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
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
