of sweeping up the dust, maybe there is a way to suck it up.” Where do such creative thoughts come from? God, our Creator. And since you are His offspring, He will share His ideas with you. Spangler’s questions led him to invent a crude but workable vacuum cleaner. He then sought out an old friend in the leather business to finance the manufacturing of his invention. The man’s name was H. W. Hoover. Not only did Hoover vacuum cleaners become very popular, but “hoovering” became for at least one generation synonymous with sweeping floors. Built into every obstacle is an opportunity; every question, an answer; every problem, a solution. So don’t be afraid to question methods, systems, and equipment and ask, “Is there a better way?” The world has been enriched by people who dared to ask that question. And you can be such a person, for God promises to bless “all to which you set your hand.”
Soul food: Exo 20:17; Ps 10; Jam 4:1-3
2019-06-22
Joshua 1:8 NKJV
When Joshua became leader of Israel in place of Moses, God told him: “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 then you will have good success.” There are two kinds of success: success that fulfills God’s will for your life; and success that is temporal, can leave you feeling empty, and dies when you die. Boris Becker, the world championship tennis player, reportedly contemplated suicide because of the sheer emptiness he experienced in life. Even though he appeared to be successful, he knew his life wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. “I had won Wimbledon twice before, once as the youngest player,” he said. “I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed: money, cars, women, everything…I know this is a cliché. It is the old song of the movie and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything and yet they are so unhappy…I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string.” Someone once said, “In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably or succeed even more miserably.” Do you know why that statement is true? Because without God all success ends in failure [it doesn’t satisfy]. Jesus’ definition of a fool was this: “Every man is a fool who gets rich on earth but not in heaven” (Luke 12:21 TLB). “Good success” is putting God in first place, and allowing Him to put everything together for you.
Soul food: Jer 14-17; Mark 16:1-20; Ps 21; Prov 14:17-20
2019-06-21
Philippians 2:5 NLT
A flying instructor will tell you that periodically your plane needs to be “trimmed” or “balanced in flight.” After flying through storms, it gets knocked out of alignment and needs to be adjusted. And the same thing happens on your spiritual journey. The storms of life can “knock you out of alignment.” Unexpected “weather conditions” like sickness, depression, unemployment, divorce, disappointment, and death can force you to change direction and strategy. That’s why your attitude needs to be regularly checked and adjusted. So what are you dealing with that calls for an attitude check? Paul writes, “You must have the same attitude…Jesus had.” Is such a lifestyle possible? Yes, but you must make it a priority and pursue it each day. Joshua wanted to turn an army of complainers into an army that could conquer the Promised Land. So God gave him this formula for success: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night…be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8 NLT). Try the “three-by-five technique.” Each week identify a Scripture that relates to an area in which you want to grow, write it down on a three-by-five card, and memorize it. In one year you’ll have fifty-two Scriptures you can recall and stand on. Think how that will impact your life! Not only will wrong attitudes become right attitudes, but your life will begin to move in the right direction.
Soul food: Jer 10-13; Mark 15:33-47; Ps 17; Prov 14:13-16
2019-06-20
1 Corinthians 10:13 CEV
Satan tried to get Jesus to succumb to three different kinds of temptation, and he’ll try the same with you: (1) Satisfaction without God. Knowing Christ was hungry, Satan told Him to turn stones into bread. But Jesus said no because He knew God’s plan was to feed and strengthen Him supernaturally; He refused to settle for less – and you must too. (2) Success without God. Satan then took Jesus to the top of the temple and told Him to jump off, saying God would send angels to protect Him. But God’s plan for Jesus was the cross, the resurrection, and the multitudes who would come to believe in Him. Satan tried to get Jesus to settle for less, and he’ll try the same with you. Don’t take the bait! (3) Significance without God. Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of this world if only He’d bow down and worship him. What an offer! Significance without God! But the fact is, the kingdoms of this world weren’t Satan’s to offer! So he lied to Jesus – and he will lie to you too. The way to lasting satisfaction is the way of the cross, which means sacrificing yourself. Jesus rebuked Satan with a reminder from Scripture that God alone is worthy to be glorified. Understand this: Satan will take every legitimate desire you have and try to get you to fulfill it in an illegitimate way. But you can overcome him. How? By staying close to God and living in His Word, “He will show you how to escape from your temptations.”
Soul food: Jer 7-9; Mark 15:21-32; Ps 8; Prov 14:9-12
2019-06-19
1 Timothy 6:6 NIV
When you talk about contentment, some people think you’re against progress. No. Paul is saying contentment never comes from externals! Every twelve minutes, radio and television advertisers try to convince us that contentment isn’t possible without their particular brand of product. Don’t go for it! The desire for more can be insatiable. As long as you believe more is better, you’ll never be satisfied. Why? Because you’ll never live long enough to have it all! Just think; when you get something or achieve something, do you even take the time to enjoy it, or do you gallop off to the next thing without stopping? To avoid getting old too soon and wise too late, read this Scripture: (1) “We brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it” (v. 7 NLT). When you die and people ask, “How much did they leave?” the answer will be “everything” (including a legacy of good or bad). (2) “Some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith” (v. 10 NLT). If your pursuit of material things is leaving no time for God, reexamine your priorities and start changing them while you still can. Stop thinking, “If only I had a bigger house, a more understanding spouse, a particular job, a radical makeover, a higher IQ, or the acceptance of a particular person, I’d be happy.” It doesn’t work that way. The Bible says, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
Soul food: Jer 4-6; Mark 15:1-20; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 14:5-8
