2017-10-21
Exodus 18:18 NIV
President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Bottom line: Unless you learn to delegate, your leadership will deteriorate and your vision will stagnate. In Exodus, Moses was wearing himself out physically, emotionally, and spiritually trying to keep up with the demands of two million Israelites and be “the answer man” for every problem. That’s when his father-in-law told him, “You cannot handle it alone. Listen…to me and I will give you some advice” (vv. 18-19 NIV). It takes wisdom, maturity, and humility to ask for help. And it’s a sign of strength, not weakness. That’s hard to come to terms with, for those of us who take pride in our ability to “do it all.” The truth is, what Moses was doing was neither good for him nor the people depending on him. As a leader, it’s easy to overestimate your own importance and competence. That’s why Paul cautions, “[Don’t] think you are better than you really are. Use good sense” (Romans 12:3 CEV). God has placed people around you who have certain gifts and talents. When you recognize and involve these people, they’re fulfilled and the job gets done right. God created us to be interdependent, not independent. Delegating authority to the right people strengthened Moses for the task of leading as God intended. When you try to be “all things to all people,” you end up frustrated. You’re not called to do it all, but to get it done through others. That’s what leadership is about.
Soul food: Isa 4-7; John 5:1-15; Ps 126; Prov 27:17-19
2017-10-20
Psalm 32:5 NLT
David said, “I confessed all my sins to you…And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” Julie Ann Barnhill writes: “If you’re tired of pretending you have it all together, it’s time to act. For too long Christian women in particular have believed they’re the only ones dealing with shameful issues, agonizing regrets, and skeletons in their closet. Once we open up to God, ourselves, and others, we experience exhilarating freedom and peace. A woman wrote to me: ‘I had an abortion when I was eighteen. Nobody knows. For years I marked the date on my calendar and grieved for the child nobody knew about, and the young woman who bore the guilt alone. No more! Now I know I’m not alone, and for the first time in my life I truly believe God is bigger than my secret – and He’s willing to forgive.’ Secrets only hold power when they’re hidden. Once they’re revealed in the light of God’s love they lose their control. However, there are some things to consider before opening up to someone: (1) If that person repeats things others have shared in confidence, guess who’s up next for discussion? (2) Beware of someone who’s apt to offer unsolicited advice, then take offense when it’s ignored. (3) Stay away from somebody who tries to ‘fix’ you, and tells you not to worry about your secrets. Instead, look for someone who: (a) has good sense and knows when to ‘back off’ and/or move forward when you’re upset; (b) is up-front about their own struggles; (c) is quick to listen and slow to speak; (d) undergirds their words and counsel with scriptural truths.”
Soul food: Ecc 7-9; John 10:22-33; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 30:18-20
Psalm 32:5 NLT
When you deliberately sin, you’re rebelling against God’s rule in your life – and you’ll feel bad about it. And feeling bad is evidence that you truly are a redeemed child of God; otherwise your sin wouldn’t bother you. Picture a teenager saying to his dad, “I’m truly sorry, but I took your credit card and bought beer for my buddies with it.” Now, the chances are his father may never have discovered it, especially if he wasn’t a good bookkeeper. But his son’s troubled conscience brought it to the surface and he said, “Dad, I shouldn’t have bought the beer; I shouldn’t have lied about my age; I shouldn’t have used your credit card to do it. You trusted me and I let you down. I’m sorry, and I won’t do it again.” That’s confession. That’s what we must do in our prayers. The Greek word translated as confession means “to agree with God.” When we confess our sins, we are agreeing with God concerning the sin in our lives as revealed through His Word and by the Holy Spirit. When we confess, we verbalize our sin and receive cleansing and forgiveness. Yes, confession is often painful, but it keeps our fellowship with our Heavenly Father clear, open, and close. It’s not that God stops loving us, but that we no longer feel we can approach Him with confidence. Do you have a sin to confess? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NKJV).
Soul food: Isa 1-3; John 4:39-54; Ps 5; Prov 27:13-16
2017-10-19
Revelation 2:4 NLT
Love is like a fire; when it’s not fueled, it goes out. That’s what happened to the Christians in the church at Ephesus. In earlier years Paul wrote these words to them: “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love” (Ephesians 6:24 NAS). Their love for the Lord was so strong and so evident to all, that Paul commended them for it. But by the time Christ speaks to the same church in the book of Revelation, their love for Him had waned: “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me” (vv. 2-5 NLT). Evangelical leader John Stott wrote: “They’d fallen from the early heights of devotion to Christ which they’d climbed. They’d descended to the plains of mediocrity. In a word…the hearts of the Ephesian Christians had chilled. Their first flush of ecstasy had passed. Their early devotion to Christ had cooled. They’d been in love with Him, but…had fallen out of love.” You can go to church, read your Bible, and pray every day, yet not love God as you should. Loving God is a commitment and a heart attitude that results in obedience. It’s a focus: a daily decision to honor Him in all you say and do. So, has your love grown cold?
Soul food: Exo 39-40; John 4:27-38; Ps 15; Prov 27:10-12
2017-10-18
1 John 5:14 NIV
The story is told of three men marooned on a desert island with little hope of being rescued. One day they were walking around the island when one of them picked up an old, tarnished lamp. When he rubbed it, a genie appeared and offered to grant each man one wish. The first man said, “I wish I was back in my office in Boston.” Puff! He was there. The second said, “I wish I was home with my family in London.” Puff! He was there. The third man looked around and said, “It’s so lonely here, I wish my friends were back with me.” The problem with wishing is that genies and magic lamps don’t exist. But God does! And since He is in control of your life and He’s more powerful than any genie, when your wishes become prayers that line up with His will, they can become a reality. “Does the Bible teach that?” you ask. Yes; it says: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God…if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (vv.14-15 NIV). But even when your wish is in line with God’s will, you need one more thing – faith. Faith does two things: (a) It opens your eyes to see that God’s promises are for you personally. (b) It acts like a magnet, drawing the fulfillment of His promise into your life. So what are you wishing for? If it’s God’s will – you can have it.
Soul food: Exo 36-38; John 4:13-26; Ps 41; Prov 27:7-9
Proverbs 28:13 TM
Julie Ann Barnhill continues: “The ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44 NIV) wants us to believe there are things we’ve done that can make God’s love for us end. And on occasion I’ve swallowed three of his favoriet lies. Lie number one: You’re the only person who ever did that. Few things can send me down the road of condemnation and guilt like anger issues… While outwardly I came across as ‘together,’ I knew the verbal and physical boundaries I crossed behind closed doors. I confessed to friends, hoping to hear I wasn’t alone. But there was dead silence, and the Enemy whispered, ‘I told you nobody else had done those things. You’re beyond help.’ I believed this until God drew me back to Bible truths I learned and believed since childhood. (a) If I confess my wrongs, He’ll forgive me time after time. (b) If I allow Him, He’ll change my thought patterns and strengthen me to do what’s right. (c) And even if I fail, Jesus remains faithful; it’s impossible for Him not to…Three years later…before a packed audience, I told hundreds of mothers where I’d been, and assured them they weren’t the only ones who’d said, done, and thought whatever they were currently beating themselves up about. Women lined up to speak to me. Some stood quietly with their heads bowed. Others fought to maintain their composure as the Enemy’s lies were exposed and defeated…I never grow tired of hearing another [person] say, ‘Thanks for being honest!’ The Lord has shown me I’m not the only one who’s done the things I’ve done.” Now that’s real freedom!
Soul food: Ecc 4-6; John 10:11-21; Ps 76; Prov 30:15-17
