2017-07-10
Galatians 4:19 NKJV
Here are the three scriptural keys to help you grow and mature spiritually: (1) Conception. This results from intimacy between two people who love each other. Now, God’s love for you is clear and compelling (See 1 John 3:1); the question is how much do you love Him? (See John 21:15.) (2) Forming. Paul writes, “My little children, for whom I labour in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” God knows the tests and trials required to produce in you the character of Christ, and He will do whatever it takes to make it happen. (3) Pushing. When you’re fully committed to bringing forth what God’s placed within you, you’ll have to push against every negative thing people have done to you or said about you. You’ll have to push against Satan’s attacks in all their debilitating forms: painful memories, feelings of hopelessness, and low self-esteem. The Enemy may have spent years pushing you aside, pulling you back, and putting you down, but God will empower you to give birth to what He’s placed in you. And here’s something else to think about: When a baby is born, everything in the family changes. And the same is true for you. When you give birth to what God has put inside you, everything in your life will be affected. God’s blessing is an “overflowing” blessing; it will touch every area of your existence. Just as a mother can tell when she’s pregnant, the same is true in the spiritual realm. So don’t fail to give birth to what’s within you. Now is the time to bring it forth!
Soul food: Eph 4:17-6:24; Mat 24:36-51; Ps 109:1-15; Prov 17:27-28
2017-07-09
Galatians 1:10 NLT
We tend to fall into one of two traps: (1) Thinking too much of ourselves. Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency by the death of Franklin Roosevelt. That’s when Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House, took him aside and said, “From here on out you’re going to have lots of people around you, and they are going to tell you what a great man you are. But Harry…you know and I know you ain’t.” Truman took that advice to heart, and became a truly great president. To succeed in the assignment God has given you in life you need two things – dependence on God and confidence in God (See 1 John 3:21, 22). As long as those two things are in place you’ll succeed. (2) Thinking too little of ourselves. Many of us have made it our goal to change someone’s opinion of us; to prove to them that we’re valuable. Until you quit agreeing with the opinions of those who criticize you, you’ll remain locked in a prison of your own making. When your critic’s opinion becomes your opinion, you’ve built a prison inside your soul with only one prisoner – you. The fact is some of the people you’ve spent your life trying to impress may never be impressed. And you need to accept that from God’s perspective, it doesn’t matter! To succeed, you must be able to work alongside others without letting yourself be controlled by their moods and opinions. That’s why Paul wrote, “I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
Soul food: Ex 20:1-17; Mat 5:1-12
2017-07-08
Proverbs 14:12 NKJV
Ever noticed how zoo keepers handle an injured animal? Even though the keeper is only interested in helping, the animal doesn’t understand because it is focused solely on the pain. As a result, it strikes out at the very one who’s trying to help. Is that what’s happening in your life right now? Perhaps people who call themselves Christians have hurt you. You didn’t expect them to be the ones inflicting the pain. You may have been hurt to the extent that you no longer trust anybody – not even God. You haven’t actually said, “Lord, I don’t trust You,” but your actions speak louder than your words. You avoid reading His Word to find an answer. You won’t pray, or allow anyone to pray for you. You try to bury yourself in your job. You move from one relationship to another. You try alcohol or mood-altering chemicals. You spend hours watching television and surfing the Internet, and some of the things you’re watching violate your conscience and leave you feeling worse. What’s the answer? (1) Turn to God. Give Him “all your worries and cares…for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). Give Him your pain, your failures, your hang-ups, and your challenges. (2) Forgive the person who hurt you. Obsessing over what they did and trying to make them pay just keeps you chained to them. But forgiveness breaks the chain and sets you free. In your own strength you may be able to do something to alleviate your pain. But God can destroy the root of the pain and cause you to walk victoriously into the future.
