2018-10-18
Matthew 25:21 TLV
Nicole Unice, director of women’s ministries for Hope Church, says: “There are ideas I know would be beneficial, yet I hesitate to share too much or dream too big. What if they don’t work? Or people don’t like them? What if the people above me second-guess hiring me? One day I scrawled on my office wall: So what if it fails? Question: What are you yearning to try and haven’t because you’re afraid you’ll fail? What programs do you keep alive even though they aren’t serving their purpose? What technology are you avoiding? What learning are you circumventing because you feel old and rusty? If you don’t have anything on the horizon that might fail, you’re failing as a leader. Unless you push for innovation and creativity you’ll keep attracting the same people. When you ‘Begin the…tasks [God] assigned to you’ you’ll have to push boundaries and try things that might fail.” John Mason writes: “Don’t be afraid to fail…if you’re not failing you’re not growing. When successful people stop growing and learning, it’s because they become less willing to risk failure. Failure is delay, not defeat. A temporary detour, not a dead-end street. We all make mistakes – especially those who do things. As Paul says, ‘God…gives us the victory through…Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV), and failure is often the first step toward success. Unless you’re willing to take a risk, you won’t get the chance to succeed.” Today trust God and step out in faith!
Soul food: Exo 30-32; John 4:13-26; Ps 100; Prov 26:27-28
2018-10-17
Revelation 21:27 NCV
One night in 1912, Titanic, the largest passenger steamship in the world and considered by many to be unsinkable, struck an iceberg and sank in the icy Atlantic. Many people died. Following the disaster the scene outside the White Star Line office in Liverpool was one of anxiety and grief as friends and relatives of those on board the ill-fated vessel thronged the building. On both sides of the main entrance notices were posted. One said, “KNOWN TO BE SAVED”; the other said, “KNOWN TO BE LOST.” From time to time a company official walked out with a piece of paper which contained the name of another passenger. When he held it up, a deathly stillness swept over the crowd as loved ones of the missing waited to see which side he would write the name on. The day Jesus was crucified, God looked down from heaven, wrote “KNOWN TO BE SAVED” on the cross, and started writing names in “The Lamb’s Book of Life.” And the message of the cross hasn’t changed. You don’t have to be a scholar to understand it. In fact, most people who come to Christ don’t know a lot about the Bible. All they know is they need a Savior, and God loves them. All you have to do to receive eternal life is repent of your sin and put your trust in Jesus. The instant you do that, God writes your name “in the Lamb’s book of life” and you become a member of His family, guaranteed a place in heaven. And it can happen for you today.
Soul food: Exo 28-29; John 4:1-12; Ps 89:38-52; Prov 26:23-26
2018-10-16
Exodus 3:11 NIV
When God told Moses He was going to use him to deliver the Israelites from slavery, the conversation went like this: “‘So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ And God said, ‘I will be with you'” (vv. 10-12 NIV). Moses summarized his fears and insecurities in one question, “Who am I?” But that’s the wrong question. It’s not about who you are, but Whose you are! That day God revealed His name to Moses as “I AM.” His name is the solution to every problem and the answer to every question. His name calms every fear, seals every prayer, and wins every battle. At His name, angels bow and demons quake. At His name, our sin is vindicated and our authority is validated. Who you are is absolutely irrelevant. God doesn’t use us because of us, but in spite of us. It’s not like heaven is going to go bankrupt if you don’t tithe. And if you take your talents elsewhere, it’s not like the kingdom of God is going to go under. But for reasons that will only be revealed on the far side of the space-time continuum, God has chosen to accomplish His purposes through ordinary people like us. Are you afraid of stepping out in faith in case you fail? Does the situation seem impossible for you? It’s not for God. Trust Him, stand on His promise: “I will be with you,” and move ahead!
Soul food: Exo 25-27; John 3:22-36; Ps 89:15-37; Prov 26:20-22
2018-10-15
Psalm 103:13 TM
To see God as a loving Father may not come easily, if you carry the scars of a neglected or abusive childhood. Perhaps you had so many unmet needs growing up: affection, security, trust, comfort, material necessities, etc., and your lack of these things makes it hard to believe God will provide for your needs now. What to do? Recognize that your “father-image” is flawed and in no way resembles your heavenly Father. Even the best earthly father can’t measure up to Him. He wants you to approach Him as a caring, sensitive, generous, dependable, loving Father. That’s why Jesus taught us to call Him “Our Father,” not just “Almighty God and Lord.” Like a good father, God understands your needs and makes full provision for them (See Matthew 6:25-34). And just as a good parent recognizes the unique characteristics of each of his children, He knows your distinctive personality, gifts, thoughts, and feelings. “As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud” (Psalm 103:13-14 TM). God’s care is tailor-made to your specific gifts – and weaknesses. And like a loving father, He accepts and fulfills His responsibility to provide for you. So what’s your role in the relationship? To act like the child of a trustworthy, generous, permanently-loving Father!
Soul food: Exo 22-24; John 3:1-21; Ps 89:1-14; Prov 26:17-19
2018-10-14
John 8:27 NKJV
The people in Jesus’ day found it hard to grasp the concept of God as a Father. Lord, king, judge, they understood – but not Father. The Old Testament rarely speaks of God as Father, whereas the New Testament mentions it often. Until Jesus came and revealed the Father, He remained a mystery. “No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27 NIV). And many of us still don’t comprehend His fatherhood and the rich blessings we have in Him. “Father,” God’s all-inclusive name, incorporates everything we could ever need, while disclosing how He feels toward each one of us. It exemplifies every trait of the best father imaginable. Think what a loving, all-powerful father would do for a needy child. Your heavenly Father will do all that for you – and then some! When you recognize God as your Father, your fears dissolve and you start to believe that all your needs will truly be met. Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid…it gives your Father great happiness to give you the [benefits of His] Kingdom” (Luke 12:32 NLT). It makes God happy to offer you the resources of His kingdom! Why? Because He loves you as much as He loves His Son Jesus! Jesus prayed you’d know with confidence that your Father “loved [you] in the same way [He has] loved me” (John 17:23 TM). As His redeemed child, you have all the benefits that come with membership in “the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19 KJV).
Soul food: Heb 11:22; Gen 39:1-23; Gen 45:1-11; Gen 50:15-26
2018-10-13
Song of Solomon 4:12 NCV
A farmer’s fruit tree consistently produced bumper crops and became a real money-maker for him, so he put all his efforts into marketing and never noticed that the tree was dying. Then one day he woke up and realized the root had dried up. He’d been so focused on the fruit that he neglected the root. How about you? Are you focusing on numbers and outcomes, or are you focusing on the purpose, people, innovation, culture, and root of your success? Nurture the root and you’ll always have fruit. Ignore the root – say goodbye to the fruit! One author writes: “Like a plant constrained in the same pot, our roots become bound and twisted. Over time we’re unable to be fully nourished. We can’t grow beyond the limits of our environment. In the words of Scripture, we become ‘like a garden locked up…a walled-in spring, a closed-up fountain.’ But God sees the person inside…the one with potential to become everything He created you to be. He sees the impending bloom of the locked garden, the refreshment of the inner spring, and the sound of the running fountain. He knows you’re inhibited and closed, and He wants to set you free. Some hardships like death and divorce cause a necessary replanting…an opportunity to establish deeper roots and realize our potential in a new container. Ask God to replant you…to gently remove you, free you from captivity, and find the perfect place for you to grow. Let Him nourish your roots so they extend into the rich soil of newfound freedom.
Soul food: Exo 19-21; John 2:12-25; Ps 110; Prov 26:13-16
