2017-09-20
Isaiah 43:1 NIV
We hear about people being released from prison after serving time for a crime they didn’t commit. It was a case of mistaken identity. Identifying someone means having the ability to recognize and say exactly who they are. Satan wants you to identify with who people say you are, versus who God says you are. And unless you know who you are in God’s eyes, Satan will hammer you with feelings of condemnation and unworthiness. God’s grace and unconditional love for you is the only secure foundation on which to base your salvation and self-worth. Today He says to you: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Jesus identified with God’s opinion only: “I know where I came from and where I am going” (John 8:14 AMP). People said terrible things about Jesus, yet here’s what God said about Him: “The stone…the builders rejected has become the…cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22 NKJV). Sometimes we’re so busy telling people what to do that we neglect to tell them who they are. Knowing who you are in Christ gives you confidence to hold your head high. You are “complete” because of your relationship to Christ (See Colossians 2:10). God sees you clothed in Christ’s righteousness (See 2 Corinthians 5:21). Once you accept that, you stop feeling like you constantly fall short. When you have money in the bank and you need to withdraw it, you don’t feel pressured because you know it’s in an account with your name on it. Likewise, you don’t have to struggle for other people’s approval when you know you’re loved and accepted by God.
Soul food: Zech 5-8; Mark 14:12-26; Ps 34; Prov 24:29-31
2017-09-19
1 Thessalonians 2:4 NIV
There’s a world of difference between performing for people’s approval, and being free to minister to their needs because you know you already have God’s approval. Striving for approval is like any other drug; you can never get enough of it. And like all junkies, you go crazy when it’s withheld. It places you at the mercy of other people’s opinions, and as a result you live on an emotional roller coaster. That’s not how God wants you to live! Paul was free to speak the truth in love: to confront people or to be gentle with them. When someone told Paul they didn’t like him, he didn’t lose sleep over it because his security and self-worth weren’t built on their acceptance. “We speak as men approved by God” (v. 4 NIV). Paul didn’t go around comparing himself with others, demonstrating his superiority by trying to be top dog or the one who’s always in charge. Knowing he already had God’s approval set him free from such anxiety and meant he could enjoy the life God called him to. When we’re immature, we worry about what others think of us. But as we become more mature, we realize that most of the time they aren’t thinking about us at all. They’re too busy thinking about themselves – or worrying about what we think of them! Knowing you have God’s approval gives you the strength to deal with criticism and conflict because you’re secure in your identity. And your identity is this: You’re redeemed, called, and approved by God.
Soul food: Zech 1-4; Mark 14:1-11; Ps 39; Prov 24:26-28
2017-09-18
Mark 11:25 NKJV
No matter how much two people love each other, conflicts are sure to arise that call for extending grace and showing forgiveness. Do you know that couples who are happy and stay married have the same number of disagreements and conflicts as couples who are unhappy and get divorced? Statistically, that is true! It’s not the absence of conflict that preserves marriage, but the ability to manage conflict when it happens. So how do you “manage” conflict? By practicing the kind of self-control that keeps conflicts from mushrooming into hurtful and divisive standoffs. It also means knowing what to do with hurt feelings like anger, disappointment, and dashed expectations. In other words, it means knowing how to forgive it and forget it. But emotional hurt and tension are almost impossible to forget; the harder we try, the more we remember. So what’s the answer? Remember to forget! Try to act like God, who chooses not to hold against us what He knows about us. He says in His Word: “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV). That means if you are holding something against your spouse, there’s only one solution: Forgive it and forget it. You may never forget how you’ve been hurt, but you can choose to forgive it and move on. No, it’s not easy, but you can do it. How? By remembering the things, known or unknown to others, that God has forgiven you for and extending that same grace to your spouse.
Soul food: 2 Tim 1-4; Mark 13:24-37; Ps 3; Prov 24:23-25
2017-09-17
1 Corinthians 9:25 NLT
When you’re being stretched spiritually, your faith in God grows. When you’re being stretched mentally, your old ideas are challenged and replaced with new ones. When you’re being stretched relationally, selfishness dies and love grows. So, are you being stretched right now? God allows us to have stretching experiences that prepare us for the race He has called us to run in life – and every so often your soul will “hit the wall.” No amount of strength and no amount of pressing will move the problem. This is soul stretch! Often, these moments aren’t the real test; they are just warm-ups that prepare us for future challenges. They are points of reference designed to keep us from panicking when we’re in the midst of the real race. Remember that God never allows a person to run for Him, or with Him, who hasn’t been stretched in their thinking, their faith, and their ability to live and love. So when you face a problem that just won’t move, remember to take a deep breath and remind yourself that God is stretching you. It’s the stretching of the soul that enables us to face situations we think will kill us, but don’t; to endure times when we think we won’t make it, but do. Sooner or later we will all face difficult times and relationships, but they are just the deep knee bends of life. So when it feels like you’re being stretched to breaking point, don’t quit. See it for what it is – preparation for running and winning your God-assigned race in life.
Soul food: 2 Ki 6:8-20; Eph 1:15-23
2017-09-16
Proverbs 23:7 NIV
With practice, you can become a good thinker. Observe two things: (1) Good thinkers have foresight. “The plans of the diligent lead to profit” (Proverbs 21:5 NIV). The word diligent means “to work, study, and plan.” You don’t stumble into success and figure it out afterward. Whether you’re in business or ministry, your level of success will increase dramatically if you place a high value on good thinking. Novelist Victor Hugo wrote, “A small man is made up of small thoughts.” People who don’t practice good thinking usually find themselves at the mercy of circumstances – or other people’s thoughts. Unable to solve problems, they find themselves facing the same obstacles over and over. And because they don’t think ahead they’re habitually in reaction mode. An old German proverb says, “Better an empty purse than an empty head.” Good thinkers overcome difficulties, including lack of resources, that often leave poor thinkers at the mercy of good thinkers. In As a Man Thinketh, James Allen says, “All that a man achieves or fails to achieve, is a direct result of his thoughts.” Do you believe that? If you do, you’ll place a high value on good thinking and make it a priority in your life. (2) Good thinkers look for the best, not the worst. They live by this scriptural principle: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8 NIV).
Soul food: Mic 5-7; Mark 13:12-23; Ps 19; Prov 24:19-22
2017-09-15
1 John 1:7 NKJV
Going to church, doing your best, and subscribing to fuzzy notions about God won’t get you into heaven. Here’s the testimony of those already in heaven: “To him who loves us…freed us from our sins by his blood, and…made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father…be glory and power for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:5-6 NIV). There’s an interesting story behind a broken rope on display at the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt, Switzerland. Some climbers who scaled the Matterhorn used it to rope themselves together for the return descent. But one climber slipped and dragged three others with him into an abyss. The other team members braced for the shock on the rope linking them all together, expecting it to halt their companions’ fall. But the tug came, and to everyone’s horror the rope snapped, plunging them to their deaths. Nobody knows why an inferior rope was used. But they do know it wasn’t genuine Alpine rope, which is guaranteed and distinguished by a red strand running through it. There’s a lesson here. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible has a red strand running through it, and it represents the only thing that can save you – the blood of Jesus. Old Testament believers looked forward to the cross, and New Testament believers looked back to it. By trusting in Christ’s finished work, you’re accepted by God, and one day the door of heaven will open and you’ll live with Him forever. And it’s all based on this truth: “The blood of Jesus Christ…cleanses us from all sin.” No more is required, and nothing less will get you through the door!
Soul food: Mic 1-4; Mark 13:1-11; Ps 24; Prov 24:15-18
