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
2018-10-02
Exodus 3:2 NKJV
Moses lived on the backside of the desert for four decades: That’s over 21 million minutes! His life was defined by monotony until he had an epiphany. On a day that started out like the 4,600 days before, Moses spotted a burning bush out of the corner of his eye. Then he heard a voice from out of the bush calling his name. Sometimes God will surprise you! A burning bush is about as absurd as a talking donkey. Oh, wait, God did that too! One of the dangers inherent in walking with God for a long time is thinking that you’ve got Him figured out. We try to put Him in a box, but there’s no box big enough to contain Him. He says: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV). Instead of drifting through life aimlessly and letting all your days run together, you need to get up each morning and pray: “Father, thank You for this new day. Give me fresh insights in Your Word that reveal new aspects of Your character so that I might do Your will and glorify You.” Become more alert and aware; don’t miss what God has for you. Do what Moses did: “Amazing! Moses said to himself, “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go and see it” (Exodus 3:3 NLT). Today, try to “see” what God is doing in your life!
Soul food: 1 Cor 7-9; Luke 24:1-12; Ps 91; Prov 25:9-12
2018-10-01
John 8:31-32 NKJV
Are you trying to overcome a bad habit? Jesus wants to set you free. “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” You ask, “What is this ‘truth’ that will make me free?” Jesus answers in six words: “If you abide in My Word.” Victory is gained in your mind, and maintained in your mind. One lady joked, “Giving up cigarettes is easy; I’ve done it thousands of times.” Seriously, how can you stop going back to old habit patterns? By repenting of them, renouncing them, and replacing the old thoughts that lead us back to them with new thoughts. And where do these new thoughts come from? Jesus answers, “If you abide in My Word.” This means staying out of places that foster wrong thoughts and away from people who encourage wrong thoughts. It may mean changing what you watch on television. You’ll notice that before you give in to a bad habit, you think the thoughts that lead to it. The Bible says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2 NKJV). In the early stages of recovery from any addiction it’s critical to saturate your mind daily in the Scriptures, pray, and be willing to reach for the support of a friend (See Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Will you sometimes fail on your way to success? Yes. But victory begins when you decide to be free, and believe God will set you free.
Soul food: 1 Cor 4-6; Luke 23:44-56; Ps 13; Prov 25:4-8
