2017-09-08
Ephesians 1:11 NLT
The Bible says, “The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right” (Psalm 84:11 NLT). Sometimes we pray for a certain thing, believing it’s good for us. But God, who has a plan for your life, knows what would be “good” and what wouldn’t be. Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, said if God had answered all her prayers when she was young, she’d have married the wrong man – several times. Two teardrops were floating down the river of life. One asked the other, “Who are you?” The second replied, “I’m the teardrop from the girl who loved a man and lost him. Who are you?” The first teardrop replied, “I am the teardrop of the girl who got him.” That’s the way life goes, isn’t it? We cry over what we don’t have, not realizing we might have cried twice as hard if God had given it to us. The expression “walking by faith” means trusting the plan God has already worked out, and will reveal to you on a need-to-know basis. Paul said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Philippians 4:11 NKJV). Clearly his contentment didn’t come from his surroundings, since he spent all but seven years of his ministry in prison. So where did it come from? The knowledge that God “makes everything work out according to his plan.” Does that mean Paul understood every detail of God’s plan? No, but when he didn’t understand the plan, he trusted the Planner! And that’s where Paul’s peace, joy, and contentment came from. The same goes for you.
Soul food: Col 1-2; Mark 11:1-11; Ps 78:9-16; Prov 23:22-25
2017-09-07
Acts 2:8 NIV
On the day the church was birthed, we read: “All of [the apostles] were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?’…Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?'” (vv. 4-8, 12 NIV). The question “What does this mean?” indicates that God loves and uses all kinds of people – gypsies and cowboys, bikers and academics, single moms and well-heeled executives. It also tells us that when we’re filled with God’s Spirit, He has equipped each of us to reach a specific kind of person. So: (1) Who do you find it easy to talk to? Teenagers? Drug addicts? The elderly? You may be tongue-tied around children but eloquent with executives. No problem; that’s how God designed you. (2) Who do you feel the most compassion for? God doesn’t burden each of us equally. “He fashions [our] hearts individually” (Psalm 33:15 NKJV). What makes your heart break and your pulse race? When you see the homeless, or victims of the sex trade? The newly-bereaved or the divorced? Paul says, “[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others” (2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT). So, discover who you are called to reach.
Soul food: Josh 22-24; Mark 10:35-52; Ps 78:1-8; Prov 23:19-21
2017-09-06
Proverbs 12:15 NIV
When you “don’t know what you don’t know,” you’re vulnerable to making mistakes. You may know a lot, but you don’t know all there is to know. So you should always seek and be open to good input. Professional golfers play with a caddy. And the caddy is more than just a carrier of clubs; he or she is there for support and valuable advice. Tommy Bolt was one of the greatest golfers of all time. But he had a major flaw: a terrible temper. One year when he was playing in a tournament in Southern California, he was still angry because of a bad round he’d had the day before. So he told his caddy only to say, “Yes, Mr. Bolt,” or “No, Mr. Bolt,” if he was asked a question. Otherwise he was to keep quiet. Bolt hit his first tee shot and it appeared to come to rest behind a tree. When he reached the spot, he asked his caddy, “Do you think I should hit a five-iron?” The caddy, obeying orders, simply replied, “No, Mr. Bolt.” Bolt hit the five-iron anyway, and made an unbelievable shot that landed on the green a few feet from the hole. He turned to his caddy and proudly said, “What do you think about that shot?” As the caddy picked up the bag and headed toward the green, he simply said, “That wasn’t your ball, Mr. Bolt.” If you don’t want to finish up making mistakes you will regret, be open to advice – and follow it. The Bible says, “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.”
Soul food: Josh 19:24-21:45; Mark 10:23-34; Ps 27; Prov 23:16-18
2017-09-05
Isaiah 44:3 TM
Parent, here’s a Bible promise you can stand on: “I will pour my Spirit into your descendants and my blessing on your children.” Your kids should be able to take up where you left off! Your ceiling should be their floor. They shouldn’t merely follow you; they should use the foundation you laid to build something greater. Don’t use the comfort of the status quo as an excuse for not challenging old thinking. To get beyond your mental barriers, you need to stop saying things like: “That’s just the way I am,” or “My family never amounted to much, so I won’t either.” When you say that, you’re contradicting God! When God delivered the Israelites from slavery, they started out for the Promised Land. The journey should have taken only eleven days but it ended up taking forty years. What happened? They complained endlessly, and as a result kept going around the same mountain again and again. Why? Because they’d been in slavery for four hundred years, and they thought and talked like slaves! They couldn’t grasp what God had promised them. Finally He told them, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give your descendants” (See Deuteronomy 2:3). If your past has been one of failure, draw a line in the sand today and declare, “Enough is enough. I’m going to trust God for bigger and better things!” It’s in such moments that destinies are changed. Bottom line: The decisions you make today will affect not only you, but your children – so ask God to help you make the right ones.
Soul food: Josh 16:1-19:23; Mark 10:13-22; Ps 112; Prov 23:13-15
2017-09-04
Genesis 37:19-20 NKJV
When Joseph dreamed big dreams, how did his brothers respond? “Let us…kill him.” Sometimes those closest to you will resent your dream the most, yet with God’s help you can still fulfil it. Andrés Segovia was born in southern Spain and began playing the guitar as a child. In those days it was considered little more than a folk instrument; serious composers and musicians didn’t respect it. But Segovia saw the potential for classical music on the guitar. He began studying the techniques of classical musicians who played the violin and cello. He then applied those techniques to his guitar playing, and developed other methods on his own. He adapted compositions of the old masters such as Bach, and learned to play them on his instrument. In 1909 Segovia made his debut at age sixteen. In 1919 he toured the world and won over the classical music establishment. For the first time composers started writing classical music for the guitar, and a whole new musical genre was born. Over the course of eighty years, Segovia changed people’s perception of the instrument. And like many big dreams, his dream made an impact far beyond what he imagined. It could be argued that his efforts opened the door to the guitar in concert halls and jazz bands, which in turn led to the electronically amplified guitar. Today if you enjoy the music of the Beatles or Eric Clapton, thank Andrés Segovia. If it wasn’t for his dream, much of the music from the twentieth century may have gone in an entirely different direction. Bottom line: When you pursue your dream, there’s no telling how far you’ll go.
Soul food: Josh 14-15; Mark 10:1-12; Ps 20; Prov 23:10-12
2017-09-03
Joshua 1:9 NIV
When it came time for Joshua to take the place of Moses, God said to him, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” And today God is saying the same to you. He wants you to pursue the dream He has put in your heart! Alfred D. Souza wrote: “For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, and a debt to be paid. Then, life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.” When you encounter obstacles, you discover things about yourself you never knew. You discover the depth of your faith in God – and in yourself. Every problem introduces you to yourself. Obstacles are merely a call to strengthen your position, not surrender your dream. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did. So when your dream looks impossible, trust God and act as though it’s impossible to fail. Why? Because “with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27 NKJV). That means if you’re going to climb Mount Everest, make sure to bring the flag with you. Don’t listen to those who tell you, “It can’t be done that way.” Or to those who say, “You’re taking too big a chance.” Ignore what people say can’t be done and focus on what God says can be done.
Soul food: Gen 11:1-9; Phil 2:1-11; Ps 133
