2025-05-06
Romans 16:2 NLT
When it comes to life’s great achievers, the apostle Paul is in a league of his own. But he takes one entire chapter of the Bible, Romans 16, to acknowledge all the people who helped him to succeed in his calling. The chapter could be captioned “I couldn’t have done it without you!” He starts by talking about Phoebe, “who is worthy of honour… for she has been helpful to many… especially… me” (vv. 1-2 NLT).
President Lyndon Johnson said, “There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.” When God created Adam, He said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper” (Genesis 2:18 NKJV). And He created Eve. From the beginning of time, God teaches us that very little of significance is ever accomplished by an individual acting alone. Look below the surface, and you will invariably find that all the single-handed feats are really team efforts.
Daniel Boone had at his disposal companions from the Transylvania Company while blazing the Wilderness Road. Wyatt Earp’s two brothers and Doc Holliday assisted him. Charles Lindbergh had the finances of nine businessmen from St. Louis and the expertise of Ryan Aeronautical Company, which built his plane. Even Albert Einstein acknowledged: “Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labours of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.”
The secret to success in any endeavour can be summed up in these three words: connect… commit… communicate.
Soul food: Num 32:25-33:56; Mark 5:11-20; Ps 44:17-26; Prov 11:12-13
2025-05-05
John 21:15 NIV
Reimar Schultze says: “The more conscientious we are, the more we… go to bed with some sense that we missed the elusive 100 percent again… Many precious saints fall for this trap… robbing themselves of the joy of the Lord and the peace… that passes all understanding… We all are familiar with the testimonies of some of the greatest men of God. Many of them, like us…found themselves in the gutters of self-incrimination.”
Moses felt completely unworthy and unable to free Israel from Egypt. Yet how often has God called you to do something and you said the same thing: “Who am I, that I should go?” (Exodus 3:11 KJV). Do you think you know more than the One who called you? David tells us throughout the Psalms that God is omnipotent and omnipresent; that He never takes his eyes off us. Then David contradicts himself by declaring, “I am a worm and not a man” (Psalm 22:6 NIV), and “I am forgotten as though I were dead” (Psalm 31:12 NIV). Elijah was so depressed that he cried, “Enough… Lord, take away my life” (1 Kings 19:4 KJV). Job cursed the day he was born, yet the Bible calls him a “blameless and upright” man who reverenced God (Job 1:1 NIV).
Pastor Schultze continues: “Measuring our worth to God by our performance will continue to threaten us until the end of time… I absolutely refuse to go to bed going through some kind of checklist on how I did… I would rather ask myself the question Jesus asked Peter…do you love Me with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Again, that is the only test I want to give myself at the end of the day.” It’s the one that counts most!
Soul food: Num 30:1-32:24; Mark 5:1-10; Ps 44:9-16; Prov 11:10-11
2025-05-04
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6 MSG
Persistence, determination, commitment, and recognizing the “right time…to hold on” are all commendable qualities, whether it’s setting aside time to pray and read every day, eating dinner with your family, finding a better job, or losing weight, etc. But it’s equally important to recognize the “right time… to let go” of self-generated urgency and things that are stopping you from living “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10 NCV). The Bible tells us to “lay aside every weight” (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV).
Not sure how to start? One teacher offers this suggestion: “Go to the hardware store and buy a flat patio stone that fits into your briefcase or purse. Then take a marker and write on the stone all the fears and prerequisites that are stopping you from enjoying life. Carry it with you wherever you go… eating, working, watching TV, showering, sleeping. Feel how heavy it is? It’s hard to get anything done when your muscles are working overtime carrying all that extra weight. At the end of the second day (if you last that long!), sit down with your stone, review the list, and make a conscious decision to let go of the worries and burdens that are sapping your energy. Then go outside and set the rock down beside your front door. See how much lighter you feel? How much easier it is to get things done? Before you leave home every day, take a second to look at your stone… then turn around and deliberately walk away.”
That’s what it means to “give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you” (Psalm 55:22 NLT).
Soul food: Exo 20:12; Eph 6:1-3; Matt 15:1-9; John 19:25-27
2025-05-03
Proverbs 24:16 NCV
Here are two more keys to bouncing back:
(1) Instead of complaining about what you can’t change, change what you can. When you can’t change your situation, you can change your attitude toward it. How do you do that? By reprogramming your mind with God’s Word. The Bible says, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe [trust in God]” (1 John 5:4-5 NLT).
(2) Instead of grumbling about your pain, grow through it. At the peak of her career, when photographer Linda Joy Montgomery learned she was going blind, an inner voice said, “This isn’t the end; it’s the beginning.” She began writing poetry, discovered her calling as a motivational speaker, and created the True Vision Institute, teaching kids to tap into their inner resources. Finding purpose in your pain isn’t a new idea. Survivors of life-threatening illnesses, natural disasters, and the Holocaust, and parents of chronically ill children, continually demonstrate how overcomers find the proverbial silver lining by reinventing themselves.
Meeting challenges helps you develop a can-do attitude that says, “Been there, done that, and I will survive.” Basketball star Michael Jordan said, “I’ve missed over 9000 shots in my career… lost over 300 games… 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” And you can too.
Soul food: Num 27-29; Mark 4:26-41; Ps 44:1-8; Prov 11:9
2025-05-02
Psalm 129:2 NCV
When resilient people hit bottom, they don’t break, they bounce back. The apostle Paul was such a person: “We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 CEV). So, how can you bounce back instead of breaking? By doing two things:
(1) When you can’t control your circumstances, take control of your life. When a back injury paralyzed Angela Madsen from the waist down, she vowed to do whatever it took to get back up. As a result, she started training to be the first woman with a disability to row across the Atlantic. Journalist Denise Foley writes: “Madsen is what researchers call ‘resilient’ – …able to rebound from whatever difficulty life brings. She is one of those people who… make us wonder how we would fare if our own mettle were tested. Would we bounce back?”
(2) Instead of complaining about the wrong people being in your life, start looking for the right people. Ned Hallowell grew up with a bipolar father, an abusive stepfather, an alcoholic mother, and two learning disabilities – a history that’s often a precursor to jail or a mental institution. But he went on to become a prominent psychiatrist, a happily married father, and a successful author. It happened largely because, at a boarding school, he attached himself to teachers who cared about him and took him under their wing.
So, when times are tough, lean on God, take control of your life, and look for the right people.
Soul food: Num 25-26; Mark 4:13-25; Ps 37:32-40; Prov 11:7-8
2025-05-01
Psalm 90:10 NKJV
Do you ever wonder how long you will live? The Bible says, “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (v. 10 NKJV). Why do some of us live longer than others? Paul answers, “Our knowledge is partial and incomplete” (1 Corinthians 13:9 NLT). But here are three things you can be sure of:
(1) You can lengthen your life by obeying God and shorten it by disobeying Him. Fighting illness and facing death, Hezekiah prayed, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully… with wholehearted devotion and… done what is good in your eyes” (2 Kings 20:3 NIV). God answered, “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you… I will add fifteen years to your life” (2 Kings 20:5-6 NIV). So, does God still heal today? Yes, His Word says, “Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil…and the Lord will make you well” (James 5:14-15 NLT).
(2) When their work on earth is done, the redeemed go to heaven. Paul describes heaven in two words: “far better” (Philippians 1:23 KJV). And the architect, builder, and designer of your heavenly home is Jesus, the One who said, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2 KJV). At home with Jesus – try to imagine what that will be like.
(3) If you’re worried about death, claim God’s promise: “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:16 NIV).
Soul food: Num 22-24; Mark 4:1-12; Ps 37:25-31; Prov 11:5-6
