2025-10-17
Isaiah 55:7 NKJV
The largest bulldozer in the world is the D575A. It’s 16 feet long, 25 feet wide, 41 feet high, and weighs 225,000 pounds. It was once used in a country where there was a surplus of garbage that was polluting the environment. The bulldozer was brought in to dig a hole big enough to gather all that garbage, bury it, and remove it from the lives of the residents.
At the cross, God dug a hole so big that He could gather the sins of the entire world, in the past, present, and future. He gathered and placed them upon His Son. Now He takes all of His Son’s sinless perfection and righteousness and places it on you the moment you put your trust in Him. “For He made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV).
You say, “But I have failed so badly.” A dirty diamond is still a diamond; it just requires cleaning. And that’s what the blood of Jesus does for us (See 1 John 1:7). The wonderful thing about an electronic calculator is that if you press a wrong button, everything isn’t lost. You don’t have to untangle or figure out the problem. Simply pressing “clear” restarts the calculation.
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7 NKJV). God is ready to pardon, restore, and give you a fresh start.
Soul food: 1 Tim 1-3; John 5:16-30; Ps 5; Prov 24:8-9
2025-10-16
Isaiah 48:10 NIV
C. S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” It was in the furnace of affliction that the psalmist David said, “Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good, and what you do is good” (Psalm 119:66-68 NIV).
But you don’t get to that place of submission easily or overnight. It takes time, some kicking and screaming, and a few skid marks on the pavement where you dug in your heels and resisted! God told Isaiah to prophesy, “I have refined you… I have tested you in the furnace of affliction… for my own sake” (Isaiah 48:10-11 NIV). Suffering is a lonely experience; it’s not something you would choose.
The poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox reminds us, “There is room in the halls of pleasure for a large and lordly train, but one by one we must all file on through the narrow aisles of pain.” Nevertheless, the Bible says, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21 NIV).
There is no easy way to become like Jesus; it involves discomfort and pain. But the good news is, you’re not in the fire alone. God’s hand is controlling the thermostat. And He knows exactly how much heat it will take to bring you to the place where you can say, “You are good, and what you do is good.” You may not be there yet, but you’re getting closer.
Soul food: Hab 1-3; John 5:1-15; Ps 15; Prov 24:7
2025-10-15
Psalm 77:19 NIV
The psalmist wrote, “Your path led through… mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen” (v. 19 NIV). When you can’t see God’s “footprints,” He is calling you to walk by faith, not by sight (See 2 Corinthians 5:7).
Joni Eareckson Tada wrote: “A few months from now, I’ll mark an anniversary that is a heartbreaking story of loss and an incomparable testimony of God’s faithfulness… I will have been in a wheelchair for 47 years… barely a heartbeat in history, and as nothing compared with eternity. But for a flesh-and-blood, earth-dwelling human being, 47 years is a long time. Anyone who suffers… [wants] assurance that somehow, someway, things will work out in the end. We want to know that God is at the centre of our suffering.
In Romans 8 we have… that assurance: ‘For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose’ (v. 28 ESV) … [God] is so supremely in charge of the world that everything touching our lives… is ordered in such a way that it serves our good. This is true whether we face cancer, broken relationships, job loss, bankruptcy… or even a broken neck at age 17.
The strong hope of the believer is not that we will escape ‘bad things’… but that God will transform our hardships into an instrument of his mercy to do us good… Romans 8:29 reveals [our] sufferings are small and short… compared with the weight of glory they are accruing for [us] in heaven. So, bear with heartbreak and hardship a bit longer. These things are expanding your soul’s capacity for joy, worship, and service in heaven.”
