2017-08-15
1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT
Somebody said, “When the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” Let’s face it, because of our strong personalities some of us are inclined to use a hammer when a gentler approach would do the job better. If that’s your problem, remember the three T’s: (1) Temper. When you’re upset you’re more likely to make a big deal out of a little one. So when it comes to your response and decibel level, use this rule of thumb: When the reaction is worse than the action, the problem generally increases. But when the reaction is less than the action, the problem usually decreases. (2) Timing. If you don’t get an injured person to the hospital quickly enough, their life can be lost. And if you don’t apologize when you’ve wronged someone, the relationship can be lost. Knowing when to act – and when not to – is every bit as important as taking the right action. Lady Dorothy Nevill said, “The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” (3) Total picture. A man walked into a restaurant and asked the waiter, “Do you have anything to cure hiccups?” The waiter slapped him across the face. “Hey! What’s the big idea?” the man exclaimed. The waiter smiled: “Well, you don’t have hiccups anymore, do you?” The man said, “I never did. I wanted something to cure my wife. She’s out in the car!” Are you inclined to jump to conclusions? Slow yourself down and you’ll be more likely to respond appropriately.
Soul food: 1 Chr 26:20-29:30; Mark 5:11-20; Ps 119:73-80; Prov 21:14-16
2017-08-14
Psalm 119:58 NKJV
One moment of God’s favour will do more for you than a lifetime of striving. Through the favour of God, Ruth went from being a penniless widow to becoming the wife of Boaz, a wealthy man. It’s what made Esther a queen and positioned her to save the Jewish nation. As you begin to walk in God’s favour, doors of opportunity open, the right people are drawn to you, and you discover ideas, strategies, and resources in the most unexpected places. Does that mean you won’t experience opposition? No; when you’re doing anything worthwhile you must expect flak from those who aren’t privy to God’s plan for your life. It goes with the turf. But the Bible says even “the king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1 NLT). Like changing the direction of a moving stream, God can change people’s hearts and give you favour with those who might otherwise reject or overlook you. Solomon writes, “When God approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand” (Proverbs 16:7 TM). So when people oppose or disagree with you, just concentrate on pleasing God and let Him deal with the fallout. Remember, God takes up where you leave off. He can give you blessings that, humanly speaking, you don’t deserve and qualify for. Just as the Holy Spirit enabled Jesus to fulfil His life’s mission, He will equip and enable you to fulfil His plan for your life (See Luke 4:18-19). So stop trying so hard to make things happen on your own terms, and start praying for God’s favour. He has promised it to you and He keeps His promises.
Soul food: 1 Chr 23:21-26:19; Mark 5:1-10; Ps 119:65-72; Prov 21:10-13
2017-08-13
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
The people of Israel ended up living as slaves in Babylon because they disobeyed God and decided to do their own thing. And they paid a high price for it. They lost their homes, their jobs, their freedom, and their self-respect. Has that happened to you? Well, there’s good news. God says: “The plans I have for you… are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me… I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes” (Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT). That means God still has a plan for your life. And if you seek Him “wholeheartedly,” He will reveal it to you. You ask, “How do you know God still has a plan for me?” Because you’re still breathing! He has a plan for every single person He ever created, and it never goes out of date. Unlike the milk in your supermarket that has an expiration date after which it can’t be used, God’s plans don’t have expiration dates. Even if you’ve gone astray and missed His plan for years, that plan can still swing into operation the moment you turn your life over to Him and fall into line with His will. Now the plan may be somewhat modified from what it would have been twenty years ago if you’d paid attention, but that doesn’t stop God. He can adapt to fit anything that comes up in any life that’s ever lived, including yours.
Soul food: Eccl 11:7-12:1; Ps 39:4-13; Jas 4:14
2017-08-12
Matthew 24:35 NIV
One of the first books to come off the printing press when it was invented was the Bible. And it’s still the world’s best-selling book. An anonymous author has written: ‘It contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the fate of sinners, and the happiness of believers. It is a light to direct you, food to nourish you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveller’s road map, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s weapon, and the player’s game plan. It’s a mine of incredible wealth, and a river of genuine joy. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Christ is its grand subject, your good its design, and the glory of God its end. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practise it to be spiritually healthy. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. Let it fill your memory, rule your heart, and guide your steps. It is given to you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labour, and judge those who trifle with its sacred contents.’ The Bible is ‘the word of our God [which] endures forever’ (Isaiah 40:8 NIV 2011 Edition). Most of us respect the Bible; the trouble is we don’t read it daily and put it into practice. After hearing a discussion on various translations of the Bible, one man said: ‘I prefer my mother’s translation, because she translated it into everyday life.’ Are you doing that?
Soul food: 1 Chr 19:1-23:20; Mark 4:26-41; Ps 119:57-64; Prov 21:7-9
2017-08-11
Genesis 6:14-15 NLT
The Bible detailed the original blueprint for shipbuilding. In Genesis, God told Noah to build a 1.5 million-cubic-foot ship and fill it with enough people and animals to repopulate the earth. And the specific dimensions God gave Noah turned out to be significant. In 1609 in Hoorn, Holland, a ship was built in the same proportions and it revolutionized shipbuilding. According to Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (See The World Almanac), by 1900 every large ship on the high seas was inclined toward the proportions of Noah’s Ark. And by the way, if you think it’s not sophisticated or educated to believe that the world was once destroyed by a universal flood, think again. About 85 percent of the rock surfaces around the world are composed of sedimentary rock, indicating that at some time in the past the world was covered by water. Consider also the Bible and meteorology. Solomon wrote, “The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and… returneth again according to his circuits” (Ecclesiastes 1:6 KJV). The air around the earth turns in huge circles, counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. As a result, your local meteorologist can tell you with a high degree of accuracy what the weather will be like so you can dress accordingly. The Bible – there’s simply no other book like it! When you believe its central message of salvation through Christ you have peace and joy now, plus you get to live in heaven with God for eternity when you die. It doesn’t get better than that!
Soul food: 1 Chr 16-18; Mark 4:13-25; Ps 119:49-56; Prov 21:4-6
2017-08-10
Isaiah 51:6 NKJV
The Bible addresses the first law of thermodynamics (known as the Law of Conservation of Energy), which states that while energy can be changed from one form to another, it can’t be created or destroyed. This law disproves Sir Fred Hoyle’s “steady state” or “continuous creation” theory, which has been discarded by scientists. Hoyle stated that at points in the universe called “Irtrons,” matter (or energy) was constantly being created. But the first law of thermodynamics states the opposite: There is no “creation” ongoing today. The Bible says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1 KJV). The word finished in the original Hebrew indicates an action completed in the past, never to occur again. The second law of thermodynamics says that in all physical processes, every ordered system over time tends to become more disordered. In other words, everything is running down and wearing out as energy is becoming less and less available for use. The Psalmist wrote: “You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure… they will all grow old like a garment… But You are the same, and Your years have no end” (Psalm 102:25-27 NKJV). The more scientists learn about life on earth, the more they discover the truth of what the Bible has clearly taught for centuries. No matter how sincere you may be or how hard you try, in order to open a locked door you must use the right key. Your Bible is the key that unlocks the door to understanding all of life, and God’s plan for you.
Soul food: 1 Chr 12:23-15:29; Mark 4:1-12; Ps 119:41-48; Prov 21:1-3
