2017-10-17
Isaiah 12:2 NKJV
How much of a factor is fear in your life? Go ahead, take the fear test. Circle the number that best corresponds to how you feel. (1) I don’t remember the last time I was really afraid. (2) I am afraid rarely, and only when I or someone close to me is in physical danger. (3) I am a little more fearful than I’d like to be. (4) Fear is a significant factor in my everyday life. I avoid anything risky or dangerous. (5) I’m afraid of many things on a daily basis, and it changes the way I live my life. If you circled number one you’re an unusual individual who doesn’t experience normal fear. You may have to temper your actions with greater discernment and wisdom. If you circled number two, you have a healthy attitude toward fear and you’ve got a handle on it. You should try to encourage others who have a more difficult time with fear than you do. If you circled number three or four, you’re in an excellent position to improve your life by changing your attitude. Begin by identifying the source of your fears, and determining to turn your fear into faith in God (See Romans 10:17). For each area of fear, figure out a positive opposite, and create a plan of action to cultivate that quality. Then focus on what you can control today. If you circled number five, chances are fear is getting the better of you and you’ll have a difficult time overcoming it on your own. So pray and reprogram your mind with God’s Word (See 1 Timothy 1:7). And don’t be afraid to seek help from a trusted friend or counselor.
Soul food: Exo 33-35; John 4:1-12; Ps 87; Prov 27:4-6
2017-10-16
Proverbs 1:5 NIV
In order to keep growing, you must understand three principles: (1) You grow to the extent you give. By giving out, you create more room to grow on the inside. So give until it hurts, and keep giving until it feels good. Always endeavor to leave people better off than you found them, and you’ll be better off too. Solomon said, “The liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself” (Proverbs 11:25 TLB). This epitaph on a tombstone says it all: “What I gave, I have. What I spent, I had. What I kept, I lost.” (2) To accomplish more, you’ve got to grow more. Do you feel stuck spiritually, relationally, career-wise, or at home? You won’t get unstuck by making external changes, like pursuing a new career, leaving your family, or changing churches. Nobody’s keeping you down but yourself. The lid on your life is – you. So if you’re serious about getting unstuck, instead of looking for quick fixes take a long hard look at yourself, accept responsibility for what you see, pray, and decide to do something about it. (3) It’s not enough to dream; you must do. The Tartar tribes of Central Asia are reputed to have used a particular curse against their enemies. They didn’t call for their swords to rust or their people to die of disease. They simply said, “May you stay in one place forever.” If you don’t work daily to improve yourself, that will be your fate too. You’ll end up stuck in the same place, doing the same things, dreaming the same dreams, and never getting anywhere. So keep growing!
Soul food: Exo 30-32; John 3:22-36; Ps 32; Prov 27:1-3
2017-10-15
Ephesians 4:24 NIV
When you entertain wrong thoughts in the privacy of your mind, you may be tempted to excuse yourself by saying, “What harm will it do?” More harm than you know! You become what you dwell on. The Bible says, “Put off your old self…put on the new self” (vv. 22, 24 NIV). You may not want to admit you’re still wearing some of those “old” clothes (attitudes, pastimes, and practices), but the truth is you can’t put on your new ones until you take off the old ones. Furthermore, you can’t hang your old clothes in the closet for a rainy day, or leave them on the floor to be tripped over. You’ve got to get rid of them. “Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires…put on the new self, created to be like God…Put off falsehood and speak truthfully…Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up…Do not grieve the Holy Spirit…Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (vv. 22-32 NIV). The word for you today is: It’s time to take off your old clothes and put on your new ones.
