2018-10-08
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV
Describing the emotions evoked in having to address an audience, a respected writer says: “Public speaking is listed as [our] number-one fear, before death at number five, and loneliness, which weighs in at number seven. That means that most of us are less afraid of dying alone than of making fools of ourselves in front of others. Fear is a powerful motivator…There is the fear of being seen as exceptional and different; the fear of the unknown; the fear of being a fraud; the fear of forgetting everything you were going to say; the fear of being at risk publicly; and the fear of being up there alone. They all come together for most of us in public speaking.” In The Bible on Leadership, author Lorin Woolfe writes: “Leadership takes an almost bottomless supply of verbal energy; working the phones, staying focused on your message, repeating the same mantra until you can’t stand the sound of your own voice – and then repeating it some more, because just when you start to become bored witless with the message, it’s probably starting to seep in.” If you do a lot of teaching, preaching, or public speaking, you’re probably smiling and saying “Amen!” The fact is, you can’t fill an empty bucket from a dry well. In order to keep giving out you must keep your batteries charged spiritually, emotionally, and physically. And the Bible tells you how: “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Soul food: Exo 4-6; John 1:1-13; Ps 63; Prov 25:26-28
2018-10-07
Genesis 27:28 NIV
Let’s look at the next two ingredients of a father’s blessing: (1) The power of prayer. Here’s how Isaac, who was a farmer, prayed for his sons: “May God give you of heaven’s dew and earth’s richness – an abundance of grain and new wine.” Dad, have your children ever heard you praying for them to succeed in life? Perhaps they’ve heard cutting and critical words like: “How could you be so stupid? Don’t you ever think? You’ll never amount to anything!” If so, apologize and ask their forgiveness. Then create opportunities for them to hear you talk to God about them by name; to hear you speak blessing over them. What a powerful thing is a father’s prayer of blessing over his family! (2) The vision of a glorious future. The Bible says, “When there’s no vision, the people get out of control” (Proverbs 29:18 CEB). School counselors grieve over the lack of vision in their students. Many of today’s kids see nothing ahead for them but economic gloom, unemployment and hard times. They need somebody to believe in them; to assure them they can succeed and live happy lives; to know their best days are ahead. Isaac didn’t wait for his boys to devise their own vision for the future. No, he prayed for their future success, for their rise to prominence, and for respect with their family and society. Dad, your kids need you to motivate them in the right direction.
Soul food: Heb 11:8-12; Gen 17:1-27; Gen 22:1-18; James 2:21-24
2018-10-06
Hebrews 11:20 KJV
Every child needs their father’s blessing, and every father should speak words of blessing to them. When Isaac blessed his sons he was speaking with divinely given authority, not out of sentiment or favoritism. By Hebrew custom a father’s blessing had these ingredients: (1) A meaningful touch. “Jacob went close to his father…who touched him…Then his father Isaac said to him, ‘Come here, my son, and kiss me'” (Genesis 27:22, 26 NIV). A father’s blessing included the laying on of hands, a kiss, and an embrace of love and acceptance. Jesus also knew the importance of this: “He took [the children] up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16). And such expressions of love still bless your children’s hearts when they get them from you, Dad. (2) Words of affection. Before blessing Jacob his father Isaac said to him, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed” (Genesis 27:27 NIV). To a city dweller these words might bring a puzzled look, but not to Isaac’s boys. Isaac, who loved nature, was saying, “That’s my boy – a country boy, a hunter, a man’s man like his dad!” He couldn’t have spoken more affirming words to his sons. Dad, make sure your words aren’t demeaning or insensitive; speak words that say, “I love you, I believe in you, I’m proud of you, and I’ll always be here for you.”
