2018-12-22
Psalm 18:28 NIV
God not only redeemed you and called you to serve Him, He also equipped you. Everything you need to fulfill your assignment is in your life right now, just waiting for you to recognize it. Anything that’s unrecognized becomes unappreciated; and anything that’s unappreciated becomes unrewarded; and anything that’s unrewarded eventually leaves your life. During the days of the California gold rush a young couple became obsessed with the quest for gold. They sold their farm and everything they owned and went out West to search for it. Failure after failure, they eventually ended up bankrupt and moved to Europe. Many years later they returned to America and decided to visit their old farm. But when they arrived they found it surrounded by security guards and a high wire fence. When they inquired, they discovered that under their old farm was the second-largest gold reserve in America – and it was now owned by the government. God has placed resources and people all around you that you’re not seeing. Some of the biggest gifts in your life have yet to be recognized because they’re in seed form. And your failure to recognize them is costing you dearly. Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers saying, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18 NIV). And David prayed, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18 NIV). Sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees. There’s treasure in you and around you that you’ll never see until God reveals it to you. And He will, if you seek Him.
Soul food: Job 18-20; Luke 1:57-66; Ps 47; Ecc 10:1-4
2018-12-21
Psalm 56:3 NLT
Underlying your deepest fears – are thoughts. They may be expressed publicly or entertained privately. Either way, you must arrest them and change them. If you don’t, they will capture and control you. One of the most powerful weapons God has given you for conquering fear and worry is the ability to personalize His promises. Here are just a few: “Don’t be afraid…you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression…the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God” (Isaiah 43:1-3 TLB). And what should your response to God’s promise be? “I will be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. I will not be afraid, neither will I be dismayed, for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go” (See Joshua 1:9 AMPC). “The Lord’s eye is upon me because I fear him [revere and worship him with awe] and because I trust in his mercy and loving kindness” (See Psalm 33:18 AMPC). “When I am tempted to have a fearful and hasty heart, I will say to myself, be strong, fear not! My God will come…and save me” (See Isaiah 35:4 AMPC). “The Lord is my light and my salvation…whom shall I fear?…when troubles come. He will hide me. He will set me on a high rock out of reach of all my enemies. Then I will…sing his praises with much joy” (Psalm 27:1, 5-6 TLB). Do you want to overcome your fears and worries? Personalize God’s promises!
Soul food: Job 15-17; Luke 1:39-56; Ps 12; Ecc 9:10-12
2018-12-20
2 Corinthians 10:4 NKJV
When a pattern of evil passes from one generation to the next, the Bible refers to it as a “stronghold.” David had a problem with lust, which resulted in an affair with another man’s wife. That same spirit passed on to David’s son Amnon, and he raped his sister (See 2 Samuel 13). When David heard about it he was angry, but he did nothing. What could he say? Abraham lied to a heathen king, saying his wife was his sister in order to save his own neck (See Genesis 20). Amazingly, his son Isaac did exactly the same a few chapters later (See Genesis 26). Experts report that children of alcoholic parents are four hundred times more likely to become alcoholic, and over 80 percent of child abusers were themselves abused children. Sometimes you can actually see the pattern coming at you from both sides of the family. But there’s good news. God heals dysfunctional families – and the healing can begin with you! Just because your parents were emotionally frozen doesn’t mean your children have to grow up without affection. God can teach you how to break that stronghold in your family so you can give your kids what you yourself never received. Gideon tore down the altar his idol-worshiping father built (See Judges 6:25) and by God’s grace you can do the same in your family! Pray over your children. Lay your hands on them and declare that the past will not invade the present; that God’s blessings will flow through you to them. Go ahead, do it and see what happens.
Soul food: Job 11-14; Luke 1:26-38; Ps 67; Ecc 7:19-22
2018-12-19
Ephesians 1:11 TM
God’s will isn’t simply for you to survive, but to thrive (See Psalm 35:27 NKJV). Satan will attack you, but he can’t separate you from God’s love or keep Him from blessing you. Satan will lie and say he can, but he can’t. Imagine his frustration over that! When you know God has promised you something, it gives you strength to overcome things others can’t. All the water in the sea won’t drown you as long as it doesn’t get into the boat. It’s what you allow in that hurts you! So guard your heart. Keep your vision alive and it will keep you alive. If you want the prize, be willing to pay the price. The reason many of us fail is because we trade what we want most for what we want now. No; the greater the challenge, the greater the reward that awaits you beyond it. Paul the apostle had his eye on the prize when he wrote, “Stand your ground. And…don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time” (1 Corinthians 15:58 TM). The only thing life owes you is an opportunity to grow. Moses walked away from a palace, Elisha walked away from a farm, and Luke walked away from a medical practice in order to follow God. It’s what you’re willing to walk away from that determines what God can entrust you with. So keep turning the pages, keep pushing ahead, tighten your grip on your God-given purpose. What you don’t have now can be yours in the future if you keep growing, stay focused, and remain faithful.
Soul food: Job 8-10; Luke 1:19-25; Ps 57; Ecc 7:13-15
2018-12-18
Philippians 2:13 NIV
As you travel through life on your spiritual journey, here are two important tips to remember: (1) With God no experience is ever wasted. That includes the painful and difficult ones. We may impress people with our strengths, but we often connect with them best through our struggles. If you want to motivate someone, don’t just tell them about all you’ve accomplished, talk about the tests and trials you went through to get there. If you don’t, you may seem beyond their reach. Indeed, some of the experiences you’re reluctant to share may be the very things that will cause them to think, “If God could do that for you, then He can do it for me too.” In other words, you’ll give them hope. (2) To succeed in God’s kingdom, you must serve others. Look at Joseph. He used his talent, fame, and fortune to feed the world during a time of famine; his reward came afterward. When your goal is to meet other people’s needs you’ll always be rewarded, and you’ll always have a future. Jesus didn’t tell Peter to go out and gather a crowd together just so he’d have someone to preach to. No. He simply said, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:16). Pastor, if too many church pews are empty on Sunday morning, do more than blame the people. Ask yourself, “How’s the food? How’s the service?” As long as there’s a spiritual hunger that nobody else is satisfying, you have a future and a ministry. As you consider these two tips for travelers, pray and ask God to make them part of your life.
Soul food: Job 5-7; Luke 1:11-18; Ps 105:37-45; Ecc 7:9-12
2018-12-17
Psalm 51:15 NKJV
A grateful heart sees each day as a gift. It’s like a magnet sweeping over your day, collecting reasons to be grateful. It thanks God for the miracle of muscles that enable your eyes to read these words and your brain to process them. It thanks God for lungs that can inhale and exhale eleven thousand liters of air every day. It thanks God for a heart that will beat about three billion times in your lifetime, and for a brain that’s a veritable electric generator and supercomputer of power. It thanks God for jam on your toast and milk on your cereal. For the blanket that warms you and the joke that delights you. For the thousands of planes that didn’t crash today. For the men who didn’t cheat on their wives, and the wives who didn’t turn on their men. And the kids who in spite of unspeakable pressure to dishonor their parents, decided not to do so. Rejoicing over the good stuff is what gets you through the hard stuff. “A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22 NLT). Gratitude is an attitude you choose, not a reaction to your circumstances. “On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God…he broke it” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24 NLT). Note, the words betrayed and thanks are in the same sentence, and in the same heart. On the night Jesus was betrayed, He gave thanks. And you can do that when you know God is in control, directing your steps, and working everything out for your good.
Soul food: Job 1-4; Luke 1:1-10; Ps 105:23-36; Ecc 7:5-8
