2021-09-03
Job 9:27 NLT
Let’s start by acknowledging that sometimes life is hard. And at different times it’s harder for some of us than others. That’s why the Bible is realistic about it, and says there’s ‘a time to cry and a time to laugh’ (Ecclesiastes 3:4 NLT). But what if we only seem able to ‘cry’ about life? How can we reduce the strain of thinking and speaking negative words about ourselves?
Here are three ways: 1) Cut and paste. We need to train ourselves to recognise negative inner talk the minute it starts and delete it immediately. If it helps, we can even make a ‘time out’ signal with our hands as a physical reminder to halt the negative words. But we shouldn’t stop there. We then need to replace those negative thoughts with scriptural words. ‘Those who are careful about what they say keep themselves out of trouble’ (Proverbs 21:23 NCV).
2) Change the tone. Sometimes the words we use can exaggerate a problem and make it seem beyond our capabilities. We need to try and recognise when we’re doing this and replace those intimidating words with something that’s more accurate. We might replace ‘impossible’ with ‘challenging’, or we could choose to say ‘let’s tackle it one step at a time’ rather than ‘it’ll take forever’.
3) Speak like a best friend. We should speak to ourselves like we would speak to our very best friend, with love, care and kindness. The Bible says, ‘David encouraged himself in the LORD his God’ (1 Samuel 30:6 KJV). There’s power in God’s Word, so, whatever He says about us, we should trust His opinion and start saying the same things about ourselves.
Eze 22-23; Luke 19:41-48; Ps 142; Prov 19:21-23
2021-09-01
Acts 15:39 MSG
Paul and Barnabas had travelled and ministered together, encouraged one other, endured persecution side-by-side, and brought many people to Christ. But even the best of relationships can go wrong, and theirs was no exception. ‘Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways.’
Paul and Barnabas never intended to hurt each other. They were both good men, and God’s Kingdom was their top priority. God chose Paul to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, and the Bible calls Barnabas ‘a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith’ (Acts 11:24 NIV). Both agreed on the major issue, which was re-visiting the churches where they’d ministered earlier. They just differed on how to go about it. Barnabas wanted to take John. Paul didn’t; he wanted to take Silas. It often happens that we agree on what needs to be done but have different ideas of how to accomplish it.
Author and speaker Natasha Robinson says it’s important for us to: 1) Recognise when God brings a relationship to a close and not to try to turn ‘seasonal’ people into life-long friendships. When He sends certain people into our lives, He doesn’t intend them to become permanent partners. But because we love them and get attached, it’s hard to let go, even when it’s time.
2) When we have to part company because of a difference of opinion, we should refuse to let anger take hold. It’s easy to let our emotions take control and become bitter, but instead we should ‘speak ‘the truth in love’ (Ephesians 4:15 KJV) and refuse to belittle the other person out of spite. Even if they speak out against us, God knows, and He’ll handle it.
Eze 16:53-19:14; Luke 19:11-27; Ps 103:13-22; Prov 19:17
2021-08-31
Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT
Author Betty Mahalik wrote that we’re surrounded by messages that scream, ‘My life would be perfect if only I’d a different job…house…car…bank account (you fill in the blank). Or if I could be like some celebrity whose life appears well ordered and perfect. Well this week I stopped playing “my life would be perfect if,” and started playing “my perfect life”.
What’s the difference? Three things: 1) Being in the present; 2) An attitude of gratitude; 3) Taking action with what’s available now…When we’re caught up in the “my life would be perfect if” trap, we lose touch with the present and can no longer practise gratitude. Think about it: it’s difficult to be grateful for what you don’t have…and what you don’t have is always somewhere in “future-ville”. Look around you…do you have a roof over your head and food to eat? A few good friends or close relationships? Then appreciate them…You’re probably sitting there thinking “Yes, but I want more money, a better relationship, more time to travel, to be thinner, happier, or whatever”…stop focusing on what you lack and start focusing on what you’ve already got.’
The Bible says, ‘Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.’ If we refuse to settle for anything less than perfection, we’ll keep ending up with nothing. We’ll never have a perfect life on this earth, but that’s okay, because Christ has clothed us in His righteousness and made us ‘complete in him’ (Colossians 2:10 KJV).
