2018-02-27
Proverbs 15:1 TM
Even in the best of marriages arguments will arise from time to time. With two people of differing temperaments, tastes, and ways of thinking, how could it be otherwise? So here are a few rules of engagement: (1) Think before you speak. Ask yourself if fear, stress, or worry may have provoked your mate’s response. Is it bothering you right now because you are feeling insecure and unappreciated? Could you be misreading or exaggerating the problem? Take time to try and identify what’s really happening. (2) Ask for what you need. It’s okay to admit that some days you are needier than others. Dr. Gary Oliver says: “When a woman feels panicked every time her husband comes home late because her previous husband had an affair…it’s okay to say, ‘I know it’s irrational, but I’m having a panicky day.’ That kind of honesty strengthens a relationship.” (3) Never threaten. Threats just make your mate defensive and insecure. As a result, they can’t hear what you’re saying and nothing gets resolved. (4) Ditch the baggage from previous relationships. The Bible says, “Love…always looks for the best…never looks back” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 TM). It’s wrong to make your mate keep “proving” themselves over and over again. Don’t assume that old relationship problems are destined to keep repeating themselves. They won’t if you’re communicating and growing. (5) Say something nice to your mate every day. Any time you think something good about your spouse, stop and tell them. And when they reciprocate, respond graciously to what they’re saying. Remember, sharp words can create wounds, but “a gentle response defuses anger.”
Soul food: 1 Kings 12-13; Matt 18:10-20; Ps 53; Prov 6:9-11
2018-02-26
Philippians 4:6 CEV
One Bible teacher writes: “The pressures of our times have many of us caught in a web of the most acceptable, yet energy-draining sin in the Christian family: worry. Chances are good you woke up this morning, stepped out of bed, and before doing anything, strapped on your well-worn backpack of anxiety. You started the day not with a prayer on your mind, but loaded down by worry. What a dreadful habit! Jesus challenged His followers with the question, ‘Who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?’ (Matthew 6:27 NAS). Worry solves nothing. It creates unrest and uneasiness, and if left unchecked it can churn our waves of anxiety into a perfect storm of emotions. Add a little imagination and creativity, and our worst fears come to life in Technicolor brilliance. The stress from worry drains our energy and preoccupies our minds, stripping us of our peace…We fret over big things and little things. Some of us have a laundry list of concerns that feed our addiction to worry. It’s a very unattractive addiction, yet we somehow manage to make a joke out of it. I’ve heard people say with a smile, ‘If I don’t have something to worry about, I get worried about not having something to worry about.’ Anxiety has become a favorite pastime we love to hate. And worse, we’re passing it on to our children. As they see the worry on our faces and hear it from our lips, we’re mentoring them in the art of anxiety.” So what’s the answer? “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything.”
Soul food: 1 Kings 10-11; Matt 18:1-9; Ps 40:9-17; Prov 6:6-8
2018-02-25
Psalm 56:3 NKJV
Faith is like a muscle; trouble may strain it, but in the end it grows stronger. David understood this truth. He was continually hounded by his enemies. Even as he was being anointed to sit on the throne of Israel, Saul was still occupying it. But instead of losing faith in God’s promise, David declared that “the Lord has chosen everyone who is faithful to be his very own, and he answers my prayers” (Psalm 4:3 CEV). When the Philistines captured him, he prayed, “There are many who fight against me, O Most High. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You” (Psalm 56:2-3 NKJV). When he ended up in a cave fleeing from Saul’s jealous rage, he said, “I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this…is past” (Psalm 57:1 TLB). During the third century when St. Felix of Nola was running from his enemies, he took refuge in a cave. Eventually a spider began to weave a web across the small opening, sealing it off and making it look like nobody had been inside for months. Consequently his pursuers passed by. Stepping out into the sunshine, Felix declared, “Where God is, a spider’s web is a wall. And where God is not, a wall is a spider’s web.” Jesus said you’d have problems in life; people will disappoint you, and you’ll even disappoint yourself. Sometimes you’ll end up in a cave because of something you did, or because of circumstances over which you have no control. But with God on your side, you can say, “Whenever I’m afraid, I will trust in You.”
