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
2017-09-02
2 Samuel 9:7 NIV
In Bible times, when a new king ascended to the throne, he usually killed or banished every member of the old king’s family. So here’s the story. Jonathan, King Saul’s son, and David, whom Saul hated, were close friends. So close, they made a covenant to protect one another with their lives. After Jonathan and Saul died in battle, Jonathan had one remaining son called Mephibosheth. So David had him brought to the palace, saying, “I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” Mephibosheth was living in Lo Debar, which means “the land of nothing…the place of no bread” (2 Samuel 9:4-5). That’s significant, because when your self-esteem is non-existent, your surroundings usually reflect it. You either give up completely, or go to the other extreme by striving to be perfect. But you don’t have to do either. The Bible says, “God, for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (See Ephesians 4:32). Your acceptance with God isn’t based on who you are, but Whose you are! Mephibosheth was lame in both feet and couldn’t walk properly. And spiritually speaking, you couldn’t either! Yet Mephibosheth “ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet” (2 Samuel 9:13 NIV). His lame feet couldn’t be seen because they were hidden under the king’s table. And God does the same for you too! He wraps you in the righteousness of Christ and puts all your sins under the blood. That means you’re always acceptable in His sight – including this very moment.
Soul food: Josh 11-13; Mark 9:38-50; Ps 142; Prov 23:7-9
2017-09-01
James 1:4 CEV
James writes: “Be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything. If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given you…But when you ask…you must have faith…Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all” (vv. 2-8). Note three things in this Scripture: (1) Your faith grows when it’s tested. You’ll never know the strength of your anchor until you feel the blast of the storm. (2) God will give you wisdom to handle the test. Now, He won’t answer all your “whys.” So instead of questioning Him, you need to pray, “Lord, how do You want to use this trial to develop me spiritually? How can I cooperate with You to reap the maximum benefit? What changes do You desire to bring about in my life?” Those are questions God will answer. (3) You must be willing to obey. It’s possible to ask God for wisdom, then debate, stall, or mess around trying to decide whether or not to obey Him. “If you’re that kind of person…don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.” When God gives you His wisdom, your first response should be: “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10 NIV).
Soul food: Josh 8:30-10:43; Mark 9:30-37; Ps 111; Prov 23:4-6
2017-08-31
Proverbs 24:17 NLT
In life you’ll make foes as well as friends. It can’t be avoided; it just comes with the territory. The issue isn’t will you make enemies, the issue is how will you treat them? Our friends bring out the best in us, and oh, how our foes bring out the worst in us! But if you are a follower of Christ, there are three things you can’t do: resent, retaliate, or rejoice when your enemy seems to get their comeuppance. The Bible says: “Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble. For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them. Don’t fret because of evildoers; don’t envy the wicked. For evil people have no future; the light of the wicked will be snuffed out” (vv. 17-20 NLT). Don’t allow bitterness and resentment to destroy you. It’s better to take your medicine now than to agonize later. Never wish ill on your enemy… leave revenge to God. Revenge is God’s business, not ours. You may know what the person did to you, but God alone knows why they did it. Paul put the matter succinctly yet firmly when he said: “Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honourable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to… God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:17-19 NLT). Has someone hurt you? Forgive them!
Soul food: Josh 5:1-8:29; Mark 9:14-29; Ps 103:13-22; Prov 23:1-3