Soul food: Nahum 1-3; John 4:39-54; Ps 41; Prov 24:5-6
2025-10-14
Matthew 16:18 KJV
Author Sherry Surratt notes that when Jesus promised to build His church, “[he] wasn’t just talking about the bricks or wood that form a… building, but he was talking about building his church of… ordinary, human people who are imperfect… broken and [who] bring their messy lives… with them every time they walk through the door. This is what Christ died for… He died for people – for his church… a group of people, led by people, and not a single one of us is perfect. We’re a broken bunch who hopefully recognizes our brokenness and acknowledges that Jesus is the only fix…
No matter how long we’ve been in the church, we never reach perfection… we’ll have to work at it every day. We’ll come face-to-face with our human side every morning when we wake up, and… when we do, we’ll bump up against each other and we’ll get hurt. Our natural tendency is to steer clear of what hurts us… So when we encounter gossip aimed at us or witness hatred or hypocrisy in our fellow churchgoers or even our pastors, it’s natural to think about walking away. But to do this is to separate ourselves from something that God built for us to use for our good…
The Bible never says other people aren’t going to wound [us]… What [it] does teach… is that it doesn’t help to just sit in hurt and feel sorry for [ourselves] (See Matthew 5:24). God’s Word warns [us] not to let bitterness set in (See Hebrews 12:15). This has nothing to do with pretending something didn’t happen. It has everything to do with being honest… admitting when our spirit is crushed and leaving revenge in the hands of God.”
Soul food: 2 Pet 1-3; John 4:27-38; Ps 87; Prov 24:1-4
2025-10-13
Matthew 16:18 KJV
Being hurt by another Christian can be devastating, but the church is filled with imperfect people who do things they shouldn’t. As C. S. Lewis said, “God works on us in all sorts of ways… above all he works on us through each other.” So before you give up and walk away, consider these suggestions:
(1) Admit how much it hurt, and start to cope with it. Running away doesn’t achieve this. Humbly approach the person who hurt you, motivated to reconcile. Discuss your pain with the purpose of releasing it and moving on.
(2) Ask, “What’s my role in this?” If it had nothing to do with you, as in the case of a trusted leader who has fallen morally or legally, ask yourself if you put idealistic expectations on their humanness. Did you think they were perfect? Now that you realize they’re not, can you forgive them?
(3) Ask God what to do next. He knows the motives in the hearts of the people involved. Give Him time to answer.
(4) “Guard your heart… for it determines the course of your life” (Proverbs 4:23 NLT). Choose to follow God, even when your heart breaks. He alone can decide motives and intents, and He is just and reasonable. But many times, our faithfulness must come first before His blessings flow.
(5) If you still feel you must leave, promise yourself and God that you will leave well. Refuse to say anything bad. Don’t leave mad, and admit the good, no matter how small. Most important of all, don’t quit. God is good, His church is good, and people are flawed. Locate another house of worship, and commit to it with an open heart.
Soul food: 2 Sam 22:31-24:25; John 4:13-26; Ps 32; Prov 23:29-35
2025-10-12
Romans 12:18 NKJV
At times it’s impossible to be at peace with certain people. Recognizing this reality, the apostle Paul, in essence, said, “Do all that you can to try and make it happen.” Besides the covenant relationship you have with your husband or wife and your responsibility for your children, if you’re wise, you will prayerfully evaluate your other relationships and know how much time you should invest in them.
For example: If you have a close relative who is always argumentative or negative, don’t put yourself in a position where you have to interact with them on a regular basis. Only holidays together may be enough! The same is true for friends. Those who gossip, condemn others, compete with you, or engage in cutting remarks should rarely find you available – unless the Lord impresses you to spend some time with them to impart His Word.
You are not commanded to spend time with people who disturb your peace. Solomon said, “Don’t… associate with hot-tempered people” (Proverbs 22:24 NLT). Paul warned, “Watch out for people who cause divisions… Stay away from them” (Romans 16:17 NLT).
When you’re in the company of a stress-producing person, ask yourself these questions: “Will this situation grow patience within me if I endure it rather than leave? Why do this person’s actions stress me out? Is it because they are reflecting my own behaviour? Why am I continuing to interact with them?” Prayer: “Father, I need you to help me discern when and how to be with stress-producing people so that your love continually shines through me.”
Soul food: Exo 34:29-35; Mark 9:2-27; 2 Cor 3:7-18
