2022-12-31
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Susan Alexander Yates suggests five resolutions to work on.
“(1) Reach someone who doesn’t know Christ. God commands us to be salt and light… (Matthew 5:13-16 KJV); that won’t happen if we spend all our time with believers…. While reaching out feels scary, when you take the risk, you’ll see God work through you.
(2) Be more grateful. I used to wake… thinking about all the things I had to do and… the people who needed me. I got depressed before I… got out of bed!… So I started meditating on… God’s character traits… thinking about how awesome God is. My perspective… changed.
(3) Spend quality time with your spouse. I used to have a… raspberry patch. In the early years I… tended it, and it produced prolific crops. Then I got busy… and… weeds took over… A marriage can become like [that]. We get busy with kids, career, church… We think [we’ll] spend time [together] when life calms down. The problem is life never does. Don’t let the weeds… choke your marriage… You’re raising future husbands and wives who need to know a happy marriage takes time.
(4) Say ‘no’ to something. Maturing means you postpone something you’d like to do to focus on something more important. In 10 years, what will matter most – that you signed your child up for another activity or said ‘no’ and had family dinners together?
(5) Pursue Christ with fresh vigor. [David prayed], ‘Restore to me the joy of your salvation’ (Psalm 51:12 NIV). Vary [your routine]… [Pick] a new topic for Bible study. Begin a fresh journal. If you… still feel stale, ask God to show you the reason.” “Let us throw off everything that hinders and… run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).
Soul food: Isa 43:9-21; John 21:15-25; Ps 139:13-24; Prov 31:28-31
2022-12-17
Proverbs 15:22 NIV
A good adviser does three things: they observe you, instruct you, and motivate you. At first, the thought of having someone evaluate you may be intimidating. But think about it; people are watching you anyway, so why not have a good adviser among the crowd? Here is a list of some areas in which you might consider inviting an adviser to evaluate you. These things are not options, they’re essentials: spiritual development, personal discipline, family relationships, decision making, handling finance, conflict resolution, picking the right people, breaking bad habits and establishing good ones, goal setting and planning for the future.
If you’re serious about succeeding, look for an environment where you will be mentored, not just paid. Initially, what you learn is more important than what you earn, because what you learn early determines what you earn later. What you don’t know can hurt you and put a lid on your potential. Opening doors of evaluation is something you owe to yourself and those who depend on you.
And don’t let it stop with you. Pass on what you’ve been given to somebody else. Jesus said, “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Mt 10:8). “But I’m too young, nobody is going to take me seriously,” you say. Paul told Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example” (1 Timothy 4:12 NIV). You’re not responsible for knowing everything; you’re just responsible for sharing what you know with others. As you pour into them what God and others have poured into you, they will go further and faster too. So ask God for a good adviser and become one to somebody else.
Soul food: Neh 1-4; John 17:13-26; Ps 105:23-36; Prov 30:15-19
2022-12-14
Daniel 1:4 NLT
When Daniel arrived in Babylon, he was a slave. But he rose to the top because of these qualifications: “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve.” To be promoted in any job, you must first prove yourself. The Bible says, “Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings” (Proverbs 22:29 NIV). Unless you believe in what you’re doing, you won’t give yourself fully to it; therefore, you have no right to expect to succeed.
Have you ever walked into a room and felt love, energy, and excitement? Your thoughts have a presence; they’re like currents moving through the air, capable of drawing people to you or driving them away. Your attitude is always sensed. That’s why in order to succeed, you must believe in what you do. If you don’t – pray and ask God to relocate you someplace where you can put your whole heart into it.
Jesus totally believed in His product. He told the woman at the well, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” (John 4:13-14 KJV). You must take the time and make the effort to know your business. You may be anxious to sell, pocket the profit, and get on with your life. But success doesn’t happen that way. Jesus spent time praying in order to renew His understanding of His purpose.
So the word for you today is – pray and believe in what you do!
Soul food: Josh 22-24; John 16:12-18; Ps 105:1-7; Prov 30:1-4
2022-12-10
Philippians 4:19 NKJV
God promised to supply your need, not your greed. When you get into debt by buying things you shouldn’t, don’t expect Him to bail you out. No responsible parent would do that, and God is a responsible parent. He gives you choices, and He points out consequences. He told Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit. Then Satan came along and said, “God doesn’t really mean it, you can do what you want and be okay.”
Sound familiar? Advertisers do the same thing. One furniture company offers a house full of furniture with no monthly payments for two years. Question: If you can’t afford it now, how will you pay for it two years from now? It’s time for you to get out of debt, not deeper in. And the Bible tells you how:
(1) Don’t be greedy for the things of this life, “for greed is a form of idolatry” (See Colossians 3:5 GNT). Instead of craving things you don’t need, enjoy the things you have.
(2) If you’re not tithing, start now! You will be switching from the world’s faltering economy to God’s fail-safe economy. When you tithe, He promises to protect your interests and bless you. “There shall not be room enough to receive” (See Malachi 3:8-12).
(3) Before you go shopping, try praying. Ask God about what you “need,” then wait for Him to respond.
(4) Start giving away some of what you have. “It is possible to give away and become richer… [and] to hold on too tightly and lose everything… the liberal man shall be made rich!” (Proverbs 11:24-25 TLB). Obey God. Be patient and watch what happens.
Soul food: Josh 14-15; John 15:5-17; Ps 148:1-6; Prov 29:11-15
2022-06-06
1 John 5:14 NIV
Knowing God’s will. John writes: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (vv. 14-15 NIV). One of the surest ways to know you’re praying according to God’s will is to pray according to His Word.
Use the Scriptures to back up what you’re praying for. Say, “Lord, you promised it in your Word, and I’m believing you for it.” Sometimes there are things we want to pray for, but we aren’t sure whether those things are God’s will for us according to Scripture. In that case, you need to ask God to give it to you if it’s His will – and to help you be satisfied with His decision.
Saint Augustine prayed, “Grant that I may do Thy will as if it were my will, so that Thou mayest do my will as if it were Thy will.” D. L. Moody put it this way: “Spread out your petition before God, and then say, ‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’ The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let the Lord choose for me.”
Now you may have to wait, because God’s timing is part of His will. Be patient; it will happen. You may not see it yet, but God has promised and it’s on the way. And remember, if He doesn’t give you what you asked for, He will give you something better when you walk in faith and keep a good attitude.
Soul food: 1 Kings 18:16-20:43; Matt 14:22-36; Ps 116; Pro 12:25