Soul food: Joel 2:23-32; Acts 2:1-21
2017-10-14
Psalm 119:165 KJV
Are you easily upset? Even over little things? Spend more time praying and reading your Bible. The following article turned up in a newspaper: “A lady took my seat in church. She’s very nice…a good friend, in fact. I can sit anyplace; no big deal. My seat’s on the right as you enter the sanctuary. I can rest my arm on the end. It’s a good seat, but I wouldn’t raise a fuss about a seat…never hold a grudge. Actually, it was three months ago she took it and I really don’t know why. I’ve never done anything to her…never taken her seat. I suppose I’ll have to come an hour early to get my seat. She took it because it’s one of the best seats in the house. She’d no business taking it…and I’m not going to church two hours early to get what’s rightfully mine. This is the way social injustices begin: abusive people taking other people’s seats. It’s the way seeds of revolution are sown. A person can only stand so much. Where’s it all going to end? If somebody doesn’t stand up and be counted, nobody’s seat will be safe. People will sit anywhere they please, and next time they’ll take my parking place. World order will be in a shambles!” We smile, but it’s amazing how quickly we get bent out of shape when our little routine is disrupted. Do you know why the Christian life is described as “the high calling” (Philippians 3:14 KJV)? Because it means taking the high road and serving others, rather than taking the low road and putting ourselves first.
Soul food: Exo 28-29; John 3:9-21; Ps 100; Prov 26:27-28
2017-10-13
Hebrews 4:12 CEV
As you read the Bible, God will give you strength and guidance for your life that you simply can’t get any other way. Eliphaz said to Job the patriarch: “He bruises, but he binds up; he wounds, but his hands make whole” (Job 5:18 NKJV). That’s what God does to you as you read the Scriptures. “His Word can cut through our spirits.” Others see what we do, but when we get alone with God and open the Scriptures, He reveals to us what we are. He brings to the surface long-standing and unresolved issues, and helps us to deal with them. He confronts us over our stubborn habits and shows us how to conquer them. He pinpoints our selfish and unloving attitudes, giving us a chance to repent and change our ways. The old Quakers had a saying: “Sin will keep you from your Bible, and your Bible will keep you from sin.” You say, “But when I get up in the morning, I’m so busy that I don’t have time to read the Bible.” Then read it when you come home at night! You say, “By the time I get home from work at night, I’m exhausted and can’t concentrate on anything!” You must rearrange your priorities. If you spend hours watching television, surely you can spend some time each day reading your Bible. The truth is that we make time for the things that we want, that we value, and that we enjoy. So ask God to give you a greater appetite for His Word. Then read your Bible, and watch your appetite for it grow!
Soul food: Exo 25-27; John 3:1-8; Ps 89:38-52; Prov 26:23-26
2017-10-12
Philippians 4:8 NLT
In order to change your life, you must first change your thinking. And that’s not easy when you’ve spent your life thinking a certain way. Minister and columnist Dr. Frank Crane said, “Our best friends and our worst enemies are our thoughts.” King Solomon put it this way: “As [a man] thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7 NAS). To change your thinking, you must do it – one thought at a time. That calls for discipline and determination. But it’s worth it. If you wanted to compete in a marathon you wouldn’t go on an all-candy diet, would you? The fuel you put into something determines its performance. Yet we disregard this basic piece of wisdom: What you feed everything else is nothing compared to what you feed your mind! Here’s a truth that will transform you: Think excellent thoughts! What enters your mind repeatedly, occupies it, shapes it, controls it, and in the end expresses itself in what you do and who you become. Your mind will absorb and reflect whatever it’s exposed to. The events you attend, the relationships you build, the materials you read or don’t read, the music you listen to, the media images you’re exposed to, the conversations you engage in, and the thoughts you entertain all shape your mind, and eventually your character and your destiny. So what should you do? Start each day by praying: “Lord, I want the kind of mind Your Word describes. One that’s filled with excellent, admirable, honorable, praiseworthy thoughts” (See Philippians 4:8). Can you imagine what your life would be like if you constantly prayed that way and programmed your thinking accordingly?
Soul food: Exo 22-24; John 2:12-25; Ps 89:15-37; Prov 26:20-22
