2018-06-26
Psalm 68:6 CEV
A woman, recently divorced, moved to a town where she knew nobody. When she finally got up the nerve to visit a church, she prayed, “Lord, let me fit in. Surround me with friends.” The Bible says, “A man who has friends must…be friendly” (Proverbs 18:24 NKJV). So she asked two ladies if she could sit with them, and they ended up going out to lunch together. Turns out, all three women lived alone and were feeling isolated. So they started a Bible study group and named it G.A.L.S.: God’s Amazing Love Sustains. Ruth Senter said, “When you’re truly joined in spirit…you work for the good of each other,” and years later this little “family” is going strong, sharing their ups and downs, praying, and looking out for each other. Thomas Blackaby observed: “One of the good things God does is provide godly friends. This is one of His ways of giving us encouragement, support, advice, and companionship. Paul couldn’t have physically survived many of his trials and persecutions without companions (See 2 Corinthians 7:6-7). It’s sad when God’s people don’t spend time developing friendships, and instead go off on their own in ministry…no wonder they often burn out…or come home disillusioned or bitter because they didn’t have the support and encouragement their ministry demanded…Thank God for those He’s chosen to be encouragers and supporters. Who are you being a friend to right now? Who has God put on your heart to strengthen and walk alongside? Ask Him to help you be a faithful friend…that together you can rejoice in what He does through your combined efforts.”
Soul food: 2 Cor 11:16-13:14; Luke 2:21-33; Ps 8; Prov 16:8-11
2018-06-25
Proverbs 18:24 TM
The Bible says, “Friends come and…go, but a true friend sticks by you.” Gloria Gaither points out that real friends are concerned about what you’re becoming. They look beyond the present and care deeply about you as a whole person. Solomon writes, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly” (v. 24 NKJV). And while building and maintaining that kind of friendship takes time and energy, the rewards far outweigh the investment. True friends: (1) Give you a hand up when you’re down. “Two…are better off than one…they can help each other…If one…falls, the other can reach out…But someone who falls alone is in real trouble” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT). (2) Take the pressure off. No matter how much they love you and want to help, sometimes your family is just too close to be objective and it’s easier to open up to somebody you’re not related to. At such times, the Bible says, “The sweetness of a…friend gives delight by hearty counsel” (Proverbs 27:9 NKJV). (3) Make you laugh. Somebody said, “If you’ve no wrinkles, you haven’t laughed enough!” When a good laugh is just what the doctor ordered, friends help you find humor in your situation – usually because they’ve been there! As Hazel C. Lee says, “Laughing at ourselves as well as with each other, brings a surprising sense of togetherness.” (4) Hold you accountable. Ever notice when you’re acting contrary to God’s Word, it’s easy to fool yourself? That’s when “the slap of a friend can be trusted to help you” (v. 6 NCV). So thank God for good friends who love you enough to be honest even when it hurts.
Soul food: 2 Cor 9:1-11:15; Luke 2:8-20; Ps 144:9-15; Prov 16:4-7
2018-06-24
Psalm 23:5 NKJV
When the Psalmist said, “The Lord is my shepherd” (v. 1), he was affirming that he had a very personal relationship with God; one that was unique. God has given each of us a one-of-a-kind personality, gifting, purpose, and calling. And He wants a relationship with you that is unlike the one He has with anybody else. Just like your fingerprints are unique, so also is God’s interaction with you. Therefore you need to learn how to hear His voice and to know when He is speaking specifically to you. The Psalmist goes on to say, “You prepare a table before me.” Think about it this way. When you’re waiting for a table in a restaurant and your name is on the waiting list, sometimes the hostess will give you a pager to hold. Then when it’s time to be seated, the pager will vibrate or light up. In the meantime, you have every confidence they are preparing a table for you, and that if you’re patient, when it’s ready the pager will vibrate and let you know. Are you getting the idea? As you read God’s Word and spend time with Him in prayer, something begins to vibrate and light up in your spirit. That’s “God’s pager” leading and guiding you, and preparing the circumstances just for you. Paul writes, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NLT). How many of your personal needs will God provide? All of them! So stop worrying so much and instead put your trust in Him!
