2019-02-27
Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV
We all have a need to belong, to be part of a family. One pastor writes: “I know couples with hearts of love who yearn to focus it on some little one, but no little one arrives. When these couples find children to adopt, they don’t tell the children they’d better measure up to expectation if they want to stay in the family. There’s no such thing as three strikes – then back to the agency. No, they accept them with open arms and joy-filled hearts because they love them. They take them into their homes forever, give them the family name, and make them legal heirs. Long before we even knew we needed God, He “predestined us to adoption as sons [and daughters] by Jesus Christ” (NKJV). Earthly parents get divorced, go separate ways, and start new families. But not God; you never have to worry about your standing and relationship with Him. Regardless of race, color, creed, or background, when you repent and accept Christ as your Savior, your adoption becomes binding and permanent. You’re part of His family. And to prove it, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16 NKJV). Do you realize what that means? You never again have to walk around feeling intimidated and fearful, or live under a cloud of condemnation, because you are a child of God and a “fellow [heir] with Christ” (v. 17 NAS). The word “heir” means you can claim every blessing and benefit Christ purchased for you at the cross. Every single one without exception!
Soul food: Exo 13-15; Luke 12:22-34; Ps 66:1-12; Prov 6:20-22
2019-02-26
Proverbs 4:23 NLT
When Satan sets out to destroy you, he starts by planting wrong thoughts in your mind. Jesus illustrated this when He said, “The law of Moses said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say: Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28 TLB). Before you surrender to sin in reality, you entertain it as fantasy. Evil thoughts aren’t really yours until you allow them to “move in and rearrange the furniture.” Left unchecked to ramble through your mind, a thought can attach itself to an incident in your past or a proclivity in your present and feed on it until it’s like a tumor growing inside you. Paul warns, “Take captive every thought…make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV). And Solomon writes, “Guard your heart…for it determines the course of your life.” Don’t give wrong thoughts an inch or they will take a mile. Evict them before they weaken your commitment to Christ and leave you in the place of regret. Generally speaking, when we clean house we focus on what others can see and inspect. Imagine how much mental junk we collect because we think nobody sits in our heads examining our thoughts. But God does! David said, “Lord…you know all about me” (Psalm 139:1 CEV). Knowing that should lead you to pray: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord” (Psalm 19:14).
Soul food: Exo 10-12; Luke 12:13-21; Ps 61; Prov 6:16-19
2019-02-25
Job 22:21 NIV
Here are two things that happen when you recognize God’s greatness: (1) You’re not tempted to analyze Him and reduce Him to manageable terms. (2) You’re less likely to try and manipulate Him and His will, or explain Him and His ways. Think carefully about that for a moment! How many times does God have to tell us, “My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9 NKJV) before we actually get it? How often must He explain that He’s the shepherd and we’re the sheep; that He’s the vine and we’re branches, before we kneel down in surrender and say, “Have thine own way, Lord”? If Jesus, the Son of God, found it necessary to pray, “Not my will but thine be done,” wouldn’t it be wise for us to pray those words too – every day? (See Matthew 26:39). How long has it been since you took time just to sit silently in His presence; to catch a glimpse of the One who is truly awesome and incomprehensible? Job 22:21 says, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” Do you know God? If so, how well do you know Him? Would you like to know Him better? If your answer is yes, it won’t just happen. You must put it at the top of your priority list and pursue it each day. When you do, you won’t be disappointed because His Word guarantees you: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8 NKJV).
Soul food: Exo 7-9; Luke 12:1-12; Ps 58; Prov 6:12-15
2019-02-24
John 14:26 NIV
Why would we describe the Holy Spirit as the plus factor? Three reasons: (1) The Holy Spirit determines the gifts and skills you receive. “It is the one and only [Holy] Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have” (1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT). So if you feel like a square peg in a round hole, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what your gifts are. Then ask Him to open the door and give you favor with the right people. He’ll do it. (2) The Holy Spirit knows where you belong. The Bible says, “They, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia” (Acts 13:4). Where you are matters. For example, if you’re a whale you were born to swim in the ocean. If you’re a bird you were born to fly in the air. During a famine God sent Elijah to the brook Cherith, saying, “I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there” (1 Kings 17:4). If Elijah had decided he’d rather stay where he was, he’d have missed his miracle. You don’t have to do anything to experience God’s love, but you must know His voice and follow His direction to experience His blessing. (3) The Holy Spirit can be offended. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30 NIV). When a dove (which represents the Holy Spirit in Scripture) returns to its nest, it won’t land if the nest is out of order. So ask God to make you more conscious of the presence of His precious Holy Spirit, and make your heart a place where He always feels at home.
Soul food: Exo 20:4; Isa 44:6-20; Rom 1:21-25
2019-02-23
Romans 12:6 NIV
Insecure people often say yes, when in reality they’d like to say no. But people who succeed at being themselves don’t let others control them. They see themselves as God sees them; therefore they’re led by His Word instead of the fear of rejection. You can invest so much effort into trying to keep everybody happy that you end up losing yourself. Question: Do you feel like you can’t be everything everybody wants you to be? Do you want to say no, but the fear of displeasing others makes you keep acquiescing? And in the meantime the pressure is building inside you and you’re thinking, “I can’t do this anymore”? Don’t get angry with those who keep making more and more demands on you. You are responsible for ordering your own life. The buck stops with you! That requires a clear sense of your own worth, your calling, your direction, your goals, and your priorities. One Christian author writes: “For years I lived under the pressure of everybody’s expectations. I thought, ‘What if I let them down?’ I thought they were pressuring me, when in reality it was my own fears and insecurities weighing me down. ‘But,’ you say, ‘don’t you care what others think?’ What others think isn’t my problem, unless I make it my problem. Pleasing God and being what He wants is my first concern. If I try to be anybody else I’ll forfeit His blessing, because God can’t bless an imitation.” The solution is to work on becoming secure in who you are in Christ, and everything else will begin to fall into place.
Soul food: Exo 4-6; Luke 11:45-54; Ps 53; Prov 6:9-11
2019-02-22
Proverbs 10:12 NKJV
When you hold on to resentment it feels like there’s a war going on inside you. You’re in a battle with yourself, as well as others. And the more you fight, the more ground you lose. Arguing just drains you of energy and leaves you more hurt and angry. You’re in a no-win situation. You struggle with who’s right and who’s wrong. You spend so much time trying to out-do, out-shout, and out-maneuver others that you lose your peace and joy. End the conflict now! Refuse to live this way another day. Don’t allow someone’s actions to determine your reactions. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV). Don’t become Satan’s next meal. Let the love and peace of God fill your mind so much that it overflows to others – including those who have upset you. Stop and think: Do you really want to be like the person who hurt you? What would Jesus do? You know! He’d turn the other cheek (See Matthew 5:39). “But,” you ask, “what about the wrong done to me?” What about it? It’s not for you to impose judgment. There’s only one qualified judge; let Him handle it (See James 4:12). Ask God to help you to release your anger, turn the other cheek, and forgive the one who has done you wrong. Pray this simple prayer: “Lord, I’m angry. Help me to let it go. I choose to be merciful. Thank You for giving me the grace to forgive the person who hurt me and to follow You. In Jesus’ name: Amen.”
Soul food: Exo 1-3; Luke 11:29-44; Ps 40:9-17; Prov 6:6-8
