2018-04-20
Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV
The Bible says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV). That Scripture is easy to quote but hard to live by, especially when tragedy and loss touch our lives and we don’t understand why. There are times when we pray and God gives us answers, and there are times when we pray and He gives us peace. “Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). In times of pain and loss, here are two Scriptures you can stand on: (1) “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us.” When it comes to understanding things – we have our territory and God has His. And ours is limited to what He decides to reveal to us. Paul, who wrote half the New Testament by divine revelation, acknowledged, “We know in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9). At best, we will always be limited in our understanding. (2) “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJV). Sometimes God explains things to us, and other times He stamps them “Will explain later.” So when you’re tempted to throw up your hands in despair and say, “Who knows?” remind yourself, “God knows!” And today remind yourself that He’s working things out for your good and His glory.
Soul food: Acts 8-9; Mark 3:28-35; Ps 130; Prov 10:24-26
2018-04-19
Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV
Any time you attempt something for the first time, or something you’ve failed at before, or something you think is too big for you, you’ll experience both fear and faith. They go together. One will win out over the other, but they never go away. Because Israel had no idea what challenges awaited them or what life would be like in the Promised Land, God told them, “Be strong and of good courage…for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” And today that’s His promise to you too! It’s fear of failure that stops us most of the time. Yet as you look back, you realize that most times failure doesn’t do permanent damage at all; you actually grow through it. Dr. Joan Borysenko writes: “When I was admitted to Harvard, I was sure there had been a computer error and I’d be exposed as a fraud. A lawyer friend of mine stops short of terror every time she has to give a final argument before a jury. Even when you’re an expert, fear doesn’t necessarily go away. It’s accepting fear as part of the journey instead of running from it, that helps you to conquer it.” To go anywhere, you must launch out from somewhere, or you’ll get nowhere. American essayist Hamilton Wright Mabie said, “The question for each man to settle is not what he would do if he had the means, time, influence, and educational advantages, but what he will do with the things he has.” So confront your fear, step out in faith, and believe God for success.
Soul food: Acts 6-7; Mark 3:20-27; Ps 75; Prov 10:22-23
2018-04-18
Proverbs 27:21 NIV
The English word flatterer comes from a French term that means “to pat, smooth, or caress.” So a flatterer is someone who will pat you on the back with one hand, and in some cases, knife you in the back with the other. Flattery is something a person will say to your face but will not say behind your back. It’s insincere praise from an insincere motive. And the Bible warns us to beware of it: “A flattering neighbor is up to no good; he’s probably planning to take advantage of you” (Proverbs 29:5 TM). Flatterers will do you no good. In fact, Solomon says that in the long run you’re better off with a person who will criticize you than a person who will flatter you. “He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue” (Proverbs 28:23 NKJV). When it comes to flattery you should always keep these two things in mind: (1) Give praise sparingly but sincerely, with nothing but the best in mind for the other person. (2) Receive praise wisely, without taking yourself or the person giving the praise too seriously. Always remember that flattery was the weapon that Satan used to bring Adam and Eve down in the Garden of Eden: “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5 NKJV). That’s why Solomon writes, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.” So the question you should always ask yourself when someone praises you is this: Does this make me more big-headed or more big-hearted?
Soul food: Acts 3:11-5:42; Mark 3:13-19; Ps 127; Prov 10:19-21
2018-04-17
Philippians 1:29 NLT
Think of Gethsemane, the garden where Jesus Himself wrestled with the will of God. “Take this cup from me” (Mark 14:36 NIV). It was a reference to the cup of wrath. Jesus knew He’d have to drink it to the dregs. But before He did, He asked His Father if He could take it away, if there was any other way. But then He qualified His request with the ultimate prayer of surrender: “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42 NKJV). Our prayers tend to focus on external circumstances more than internal attitudes, because we’d rather have God change our circumstances than change us. It’s a lot easier that way. But we miss the point altogether. It’s the worst of circumstances that often brings out the best in us. And if it’s the bad things that bring out the good things, then maybe those bad things are good things in the grand scheme of things! It’s only when you’ve been tested that you have a testimony to share with others. Yes, you can be saved without suffering, but you cannot be spiritually matured or equipped for service without it. That doesn’t mean you seek it out, but it does mean you see it for what it is – an opportunity to glorify God. Paul, who suffered greatly, writes, “For you have been given…the privilege of suffering for him.” Where did Paul find such strength? “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NKJV). So the word for you today is: Seek to glorify God in every circumstance of life.
Soul food: Acts 1:1-3:10; Mark 3:7-12; Ps 43; Prov 10:17-18
2018-04-16
1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV
There are two “whatever” verses in Scripture. Both include the phrase “whatever you do.” (1) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23 NIV). Your goal in life should be to love what you work at, and work at what you love. But that isn’t reality at every stage of life. Sometimes you’re called to do a good job for a not-so-good company, boss, or salary. Thank God you have a job that supplies your needs; there are unemployed people who would switch places with you. (2) “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” How do you eat and drink for the glory of God? Paul is using our daily rituals to make an all-encompassing point. Even the most mundane of activities is absolutely miraculous. You take approximately twenty-three thousand breaths every day, but when was the last time you thanked God for one of them? We tend to thank God for things that take our breath away. And that’s fine. But maybe we should thank Him for every other breath too! The purpose driven life is described in these words from the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” It can’t be said any simpler, or any better. We exist for one reason and one reason alone: to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. And you’re called to do that in whatever circumstance you find yourself. Any way. Anywhere. Any how. Whatever. Wherever.
Soul food: Joel 1-3; Mark 3:1-6; Ps 56; Prov 10:14-16
2018-04-15
Isaiah 6:3 NKJV
The distinction between sacred and secular is a false dichotomy. All things were created by God and for God – no exceptions. Every note of music, every color on the palette, every flavor that tingles the taste buds. Arnold Sommerfeld, the German physicist and pianist, observed that a single hydrogen atom which emits one hundred frequencies, is more musical than a grand piano which emits only eighty-seven frequencies. So every single atom is a unique expression of worship. According to composer Leonard Bernstein, the best translation of Genesis 1:3 is not “And God said.” He believed a better translation is “And God sang.” The Almighty sang every atom into existence, and every atom echoes that original melody in three-part harmony by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Super-sensitive sound instruments have discovered that earthworms make faint staccato sounds, while whale songs can travel thousands of miles under water. Lewis Thomas put it this way: “If we had better hearing and could discern the descants of seabirds, the rhythmic timpani of schools of mullets, and even the distant harmonies of flies hanging over meadows in the sun, the combined sound might lift us off our feet.” And some day they will. Glorified eardrums will hear this Scripture fulfilled: “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'” (Revelation 5:13 NIV). Today make it your goal to glorify God in all that you do.
Soul food: Gal 5:22; Luke 2:8-20; Prov 3:13-18; Ps 119:161-168
