2025-07-31
Psalm 84:11 NKJV
Covetousness will rob you of contentment. It works like this: You browse through a home-decorating magazine, and the home you were thankful for an hour ago suddenly seems junky. Or you see an ad on TV for a new automobile, and the car in your driveway suddenly looks like a jalopy. God expects you to have goals for your life and to provide for your family but beware of coveting things so much that you become obsessed with how to get them.
When Israel went to war with Jericho, God told them everything in the city was to be destroyed. So afterward, when Israel stormed the small town of Ai and met with a humiliating defeat, Joshua was devastated. When he asked God why they had lost the battle, He told him it was because of sin in the Israelite camp. When Joshua investigated, Achan, one of his soldiers, confessed, “When I saw… the spoils… I coveted them and took them” (Joshua 7:21 NKJV). When Achan tried to conceal his sin by hiding the stolen goods in his tent, it cost him and his family their lives. When you covet, you question God’s wisdom, willingness, and ability to provide for you. Don’t do it!
When you find yourself wanting something, pray about it and trust God to give it to you – if it’s His will. His Word assures us, “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” God knows what’s good for you and what’s not, and all your pleading won’t change His mind. But when your desire is to do His will, He promised, “You will always have plenty” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NCV).
Soul food: Deut 25-27; Matt 13:36-46; Ps 78:65-72; Pro 17:1-2
2025-07-30
Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV
Dr. Gerald Mann writes: “Moralizers are faithful to remind us that King David’s life was all downhill after Bathsheba-gate. They list the litany of his woes: the baby of the illicit union died. He never recovered his moral stature. His sons fought over succession. One of them was beheaded for trying to dethrone him. God deprived him of his grandest dream: building the Temple – too much blood on his hands!
But take another look at the story. The opening words of the book of Proverbs silence such sanctimony: ‘The proverbs of Solomon the son of David’ (Proverbs 1:1 KJV). Solomon, the fountain of God’s wisdom, sprang from two people who had adulterated their person and privilege. For all of David’s heroic feats: giant-killing, kingdom-consolidating, hymn-writing, his single greatest achievement was the son of his old-age. Solomon is a monument of contradiction to all the naysaying moralists of the ages. Where else did Solomon get his insight, far-sight, and foresight, but at the knees of two broken souls mended by the fires of forgiveness and given the grace of a second chance…You can begin again after your Bathsheba-gate!”
The Bible warns us about the consequences of sin because anything that has the power to hurt you concerns the God who loves you and wants only the best for you. When you willfully sin, God won’t let you off, but neither will He let you go! And God’s love for you has no expiration date. He said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” The truth is, God still loves you!
Soul food: Deut 22-24; Matt 13:24-35; Ps 78:56-64; Pro 16:33
2025-07-29
Ephesians 3:17 NIV
Unfortunately, the word fellowship has come to be associated with awkward gatherings in church basements, drinking red punch, and participating in stilted conversations. No wonder people give up on it! Paul describes connectedness as “being rooted and established in love.” When a tree puts roots into the ground, it takes in nutrients and water, and the tree grows and has life, but only if it’s rooted. In the same way, we’re rooted, and our souls are nourished in the love of God – and other people. We experience this physically and emotionally when we connect with somebody. When there is an exchange of genuine caring, the roots of your soul get fed.
We flourish when we’re connected with God and people, and we languish when we’re disconnected. Emotionally isolated people are more prone to depression, anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, substance abuse, sexual addiction, and difficulty eating and sleeping. One behavioural expert writes: “Connection not only helped make us who we are… it helps determine who we become as individuals… In both cases, human connections, mental health, psychological health, and emotional well-being are inextricably linked.”
Even animals that are isolated experience more intensive arterial sclerosis. One author writes, “A friend of mine used to have a dog and a cat [that] fought for ten years. Then the cat died… and the dog wouldn’t eat. Six weeks later he died.” That’s just a small illustration of the power of connection. This doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to become an extrovert. Some of the shyest people have the deepest friendships because they identify life-giving relationships, plug into them, thrive, and give back. And that’s what God designed you to do too.
Soul food: Deut 18-21; Matt 13:10-23; Ps 78:40-55; Pro 16:32
2025-07-28
Proverbs 29:18 KJV
The word “perish” conjures up images of deterioration and decay, like fruit rotting from within. On what specific day does passion leave a marriage or a worker lose interest in a job that once excited them? Like air leaking silently out of a tire, what was meant to carry our weight and to power us toward our destiny can now barely wobble.
If that’s how you’re feeling now, read this promise, and let it take root within you: “He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31 TLB). The great apostle Paul told his admirers, “We too are only human, like you” (Acts 14:15 NIV). We are all made of the same flawed material. That’s why we need God’s strength and mercy newly bestowed on us each day (See Lamentations 3:22-23).
So, what should you do when you’re feeling blah? Two things. First, if you’re physically tired – rest. Second, think about how God’s family works and stop isolating. The Bible says, “Carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2 NIV). The fact is, you have given to others in times past, now have the grace and humility to receive from them. Reach out. Use your connections. Start reading God’s Word. Listen to uplifting music and fill your space with praise. When you do these things, your focus will change, and your faith will start to rise.
Soul food: Deut 14-17; Matt 13:1-9; Ps 78:32-39; Pro 16:31
2025-07-27
Exodus 18:17-18 NIV
The Bible says: “The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, ‘What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?’ Moses answered him, ‘Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.’ Moses’ father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out'” (vv. 13-18 NIV).
Moses was stressed to the breaking point. The Latin word for “stress” means “to be drawn tight.” Doctors say it’s a precursor to heart attacks and strokes. There is a reason why highways have weigh stations – to ensure that trucks aren’t carrying more weight than they are constructed to haul. Moses’ father-in-law told him that he was wearing himself out. The Hebrew word for “wearing out” literally means “to become old.” Moses was growing old before his time. If that’s happening to you, (1) shift gears and start to share the load with others, and (2) spend more time in God’s presence. “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength… they shall… not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV).
Soul food: Lev 24:17-22; Deut 15:7-11; Matt 5:38-48
2025-07-26
Ephesians 6:8 NIV
When God asks you to sacrifice on behalf of somebody else, do it. It’s like putting money in a heavenly account. You may not need it today or tomorrow, but when you do, God will ensure it comes back to you in multiplied form.
Indian Christian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh and a companion were traveling through a pass high in the Himalayas when they found a body lying in the snow. They checked for vital signs and discovered the man was still alive, but barely. As Sundar prepared to stop and help this unfortunate traveller, his companion objected, saying, “We shall lose our lives if we burden ourselves with him.” Sundar, however, couldn’t comprehend leaving the man to die in the snow without an attempt at rescue. His companion bade him farewell and walked on. Sundar lifted the traveller on his back and, with great exertion – made greater by the high altitude and snowy conditions – carried him onward.
As he walked, the heat from his body began to warm the frozen man. He revived, and soon they were walking together side by side, holding each other up and sharing body heat. Before long, they came upon another traveller’s body lying in the snow, and on closer inspection, they discovered he was dead. You guessed it. It was Sundar’s original traveling companion!
So, what’s the lesson in all this? What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you! The Bible says, “Serve wholeheartedly… because… the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do” (vv. 7-8 NIV).
Soul food: Deut 11-13; Matt 12:38-50; Ps 78:17-31; Pro 16:26-30
