2019-01-12
2 Thessalonians 3:11 NKJV
One day Peter looked at John and said to Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” Jesus immediately rebuked Peter and said, “What is that to you? Just follow me” (See John 21:21-22). Now, if the apostle Peter could get into trouble for meddling, any of us can. The issue here isn’t about helping others; it’s about knowing when to stay out of the middle and mind your own business. Sometimes we jump in and try to solve problems without being asked. And not only are our efforts fruitless, they’re resented. As you become spiritually mature and get over your need to “fix” everybody, life becomes simpler. Now that you’re not “butting in” where you’re not invited, you’re more available to help where you’re really needed. Not meddling, however, goes beyond avoiding the temptation to police, enlighten, or rescue others. It means not eavesdropping, gossiping, talking behind people’s backs, and needing to figure everybody out. Recognize any of these traits in yourself? If so, deal with the problem before it costs you the respect of others. Do you know why we focus so much on other people’s shortcomings? You’ve guessed it – to keep from having to look closely at ourselves. The only thing you can change about others – is your attitude toward them. Paul writes, “Some…among you…are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort…that they work in quietness” (2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 NKJV). One counselor says: “Being a peacemaker doesn’t mean we get in the middle. We are bearers of peace by staying peaceful ourselves…not harboring turmoil…not causing the extra chaos created when we get in the middle of other people’s affairs and relationships.”
Soul food: Isa 38-41; Luke 2:34-40; Ps 74:1-11; Prov 2:6
2019-01-11
Hebrews 11:26 NIV
Moses discovered that when you’re not fulfilling your God-given dream, a king’s palace won’t make you happy. “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God…because he was looking ahead to his reward…he persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (vv. 24-27 NIV). When God gives you a dream, you’ll be able to see things that are “invisible” to others. This brings us to the next dream killer: Lack of imagination. Humorist Robert Orben said, “Always remember that there are only two kinds of people in this world – the realists and the dreamers. The realists know where they’re going. The dreamers have already been there.” God gave you the gift of memory to replay the past, and the gift of imagination to pre-play the future. Moses “saw” the Promised Land long before he got there. It’s what sustained him through forty long years in the wilderness. God didn’t make a mistake when He gave you imagination. Because of it you can stand in the middle of your dream and envision it before it comes to pass, even when others doubt it. So if you’re a dreamer who has already been there in your imagination, trust God and put your dream to the test. If you come from a discouraging background, or don’t think of yourself as an especially imaginative person, don’t lose hope. You can still discover and develop a dream. God has put that ability within you!
Soul food: Isa 34-37; Luke 2:21-33; Ps 71:17-24; Prov 2:3-5
2019-01-10
Numbers 14:24 NIV
Caleb was truly remarkable. No retirement plan or rocking chair for this guy! At eighty-five he dreamed of owning his own mountain in the Promised Land. And even though there were giants living on it, they didn’t discourage him one bit. When the people around him saw the giants and wanted to back off, Caleb factored God into the equation and said, “We will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them” (v. 9 NIV). Note the words, “We will swallow them up.” As you grow in faith you’ll start to “feed off” stuff the Enemy throws at you and as a result you’ll become stronger. Bottom line: You can choose to blend in or to stand out! God said, “Because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” Notice, Caleb had “a different spirit,” which brings us to another dream killer you must overcome: Lack of confidence. Dreams are fragile. And they’re at the greatest risk when they’re new to you, when the people you love and respect don’t approve, and when you have no past record of success to fall back on and give you confidence. That’s the point at which you must know God for yourself and have a relationship with Him. “The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32 NKJV). The word “exploits” indicates that God can show you how to exploit, utilize, profit from, and find opportunity in even the worst of circumstances.
Soul food: Isa 30-33; Luke 2:8-20; Ps 71:1-16; Prov 2:1-2
2019-01-09
Romans 4:17 NIV
When you dare to dream, God who “calls things that are not as though they were” is at work within you. But there’s a third dream killer you must overcome: Settling for average. A God-given dream will stretch you; you can’t reach for it and remain safely mediocre at the same time. The two are incompatible. When you settle for average, it’s tempting to blame it on others, or on your personal circumstances, or on the system. But the truth is mediocrity is always a personal choice. When you don’t have a compelling dream you are in danger of having your life merely slip away. Author Kenneth Hildebrand puts it this way: “The poorest of all men isn’t the one without a penny to his name. He’s the fellow without a dream…[he is like] a great ship made for the mighty ocean but trying to navigate in a millpond. He has no far port to reach, no lifting horizon, no precious cargo to carry. His hours are absorbed in routine and petty tyrannies. Small wonder he gets dissatisfied, quarrelsome, and ‘fed up.’ One of life’s greatest tragedies is a person with a ten-by-twelve capacity and a two-by-four soul.” If you feel that your life is closer to average than you want, you need to do more dreaming. Nothing will help you break out of your rut like a God-inspired dream. And if you don’t already have one, ask God to give you one. He may give it to you in an instant, or over a period of time, but He will do it.
Soul food: Isa 26-29; Luke 2:1-7; Ps 46; Prov 1:32-33
2019-01-08
Romans 4:18 NIV
The second dream killer is: Disappointment. Disappointment is the gap that exists between expectation and reality, and no doubt you’ve encountered the gap. You’ve had to live with unfulfilled desires or had your hopes dashed, and it can damage you. Mark Twain said: “We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that’s in it – and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove-lid. She’ll never sit down on another hot stove-lid again – and that is well; but also she’ll never sit down on a cold one anymore.” When something goes wrong we say, “I’ll never do that again!” What a mistake, especially when it comes to your dreams! Experiencing failure is the price you must pay to achieve success. Sometimes you must face it and overcome it repeatedly in order to be able to move forward and pursue your dream. Abraham was called to birth a nation. But before he fathered Isaac he grew impatient and fathered Ishmael, and created a bad situation he had to live with all his life. But he never stopped believing in his God-given dream. The Bible says: “He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (vv. 20-21 NIV). Note the words “was strengthened in his faith.” You must strengthen your faith each day by reading God’s Word and praying, recalling God’s goodness and reminding yourself that nothing is too hard for the Lord (See Jeremiah 32:17).
Soul food: Isa 22-25; Luke 1:67-80; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 1:28-31
2019-01-07
Genesis 37:19-20 NIV
For the next few days let’s look at some dream killers: Discouragement. An experiment was conducted with monkeys. Four of them were placed in a room with a tall pole in the center. On top was a big bunch of bananas. One of the monkeys started climbing the pole, but just as he reached out to grab a banana he was doused with a bucket of cold water. Squealing, he scampered down the pole and abandoned his attempt. Each monkey tried, and each was drenched with cold water. After several attempts they all gave up. Then the researchers removed one of the monkeys from the room and replaced him with a new one. As the newcomer began to climb the pole, the other three grabbed him and pulled him down. After trying to climb the pole several times and being dragged down by the others, he finally gave up and never attempted to climb the pole again. The researchers replaced the original monkeys one by one with new ones, and each time a new monkey was brought in, he’d be dragged down by the others before he could reach the bananas. In time, only the monkeys who’d never received a cold shower were in the room, but none of them would climb the pole. They prevented each other from climbing – but none of them knew why. The point? When God gave Joseph a dream of future greatness, his brothers resented him for it and said, “Here comes that dreamer!…let’s kill him.” Have others tried to throw cold water on your dream? Take heart. With God it’s never too late to start dreaming, or to pursue and fulfill the dream He has given you.
Soul food: Isa 17-21; Luke 1:57-66; Ps 42:1-5; Prov 1:20-27
