2025-02-11
Luke 7:47 NLT
The Bible says: “One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him… When a certain immoral woman… heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. When the Pharisee… saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!'” (vv. 36-39 NLT).
Then Jesus answered his thoughts. What did Jesus tell this Pharisee? The same thing that He is saying to you today: It’s your past that qualifies you to worship God. “I tell you, her sins – and they are many – have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love” (v. 47 NLT). The depths of sin from which she had been lifted caused her to rise to heights in worship that this Pharisee couldn’t understand.
If there is a worship leader in Scripture, it’s David. Looking back, he writes: “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He… heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth – praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:1-3 NKJV). So, the word for you today is – your past qualifies you as a worshiper!
Soul food: Gen 30:25-31:55; Luke 9:37-45; Ps 145:1-13; Prov 4:20-22
2025-02-10
Matthew 14:30 NLT
When Peter stepped out of the boat at the command of Jesus, he was doing something he had never done before; something miraculous – walking on water. As long as he remained in faith, he was successful, but when fear gripped his heart, he began to sink. The Bible says, “When he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him” (vv. 30-31 NLT). Peter’s mistake was that he became preoccupied with the storm. When he focused on the circumstances around him rather than on the Saviour close to him, he lost his faith and began to doubt.
Abraham faced a different but equally difficult set of circumstances: fathering a son when he was almost one hundred years old. But the Bible says, “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God” (Romans 4:20 NLT). Abraham was aware of his situation, but unlike Peter, he was not preoccupied with it. It was his determined and focused faith that propelled him forward to success.
And you can learn from Peter’s mistake and Abraham’s example. You can be aware of your circumstances, but not preoccupied with them. You can purposely keep your mind on Jesus, trusting in faith that He will provide the miracle you need. So, the word for you today is – keep your eyes on Jesus, stay focused on what He has promised you in His Word, keep walking by faith, and you will get to where you need to be.
Soul food: Gen 28:1-30:24; Luke 9:28-36; Ps 141; Prov 4:18-19
2025-02-09
Nehemiah 2:20 NLT
With its walls torn down, Jerusalem was defenseless against her enemies. So, Nehemiah assembled a team to rebuild the walls. He had no training for this job. He wasn’t an architect or a builder. Jerusalem was far away, and he had never been there. Any way you look at it, he was unqualified for the job.
That’s a common denominator with many of the people God has used in a remarkable way. Noah was a farmer, called to build a boat in the desert. David was a shepherd, called to topple a Philistine champion. Nehemiah was a cupbearer, called to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.
When it comes to doing God’s will, God-ordained passions are considerably more important than any human ability we can contribute. In fact, God often uses us at our point of greatest inability. That way He receives all the credit. But understand this: When God gives you a “burden,” or a “passion,” or a “vision,” you have a choice to make.
Nehemiah already had a good job. Being the king’s cupbearer was like being his right-hand man. He didn’t simply enjoy job security, he enjoyed the perks and privileges of his position. He would have been comfortable staying right where he was. But if he had chosen to do that, he would have missed God’s will, missed having a book named after him in the Bible, and you wouldn’t be reading about him right now. Are you feeling unqualified? When God calls you, He equips you, resources you, guides you, and guarantees your success.
Soul food: Isa 53:1-12; Acts 8:26-40
2025-02-08
Psalm 34:1 NKJV
Whether you know it or not, you have an ongoing conversation with yourself. How does it sound? Do you encourage yourself? Or do you condemn yourself? If you are positive, then you strengthen your positive self-image. If you are negative, you weaken your self-worth. If you’re serious about improving your life, then you must improve the way you think of yourself. And to do that, you must change the way you talk to yourself.
And the older you grow, the more responsible you are for the way you think, talk, and believe. Don’t you already have enough problems? Why give yourself more by discouraging yourself with negative self-talk? Turn into your own encourager. Each time you do a good job, compliment yourself. Each time you choose discipline over an indulgence, don’t tell yourself that you should have done that anyway; appreciate how much you are helping yourself. Each time you make a mistake, don’t rehearse everything that’s wrong with yourself; tell yourself that you’re paying the price for growth and that you will learn to do better next time.
The psalmist recognized the importance of his self-talk: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2 NKJV). “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust'” (Psalm 91:2 NKJV). The word for you today is – improve your self-talk.
Soul food: Gen 25:19-27:46; Luke 9:18-27; Ps 138; Prov 4:14-17
2025-02-07
Acts 2:42 NLT
Euclid was a great mathematician who lived about three hundred years after Christ. He is best known for his thirteen-volume series of books called Elements. Two of his axioms of geometry have been revised to produce the modern saying: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Another way of saying this would be “something happens in a group that doesn’t happen alone.” That something is called “synergy.” It comes from the Greek word sunergia, meaning cooperation and working together.
The New Testament church practiced it: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (v. 42 NLT). Jesus described spiritual synergy in these words: “I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20 NKJV).
The Holy Spirit hasn’t revealed everything to anyone. We learn and grow as we come together. Spiritual maturity happens in two ways: (1) By being willing to share what God has taught you. (2) By being willing to learn what God has taught others. Note what the Bible says about the Christians in Berea: “They received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed” (Acts 17:11-12 NKJV). Are you fellowshipping with other believers? If not, you are limiting your own spiritual growth and being robbed of blessing.
Soul food: Gen 24:1-25:18; Luke 9:1-17; Ps 134; Prov 4:5-13
2025-02-06
Luke 18:1 NKJV
A PhD student at Princeton University once walked into Albert Einstein’s office and asked, “What is there left in the world for original dissertation research?” The brilliant scientist replied, “Find out about prayer.” Einstein wasn’t the only person who was curious about prayer. Jesus taught about it, and the reason was because the disciples asked Him to. They may not have desired to write dissertations on it, but they wanted to know how to pray. It’s the only time in the Bible where one person clearly teaches another person how to pray, and all because of a request from the disciples.
“Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray'” (Luke 11:1 NIV). The disciples had been observing Jesus as He prayed. Apparently, the way He prayed was so distinct from the way they prayed that they said, “Show us how to pray the way you pray.” Before Jesus fed the multitude supernaturally, or selected His twelve disciples, or calmed the storm on the Sea Galilee, He took time to pray. And the results of His prayers were so amazing that the disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Prayer is not primarily about telling God what you need; it’s about getting closer to God. As one pastor writes: “It’s almost as if God is saying, ‘Don’t bring me your shopping list. I already know what’s on it. We will deal with that later. Bring me your heart. Bring me your love. Bring me your undivided attention.'” Prayer is not mainly about getting things from the Lord; it’s about spending time with the Lord.
Soul food: Gen 20-23; Luke 8:40-56; Ps 125; Prov 4:3-4