Soul food: Exo 20:15; Josh 7:1-26; Tit 2:6-10; Eph 4:28
2018-02-24
2 Chronicles 20:17 NKJV
When you doubt God you disappoint Him, because He deserves better. So you must seek to strengthen your faith, because faith honors God and God honors faith. And He will send opportunities disguised as problems designed to strengthen your faith. When Job lost his health, his wealth, and his children, the Bible says he “fell to the ground and worshiped” (Job 1:20 NKJV). Job didn’t worship God because of his circumstances, but in spite of them. Notice the two things he did: (1) He looked up. He recognized God’s sovereign right to decide all things. He trusted God’s loving character and believed He would ultimately do what was best for him. And you must do that too! (2) He listened for a word. He realized this testing time was also a teaching time, so he declared, “He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10 NKJV). Like gold being processed by the refiner, Job trusted God to bring out the best in him. Was it easy to do? No. We want to cling to the familiar and return to the safety of yesterday, even though we know it’s not what God wants for us. The fears, surprises, and adversity that lie around the bend make us want to cut and run. But if you do, you’ll short-circuit God’s plan for your life. What should you do instead? Position yourself in faith: “Stand still and see the [deliverance] of the Lord, who is with you.” Whatever you are going through right now, remember that God is “with you.”
Soul food: 1 Kings 8-9; Matt 17:14-27; Ps 40:1-8; Prov 6:1-5
2018-02-23
Hebrews 11:2 TM
The Bible says: “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd” (vv. 1-2 TM). The heroes of faith listed in Hebrews chapter eleven were far from perfect. Noah believed God, built the ark, and saved his family. But when he came out of the ark he got drunk. Abraham was known as a “friend of God,” yet he lied to save his own neck and ended up compromising his wife’s safety. When God told Sarah she’d give birth to a child at ninety years old, she laughed – and you’d probably have done the same. And how about Joseph? He was a slave with a prison record who ended up second in command when it came to ruling Egypt. Then there’s Rahab the harlot; we wouldn’t let her sing in the church choir, yet God listed her as a woman of great faith. And how about Jacob, who duped his brother and deceived his father-in-law in business in order to enrich himself? Would you do business with him? Then there was King David, whose womanizing led to murder and national scandal. Even Gideon and Samuel, two spiritual giants, raised children who went astray spiritually. Every one of these people was as human as you are. They faltered, fumbled the ball, and went through times of failure. Their only claim to fame is they believed God and He honored their faith – and He will do the same for you each time you put your trust in Him.
Soul food: 1 Kings 6-7; Matt 17:1-13; Ps 36; Prov 5:21-23
2018-02-22
Philippians 4:16 NLT
Charles Swindoll tells the story of the giving tree: “When the boy was young he swung from the tree’s branches, ate her apples, and slept in her shade…But as he grew up he spent less and less time with the tree. ‘Come on, let’s play,’ said the tree. But the young man was only interested in money. ‘Then take all my apples and sell them,’ said the tree. The man did, and the tree was happy. He didn’t return for a long time, but the tree smiled when he passed by one day. ‘Come on, let’s play!’ But the man, older and tired of the world, wanted to get away from it all. ‘Cut me down. Take my trunk, make a boat, then you can sail away,’ said the tree. The man did, and the tree was happy. Many seasons passed – and the tree waited. Finally the man returned, too old to play, or pursue riches, or sail the seas. ‘I have a pretty good stump left. Sit down here and rest,’ said the tree. The man did, and the tree was happy.” Swindoll continues: “I stared into the fire, reviewing my life as I grew older with the tree and the boy. I identified with both – and it hurt. How many giving trees have there been? How many people have given themselves so I might grow, accomplish my goals, and find wholeness and satisfaction? Thank you, Lord, for each one. That night I crawled into bed. I had wept, now I was smiling. ‘Good night, Lord.’ I was a humble man. Thankful I’d taken time to reflect.” Paul remembered those who helped him – and so should you.
Soul food: 1 Kings 3-5; Matt 16:13-28; Ps 33:13-22; Prov 5:15-20
