2018-06-10
Romans 5:3-4 NLT
Michael Phelps captured the gold for his country in the Beijing 2008 Olympics and brought home a record eight best-time gold medals. But it won’t just be the number of medals we’ll remember, but his invincible spirit when things turned drastically against him in the 200 meter butterfly. As he touched the wall, winning the race, nobody knew what he’d undergone to accomplish it. As Michael pulled off his goggles and the world watched, incredulous, water poured out of them. He’d swum 200 meters almost blind, an experience swimmers dread. Counting strokes, looking desperately for any marks on the pool floor, he finally touched the finish wall, an Olympic conqueror in every sense. Phelps used his frustration to increase his stamina and determination to win. Paul says: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know…they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope…And this hope will not lead to disappointment” (vv. 3-5 NLT). What a catalog of amazing benefits God provides us when we face problems! Endurance: a commitment to draw on His grace and keep moving forward regardless of circumstances. Strength of character: inner fortitude based on personal integrity. Confident hope: a deep conviction that whatever it takes, ultimately we’ll make it. And to crown it all, we’re guaranteed success in our God-appointed mission because “this hope will not lead to disappointment”! When you can’t see clearly what’s coming, stretch yourself – the finish wall is just ahead!
Soul food: Matt 5:3; Luke 18:9-14; Isa 57:14-21; 2 Sam 7:18-29
2018-06-09
2 Peter 3:18 NIV
Jesus told His disciples, “Since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow” (John 13:14-15 NLT). Whose feet did He wash? Peter, who denied Him; Thomas, who doubted Him; Judas, who betrayed Him; and all the others, who would desert Him. In other words, “Give the grace you’ve been given.” You don’t endorse the deeds of your offender when you do. Jesus didn’t endorse your sins by forgiving you. Grace doesn’t tell the daughter to like the father who molested her. It doesn’t tell the oppressed to wink at injustice. The grace-defined person still sends thieves to jail and expects an ex-spouse to pay child support. Grace isn’t blind. It sees the hurt full well. But grace chooses to see God’s forgiveness even more. It refuses to let hurts poison the heart. The Bible says, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15 NIV). Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds. Where grace abounds, forgiveness grows. Peter writes, “Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord.” Growing in Bible knowledge is a lot easier than growing in grace toward those who hurt you. The first requires a good memory; the second requires a Christlike character. So how do you “grow” in grace? By practicing it with everybody you meet, in every situation you find yourself.
Soul food: Ezek 16:53-19:14; Mark 14:53-65; Ps 1; Prov 14:29-32
2018-06-08
1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV
Physical desires: The Bible tells us to feast, eat, drink, celebrate, sing, dance, shout, and make music – all things we do with our bodies. These appetites, desires, and delights can actually become a way of remembering how good our God is. The physical is not separate from the spiritual; indeed it is God’s Spirit who makes our bodies come to life. The Bible doesn’t condemn you for wanting to be physically attractive. Now, this needs to be kept in perspective: “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion” (Proverbs 11:22 NIV). The same principle applies to men. But God did create our bodies. So can we get real? God made us with a love of beauty. Some stylists started what they called a “hairdressers’ ministry.” Perhaps that sounds strange to you. After all, the only hairstylist mentioned in the Bible was Delilah, and when Samson went to her, things didn’t go too well for him. But serving people by cutting their hair can be a good thing. People will share problems with their hairstylist that they won’t share with anybody else. So you can see how that can be a real ministry. This group gave complimentary haircuts to physically and mentally challenged folks. Then they traveled to Costa Rica to serve young women trying to escape a life of prostitution. They honored and freely served bodies that had not been freely served for a long time: bodies that had been turned into objects. What’s the point? You may need to get a new concept, a biblical concept of what is truly “spiritual.”