Soul food: Matt 5:5; Num 12:1-15; Ps 37:1-9; Phil 2:5-11
2018-06-23
John 13:17 NIV
Reading, receiving, researching, remembering, and reflecting on God’s Word are important, but we must respond to it and be “doers of the word” (James 1:22). This is the hardest step because Satan will fight you on it. You can be so busy going to the next church meeting, that you forget to put into practice what you learned at the last one. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NIV). God doesn’t bless you because you know the truth but because you obey it. “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” We’re inclined to avoid personal application because not only is it hard – in some cases it’s downright painful! Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NIV), but first it may make you uncomfortable. God’s Word reveals our motives, exposes our flaws, rebukes our sin, and demands change. That’s why it’s good to discuss your personal insights with others. We learn truths from other people that we’d never learn on our own. They help us to see and apply what we miss. They hold us accountable. One of the best ways to become “a doer of the Word” is to write down an action plan. It should be personal (involving you); practical (something you can do); provable (with a benchmark or deadline). In the words of D. L. Moody: “The Bible wasn’t given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.”
Soul food: 2 Cor 5-8; Luke 2:1-7; Ps 144:1-8; Prov 16:1-3
2018-06-22
Psalm 119:97 NCV
You treasure God’s Word in three ways: (1) By researching it. This calls for writing down your thoughts about it. It also calls for asking the right questions, like: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? In other words, your Bible study should give you insight, not just information. (2) By remembering it. You may think your memory is poor, but you’ve already memorized millions of ideas and facts. The truth is, we remember what’s truly important to us! And there are enormous benefits to memorizing Scripture. It will help you resist temptation, make better decisions, reduce stress, build your confidence, stretch your thinking, and enable you to share your faith with others. Your memory is like a muscle; the more you use it the stronger it becomes. Start by writing down a verse that has helped you, then carry it with you on a small card. Review it aloud while you’re working, exercising, waiting, and before going to sleep. The key to memorizing Scripture is – review…review…review! (3) By reflecting on it. No other habit will do more to mature you spiritually than reflecting daily on God’s Word. As you do, you’re literally “transformed into his likeness” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV). God called David “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22 NIV). And how did he earn that distinction? Because he loved to reflect on God’s Word: “How I love your teachings! I think about them all day long.” The key to successful Christian living is yours when you treasure God’s Word.
Soul food: 2 Cor 1-4; Luke 1:67-80; Ps 139:13-24; Prov 15:31-33
2018-06-21
Colossians 3:16 NLT
As you fill your mind with God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will use it to transform you. “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives…with all the wisdom he gives.” How do you do that? (1) By reading it. If you read the newspaper but not the Bible, you won’t grow spiritually. You can’t watch TV for three or four hours, then read your Bible for three or four minutes and expect growth. How can you say you believe the Bible from cover to cover, when you haven’t read it from cover to cover? “[We] should…read from it every day” (Deuteronomy 17:19 NCV). If you read your Bible for just fifteen minutes a day, you’ll read completely through it once a year. If you cut out just one thirty-minute television program daily, you can read it through twice a year. Daily Bible reading keeps you within range of God’s voice. Do you want to grow spiritually? Develop a daily Bible reading plan and stick with it. (2) By receiving it. In the parable of the sower Jesus talks about three unreceptive attitudes: a closed mind (hard soil), a superficial mind (shallow soil), and a distracted mind (soil with weeds) (See Luke 8:5-15 NIV). He then goes on to say, “Consider carefully how you listen” (v.18 NIV). Any time you’re not learning, check your attitude, especially for pride, because God can speak to you through the most boring teacher if you’re humble and receptive. James says, “Humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:21 NIV). These aren’t just good ideas; they’re life-changing principles!
Soul food: Ezek 46-48; Luke 1:57-66; Ps 139:7-12; Prov 15:28-30
