2017-12-19
Acts 16:14 NLT
Some of us think that successful people are difficult to win to Christ because they don’t have the same needs as others. But they do. Everyone has an emptiness within them that only God can fill, and He wants to use you to fill it. Consider the story of Lydia. “One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth…As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. ‘If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my home.’ And she urged us until we agreed” (vv. 14-15 NLT). Not only did Lydia respond to the gospel, she opened her home so that others could come and hear it too. In many cases it’s easier to reach successful people with the gospel. Why? Because they know that to be successful you must be open to new ideas and concepts. And they understand that in order to enjoy continued success, you must stay open to change. Don’t let the fact that someone is not your social peer keep you from telling them about Jesus. Note the words, “As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart.” It’s your job to tell them, and it’s God’s job to open their heart! So sow the seed of His Word into their life when you have an opportunity, and believe that the “Lord of the harvest” will do the rest.
Soul food: Job 8-10; Luk 1:11-25; Ps 12; Ecc 9:10-12
2017-12-18
Romans 8:35 NLT
Paul asked the great question: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?” When you don’t know why God loves you in the first place, it’s easy to doubt His love at times. You want to know how He feels about you when you act like a jerk, when you snap at anything that moves, when your thoughts are gutter-level, and when your tongue is sharp enough to slice a rock. You ask, “How does He feel about me then?” And what about when bad things happen – does God care then? Does He love you in the midst of fear? Is He with you when danger lurks? In other words, “Will He ever stop loving me?” That’s the great question, isn’t it? Perhaps you crossed the line this week. Or you started drinking and kept at it until you couldn’t walk. Or your business took you where you’d no business being. Or you cursed God for making you stand at the grave of a loved one you weren’t ready to give up. Did you drift too far? Did you wait too long? Did you slip too much? Were you too uncertain? “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?” No, absolutely not. Paul reassures us: “I am convinced that…Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power…above or…below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God…in Christ Jesus our Lord (vv. 38, 39 NLT).
Soul food: Job 5-7; Luk 1:1-10; Ps 67; Ecc 7:19-22
2017-12-17
1 Timothy 1:2 NLT
Let’s face it; much of the time we don’t know what problems people are dealing with or what they’re going through. So when you decide to pray for them, follow Paul’s example, in which he asked God to give Timothy these three things: (1) Grace. In the Bible, the word grace implies two things: first, God’s unmerited favour; second, “all of God’s ability you’ll ever need to handle whatever you are facing.” Here’s a great Bible promise you should stand on in times of difficulty: “God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong…support you and keep you from falling” (1 Peter 5:10 NCV). (2) Mercy. A large publishing house had a machine that automatically mailed reminders to its readers when their subscriptions had expired. One day it malfunctioned and a rancher in a remote Colorado town received 9,734 notices. So he drove for miles to the nearest post office, mailed his check, and wrote, “Send me the magazine. I give up!” That’s how it is with God; He keeps sending us notices. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV). (3) Peace. The peace God gives can sustain us through the worst of circumstances. And it’s different from the peace the world offers. At best, the world offers temporary relief. But “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds” (Philippians 4:7 NIV). So when you’re not sure how to pray for someone, ask God to give them His grace, His mercy, and His peace.
Soul food: Lev 27:30-33; Num 31:48-54; 1 Cor 16:1-3
2017-12-16
Hebrews 10:36 NIV
Try to imagine what life on the ark must have been like for Noah. He probably didn’t get much sleep. He was feeding, cleaning, and caring for thousands of animals around the clock. And it must have smelled to high heaven. Did you know that African elephants produce eighty pounds of waste per day? It was smelly and messy. And that’s a pretty accurate picture of what obedience sometimes looks like. It’s hard work, and it gets harder. The blessings of God can complicate your life. But unlike sin, they bring a level of joy and fulfilment you have never known (See Proverbs 10:22). No matter what vision God has given you, it will take longer and be harder than you ever imagined. Noah offers a little reality check, doesn’t he? If a decade sounds like a long time to patiently pursue a God-ordained passion, try twelve decades! It’s amazing what God can do if you just keep hammering away year after year! We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a year, but we underestimate what God can accomplish in a decade. The key is to be a planner and a plodder. Planners see into the future and cast a vision; plodders put one foot in front of the other and keep going one day at a time. Success is not just about getting where God wants you to go, it’s about who you become in the process. It’s crossing the finish line the way the apostle Paul did: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT). So, do what God has told you.
Soul food: Job 1-4; John 21:1-25; Ps 57; Ecc 7:13-15
2017-12-15
1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV
As long as you need man’s approval, God is limited in what He can do through you. Faith is the willingness to look foolish. That’s why faith and humility go hand in hand. Noah looked foolish building an ark in the desert. Sarah looked foolish buying maternity clothes at ninety. Moses looked foolish asking Pharaoh to let his slaves go. The Israelite army looked foolish marching round Jericho blowing trumpets. David looked foolish attacking Goliath with a slingshot. The wise men looked foolish following a star. Peter looked foolish stepping out of the boat in the middle of a storm. And Jesus looked foolhardy hanging half naked on the cross. But the results speak for themselves, don’t they? Noah stayed afloat during the flood. Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Moses delivered Israel out of Egypt. The walls of Jericho came tumbling down. David defeated Goliath. The wise men found the Messiah. Peter walked on water. And Jesus rose from the dead. There comes a moment when you must quit hedging your bets, quit playing it safe and doing what you’ve always done. You need to build the ark, or at least plant some trees or saw some planks! Faith is acting as if God has already answered our prayers, and acting as if God has answered means acting on our prayers even if, as in the case of Noah, it takes 120 years. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24 NIV). What has God told you to do? Start doing it!
Soul food: Est 5-10; John 20:1-31; Ps 105:37-45; Ecc 7:9-12
2017-12-14
Genesis 6:8 NIV
You ask, “What is the favour of God?” It’s God doing for you what you cannot do for yourself. It opens doors of opportunity. It turns opposition into support. It can help you land a promotion, make the list, or seal the deal. The Bible says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men” (Luke 2:52 NIV). Note, just as you can grow in wisdom and stature, you can also grow in favour with God and men. So instead of being content with the level of favour you enjoy, ask God for an increase. You ask, “How do I find favour?” Obedience! It begins by surrendering your life to Christ. “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11 NAS). And God’s favour is not limited to the spiritual realm; it extends to the material realm as well. In Noah’s life, it translated into ingenious inventions. He didn’t just build the first boat and pioneer the shipbuilding industry, he also held a wide variety of patents. According to Jewish tradition, Noah invented the plow, the scythe, the hoe, and a number of other implements used for cultivating the ground. The favour of God translated into good ideas. It doesn’t matter what you do, God wants to help you do it. He wants to favour your business plan, your manuscript, your lesson plan, your legal brief, your sales pitch, etc. But you’ve got to position yourself for that favour by acting in obedience. If God knows He’ll get the glory, He will bless you beyond your ability and beyond your resources.
Soul food: Est 1-4; John 19:18-42; Ps 105:23-36; Ecc 7:5-8
