2019-03-07
Hebrews 10:20 TLB
In the Old Testament there were more religious laws than anybody could possibly keep: over six hundred. And every time you failed, you had to offer an animal sacrifice as atonement. This resulted in people trying and failing; feeling guilty and trying harder; failing again and making more sacrifices. It was a never-ending cycle. Then Jesus came and opened up “the fresh, new, life-giving way…for us” to have a relationship with God. His way included forgiveness for sin, and the replacement of sacrifices with faith in Him. For many it was just too good to be true, so they kept working and trying to impress God with their goodness. Are you doing that? One Christian author writes: “I lived that way for years. It meant having to do everything perfectly; otherwise I was in trouble with God. Since this was an impossible standard to keep, it stole all my peace and joy. While I was trying to walk in love, I wasn’t a very loving person. I couldn’t give others what I didn’t know how to receive myself! I wasn’t receiving God’s mercy for my failures; therefore I couldn’t offer it to anybody else. I tried to follow all the rules, many that weren’t even scriptural – just things to feel guilty about. But thank God I don’t have to live that way anymore. Now I’m not working to be saved, I’m working because I am saved! My salvation isn’t based on what I do, but solely on what Jesus has done for me.” When you understand this truth, your relationship with God is no longer a job – it’s a joy.
Soul food: Exo 33-35; Luke 14:25-35; Ps 112; Prov 7:6-9
2019-03-06
Philippians 1:23 NIV
Imagine boarding a plane for your dream vacation when suddenly the pilot announces, “Welcome aboard. After take-off we’ll serve you a wonderful meal and do all we can to make your flight enjoyable. However, I need to tell you – we have no destination. That’s right; we’re just going to keep flying until we run out of fuel and drop into the ocean.” No matter how wonderful the journey is, what’s the point if there’s no destination? God’s Word says, “If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world” (1 Corinthians 15:19 NLT). Thank God there’s more! It’s called heaven. And it’s “better by far” than anything we’ve experienced in this life. If you’re wondering what we’ll do when we get there, the Bible says we’ll serve the Lord (See Revelation 22:3). You won’t be issued a halo, a long woolly robe, and a harp, and be assigned to sit on a cloud and strum for all eternity. No, we’ll each serve the Lord in different capacities. Think of it: no midlife crisis, no downsizing, and no burnout. On earth we fail, we get tired, we get frustrated, and our motives are mixed. But not there! Can you imagine serving the One you love most, doing the thing you enjoy most, and doing it in a body that’s forever energized? That’s heaven! And the ultimate bliss will be seeing Jesus face to face. “I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15).
Soul food: Exo 30-32; Luke 14:15-24; Ps 106:24-48; Prov 7:3-5
2019-03-05
1 Corinthians 3:9 NIV
The biggest plus factor you can have on your job is the God factor. Paul writes, “We are labourers together with God.” Consider these three powerful words: “together with God.” A surgeon in a large city hospital had a habit of insisting on a few minutes alone before he performed an operation. He had an outstanding reputation, and one of the young doctors who worked with him wondered if there might be a correlation between this habit of spending time alone and the man’s success. He asked the surgeon about it and he answered, “Yes. Before each operation I ask the Great Physician to guide my hands in their work. There have been times when I didn’t know what to do next in a surgery, and then came the power to go on – power I knew came from God. I would not think of performing an operation without asking His help.” The surgeon’s words quickly spread through the hospital, then across the country. One day a father brought his daughter to the hospital, insisting that the only doctor he would allow to touch her was “the one who worked with God.” The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV). Note, it doesn’t say don’t “use” your understanding – it says don’t “lean” on it. Instead, lean on God. “Acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your steps.” If you want success on the job, this is a proven formula for achieving it.
