2019-04-10
2 Timothy 4:2 NIV
If you sow your seed at the wrong time, you risk losing your harvest. Why? Because you didn’t recognize what season you were in. Are you in the season of small beginnings? If you are, God says, “Do not despise these small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT). The richness and stability that come from “small beginnings” and gradual success are more lasting than the temperamental theatrics of those who have never learned their own vulnerabilities or developed a true sense of dependence on God. If you’re not sure what season you’re in, ask God. He does everything according to a set time and purpose. In the fall you break up the ground, turn the sod, sow the seed, add the fertilizer, and look for the harvest next spring. In the meantime you wait, because the soil that has yielded so many of its nutrients is being replenished. The fertilizer that smells so bad is in the process of producing the highest quality crop. The root system that’s required for strong, healthy growth is being developed. Understand this: God gives you grace for the season you’re in – not the one you were once in, or the one you’d like to be in. When Paul said, “Be prepared in season and out of season,” he recognized that he was in the winter of his ministry. That’s why he was pouring his knowledge into his successor, Timothy. Paul wasn’t resentful about the changing seasons. No, when his days as a player were over he simply became a coach. So ask God to show you what season you’re in and how to make it the most productive season of your life.
Soul food: Phil 1-4; Luke 22:14-23; Ps 43; Prov 10:10
2019-04-09
Luke 5:4 NKJV
The disciples fished all night and caught nothing. Then Jesus said, “‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets’…And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish” (Luke 5:4-6 NKJV). Notice three things here: (1) Working harder isn’t necessarily the answer. The disciples “toiled all night.” Nobody could have questioned their work ethic. But when you fish in water that’s too shallow, no amount of effort will bring results. (2) You need to obey God even when you don’t understand His plan. Peter, a seasoned fisherman, had to set aside his pride and say, “Nevertheless at Your word I will…” In 2 Kings chapter 5, Naaman had to humble himself and bathe in the Jordan in order to be healed of leprosy. In Gethsemane Jesus displayed the same attitude when He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42 NIV). (3) Going deeper always works. Jesus said two men built houses, but only one house survived the storm because the builder “dug…deep and laid the foundation on rock” (Luke 6:48 NIV). Author Phil Yancey’s former pastor said he sometimes felt like an old hand-operated pump. “Everyone who came along would reach up and pump vigorously a few times, and each time he felt something drain out of him. Finally, he had nothing more to give. At a ministry retreat he expressed his thoughts to a very wise nun, expecting her to offer soothing words about what a wonderful sacrificial person he was. Instead she gave him some great advice: ‘There’s only one thing to do when your reservoir is dry. Go deeper!'” And that’s the word for you today!
Soul food: Lev 26-27; Luke 22:1-13; Ps 56; Prov 10:8-9
2019-04-08
Hebrews 11:27 KJV
The life of Moses can be summed up in two words: “He endured.” He endured despite the contempt of Pharaoh, the mightiest monarch on earth. He endured despite the stubbornness of the Hebrews, who grumbled, blamed, and rebelled. He endured despite the criticism of Miriam and Aaron, his own family. He endured despite the negative report of the ten spies who came back from the Land of Promise saying, “The giants are too big, and we are too small” (See Numbers 13:33). How did Moses do it? Answer: “By faith…he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” He kept his eyes on God – not people! Paul gives us the secret to victory in the battles of life: “Having done everything…stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13 NAS). Stand firm when your enemies seem to prosper. Stand firm when the wicked seem to be winning. Stand firm when big people act small and little people demand authority they don’t deserve. Stand firm when no one would ever know you compromised. Spiritually speaking, where are you today? Are you feeling shaky in areas where you once stood strong? Are you giving in to temptation, fear, mood-swings, or the opinions of others because you’re tired of their disapproval? Stand firm! Moses endured even when he was in his eighties “because he saw him who is invisible” (NIV). He kept his eyes on the Lord. He continually reminded himself that his sole purpose in life was to please the Lord, obey Him, glorify Him, and gain His approval. So the word for you today is: Stand firm!
