2017-11-23
Zechariah 4:10 NKJV
When God gave Gideon victory over the Midianites, He used an army of just three hundred to defeat an enemy that was hundreds of thousands strong (See Judges 7). That wasn’t because there weren’t more soldiers available; it was because God wanted to demonstrate His power in “the day of small things.” Jesus could have chosen any number of followers, but He handpicked twelve to reach the world with the gospel. One day He fed five thousand people with five bread rolls and two small fish from a child’s lunchbox. He compared God’s kingdom to a mustard seed – the smallest there is, yet it grows into a massive tree. He also likened His kingdom to yeast that’s barely discernible, yet it can raise an entire batch of dough. Then He went on to say, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10 NIV). So if you’re asking God to make you bigger instead of better, you may be disappointed. All the prayers in the world won’t pressure Him into giving you what you are not ready to handle. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “Most people would succeed in small things if they weren’t troubled with blind ambition.” Your drive to be bigger can give you ulcers, keep you awake at night, and stop you from enjoying the blessings God has already given you. Better may be harder to measure and not as glamorous, but the inner stability that comes from gradual success is more valuable and lasting. So if you’re “in the day of small things,” rejoice and be confident that God has bigger and better things in mind for you.
Soul food: Gen 4-6; John 11:17-27; Ps 150; Prov 30:29-33
2017-11-22
Proverbs 3:13 CEV
The key to success lies in doing the right thing at the right time. Theologian Tryon Edwards said, “Have a time and place for everything, and do everything in its time and place…you’ll not only accomplish more, but have far more leisure than those who are always hurrying.” If you’re tired of living with constant stress, Theology professor Dr. Howard Hendricks draws our attention to four major sources: (1) Saying yes to far too many things. Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer once said, “Much of our spiritual activity is little more than a cheap aesthetic to deaden the pain of an empty life.” All our “going and doing” fails to address our core emptiness. (2) Not stopping to recharge our batteries. We dutifully pull out our day planner and fill the spaces between activities. But let’s not fool ourselves; avoiding overlapping activities isn’t planning. As a result, we’re a stressed-out, short-tempered crowd commuting between poorly planned activities that add little to our spiritual well-being. (3) Failure to enjoy what we accomplish. “A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul” (Proverbs 13:19 NKJV). With always too much to do, we dash off to the next obligation, often without finishing the previous one or taking time to stand back and savour a job well done. No wonder we worry that our existence seems meaningless. (4) Owing more than we can repay. Next time you’re faced with a credit purchase – wait! Don’t necessarily say no. Just present your so-called “need” to God and see what He says about it. If you’re serious about developing your spiritual life, use your common sense and put these four principles to work.
Soul food: Gen 1-3; John 11:1-16; Ps 102:18-28; Prov 30:24-28
2017-11-21
1 Samuel 16:7 NLT
Pastor and author John MacArthur says: “Jesus’ exposition of the law is a devastating blow against the lie that image is everything. Secret sin is especially abhorrent because: (1) God sees the heart. In fact, if we realized He’s the only audience we’d be less inclined to write it off. It’s folly to mitigate sin by keeping it private…it’s double-folly to think you’re better than others because you sin privately…and it’s the height of folly to conceal it. ‘He who covers his sins will not prosper’ (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV). (2) Sinful thoughts originate from the same source as sinful deeds. When Jesus said hatred carries the same guilt as murder, and that lust is the essence of adultery, He wasn’t saying there’s no difference in degree…He was saying that a lustful person has no right to feel superior to a fornicator. The fact that somebody thinks such thoughts proves they’re capable of immoral acts, and someone who hates his brother already has murder lurking in his heart. (3) Hypocrisy compounds hidden sin. Why? Because it means covering it up. Jesus called hypocrisy ‘the leaven of the Pharisees’ (Luke 12:1) because it compounds itself like leaven. It sears your conscience and paves the way for other character-damaging sins…When somebody tries to tell you appearances are everything – don’t buy it! Your secret life is a litmus test of your character: ‘As he thinks within himself, so he is’ (Proverbs 23:7 NAS). If you want to know who you really are, look at your private life. Then gaze into the mirror of God’s Word and let Him disclose and correct the thoughts and intents of your heart.”