Soul food: Exo 1-3; Luke 24:45-53; Ps 51; Prov 25:23-25
2018-10-05
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT
Often life doesn’t go according to plan. A promotion doesn’t happen in time and your career plans get sidelined, or a relationship backfires and you spend every waking moment analyzing what went wrong. The secret to real peace lies in seeing “the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end,” and accepting that He works according to His own timetable. Have you ever tried unlocking the door to your house when you’re rushing, weighed down with packages, and the phone is ringing? It’s the right key, but it won’t work because you’re forcing it. Once you relax, the door opens with no problem. One counselor says: “Stop trying so hard. You’re sabotaging yourself. Once you decide a situation is good or bad, you put yourself in a position of having to do something about it. For example, if someone is ‘good’ you start comparing yourself: Am I better or worse? How do I need to improve? We’re exhausted before we begin! When the path is uphill – walk up the hill! When you have to go around an obstacle…go around it! Accept the path before you. The Bible says there’s ‘a proper time and procedure for every delight’ (Ecclesiastes 8:6 NAS). Sometimes that means you don’t get what you want today, you get what you have today. Maybe something needs to happen first. Or there’s an important lesson God wants you to learn and you’re trying to avoid it. Or it’s just not time. Stop trying so hard to make things happen on your timetable. Do what you can do in peace, surrender the rest to God, and watch the ‘impossible’ fall into place.”
Soul food: 1 Cor 15-16; Luke 24:36-44; Ps 60; Prov 25:21-22
2018-10-04
1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV
One pastor writes: “I stood on every healing Scripture in the Bible. Finally I got so sick that I had to be rushed to the hospital. There they discovered I had five arteries completely blocked and scheduled me for a bypass surgery. When I came through it, I started questioning, ‘How could this have happened to me? I’m a pastor. I believe that God heals. I’ve prayed for others and watched Him heal them.’ Then I remembered! I’d been warned repeatedly that my cholesterol and sugar levels were too high. I needed to change my diet, but I wouldn’t listen. I was addicted to fried foods and fatty foods. They were so tasty I couldn’t give them up.” Keep reading – your life could depend on it! Jesus said the children of this world are wiser than the children of light (See Luke 16:8). The media and medical establishment are warning us daily to watch what we eat, yet often the church is silent. Tobacco, alcohol, and drugs can kill you, but so can eating the wrong food! Paul writes: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV). You have an assignment from God, and a responsibility to stay healthy and fulfill it. Your body is the temple in which He dwells, and the instrument He uses. So seek to “glorify God in your body” each day.
Soul food: 1 Cor 12-14; Luke 24:25-35; Ps 68:19-35; Prov 25:17-20
2018-10-03
Isaiah 30:21 NCV
A counselor who was once an addict writes: “I was in treatment for chemical dependency and needed a job to get out. I looked for months, but nobody wanted to hire me. One day I was waiting for a bus when a little voice urged: ‘Look behind you.’ I was standing next to an attorney’s office. ‘Go talk to the head of the firm and tell him you need a job,’ were the words I heard. That’s crazy, I thought…but that ‘still, small voice’ urged me on, so I obeyed. When I talked to the attorney and told him what was happening in my life, he understood because someone in his family was also recovering from addiction. Then he looked at me and said, ‘It’s funny you came in today. I was thinking about creating a position for a legal secretary and hadn’t gotten around to advertising.’ Two weeks later I got the job, and it was better than any position I’d applied for. It paid more and made the best possible use of my skills.” The problem isn’t that God no longer speaks to us; it’s that we don’t recognize His voice. Don’t be so quick to dismiss the random thoughts that cross your mind (See 1 Corinthians 2:16). Generally speaking, God won’t send a thunderbolt from heaven to get your attention. More often He speaks through your thoughts, a family member, a friend, a teacher, a pastor, a change in your circumstances, the sudden discovery of the ‘perfect’ Scripture, the writing of a gifted author, or in the quietness when He fills your heart with perfect peace. So learn to listen to God’s voice.
Soul food: 1 Cor 10-11; Luke 24:13-24; Ps 68:1-18; Prov 25:13-16