Soul food: Lev 23:26-25:55; Luke 21:29-38; Ps 50:16-23; Prov 10:4-7
2019-04-07
Hebrews 6:1 CEV
Paul writes: “May God himself…who makes everything holy and whole…put you together – spirit, soul, and body, and keep you fit for the coming of…Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 TM). Are you growing into spiritual maturity? Before you answer, read these words: “Maturity is the ability to control your anger and settle your differences without violence or resentment. Maturity is patience; it’s the willingness to pass up short-term pleasure for long-term gain. It’s the ability to ‘sweat it out’ in spite of heavy opposition or discouraging setbacks. It’s the capacity to face unpleasantness and frustration without complaining or collapsing. Maturity is humility. It’s being big enough to say, ‘I was wrong,’ and when you are right, never needing to say, ‘I told you so.’ Maturity is the ability to make a decision and follow through with it instead of exploring endless possibilities and doing nothing about any of them. Maturity means dependability, keeping your word, and coming through in a crisis. The immature are masters of alibi; they’re the confused and the disorganized. Their lives are a maze of broken promises, former friends, unfinished business, and good intentions. Maturity is the art of being at peace with what you can’t change, having the courage to change what you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” The Bible says, “We must try to become mature and start thinking about more than just the basic things we were taught.” So the word for you today is: It’s time to become mature.
Soul food: 2 Kings 5:1-27; Matt 6:19-34; Acts 5:1-11
2019-04-06
Philippians 3:13-14 TM
One day Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes lost his train ticket. As he searched for it, obviously irritated, the conductor said, “It’s okay, Your Honor; just mail it in. We all know you and trust you.” Holmes replied, “I’m not concerned about finding my ticket – I just want to know where I’m going!” Having goals lets you know where you’re going in life. Fifty percent of the people around you have no idea where they’re going. Another 40 percent will go in any direction they’re led. The remaining 10 percent know where they’d like to go – but fewer than half of them are prepared to pay the price to get there. What enabled Jesus to endure the shame of the cross was His vision of the resurrection and a church that would one day change the world (Hebrews 12:2). Moses relinquished the comforts of Pharaoh’s palace because he envisioned the Promised Land (Hebrews 11:24-27). Store owner J. C. Penney said, “Give me a stock clerk with a goal, and I’ll give you someone who’ll make history. On the other hand, give me someone without a goal, and I’ll give you a stock clerk.” The truth is, while you are working on your goals, your goals are working on you. And the reward you get for reaching them isn’t nearly as important as what you become in pursuit of them. So, do you have goals? Are they clear enough to write down, short enough to fit into a paragraph, strong enough to help you persevere, and valuable enough to make you pay the price? If so, you’ll live to see them fulfilled.
Soul food: Lev 21:1-23:25; Luke 21-25-28; Ps 50:1-15; Prov 10:3
2019-04-05
1 Corinthians 3:11 NIV
A child without values is at the mercy of everybody else’s values. Paul writes, “We are co-workers in God’s service…no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (vv. 9, 11 NIV). When the adult role models in your children’s lives let them down, point them to Jesus. Tell them how He handled things, and what He has to say about the problems they will face in life. Jesus said, “For this cause I was born” (John 18:37 NKJV). Let your children know they were born for a special purpose, and as they walk with God He’ll reveal it to them. Anything less, regardless of how rich or famous it makes them, doesn’t satisfy. Peer pressure would be less effective if our children were taught to hold on to their own values and respect their own opinions. Having others exercise too much influence over them is downright dangerous! And don’t just teach your kids, solicit their opinions – and respect them. Home is where children learn to practice expressing how they feel, and if you’ve laid the right foundation you have nothing to worry about. You simply need to guide them in forming the right opinions. If you don’t, they won’t learn to think for themselves or face life with confidence. Moses told the Israelites: “Think constantly about these commandments…teach them to your children…talk about them when you are at home…out for a walk…at bedtime and the first thing in the morning” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 TLB). There you have it, Mom and Dad – the job is yours! So get on with it and God will bless you and your family.
Soul food: Lev 18-20; Luke 21:12-24; Ps 25:16-22; Prov 10:2
