2017-08-24
Matthew 7:25 NIV
Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock… The winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (vv. 24-25 NIV). When the storms of life come – and they will – it’s too late to lay a solid foundation. That’s when you discover what kind of foundation your life is built on, so don’t short-change yourself by using shoddy materials or taking shortcuts. Be willing to acknowledge your weaknesses and work on them. Some of the strongest people you know needed help overcoming weaknesses at one time. The pastor of a megachurch recalls his early days, when he prayed that God would increase the size of his ministry. He writes: “After days of silence the Lord answered by saying, ‘You’re concerned with building the ministry but I’m concerned with building the man. Woe to the man whose ministry becomes bigger than he is!’ Since then I’ve concerned myself more with praying for the minister than the ministry. I’m still amazed at who I’m becoming as I put my life daily into His hands. He’s changing me – and He’s not finished yet. There’s so much more that needs to be done. Every day I see more immaturity in me. But what a sharp contrast I am to what I was… and I trust God more than ever.” So work on your relationship with God. Build the truths of His Word into your life’s foundation, and when the storms come you’ll be able to stand.
Soul food: 2 Chr 25-28; Mark 7:14-23; Ps 119:137-144; Prov 22:11-13
2017-08-23
Psalm 73:2 TLB
If you’d met Asaph, who wrote some of the psalms, you’d probably have thought he hadn’t a care in the world. But you’d have been wrong: “I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping and I was almost gone.” Then at the end of the psalm he does a one-eighty, and writes, “My health may fail, and my spirit grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever” (v. 26 NLT). Despite his problems, he chose to speak words of courage. When you have an opportunity to encourage someone, do it. You never know what a person is going through – that’s true whether they live in a mansion or a mud hut. Here’s an important principle to keep in mind: People tend to become what the most important people in their lives think of them! So think the best, believe the best, and express the best toward them. You say, “But they need to stop making the same stupid mistakes!” Change happens by inches, not miles. Even when it seems simple, it’s rarely easy. The only way we can break old habits is to form new ones, and that takes time and practice – lots of it. You can’t tell people something once and expect them to get it; they need to hear it over and over before they can make the adjustment. And how you tell them can determine whether they freeze in fear or soar above the obstacles. Be persistent. Never give up trying to help them improve. Acknowledge every step of progress they make. The way to get lasting results is through patience, love, and encouragement.
Soul food: 2 Chr 22-24; Mark 7:1-13; Ps 119:129-136; Prov 22:8-10
2017-08-22
Acts 20:24 NLT
To miss out on your assignment in life is to miss out on why God put you on earth. You’re gifted and called by God, and you need to take it seriously. The question is not what are you running from, but what are you moving toward? To succeed you must know God’s will and concentrate on fulfilling it. Having a powerful “why” will provide you with the necessary “how.” Purpose, not money and talent, is your greatest asset. To help you discover your life’s assignment, answer these questions: (1) What’s your temperament and what’s your talent? Psychologist and motivational speaker Charles Garfield said, “Peak performers are people who are committed to a compelling mission. It is very clear that they care deeply about what they do, and their efforts, energies, and enthusiasms are traceable back to that particular mission.” (2) Why do you do what you do? There’s a big difference between doing something because you believe God’s called you to do it, and doing what your parents, friends, or ego wants you to do. (3) What do you not do well? Knowing what you’re called to do often starts with discovering what you’re not called to do. When you can accept your limitations, you’re on the road to understanding your life’s assignment. When you pretend to be something you’re not, you live with a chronic sense of inadequacy and set yourself up for frustration. Don’t do that. Be open to the truth about yourself. Discover your God-given assignment, then give yourself to it.
Soul food: 2 Chr 19-21; Mark 6:45-56; Ps 119:121-128; Prov 22: 4-7
2017-08-21
James 3:2 NIV
When you sin, God’s Spirit will convict you of your need to repent and change your ways. But until you get your glorified body in heaven, you’re always going to deal with sin. The apostle James wrote, “We all stumble in many ways.” But falling down isn’t what makes you a failure – it’s staying down! Get back up, dust yourself off, receive God’s grace, learn from the experience, and move on. The Bible says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NIV). God is not condemning you, so stop condemning yourself. A few decades ago, people used to wear a little badge with the letters GNFWMY. It meant, “God’s not finished with me yet.” And He’s not finished with you either. Sometimes we’re guilty of doing the wrong thing with the right motive. For example, in 1957 Ford Motors described the new Edsel as “the car of the decade.” Try telling that to all those drivers whose doors wouldn’t close, whose horns stuck, and whose transmissions failed! And remember the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, where the architect designed a 10-foot-deep foundation for a 179-foot-tall building? How’d you like to have that on your résumé? The fact is, the most talented people often make the biggest mistakes. Solomon wrote, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 NIV). And Paul added, “I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize” (Philippians 3:12 CEV). So stop beating yourself up.
Soul food: 2 Chr 16-18; Mark 6:30-44; Ps 119:113-120; Prov 22:1-3
2017-08-20
Mark 9:34 CEV
When Jesus asked His disciples, “‘What were you arguing about along the way?’ They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer… he said, ‘If you want the place of honour, you must… serve others!” (vv. 33-35 CEV). If, after living with Jesus day and night for three years, His own disciples struggled with the concept of humility, none of us is exempt. Then Jesus taught them a lesson they’d never forget. “Jesus knew… he had come from God and would go back to God. He also knew that the Father had given him complete power. So during the meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He put some water into a large bowl. Then he began washing his disciples’ feet and drying them with the towel he was wearing” (John 13:3-5 CEV). Then He blew their minds by saying, “If your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you” (vv. 14-15 CEV). Chuck Swindoll writes: “Bending the knee to help others, or to admit weakness, is considered making yourself vulnerable to those who might take advantage of you. Too many leaders view themselves as being there to be served, except for short periods when it’s advantageous to be seen serving others – but not for too long… Not so for the followers of Christ. For them humility isn’t a religious concept, it’s a way of life.” So today practice humility!
Soul food: Jer 31:31-37; Heb 8:1-13
2017-08-19
Proverbs 23:15 NKJV
Fatherless children are 100 to 200 percent more likely to experience emotional and behavioural problems… twice as likely to use drugs and alcohol… more likely to become sexually active at an early age… and three times more likely to commit violent crime. Over 50 percent of teens who attempt suicide live in single-parent homes. Most runaways leave fatherless homes, and boys without fathers are 300 percent more likely to end up incarcerated. Seventy percent of juveniles in long-term correctional facilities grew up without a father. Fatherless daughters are 53 percent more likely to marry in their teens, and 164 percent more likely to have children outside of marriage. Fatherless daughters who marry have a 92 percent higher divorce rate, and fatherless sons are 35 percent more likely to experience marital failure. Eighty percent of teenagers admitted to psychiatric hospitals come from fatherless homes, and are 50 percent more likely to grapple with learning disabilities. They fare worse in school, and are three times more likely to drop out than kids who grew up in a home with a father. And it’s possible to be physically present, yet emotionally absent. In a recent poll, 50 percent of fathers said they feel guilty about spending too little time with their children. According to the Family Research Council, the average dad spends eight minutes a day in direct conversation with his kids. And in families where the mom works outside the home it drops to four minutes. If you find these statistics shocking, wake up and do something about it!
Soul food: 2 Chr 12-15; Mark 6:14-29; Ps 119:105-112; Prov 21:28-31
