2025-02-28
Romans 1:17 NKJV
The story has been told of a mother who said to her son, “It’s time to get up and go to school.” He replied, “I’m not going to school today!” His mother said, “Why not?” He replied, “Because the children hate me, and the teachers criticize me. Why should I have to go to school and put up with that?” His mother replied, “Because you’re the principal!”
Seriously, the Christian life is a school. Paul describes each grade as going “from faith to faith.” In the school of faith, the Holy Spirit is the teacher, and the Bible is the textbook. If you study well and apply yourself, you can move up through the grades. If not, you stay in the same grade you’re in until you have learned the lessons and can pass the tests. You’re like the lady who quipped, “My favourite grade was the fifth grade. Three of the happiest years of my life were spent in that grade!”
Unless you want that to be your fate, read these words and take them to heart: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV).
If you want to know God, you will meet Him in the pages of His Word. And you will also need to stay filled with the Holy Spirit: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory [grade to grade], just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV).
Soul food: Exo 19-21; Luke 12:49-59; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
2025-02-27
Daniel 11:32 NKJV
The Bible says, “The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” This Scripture is not a license to be arrogant and insensitive to the feelings of others, or to have an overinflated opinion of yourself. It means that when you understand God’s Word, God’s ways, and God’s will, you will be confident in who you are and in what God has called you to do.
Question: When was the last time you attempted to do something for the first time? You say, “I am afraid of failing.” Everybody falls; the winners are those who keep getting back up again. Evidently some folks in the New Testament church thought Timothy was too young to be in leadership, so Paul encourages him to be bold in his calling: “I thank God… when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord… but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:3, 5-8 NKJV).
God has not promised that you won’t experience hardship in doing what He has called you to do, but He has promised that you will succeed. So, the word for you today is – be biblical; be bold!
Soul food: Exo 16-18; Luke 12:35-48; Ps 66:13-20; Prov 6:23-25
2025-02-26
Romans 12:6 NLT
A fascinating study was done on divergent thinking – which is thinking outside the box. The results? Ninety-eight percent of children between three and five years old scored in the genius category for divergent thinking. Between eight and ten, that number dropped to 32 percent. By the time they became teenagers, it dropped down to 10 percent. And of those over twenty-five, only 2 percent scored in the genius category for divergent thinking. That means the older you get, the greater your tendency will become to resist change. It also means you may fail to discover your God-given assignment in life and develop the skills necessary to fulfill it.
The Bible says, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function… God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well” (Romans 12:4, 6 NLT). God’s plan for your life involves finding out what makes you different and discovering those things you do well.
Too many individuals in too many churches look and act too much alike. Pastors can create this. Peer pressure can create this. If anyplace should celebrate diversity, it’s the church. There never has been, and there never will be, a person like you. And that isn’t a tribute to you; it’s a tribute to the God who created and redeemed you to fulfill His purposes. And that calls for discovering who you are, and who you’re not. Think about it: Wouldn’t you rather be disliked for who you are than liked for who you’re not? So, discover what makes you special.
Soul food: Exo 13-15; Luke 12:22-34; Ps 66:1-12; Prov 6:20-22
2025-02-25
Acts 10:4 NET
God told Cornelius, “Your prayers… have gone up as a memorial before [Me].” Memorials are usually built for people who are dead and gone. What a great promise this is. Even after you have gone to heaven, the prayers you pray on behalf of your loved ones become a memorial before God, getting His attention and moving Him to action. So, don’t stop praying.
Saint Augustine is considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity, but he didn’t start out well. Young Aurelius Augustinus lived for three decades in utter immorality. And for each of those decades, his mother, Monica, prayed for him, following him to Carthage, to Rome, and on to Milan, weeping, pleading, and assaulting heaven in prayer on his behalf. Monica lived to see her son become a mighty man of God. You may or may not live to see your loved one turn to Christ, but know this: God says, “Your prayers… have gone up as a memorial before [Me].”
We’re talking about the posthumous power of prayer. John the Revelator caught a glimpse of it when he visited heaven and described what he saw in these words: “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand” (Revelation 8:3-4 NKJV). So, the word for you today is – keep praying, and God will answer your prayers.
Soul food: Exo 10-12; Luke 12:13-21; Ps 61; Prov 6:16-19
2025-02-24
Genesis 3:6 NKJV
Emotions have a tone that we call “feeling.” And the tone of feeling is very strong. Most of us realize how we feel. We make decisions driven by feeling. Relationships are established or damaged because of feeling. Seeing what felt good, enjoyable, and to be desired is what led Eve to disobedience. The Bible does not say she was hungry; otherwise, she would have eaten of every other tree in the garden of Eden. Emotional drama in the first woman, opened the door to emotional drama in all of us. So, it’s genetic.
And emotions require satisfaction: anger, hurt, and love want to be satisfied. If we do not rule ourselves, we live in the drama of emotions gone bad. To be a born-again Christian whose emotions have not been touched by God is an insufficient lifestyle. God must do a work in us called “transformation” (See Romans 12:1-2). Emotions must be renewed so that hate turns into love, cursing to blessing, resentment to forgiveness, anger to peace, and heaviness to praise.
Transformed by God’s Word and His Spirit, we’re released from the drama and chaos our emotions can produce. When we’re driven by our emotions, we want a “feel-good” mentality. But Eve teaches us that the feel-good mentality is a terrible motivator and leads us into trouble. Our lives must be motivated by the Holy Spirit, and His motivation is not just to create good feelings; His aim is to produce obedience. Obedience will always surpass emotion, and obedience will always satisfy in ways that emotions will never be able to.
Soul food: Exo 7-9; Luke 12:1-12; Ps 58; Prov 6:12-15
2025-02-23
Galatians 6:9 NLT
In life, you’re going to have all kinds of problems. So, what should you do? Persevere! No matter what’s going on in your life, the victory is in refusing to quit. Keep in mind that in the heat of your struggles, the Holy Spirit is often doing His greatest work within you. Paul writes, “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character” (Romans 5:3-4 NKJV). God is not moved by circumstances, and you must not be either.
He will lead you through anything if you will just hang in there and follow Him. This means being diligent in prayer, relentless in your resolve, unwavering in faith, and determined to stand firmly on God’s Word and His promises to you. Don’t be side-tracked by how slowly things seem to be going at the moment. When you’re in the “not much seems to be happening” phase, that’s often when God is laying a strong foundation in order to build something significant in you and through you. The Lord’s work in you is preparation for the work He wants to do through you.
When life seems hard, and progress seems too slow, ask God to help you remain steadfast. He will do it. Here are two Scriptures you can stand on today: “Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT). “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT).
Soul food: Exo 20:4; Isa 44:6-20; Rom 1:21-25