Soul food: Ecc 10-12; John 10:34-42; Ps 102:12-17; Prov 30:21-23
2017-11-19
Isaiah 58:12 TM
Lie number two: God won’t use you now. Julie Ann Barnhill continues: “Women long to have their lives count for something more eternal than their jean size, or updated qualifications on a résumé. Yet many times we judge ourselves by these superficial standards. Think of all the times you’ve gazed in a mirror and despised the woman staring back at you; times you’ve bought into the lie that because of your failures God can’t use you. I’m living proof that He can and does use us despite our past mistakes. David said when ‘I confessed my sins…you forgave my guilt’ (Psalm 32:5 NCV). The worst sins in Scripture can never drive a wedge between you and Christ’s love, if you confess them and seek forgiveness. God’s truths can dispel the Enemy’s deceit. Take hold of this promise: ‘I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places…You’ll use the old rubble…to…rebuild the foundations” (Isaiah 58:11-12 TM). Lie number three: When people find out what you’ve done, they’ll never love, understand, or forgive you. Some you considered friends may leave…It happened to me…Friends dropped me when they learned the depth of my messes. And I once dropped a friend after learning some uncomfortable details about her life. Friends come and go, but a true friend sticks by you like family (See Proverbs 17:17). I wasn’t faithful to my friend, but Jesus always is. Time and again He promised never to leave us. Even ‘if we give up on him, he does not give up – for there’s no way he can be false to himself” (2 Timothy 2:13 TM).
Soul food: Deut 9:13-29; Dan 1:3-21; Luke 4:1-13
2017-11-17
Luke 12:2 TM
Inspirational speaker and author Julie Ann Barnhill writes: “I tend to be a stealthy sinner – a cloistered screw-up. Most of my life I’ve managed to fly under the radar…to keep 99.9 percent of such things hidden. As someone who attended church and appeared to manage a happy family, I avoided glaring attention to the shadow-side of my life – but at great cost. Lying about my spending led to financial problems in my marriage. Covetousness robbed me of friendships and contentment. The teenage anger that sent me reeling in fits of self-mutilation, exploded years later in outbursts of abusive anger towards my children. And when alcohol beckoned during periods of loneliness and depression, I heeded its call. Maybe you’re thinking, ‘So, you’ve told us a few secrets from your life – they don’t compare to mine.’ Seeing who has the most horrifying secret isn’t the point; we need to embrace the truth that we aren’t alone in our secret places…Confession for confession’s sake easily turns into tabloid moments like daytime talk shows. It’s not enough to spill the beans. Genuine confession leads to radical forgiveness that’s only available through Christ. It covers whatever we’ve done, no matter how bad it is. Jesus knows our secrets and they can never stop Him from loving us. They can, however, create a barrier between us and the shame-free life He desires for us. We confess our sins so we can find redemption, rescue, and eternal life. We share our secret places with trusted friends so we might know the reality of divine healing through flesh-and-blood relationships with those we love.”
Soul food: Ecc 1-3; John 10:1-10; Ps 81; Prov 30:11-14
2017-11-16
Ephesians 6:4 KJV
We keep being shocked by stories of children killing teachers and other children in school, and then turning the gun on themselves. Two boys, aged twelve and thirteen, beat a man to death outside a convenience store just for the pleasure of watching him die. Another boy shot a man sitting in a car at a stop sign. When asked why, he replied, “Because he looked at me.” What is causing this? Easy access to guns? Hours spent watching violent videos? Those may be factors. But after extensive research, scientists are concluding that violent behaviour is often related to early childhood abuse and neglect. When a baby spends three days or more in dirty diapers, or when children are burned, beaten, or ignored, their blood is filled with stress hormones – cortisol and adrenaline among others. These hormones bombard and damage the brains of those children. So for the rest of their lives they will not think and feel what others do. They actually lose the capacity to empathize with those who suffer. The same research has concluded that babies and young children are incredibly vulnerable between birth and three years of age. If their families don’t protect them, love and care for them, society will pay a terrible price for it in years to come. The Bible uses the word “nurture.” It means to love, protect, encourage, compliment, and try to bring out the best in your child.
Soul food: Rom 15-16; John 9:24-41; Ps 50; Prov 30:7-10