Eze 14:1-16:52; Luke 19:1-10; Ps 103:1-12; Prov 19:12-16
2021-08-30
Job 29:24 NLT
A pastor tells of being in a church for twelve years. He had a custom during Sunday morning service of calling the children forward just before his sermon so that they could go to a ‘children’s church’ especially for them. The children would march past the pulpit and he would make it a point to smile at each of them. In return he received smiles.
‘It was one of the high points of the service for me,’ he recalled. But one day he apparently missed smiling at a child. A four-year-old girl ran out of the line and threw herself into the arms of her mother, sobbing as if her heart was broken. After the service he went to find out what happened. The mother explained to him that her child had said, ‘I smiled at God, but he didn’t smile back at me!’ The pastor reflected, ‘To that child I stood for God. I had failed with my smile, and the world went dark.’
Just like the pastor, we have the opportunity to reflect God to everyone we meet. And our encouragement could be something as simple as a smile. Job experienced more troubles in a year than most of us will experience in a lifetime. But though he was down, he lifted others. Though he was in despair, he encouraged others. How did he do it? ‘They longed for me to speak as people long for rain…When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them’ (vv. 23-24 NLT).
We might think there’s little value in a smile, but to someone who’s experienced only unkindness and thoughtlessness that day, a kind and encouraging smile could be very precious to them.
Eze 10-13; Luke 18:31-43; Ps 84; Prov 19:11
2021-08-29
1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
The Message paraphrases David’s words: ‘I’d rather scrub floors in the house of…God than be honoured as a guest in the palace of sin’ (Psalm 84:10 MSG). Along those lines Joni Eareckson Tada wrote: ‘Elsie runs a Christian home for young girls who’ve left lives of prostitution and drug dealing on the streets of Hollywood. She walks the streets, shares the gospel, and leads these girls to Christ. If these new converts truly desire to change their lives and commit to new responsibilities, they’ve a place in Elsie’s home. Pam is one such convert…A Christian with a sweet spirit, she bears scars from knife fights and heroin needles…I sensed her joy and deep appreciation when she explained her role…”I scrub the toilets and bathrooms…That’s my job and I love it!” This young woman was so grateful to have structure in her life, safety in her surroundings, and an honest-to-goodness job of service in Christ’s kingdom…that a day of ministry in Elsie’s home was far better than a thousand days lived in the sordid pursuit of self-destructive pleasures…Her humble spirit towards her job…her delight in cleaning toilets sprang from a keen awareness of her role in the body of Christ. Few believers have a background like Pam’s, but every day each of us rolls our sleeves up to accomplish menial, basic tasks – changing oil [in the car], changing ink cartridges in printers, or changing [nappies].’
There are so many everyday tasks that we find boring, but when we ‘serve the LORD with gladness’ (Psalm 100:2 KJV), we’ll be able to find joy in them because we remember who we’re working for.
Gen 6:9-8:4; Matt 24:37-51
2021-08-28
Psalm 34:6 NLT
J.C. Penney was a rich businessman who founded a famous chain of department stores across America. But despite his wealth and success, he suffered setbacks, bereavement, financial ruin, and deep depression. At his lowest point he cried out to God. He said: ‘When I was brought to humility and the knowledge of my dependence on God…it was like a light illuminating my being. I cannot otherwise describe it, than to say it changed me as a man.’
When things fall apart in our lives, and we don’t know what to do or whether we’ll be able to recover, God is only a prayer away. It’s amazing to think that the creator of the universe is so close to us. Even if we’ve neglected our relationship with Him and tried to rely on our own strength and wisdom, He joyfully welcomes us back to Him when we realise that we need Him in our lives. ‘The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth’ (Psalm 145:18 NIV).
When we’re in the depths of trouble, we can sometimes think that God’s abandoned us. But the opposite is true. ‘The Lord is close to the broken-hearted, and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed’ (Psalm 34:18 NCV). In times of brokenness and despair, we can draw strength and comfort from His presence. ‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust”‘ (Psalm 91 ESV). The psalmist wrote: ‘In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.’ God will do the same for us.
Eze 5-9; Luke 18:18-30; Ps 119:169-176; Prov 19:9-10