Soul food: Ezek 14:1-16:52; Mark 14:43-52; Ps 129; Prov 14:25-28
2018-06-07
Proverbs 18:24 NKJV
Relational desires: Jonathan was heir to the throne, but he voluntarily gave it up because he knew his friend David was God’s choice to be king. Jonathan desired to be a friend more than he desired to be a king. How often do you find that? And he didn’t become David’s friend because he was pursuing some “discipline of spiritual friendship.” He simply liked David, and that friendship changed the course of Israel. We all have relational desires we don’t pursue. Unless a deep, meaningful relationship falls into our lap, we give up. However, friendships like that don’t just happen; Jonathan had to overcome unbelievable barriers to build a friendship with David. Sometimes you will have to do the same, and God will help you. Author John Ortberg writes: “My friend Chuck has the spiritual gift of breakfast. He meets people in a Southern franchise called the Waffle House. The waitress loves to wait on him because he tips well and makes everybody laugh. He’s…really funny and utterly unguarded about his own brokenness, which makes people open up to him like tulips in the sun…He feels God’s presence most powerfully when he sits in the Waffle House and is allowed to see someone’s soul. It’s not the coffee that brings people to him; it’s the rivers of living water flowing out of him.” If you’re naturally shy, here’s a tip: Chances are the person you’d like to reach out to is shy as well. Go ahead, make contact and see what happens. Who knows, you could be the answer to their loneliness and they to yours.
Soul food: Ezek 10-13; Mark 14:27-42; Ps 124; Prov 14:21-24
2018-06-06
Psalm 37:4 NKJV
The desire to achieve: The first thing God said to Adam was, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and…have dominion” (Genesis 1:28 NKJV). The reason you have such a strong desire to accomplish something in life is because God created you to “do it.” Few people were more motivated by achievement than Paul: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24 NLT). God didn’t take away Paul’s desire to achieve; He harnessed it so Paul could fulfill God’s will. A strong career drive accompanied by the desire to learn and achieve can be good things, unless they lead to workaholism, worshiping status, neglecting prayer, and manipulating other people. When that happens, you need to re-evaluate your motivation. But if that’s not the case and you find yourself growing in God with a fire inside you to accomplish something – go forth and achieve. Exercise dominion! Use your ability to accomplish good things for others. At that point, whether you’re contributing to a meeting, adding value to a team, or formulating ideas, you’ll know it’s more than just you. When you develop relational skills that enable you to bond with clients and associates, you can simultaneously pray for them and bless them. As you experience joy in your achievements, your life is pleasing to God. A word of advice: Every now and then, remember to stop and thank Him that you get to do something you love!
Soul food: Ezek 5-9; Mark 14:12-26; Ps 4; Prov 14:17-20
2018-06-05
Proverbs 13:12 NIV
For the next few days, let’s look at some of our most common desires. Material desires: Lydia was a businesswoman who dealt in textiles (See Acts 16:14). She was one of Paul’s first converts to Christianity. Can you imagine what it took for a woman to succeed in business in such a male-dominated society? She was so successful she owned her own home. And it was large enough to become the meeting place for the first church in the history of Europe. Of all the religious edifices built over the centuries – Notre Dame, Westminster Abbey, and the Sistine Chapel – the first church was in the home of this businesswoman. Now, if your desire to make money chokes out your generosity, causes you to live in debt, or creates chronic dissatisfaction, it’s time to re-evaluate what you’re doing. But making money, creating good products, and keeping people employed are God-glorifying things. “It is [God] who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV). Have you ever wondered why you enjoy tinkering with engines or working with your hands? It’s because you were made in the image of a creative God who engineered this unbelievable cosmic machine with forces and energy so transcendently mind-boggling that people devote brilliant scientific careers to understanding even a tiny bit of it. Whether you’re mechanically or scientifically oriented, it’s spiritual – and it counts! The Bible says, “The Lord…has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27 NKJV). And when your desire for material success is to glorify God and bless others, He will help you to succeed.
Soul food: Ezek 1-4; Mark 14:1-11; Ps 121; Prov 14:13-16
