2019-03-25
Romans 12:19 NKJV
Vengeance is God’s job, not yours. He will repay – whether on the Day of Judgment or in this life. He can discipline your abusive boss, soften your angry parent, bring your ex to his knees or her senses. Forgiveness doesn’t diminish justice; it entrusts it to God. He guarantees the right amount of retribution. We give too much or too little, but He has the precise prescription. And unlike us, He never gives up on a person. (And you should be glad about that). Long after we have moved on, God is still there probing the conscience, stirring conviction, orchestrating redemption. Fix your enemies? That’s God’s job. Forgive your enemies? Ah, that’s where you come in. “Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honourable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to…God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord. Instead…’If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.’ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good” (vv. 17-21 NLT). Author Max Lucado says: “Revenge builds a lonely, narrow house. Space enough for one person. The lives of its tenants are reduced to one goal: Make someone miserable. They do – themselves. No wonder God insists we ‘Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent’ (Hebrews 12:15 TM).”
Soul food: Job 40-42; Luke 19:37-44; Ps 69:1-18; Prov 8:27-29
2019-03-24
Psalm 139:14 NKJV
Sarah Hupp writes: “Did you know you started out as a single cell, and within that cell was enough DNA to hold the equivalent of 1,000 volumes of coded blueprints? Or that [the DNA in that one cell] determined the color of your hair and eyes, the shape of your nose, and the size of your ring finger? Did you know nobody else has your fingerprints…the same sparkling eyes…the same laugh…or looks at things the way you do? You’re an original, and it didn’t happen by accident. God designed your DNA. He made you the way He wanted you to be. He gave you your voice, your smile, your freckles, your curly hair, all those things that make you who you are. And because God made you, you’re special to Him and to others…in fact, the world wouldn’t be complete without you.” No wonder the psalmist said, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” Maybe you’re thinking, “Yeah, but you don’t know the limitations I live with. And when it comes to my self-image, I struggle every day to feel like I measure up.” Pastor Jim Penner says: “I’ve talked with and prayed for many who are dealing with physical issues…disease, diabetes, cancers, struggles with weight, muscular and autoimmune disease. The limitations the human family deals with on a daily basis are endless. Yet Ephesians 2:10 says, ‘You are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.’ God knew exactly what He was doing when He made you. You’re unique in all the world. And that makes you special.”
Soul food: Lev 27:30-33; Num 31:48-54; 1 Cor 16:1-3; 2 Cor 9:1-15
2019-03-23
Psalm 73:26 NIV
As you drive toward your destiny, you’re sure to hit potholes along the way, or take some wrong turns, or forget to check your gas gauge and run out of fuel. The truth is, the only way to avoid failure is not to leave your driveway! In the words of author William Saroyan: “Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure.” The real issue in life isn’t whether or not you’re going to fail, but whether you’re going to learn from your experience and turn it into the wisdom needed to succeed. In a survey of successful people, not one of them viewed their mistakes as failures. They considered them “learning experiences,” or “tuition paid,” or “opportunities for growth.” That’s the winning attitude! Henry Ward Beecher said: “It’s defeat that turns bone to flint…gristle into muscle…and makes men invincible. Do not then be afraid of defeat. You are never so near victory as when you’re defeated in a good cause.” So the next time you fail at something, stop and ask yourself, “What have I learned? Am I grateful for this experience? How can I turn it into success? Where do I go from here? Who else has failed like this, and how can they help me? How can my experience help others? Did I actually fail, or just fall short of an unrealistically high goal? Where did I succeed as well as fail?” Then go one step further, and ask God for greater insight. If you do, you’ll grow stronger and wiser because of what you’ve been through (See James 1:5).
Soul food: Job 38-39; Luke 19:28-36; Ps 38:13-22; Prov 8:24-26
2019-03-22
Joshua 1:5 NIV
Standing on the threshold of the Promised Land, Joshua realized there were seven nations and forty kings to be conquered before he could possess it. So God told him, “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life…I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” When you’re in God’s will the forces and resources of heaven are behind you, and that means you’ll ultimately win. It doesn’t mean you won’t have to fight, but it means you’ll win! The movie Ben Hur won more Academy Awards than any other movie in history. Charlton Heston, who played the hero in this movie, had to drive a chariot for his role. He was supposed to win the climactic chariot race, but there was a problem: He was having trouble learning to drive the chariot. He walked over to his director, William Wyler, and said, “Mr. Wyler, I can barely stay on the chariot. I can’t win this race.” Wyler looked at Heston and said, “Son, your job is to stay on the chariot; my job is to make sure you win.” Every time you head to the office, or walk into a pressure-packed meeting, or job interview, trust God. When you make that dreaded doctor’s appointment, or confront a friend who has done you wrong, trust God. Stay on the chariot. Don’t quit on God and don’t stop trusting in Him. Your job is to obey; His job is to make sure you win. And when you do your part, you can be sure that He will do His.
Soul food: Job 35-37; Luke 19:20-27; Ps 38:1-12; Prov 8:22-23
2019-03-21
Ephesians 4:27 NAS
The Bible says, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity” (vv. 26-27 NAS). The word translated “opportunity” is the Greek word topos, the same term from which we get the English noun topography. It means territory or ground. And anger gives ground to the Devil. Bitterness invites him to occupy a space in your heart. And when you do, he will move in and stink up the place with things like gossip, slander, temper – any time you see these, you have given ground to Satan. What should you do? Evict him. Don’t give him the time of day. In the name of Jesus tell him to pack his bags and hit the road. Begin the process of forgiveness. Keep no list of wrongs. Pray for your antagonists rather than plot against them. Hate the wrong without hating the wrongdoers. Turn your attention away from what they did to you and begin to dwell on what Jesus did for you. Outrageous as it may seem, He died for them too. And if He thinks they are worth forgiving, then they are. Does that make forgiveness easy? No. It comes in fits and starts, has good days and bad. Some days when you think your old wound has healed and you’ve gotten over it, someone will knock the scab off it and the pain will return. This is okay. When it comes to forgiveness all of us are beginners. As long as you are trying to forgive, you are forgiving. It’s only when you no longer try that you give ground to the Devil.
Soul food: Job 32-34; Luke 19:11-19; Ps 55:12-23; Prov 8:19-21
2019-03-20
Luke 6:38 CEV
Jesus said, “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults…That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging” (Matthew 7:1-2 TM). Think about it. Do you really want to live your life judging and being judged? One Christian author puts it this way: “We were created to be in community…[Not] treat each other with a spirit of judgment…There’s something in us that permits us to vie for a better impression of ourselves by belittling someone else. It rages through the teenage years, and should end when we ‘grow up,’ but instead it mutates…We judge each other’s relationships when our own are crumbling …or their parenting skills when our own are hanging by a thread…Someone who never exercises is ‘lazy’…Someone who hides their feelings is ‘cold’…we judge who has what job, who’s busier, who has more stress, who has it ‘rougher.’ Someone tells us bad news and we secretly rejoice that it’s not us…someone shares good news and we call them arrogant. But no one wins because we’re all on the same team.” Instead of judging and criticizing, Paul says, “When we have the opportunity to help…we should do it” (Galatians 6:10 NCV). So: (a) Look for a way to bless somebody who is not in a position to reciprocate. (b) Identify someone you can encourage today. (c) Go out of your way to make someone feel special. Jesus said: “If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return…The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.”
Soul food: Job 29-31; Luke 19:1-10; Ps 55:1-11; Prov 8:17-18
