2017-12-04
Philippians 2:13 NLT
Another way in which God will lead you is: Through the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit. As a parent, you wouldn’t allow your children to get into trouble if you could stop them – and neither would God. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” God will give you a desire to do His will, plus the power to carry it out. You ask, “But how can I know God’s voice?” Through time, through testing, through experience, and most of all through intimacy with Him. When a loved one calls you on the phone, they don’t have to say, “Hello, this is your husband or your wife calling.” You know their voice! And learning to recognize the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit is crucial, because much of the time you won’t be able to figure it out. “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” (Proverbs 20:24 NLT). When all is said and done, you will say, “Honestly, I didn’t figure this thing out. It must have been God.” The longer you walk with God the less you’ll know about why He leads as He does, but you’ll know with assurance that He does lead you. Knowing that is what will draw you back to Him time and time again to seek His guidance. The apostle Jude said, “I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith” (Jude v.3 NIV). Those words – “I felt I had to” – are nothing less than the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Soul food: Gen 30:25-31:55; John 13:18-38; Ps 2; Ecc 3:1-4
2017-12-03
Psalm 119:105 NIV
When you pray, “Lord, what should I do?” He can respond to you in several ways. Let’s look at some over the next few days. He will answer you through His written Word. Instead of turning to “Tom, Dick, and Harry” for guidance, go to God. Make His Word your first option rather than your last resort. The Psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Without a regular daily intake of God’s Word, you’ll be “in the dark” as to what’s best for you and the direction your life should go. “I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled” (Ezekiel 12:25 NIV). If God says it in His Word, you can count on it. There are precepts in Scripture, but mainly God has given us principles to follow. These principles require wisdom and discernment. The Psalmist said, “I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge” (Psalm 119:66 NLT). This doesn’t mean you must have a particular verse for every decision or move you make. That’s not how it works. Most times when you ask God for guidance, He will give you “good judgment and knowledge,” and that’s enough to get you moving in the right direction. Will you sometimes experience fear? Yes, but that’s when you must use your faith! Your greatest clarity as to God’s will often comes from hindsight, not foresight. It’s in looking back on how God has led you that you say, “Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave” (1 Kings 8:56 NIV).
Soul food: 1 Kings 17:1-7; 1 Kings 18:41-46; Mark 4:35-41
2017-12-02
Matthew 7:12 TM
The Bible says, “As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed… self-promoting…dog-eat-dog…the kind…who smooth-talk…and take advantage” (2 Timothy 3:1-6 TM). If you don’t believe that, try sliding into a parking space another motorist wants. Or watch shoppers in a checkout line elbowing one another to save thirty seconds. And how about “your seat” in church; you know, the one you’ve been warming for thirty years? The Bible says, “Be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves” (Philippians 2:3-4 CEV). Jesus said, “Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.” In other words, practice putting others first. Nobel Prize-winning medical missionary Albert Schweitzer said, “The only ones among you who will really be happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” If you need motivation, start looking for the good qualities in people instead of the bad ones. And remember, they have to do the same in your case. Do something to help them. If you really want to get ahead in life, love others a little bit more than they deserve, just like God loves you. Too often we expect everyone else to practice the Golden Rule. Hymnist Henry Burton wrote: “Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on. ‘T was not given for thee alone, pass it on. Let it travel down the years, let it wipe another’s tears, till in heaven the deed appears – pass it on.”
Soul food: Gen 28:1-30:24; John 13:1-17; Ps 130; Prov 31:28-31
2017-12-01
Matthew 5:9 NIV
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar told of a little guy who was confronted by three big bullies, any one of whom could have flattened him. And clearly, that’s what they had in mind. But the little guy was very bright. He backed away, drew a line in the dirt, backed up a few more steps, looked into the eyes of the biggest bully and said, “I dare you to step across that line!” The guy did. Then the little boy grinned and said, “Good, now we’re both on the same side!” When you find yourself in the midst of conflict, you can decide to do one of two things: become a troublemaker or a peacemaker. You can add to the stress or try to bring a solution. Peacemakers look for common ground and try to get everyone onto it. Their goal is to find a win-win solution. Barnabas, whose name means “Son of Consolation,” stood up for the newly-converted Saul of Tarsus. The leaders of the church felt threatened by him, and you could hardly blame them. But Barnabas wasn’t thinking about Paul’s violent background; he was considering his value to God. In essence, he was thinking, “If we can harness and direct this guy, he can win the race for us.” And he was proved right. Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle. But not until Barnabas put his credibility on the line (See Acts 9:26-30). Peace-making calls for taking risks. It means evaluating people by their best moments and qualities. Peacemakers are “big picture” thinkers who are governed by grace, not petty opinions and temporary conditions. So be a peacemaker.
Soul food: Gen 25:19-27:46; John 12:37-50; Ps 65; Prov 31:25-27
2017-11-30
2 Kings 4:8 NIV
The Bible refers to this woman as “a great woman.” That’s because she had a “great” strategy for her life! She prepared a bedroom in her house for Elisha the prophet to use when he passed through town. As a result she got her heart’s desire: a baby boy. And later when her son died suddenly, God used Elisha to raise him from the dead. Notice three things in this woman’s story: (1) She made room for God. (2) Her dream came to pass. (3) When her dream died, God brought it back to life (See vv. 36-37). When her son died, the neighbours probably told her, “It’s over. Go ahead and bury him.” But she refused to accept the opinions of unbelieving people or discuss her situation with those who were unqualified to help. Be careful who you open up to in a crisis! Make sure they know God, and that their words line up with His. This woman believed that if God started it, He could finish it. If He made it, He could fix it. The Bible tells us Elisha stretched out his body on top of the dead boy, and he got warm. But this boy needed more than warmth – he needed life. So Elisha stretched out on top of him again, and he became fully alive. There’s a lesson here for you. No matter how bad things look, stay on top of the situation by believing God. Walk the floor and pray all night if you have to, but keep standing on His Word. Your dream may not yet be fully alive, but it’s getting warm. Things are improving…God is moving…the answer’s on the way!
Soul food: Gen 24:1-25:18; John 12:20-36; Ps 14; Prov 31:22-24
2017-11-29
Proverbs 22:7 NKJV
Here’s an idea for getting out of debt, and staying out. Instead of referring to it as your “credit card,” start seeing it as your “debt card.” Next time you have an “itch” to purchase something you don’t need or can’t pay for, that may just stop you from “scratching” it. People generally fall into three categories: (1) the haves; (2) the have-nots; and (3) the have-not-paid-for-what-they-haves. The story is told of a handyman who’d been called out to a millionaire’s mansion to refinish the floors. The rich man’s wife said, “Be especially careful with this dining room table. It goes back to Louis XVI.” The handyman said, “That’s nothing. If I don’t make a payment by next Friday, my whole living room set goes back to the furniture store!” They say the average person today drives a bank-financed car, over a bond-financed road, on gasoline they bought with a credit card, to a department store to open another charge account, so they can fill their house that’s mortgaged for thirty years to the bank, with furniture that’s been purchased on an instalment plan. Now, the Bible doesn’t condemn credit, but it cautions us about the use of it. “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” It’s okay to borrow for necessities, but you should always pay for luxuries. So if at all possible, pay cash or don’t buy it. “The wicked borrows and does not repay” (Psalms 37:21 NKJV). It’s not wrong to borrow money, it’s just wrong to borrow money and not repay it. So the word for you today is: Learn to live within your means.
Soul food: Gen 20-23; John 12:12-19; Ps 146; Prov 31:18-21
