2018-08-25
2 Corinthians 4:17 NKJV
Contrary to what you may think, the ideal environment for your children is not one that’s devoid of problems and trials. Though it’s hard to accept at the time, your children need the minor setbacks and disappointments that come their way. How can they learn to cope with problems and frustrations as adults, if their early experiences are totally without them? Nature tells us this. A tree that’s planted in a rain forest is never forced to extend its roots downward in search of water. As a result, it remains poorly anchored and can be toppled by even a moderate wind. By contrast, the mesquite tree that’s planted in a dry desert is threatened by its hostile environment. How does it survive? By driving its roots down thirty feet or more into the earth, seeking for water. By adapting and adjusting to harsh conditions, the well-rooted tree becomes strong and steady against all assailants. Our children are like these two types of trees. Children who have learned to conquer their problems are better anchored and better able than those who have never faced them. So your task is not to eliminate every challenge your child faces. Rather, it’s to serve as a confident ally on their behalf, encouraging them in their distress, intervening when the threat becomes overwhelming, and being available when the crisis comes. You need to give them the tools with which to handle the inevitable problems and pressures of life. Paul expresses it this way: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us.” Bottom line: We are trained by our troubles.
Soul food: 2 Chr 22-24; Luke 17:1-10; Ps 119:121-128; Prov 22:4-7
2018-08-24
Ephesians 5:18 NLT
Sometimes people get drunk to try to fill an emptiness on the inside. But it doesn’t work. Like the Irishman quipped, “It’s champagne tonight and real pain in the morning!” Recognizing that His disciples wouldn’t survive without Him when He left, Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit” (John 14:16 NIV). Once you understand what the Holy Spirit can do, you won’t want to live a single day without His help. Observe: (1) He will plant your feet on the path of truth (See John 16:13). (2) When you doubt your salvation, He will confirm that you are truly God’s redeemed child (See Romans 8:16). (3) In difficult situations when you don’t know what to say, He will give you the right words at the right time (See Acts 1:8). (4) He will reproduce His nature in you (See Galatians 5:22). This is referred to as “the fruit of the Spirit,” not the efforts of your flesh. Fruit doesn’t struggle to grow; it simply draws life from the tree to which it’s connected and thrives. Paul writes, “Don’t be drunk with wine…that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” You can generally spot someone who is drunk by the way they slur their words and wobble when they walk. When it happens, we say they are “under the influence.” Paul’s point is clear: As a believer, your walk and your talk should be “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit. So today ask God to fill you with His Spirit – and stay topped-up by reading His Word and praying daily.
Soul food: 2 Chr 19-21; Luke 16:19-31; Ps 119:113-120; Prov 22:1-3
2018-08-23
Genesis 37:5 NKJV
First, dreamers are willing to make tradeoffs. When God puts a dream in your heart you’ll have to make certain tradeoffs, like forfeiting popularity for the pursuit of excellence and short-term pleasure for long-term fulfillment. Paul understood this principle: “The Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me” (Acts 20:23-24 NKJV). Second, dreamers aren’t always appreciated. “Joseph had a dream…he told it to his brothers; and they hated him.” Some people won’t appreciate your dream because it reminds them of the dream they never had, or one they abandoned. And when they try to talk you out of your dream, often they’re trying to talk themselves back into their comfort zone. They will present you with every “rational” excuse they’ve ever given themselves. So how should you respond? Love them, help them if you can, but don’t be influenced by those who have given up on their dream. Author John Mason says, “If you move with God you’ll be critiqued. The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing and be nothing.” Third, dreamers are overcomers. Joseph’s dream enabled him to overcome temptation at the hands of Potiphar’s wife, betrayal by his family, false imprisonment, and a lot of other things that cause us to quit. God’s purpose alone should be the stuff of which your dream is made. To discover your dream, get to know yourself: your strengths and weaknesses. Observe where God has placed you, seek His counsel, and look for opportunities and “kingdom connections.” When you do, He will give you a dream for your life and help you fulfill it.
Soul food: 2 Chr 16-18; Luke 16:1-18; Ps 119:105-112; Prov 21:28-31
2018-08-22
Proverbs 23:22 NLT
You don’t learn how to be a parent in school or college, you learn it “on the job.” And you make lots of mistakes, ones you sometimes look back on and cringe. But through it all, you love your children and want only what’s best for them. What’s the point here? If your parents failed you, then you probably have wounds that need to be healed. And God says, “I am the Lord that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26 KJV). But don’t fall into the trap of self-pity by buying into the idea that you came from a “dysfunctional family.” Some families are better than others, but all of them have areas of dysfunction. Look back and consider your parents’ circumstances and some of the challenges they faced while raising you, and perhaps you’ll be able to view the mistakes they made with a little more compassion. They are human beings, just as you are; they make mistakes, just as you do. Nobody’s perfect. By showing compassion toward them you’ll be better able to show compassion toward yourself when you inevitably make mistakes with your own children. And – this is important – when your children see you extending grace toward your parents, they’ll be better able to extend it toward you. So if you need to forgive your parents, do it today and move on. Don’t keep bringing it up. Would you like God to keep reminding you of the sins He’s forgiven you for? No? Then try to show that same grace and compassion. And pray for them. Why? Because when you pray for somebody it’s hard to complain about them!
Soul food: 2 Chr 12-15; Luke 15:11-32; Ps 119:97-104; Prov 21:24-27
2018-08-21
Isaiah 54:2 NIV
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco can move up to 6 meters in either direction at its center. All of its parts, including its concrete roadway, steel railings, and crossbeams, are connected from one welded joint to another through the vast cable system to two great towers, then down to a rock foundation beneath the Pacific. Here are two important biblical truths we learn from this: (1) You must be strong. Paul writes: “God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet” (Ephesians 6:10-15 TM). (2) You must be resilient! The Golden Gate Bridge has survived a century of earthquakes because it was built to sway – but not too far. It’s flexible and resilient – you must be too. Paul wrote: “We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 CEV).
Soul food: 2 Chr 8-11; Luke 15:1-10; Ps 119:89-96; Prov 21:20-23
2018-08-20
Philippians 1:20 NIV
Over half of all Christians now live in the Third World, often in anti-Christian environments. More Chinese take part in Sunday worship than the entirety of Western Europeans. Lebanon is 39 percent Christian; Sudan, 5 percent; Egypt, about 10 percent. Many of these saints worship at their own risk. You may be one of them. You may be the only Christian in your Iraqi university, or an Arab woman who offers prayers in silence, or a Messianic Jew who lives in Jerusalem. Or perhaps you’re in a society of religious freedom, but a community of spiritual oppression. Family members mock your beliefs. University professors belittle your convictions. Classmates snigger at your choices. Colleagues pressure you to compromise your integrity. Coworkers make it their mission to snag you in a weak moment. If that’s where you find yourself, stand up for Jesus! Paul wrote these words from his prison cell: “I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (vv. 19-21 NIV). The hymnist wrote: “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross. Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory, His armies shall He lead. Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.” Today, stand up for Jesus!
Soul food: 2 Chr 5-7; Luke 14:25-35; Ps 119:81-88; Prov 21:17-19