Soul food: Eph 1:1-4:16; Mat 24:26-35; Ps 79; Prov 17:24-26
2017-07-07
1 John 4:18 NLT
Solomon writes, “Jealousy is cruel as the grave” (Song of Solomon 8:6). There are many practical applications for this verse, and one of them is that jealousy can cause the death of a marriage. When you’re jealous of your partner, you distrust them and try to control their every move. And that’s doubly true when someone in your past has betrayed you. Your fear of it happening again can make your spouse feel like his or her feet are always being held to the fire. And if you keep doing it long enough you’ll create the very thing you fear; you’ll end up driving them away. Even if they do stay, they may live in emotional isolation without ever fully giving themselves to you. With that in mind, here’s what the Bible has to say: “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them…as we live in God, our love grows more perfect…Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear” (1 John 4:16-18 NLT). When you know that God loves you in spite of your imperfections, your sense of self-worth grows and you start believing you are worthy of love. And when that happens, it’s easier to accept that your spouse loves you too and will be faithful. That’s like getting out of prison – a prison of your own making called “jealousy.” Today God wants to set you free from jealousy and give you the relationship you’ve always longed for. Talk to Him about it.
Soul food: 1 Sam 27-31; Mat 24:15-25; Ps 137; Prov 17:22-23
2017-07-06
Acts 8:11 NKJV
Just as the apostles worked astonishing miracles through the power of God, Simon the sorcerer was able to do astonishing things through the power of the Devil. So how did the apostles handle the situation? Did they sidestep it? Coexist peacefully with it? Say, “It’s no big deal”? No, Peter confronted Simon, saying, “Repent…[that] your heart may be forgiven” (v. 22 NKJV). Today the forces of evil are real and you must know how to deal with them. Jesus said, “Behold, I give you the authority…over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19 NKJV). The Bible tells us two important things about the demon-possessed man in Gerasa whom Christ healed: (1) The forces of evil within him introduced themselves as “Legion…for we are many” (Mark 5:9 NIV). A legion was a well-trained, fully-equipped division of the Roman army that took orders from Caesar. (2) They “begged Jesus…not to send them out of the area” (v. 10 NIV). That’s because they’d established a stronghold within him. Understand this: You can’t win spiritual battles with natural weapons. True, blaming Satan for all your problems can be a cop-out. But failing to see him at work gives him the advantage every time. You must be wise and know when you’re dealing with natural, human, psychological problems. But you must also be discerning when you’re dealing with “principalities…powers…the rulers of the darkness…spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV). How can you overcome them? By taking up “the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day” (Ephesians 6:13 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 Sam 24-26; Mat 24:1-14; Ps 122; Prov 17:18-21
2017-07-05
Mark 6:31 NIV
The Bible says, “The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty” (Psalm 90:10 NIV). If you’re blessed to live that long you’ll typically spend an average of twenty-four years sleeping, twenty years working, ten years in church and on vacation (mostly vacation), seven years eating, six years traveling, four years dealing with sickness, and two years getting dressed. Kierkegaard said: “The press of busyness is like a charm…seeking to lay hold of ever-younger victims so that [we] are scarcely allowed time for God to develop in us Christian character.” It’s a mistake to think that rushing through life buys you more time. It doesn’t. Apart from keeping your adrenaline pumping and perhaps making you feel and look important, busyness can be the enemy of your soul. It can rob you of spiritual growth by preventing you from reflecting and examining your heart. We’re not talking about the number of things you manage to get done every day, but the quality of your life’s product. You can be busy, yet not be balanced. One Bible scholar said, “Solitude is the furnace of transformation.” There are three kinds of solitude: (1) Brief intervals experienced daily. (2) Longer ones involving a few days or more away from it all. Despite His hectic schedule, Jesus made a habit of withdrawing from the demands of the crowd to spend time with His Father. (Did He know something we don’t?) And He told the disciples, “Come with me…to a quiet place and get some rest.” (3) Forced rest. “He maketh me to lie down” (Psalm 23:2). Don’t wait until God makes you lie down! Endeavour to live a balanced life.
Soul food: 1 Sam 20:30-23:29; Mat 23:23-39; Ps 110; Prov 17:15-17