Soul food: Exo 28-29; Luke 14:1-14; Ps 106:1-23; Prov 7:1-2
2019-03-04
Isaiah 30:21 NIV
How many times has something inside urged you to do a certain thing, but instead you allowed the voice in your head to overrule the voice in your spirit? That inner voice is your spiritual intuition, the part of you God speaks to. The Bible says, “Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'” John the apostle put it this way: “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things” (1 John 2:20 NKJV). Learn to trust that “anointing” because it will tell you: (a) what you need to do; (b) when you need to act; (c) what direction to take; (d) what changes you need to make. What a gift – yet we seldom use it! Somebody said, “Too much analysis leads to paralysis.” We’re afraid we couldn’t possibly know something without thinking it through, or because it seems too obvious. We think, “That can’t be right. I couldn’t possibly do that.” We argue for our limitations, and as a result they become our limitations! Learn to recognize and trust your spiritual intuition. It’s your connection to the greatest source of wisdom in the universe – God’s wisdom. And don’t be surprised when what you hear in your spirit sounds like what you’ve thought many times but paid no attention to. The Bible says, “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13 NIV). So next time your spiritual intuition tells you something and it lines up with Scripture, don’t be afraid to act on it!
Soul food: Exo 25-27; Luke 13:18-35; Ps 136; Prov 6:30-35
2019-03-03
Romans 12:2 AMPC
Lasting change doesn’t come through human effort, frustration, self-hatred, guilt, or beating yourself up over your failures. It comes from having your mind renewed daily by the Word of God. If you’re a consistent Bible reader, you’ll grow spiritually. As you agree with God and believe what He says in His Word, you gradually begin to change. It just happens. You start to think differently, talk differently, and act differently. But you must be patient because it’s a process that develops in stages. And you must learn to enjoy life while you’re going through the transformation process. Many of us look like we’re walking a tightrope rather than a pathway of peace. No, enjoy where you are on your way to where you’re going! Don’t waste all your “now time” trying to rush into the future. Jesus said that tomorrow will have challenges of its own (See Matthew 6:34). Perhaps you’re thinking, “If only I didn’t have this problem, I’d be happy.” What are you wrestling with? An out-of-control appetite? Resentment? Fearfulness? Maybe you’re saying, “If I could get this habit under control I’d be fine.” Just like Israel conquered the Promised Land one city at a time, you conquer your weaknesses one day at a time. Paul said, “So that I might finish my course with joy” (Acts 20:24). Paul wanted to be all that God called him to be – but he wanted to enjoy the process. So instead of getting discouraged about how far you still have to go, learn to celebrate your progress along the way.
Soul food: Exo 20:7; Lev 24:10-16; Phil 2:5-11
2019-03-02
3 John v 12 NIV
When people speak well of you, it means you have acceptance. But when the truth speaks well of you, it means you have class! Demetrius had it. Do you? Paul told Timothy, “Set an example…in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity…give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:12-15 NIV). We decided to reprint these timeless words on “class” by columnist Ann Landers: “Class is just confidence dressed in humility. It keeps its word, its temper, and its friends. It has a steady eye, a steady nerve, a steady tongue, and steady habits. It’s silent when it has nothing to say, thoughtful when it judges, and is always first to make amends when it’s wrong. Class doesn’t run scared. It’s surefooted, committed, and handles whatever comes along. Class has a sense of humor. It knows that a good laugh is often the best lubricant for oiling the machinery of human relations. Class never makes excuses. It takes its lumps, learns from its mistakes, and becomes wiser. Class knows that courtesy and good manners are nothing more than a series of small sacrifices. It bespeaks an aristocracy that is not dependent on ancestors or money. A blue-blood can be totally without it, while the son of a Welsh coal miner may ooze it out of every pore. Class can walk with kings, yet still keep its virtue; talk with crowds, yet still maintain the common touch. Everyone is comfortable with a person who has class – because they are comfortable with themselves.” Today, show some “class!”
Soul food: Exo 22-24; Luke 13:1-17; Ps 77; Prov 6:29
