2017-07-04
Matthew 12:20 NIV
Aren’t you glad that God is a mender and not a discarder? With Him, broken lives don’t have to be the end of the story. He’s often been called the God of the “second chance.” How short-sighted is that? If we got only two chances we’d all be miserably, hopelessly lost. But instead He’s the God of the “seventy times seven”! (See Matthew 18:22). In Greek, seven represents infinity. So He’s the God of unlimited grace. As long as you humbly acknowledge your failure and desire to start again, He will enable you. The “reed” referred to in today’s verse is a shepherd’s makeshift flute that had withered, cracked, and become worthless. The smouldering “wick” no longer gave light and was considered useless. Both represent people set aside as damaged goods and rejected by others. But Jesus is committed to mend and heal, not break or quench those who have failed. He desires to give us a fresh start regardless of our failures. The truth is that we all fail! As Adam’s descendants, messing things up comes naturally and effortlessly to us. Abraham lied and put Sarah at risk. Jacob was a cheat and self-promoting con artist. Moses determined to do things his own way and ended up a fugitive. David was an adulterer and a conspiratorial assassin who betrayed a faithful friend. Peter turned his back on Christ. Yet God used each of them to accomplish His will. And He will use you too, because “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Romans 5:20 NKJV). So you can start again.
Soul food: 1 Sam 18:1-20:29; Mat 23:13-22; Ps 102:18-28; Prov 17:11-14
2017-07-03
Colossians 3:14 CEV
If you’re the kind of person who harbours grudges and holds on to past mistakes, even your own, you know what it feels like to be weighed down by mental junk. It’s hard for a relationship to survive when neither party has processed what happened in the past. Like blame, mental junk keeps you stuck. For example, if an old beau has hurt you and you’ve never let go of it, every time your mate does something similar it’s likely you’ll react with unwarranted fervour, as if he or she was the original person who hurt you. When this happens, your mate is left feeling upset and confused by your over-the-top reaction to a minor infraction that on the surface appears insignificant. Just as you clean house to get rid of physical junk, you need to keep your mental, emotional, and spiritual house clean and in order. Praying, reading, counselling, journaling, meditation, and exercise are all good ways to help ensure that past issues don’t seep into your current relationships. And when they do come up from time to time, it’s best to talk to the people you’re in relationship with. Just be sure to do it in kindness, truth, and honesty. The old adage – “Love means never having to say ‘I’m sorry'” – is wrong! A more scriptural motto for keeping mental and emotional junk in the trash where it belongs, is: “Don’t go to bed angry” (Ephesians 4:26 GWT). The Bible says, “Be gentle, kind…meek, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love… ties everything completely together” (Colossians 3:12-14 CEV).
Soul food: 1 Sam 16-17; Mat 23:1-12; Ps 102:12-17; Prov 17:7-10
2017-07-02
2 Timothy 1:6 NAS
Don’t let fear make you hide your talents and abilities. One Christian author says: “God expects us to make the most of what He gives us…to keep our hearts aflame, grow our character and personality, and broaden our experiences so we’ll be increasingly more effective. Paul told the Philippians, ‘Keep on growing in knowledge and understanding’ (Philippians 1:9 NLT). And he told Timothy, ‘Be sure to use the abilities God has given you…Put [them] to work’ (1 Timothy 4:14-15 TLB); ‘Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you.’ When you don’t exercise your muscles, they weaken and atrophy, and when you don’t utilize the skills God gave you, the same thing happens. Referring to the servant who because of fear hid his talent in the ground, Jesus said, ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents’ (Matthew 25:28 NIV). Don’t be afraid. Put your gifts and abilities to work and they’ll become enlarged and developed through practice. No one reaches full development all at once. But with study, feedback, and practice, a good teacher can become a better teacher, and in time grow to be a great teacher. Stretch yourself. Learn all you can. ‘Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won’t be ashamed of’ (2 Timothy 2:15 TM). Take advantage of every opportunity to develop and sharpen your skills. Remember, in heaven we’re going to serve God forever, and we prepare by practicing here on earth. Like athletes getting ready for the Olympics, we’re training for the big day.”
Soul food: Ex 34:29-35; Mark 9:2-27; 2 Cor 3:7-18
2017-07-01
Ephesians 4:16 NLT
Paul writes: “As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body [church] is healthy and growing and full of love.” There are two kinds of growth – symbiotic growth and parasitic growth. Symbiotic growth is a give-and-take relationship in which both sides benefit. Parasitic growth is when one side feeds off another but gives nothing back. So when you come out of church and say, “I didn’t get anything out of that service,” you may be practicing parasitic growth. Parasitic growth is characterized by such words as “pray for me, preach to me, counsel me, help me, but expect nothing from me.” Symbiotic growth is characterized by such words as “yes, I have needs, but I’m willing to give too because everyone needs to benefit.” Your body is made up of systems. These include the nervous system, circulatory system, muscular system, lymphatic system, skeletal system, immune system, etc. These systems rely on one another. They are interdependent. So when one of them goes down, the rest of the body is negatively impacted by it. Instead of saying, “I’m going to church,” remind yourself, “I am the church.” Paul writes: “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ…and God has put each part just where he wants it” (1 Corinthians 12:12, 18 NLT). God wants you to be a fully functioning part of His church. And if you’re not sure what your “part” is, ask Him and He will show you.
Soul food: 1 Sam 14-15; Mat 22:34-46; Ps 102:1-11; Prov 17:4-6
2017-06-30
Luke 22:41-42 NIV
Jesus prayed before He faced the greatest crisis in His life. The Bible says: “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place… He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared…and strengthened him” (vv. 39-43 NIV). Jesus didn’t wait until the hour of His greatest crisis before He prayed. For three and a half years during His earthly ministry, He had built a life of prayer. Before He raised Lazarus from the dead, we read, “Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me…that you always hear me'” (John 11:41-42 NIV). Jesus had such an intimate relationship with His Father that in times of pressure and pain He could go to God, confident He would receive His sustaining grace. Can you do that? Until you do, you’ll be vulnerable to people and situations beyond your control. Consider this question: Do you think Jesus prayed so much because He wanted to, or because He thought He should? The answer is – He wanted to! And if you want to follow in His footsteps and enjoy God’s richest blessings, you need to move from “should” to “want to.” Here’s a truth that people who pray know: The less you pray, the less you want to pray. And the more you pray, the more you want to pray. The power behind Christ’s amazing success in life was the power of prayer. Starting now, commit to praying each day.
Soul food: 1 Sam 11-13; Mat 22:23-33; Ps 98; Prov 17:1-3
