2025-03-21
Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV
After four hundred years of living as slaves in Egypt, the Israelites struggled with low self-esteem. So, God said to them, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt” (vv. 3-4 NKJV). Notice the words “built” and “rebuilt.” How can you build, or rebuild, your self-esteem? In three ways:
First, by believing in God’s unearned, undeserved, unchanging, unfailing love for you at all times.
Second, by serving and giving to others. When you have been victimized in the past, you tend to focus unduly on yourself. It’s not that you want to be selfish, it’s just what you feel you must do in order to survive. Yet, the opposite is true. Helping someone – even making a small difference – lifts your self-esteem. It’s difficult to harbor bad feelings about yourself when you’re doing something good for someone else. On top of that, adding value to another’s life causes that person to value you more. It creates a cycle of positive feelings from one person to another.
Third, doing the right thing, even when it’s the hard thing. Being true to yourself and your values is a remarkable self-esteem builder. Each time you do something that builds your character, you become a stronger person – the more difficult the task, the greater the character builder. You can actually “act yourself” into feeling good about yourself, because positive character enlarges into each area of your life, providing you with confidence and positive feelings about all you do.
Soul food: Job 35-37; Luke 19:20-27; Ps 38:1-12; Prov 8:22-23
2025-03-20
Ephesians 6:4 NLT
Planting a seed is only the first of a season’s worth of steps. There is watering, fertilizing, weeding, and protecting the struggling plant from pests, diseases, storms, and adverse weather. Many flowers and vegetables require stakes, cages, and other supports to help them stand tall and bear their fruit. The gardener who does nothing but sow a seed shouldn’t be surprised if his or her plants never reach maturity. Almost all living things in God’s creation reproduce by sowing a seed: human beings, plants, birds, fish, and animals. When a seed is buried out of sight in the ground, there is little we can do to impact its growth.
But when a new plant – and especially a new baby – enters the world, that’s where the results of real husbandry – and parenting – can be seen. Passive parenting is letting a child grow up in his or her own way. But Bible parenting is a different matter altogether. If you’re a parent, read these Scriptures: “True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honour, and long life. Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it. Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it” (Proverbs 22:4-6 NLT). “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psalm 92:12-14 NKJV). That’s called “parenting, the Bible way.”
Soul food: Job 32-34; Luke 19:11-19; Ps 55:12-23; Prov 8:19-21
2025-03-19
Matthew 6:33 NIV
The first step to getting what you want in life is knowing what you want. Jesus said, in essence, “The key to getting what you want out of life is to focus on what I want for your life.” Note the words “seek first.” This word “seek” means “to strive for diligently” or “to desire strongly.” The action is continuous. It says, “Keep on striving for, keep on seeking, keep on desiring daily.”
When Jesus says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,” it means you don’t have to pray about what your top priority in life ought to be; everything you do will be ordered by those two things. Where you work, how you spend your time, the person you marry, how you manage your money, the relationships you form, the pastimes you enjoy, the purchases you make – all of these will be sifted and sorted through one filter: “Is this for His kingdom? Does it relate to His righteousness?”
Can’t you see how living this way would transform your marriage, your work, your family, your finances, and every other area of your life? But in order to pursue the priorities of the kingdom, you must first have a relationship with the King. You won’t even know where the kingdom is, or what it looks like, until you know the King. And you can know Him. How? As you open the pages of His Word and open your heart, there He will reveal Himself to you. And as you spend time with Him in prayer, He will respond to you.
Soul food: Job 29-31; Luke 19:1-10; Ps 55:1-11; Prov 8:17-18
2025-03-18
John 20:21 NIV
In order to identify God’s will for your life, you must be clear about two things:
(1) Your purpose. Facing the cross, Jesus said, “For this cause came I into the world” (John 18:37 KJV). Your passion is that area of your life that fires you up. It might be world hunger, or neglected veterans, or education. You see little kids growing up in under resourced school districts, and they’re never going to have a chance to learn, and it just kills you. Or unwed moms, or the gospel being proclaimed unclearly. Instead of finding your passion in the area of your opportunities and your skills, sometimes you will find it in the area of your hurts and scars. From people who struggle with addictions, to those who have spent time in prison, to those who contend with emotional disorders – there are so many areas. God won’t waste a hurt.
(2) Your partners. Jesus called twelve disciples, then He dispatched them on a brief mission two at a time so they could go together. So along with your passions and strengths and scars, you need people in your life who will encourage you, applaud you, and take part in what you are doing. Paul spells out his passion: “The longing of my heart… is for the people of Israel to be saved” (Romans 10:1 NLT). Paul also knew his partners: “Every time I think of you, I give thanks…for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ” (Philippians 1:3, 5 NLT).
So, the word for you today is – know your purpose, know your partners.
Soul food: Job 24-28; Luke 18:31-43; Ps 13; Prov 8:14-16
2025-03-17
Exodus 33:11 NKJV
Moses had a special place where he met with God. It was called “the tabernacle of meeting” (v. 7 NKJV). What did they talk about? “Then Moses said to the Lord, ‘See, You say to me, “Bring up this people.” But You have not let me know whom You will send with me… Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight…’ And He said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest'” (vv. 12-14 NKJV). Note the three things Moses asked God about:
(1) “Let me know whom You will send with me.” That was wise, because people either add to you or take from you, build you up or tear you down. You need to know who belongs in your life and who doesn’t, and God is the only one who can tell you that.
(2) “Show me now Your way.” God’s will, done God’s way, according to God’s timetable, always brings success. But your will, done your way, according to your timetable, can bring you trouble and heartache.
(3) “That I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.” Here the word “grace” means “divine enablement.” By yourself you are not equal to the challenge, but through the power of God’s indwelling Spirit, you can accomplish great things. What God promised to Moses, He also promises to you: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Soul food: Job 21-23; Luke 18:18-30; Ps 116:12-19; Prov 8:10-13
2025-03-16
Jeremiah 7:23 NKJV
A leading Christian psychologist says there is a direct correlation between the stress we experience and disobeying God’s Word. Could that be true? Could there be a link between the stress you are feeling and the level of your obedience to God? Yes. Think about it. As a redeemed child of God, when you knowingly disobey Him, your conscience bothers you and you feel conflicted and condemned.
By knowingly violating His Word, you get uncomfortable in your own skin. Plus, when you need to pray and ask God for something, it can feel like you’re addressing a creditor with your unpaid bills. “If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:21-22 NKJV).
Sometimes we cannot pinpoint the exact source of the stress we’re feeling; it just feels like all is not well. What should you do? Stop and take inventory! The twelve-step program of recovery refers to this as “a searching and fearless moral inventory.” It must be taken in order for a suffering alcoholic or addict to break free of what keeps driving them back to their habit. Would you like to de-stress?
Read this Scripture prayerfully and carefully: “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you'” (Jeremiah 7:23 NKJV).
Soul food: Est 4:13-5:3; Matt 6:16-18; Mark 2:18-22
