2017-10-13
Hebrews 4:12 CEV
As you read the Bible, God will give you strength and guidance for your life that you simply can’t get any other way. Eliphaz said to Job the patriarch: “He bruises, but he binds up; he wounds, but his hands make whole” (Job 5:18 NKJV). That’s what God does to you as you read the Scriptures. “His Word can cut through our spirits.” Others see what we do, but when we get alone with God and open the Scriptures, He reveals to us what we are. He brings to the surface long-standing and unresolved issues, and helps us to deal with them. He confronts us over our stubborn habits and shows us how to conquer them. He pinpoints our selfish and unloving attitudes, giving us a chance to repent and change our ways. The old Quakers had a saying: “Sin will keep you from your Bible, and your Bible will keep you from sin.” You say, “But when I get up in the morning, I’m so busy that I don’t have time to read the Bible.” Then read it when you come home at night! You say, “By the time I get home from work at night, I’m exhausted and can’t concentrate on anything!” You must rearrange your priorities. If you spend hours watching television, surely you can spend some time each day reading your Bible. The truth is that we make time for the things that we want, that we value, and that we enjoy. So ask God to give you a greater appetite for His Word. Then read your Bible, and watch your appetite for it grow!
Soul food: Exo 25-27; John 3:1-8; Ps 89:38-52; Prov 26:23-26
2017-07-30
1 Corinthians 7:33 NLT
When four-year-old Sarah attended her first wedding, she had lots of questions. At the reception her mom explained there were two cakes – a groom’s cake and a bride’s cake. “What’s the matter, Mom?” Sarah asked. “Haven’t they learned to share yet?” Seriously, the Bible says, “A married man has to think about his…wife…a married woman has to think about…her husband” (vv. 33-34 NLT). If you devote more time to your career than your relationship, there’s a good chance it won’t last. That’s why 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Understand this: When you marry someone, you marry everything they are and everything they’ve been through. It’s a package deal! And if you ask God, He will give you the wisdom and grace to enable both you and your spouse to “grow in grace.” It may not happen right away. As Shakespeare said, “What wound did ever heal but by degrees?” It takes time for even a small cut to heal. But if you let Him, God will give you the oil of compassion and the wine of love to pour into your spouse’s wounds. Never become so available at work that you’re unavailable at home. Your first calling is to your family. Your priorities should start there, then spread to your vocation and other pursuits. In effect, Paul is saying, “I release those who are married from the level of consecration I expect from those who are single, so they’ll be able to spend time working on their relationship” (vv. 32-35 paraphrase). You say, “But I need to spend time with God.” You’re called to love the Lord – and your spouse!
Soul food: Gen 14:18-20; Ps 110; Heb 5:5-11
2017-07-16
Psalm 119:59 NKJV
One of the great keys to success in life is having the right approach. But to improve your approach you need to assess where you’re starting from. This may take some time. And depending on how self-aware you are, it may even be difficult. The key is to look at yourself objectively, to separate yourself from your attitude. Your goal isn’t to condemn yourself; it’s to see yourself clearly so you can make positive changes in the way you think. When professional loggers discover a logjam, they climb a large tree near the river so they can look over the problem and find the cause. What they’re looking for is the “key log” creating the jam. Once they remove that, the river takes care of the rest. An inexperienced person could spend hours, days, even weeks moving logs around without results. The point is you don’t necessarily need to change all your thinking – just the few items that keep you from having the right approach to life. Once you do, your life will begin to flow in the right direction. Here are some questions that may help you discover the “key log” that’s holding you back. How do you feel about yourself? When do you feel the most negative about yourself? What causes you the greatest problems when dealing with others? Insecurity? Resentment? Inferiority? What negative thoughts constantly control your mind? These are important questions, for “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). If you want to change your life for the better, ask God to make you aware of what’s impacting it for the worse.
Soul food: Num 9:15-23; Ex 24:15; Mat 17:1-8
