2018-11-11
Philippians 3:8 NKJV
Ever hear of “one-way missionaries”? They purchased a one-way ticket to the mission field, and instead of packing a suitcase they packed their belongings into a coffin, knowing they would never return home. A. W. Milne was one of them. He went to the New Hebrides in the South Pacific, knowing that headhunters had martyred every missionary before him. But he didn’t fear for his life because he had already died to himself. For thirty-five years he lived among them and ministered to them. When he died, the tribe buried him in the middle of their village and inscribed these words on his tombstone: When he came there was no light. Nowhere in Scripture does God send us to safe places to do easy things. Faced with the cross, Jesus prayed the ultimate prayer of commitment: “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). And today He’s asking you to be totally committed to Him. Paul wrote: “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:7-10 NKJV). It’s when you’re willing to fellowship with Christ in His sufferings that you get to experience the power of His resurrection. So the word for you today is: Be totally committed.
Soul food: Job 1; Job 2:7-10; Job 40:1-5; Job 42:7-17
2018-11-10
Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV
What you are doing right now might seem insignificant and unrewarding, but it could be preparing you for something God wants to do through you in the future. The Bible says, “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 NKJV). There’s a saying: “Nothing is lost in God’s economy,” and it’s true. When Daniel Webster started out as a lawyer he took a case for a fee of just twenty dollars. The case turned out to be a very difficult one, and in preparing for it he had to make a trip to Boston, which cost him more than twenty dollars. But he determined to do a thorough job and win the case, which he did. Years later a company approached him on short notice, asking him to undertake a case for which they were willing to pay him the largest fee he had ever received. In reviewing the case, he found it was almost identical to the one he’d researched and won nearly twenty years earlier, and for which he was paid only twenty dollars. He took the case, and just as before, the verdict was in favor of his client. When you do only what you feel like doing or enjoy doing, you can overlook relationships and undervalue experiences essential to your future. Your destiny is made up of seemingly insignificant moments, experiences, and encounters. Your today is connected to your tomorrow, so maximize each opportunity and relationship that comes your way. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”
Soul food: Isa 63-66; John 9:13-23; Ps 115; Prov 29:7-10
2018-11-09
Psalm 89:34 NKJV
Medical experts say that every one of us will experience depression in some form during our lifetime. A large portion of the population wakes up each day in a cloud of gloom. You may be one of them. A popular children’s book is called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Alexander falls asleep with gum in his mouth, and finds it in his hair upon waking. His breakfast cereal box lacks a toy in the bottom, and he can’t impress his teacher despite his best efforts. He resolves several times to move to Australia. Unfortunately, geographical cures don’t work. You don’t solve the problem; you just relocate it. So what can you do? Turn to the one source of strength, hope, and encouragement that never fails – God’s living Word. God says, “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.” If you’re feeling down today, here are some Scriptures you can stand on: “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Psalm 107:20 NKJV). “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13 NKJV). “In the day of my trouble I will call on You, for You will answer me” (Psalm 86:7 NKJV). “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isa 59:1 NKJV). “I will go in the strength of the Lord God” (Psalm 71:16 NKJV).
Soul food: Isa 58-62; John 9:1-12; Ps 15; Prov 29:4-6
2018-11-08
Ephesians 2:10 NKJV
The Bible says God “creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing” (TM). Before you decide on a career or what you’ll devote your life to, seek God for guidance. Nothing can take the place of knowing His will. If you don’t know it, you’re likely to spend your life doing the wrong things. And even if you’re well-paid, you’ll experience an emptiness and lack of fulfillment within. Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, a Nazi death camp survivor, said: “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life…a concrete assignment that demands fulfilment. Therein he cannot be replaced…everyone’s task is as unique as his specific opportunity.” God created you for a specific purpose. Your responsibility (and your joy) is to identify it. Here are four questions to ask yourself when it comes to identifying your life’s purpose: (1) What am I searching for? All of us have a strong desire in our hearts; something that speaks to our deepest thoughts, longings, and feelings; something that sets our souls on fire. (2) Why was I created? Think about your unique mix of abilities, the relationships and resources available to you, your personal history, and the opportunities around you. These are all directional signposts. (3) Do I believe in my potential? One leadership expert says, “No one can consistently act in a manner that is inconsistent with the way he or she sees themselves.” (4) When should I start? The answer to that question is “Now!”
Soul food: Isa 53-57; John 8:42-59; Ps 123; Prov 29:1-3
2018-11-07
Galatians 5:1 NLT
Some of us find it hard to give ourselves permission to think, say, or enjoy certain things because we fear others will disapprove. We live by their convictions instead of our own. There’s no bondage like religious bondage! A Christian author writes: “The church I grew up in taught that we couldn’t go to the movies or a soccer match (mixing with the world), or ladies wear makeup. Our standard answer to most of these issues was, “We were taught differently!” Such is the reasoning of a conscience raised in the school of tradition. Paul came down hard on the Galatians for trying to police people’s lives and forcing them to live by Jewish traditions instead of the Gospel of grace. He wrote, “Make sure…you stay free…don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law” (v. 1 NLT). Train yourself to worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. In reality, what upsets some religious folks is that you can do certain things they can’t – because they can’t give themselves permission to enjoy their freedom in Christ (See Galatians 2:4). Now, we’re not condoning sin or unscriptural practices. But if you don’t move when the light is green, you’ll spend your life waiting for “the right moment” or “a time when most people will understand” before you move forward. And you’ll end your life looking back with regret. Don’t let that happen to you. “Christ has truly set us free…make sure that you stay free.”
Soul food: Isa 49-52; John 8:31-41; Ps 30; Prov 28:25-28
2018-11-06
1 Peter 2:20 NIV
Many of the people we admire in Scripture were badly treated. And God permitted it to happen. Think about Daniel being thrown to the lions, and Joseph being tossed into prison. They did nothing to deserve it. The Bible says: “If you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable…To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (vv. 20-21 NIV). Notice, you are “called” to overcome difficulties. There’s purpose in your pain. And nothing can touch you without first passing through your loving heavenly Father’s hands. He anticipated it all, and everything you’re going through right now is preparing you to serve Him more effectively. Paul said, “At my preliminary hearing no one stood by me. They all ran…But it doesn’t matter – the Master stood by me and helped me spread the Message” (2 Timothy 4:16-17 TM). Paul didn’t see it as simply enduring, he saw it as advancing! So be encouraged; you’re growing in grace [becoming more gracious] and in the knowledge of the Lord (See 2 Peter 3:18). You’re in the preparation process. “But I don’t understand,” you say. Then listen to Joni Erickson Tada: “If God’s mind was small enough for me to understand, He wouldn’t be God. Sometimes I can’t stand being in this wheelchair, but there God’s grace takes over. Even in my handicap, God has a plan and purpose for my life.” Whether God takes you out of the situation or brings you through it, trust Him. He’s working for your good and His glory.
Soul food: Isa 45-48; John 8:21-30; Ps 86; Prov 28:21-24
