2022-02-07
Matthew 6:34 MSG
When you’re anxious about the future, stop and remind yourself that two of God’s names are “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13 KJV). Where you’re going – God already is! Jesus said, “The sheep hear his voice…he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:3-4 NKJV). How do sheep get to know the shepherd’s voice? By spending time with him! Notice “he goes before them,” which means as long as you’re moving forward, God can direct you.
Each time you reach a breaking point, it’s a test: You will either quit or persevere through to victory. Long-distance runners use the expression “hitting the wall.” When they’re exhausted and feel like giving up, they know if they push through the pain, they will get their second wind and it will carry them over the finish line.
Are you taking on responsibilities that aren’t yours? Learn to establish healthy boundaries for your own sake and the sake of those who depend on you. And if you’re not sure what’s appropriate, ask God to show you how much to get involved in the lives of your friends and family.
If the burden isn’t yours, set it down. If it’s too heavy, give it to God! Stand on His promise: “He has never let you down, never looked the other way when you were being kicked around. He has never wandered off to do his own thing; he has been right there” (Psalm 22:24 MSG). Bottom line: The more you trust God, the more you lower your anxiety level.
Soul food: Isa 8-11; Luke 8:26-39; Ps 67; Pro 4:1-2
2021-12-28
1 Corinthians 6:12 MSG
Paul said, ‘Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean…it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.’ If we’re serious about spiritual growth, we need to look for opportunities to say no to our wants in small areas. Then one day we’ll be able to say no when it really counts. Daniel started by saying no to eating the king’s food, and later was able to say no to bowing to the king’s idols.
We need to focus in on the undisciplined areas of our lives; the ones we keep excusing, rationalising, and putting off dealing with. Paul measured his actions by this standard: ‘Is it beneficial? Does it have the potential to control me?’ (see 1 Corinthians 6:12). We have a ‘right’ to eat a tub of ice cream every night. It’s permissible – but it’s not ‘beneficial’, especially if we want to try to eat more healthily. We have a ‘right’ to spend our money as we please, but bad management of our money and buying things we can’t really afford leads to problems. We have a ‘right’ to look at whatever we want on TV or the internet, but exposure to wrong influences will inevitably weaken our characters, steal our self-respect, and trap us.
Our character is the sum total of the choices we make each day. Every single decision matters and influences our character in some way, so let’s try to make good choices. So if you want to start replacing bad habits with good ones, you should ask God for help and guidance – but the only person who can make it happen is you.
1 Cor 10-11; Matt 2:9-15; Ps 139:1-12; Prov 31:25-27
2021-12-18
1 Chronicles 12:32 NCV
William Orton, the president of Western Union, rejected an offer to buy the patents for the first telephone. The University of Southern California’s film school rejected an application (possibly several times) from Steven Spielberg. The technology company HP was offered the design of the first Apple computer, but chose not to take it up. What did all of these people and organisations have in common? They showed a lack of discernment and missed some great opportunities as a result.
When it comes to seeing life’s opportunities and solving life’s problems, we need discernment. It enables us to see what others don’t, fill in the missing pieces, and get to the heart of the matter. If we can see the root cause of a problem, we have a much better chance of solving it. That means when we stay in the area of our core gifts, our discernment will be stronger. So if we want to tap into our discernment potential, we should try to work from the areas of our strengths and giftings.
But there’s something else we can do: pray for discernment. It’s one of the nine ‘gifts of the Spirit’ promised to us in Scripture (see 1 Corinthians 12:7-10). Some of Israel’s greatest victories were won when David was king. And when we take a look at some of those who were part of his army, we read, ‘There were two hundred leaders from Issachar. They knew what Israel should do, and they knew the right time to do it.’
Discernment enables us to see doors of opportunity where others can only see brick walls. It will show us what we should do. So let’s ask God for the gift of discernment.
Zech 5-8; John 20:19-31; Ps 67; Prov 30:29-33
2021-12-08
Proverbs 29:18 KJV
From 1923 until 1955, Robert Woodruff presided over the Coca-Cola Company. He wanted the beverage to be made available to every American serviceman around the world for five cents, no matter how much it cost the company. That’s a bold goal! But it was modest compared to the big picture he saw in his mind’s eye. In his lifetime, Woodruff wanted everybody in the world to taste Coca-Cola.
Observe three things: (1) Vision starts within. When you look inside yourself, what do you see? You can’t buy, beg, or borrow vision; you must look within and draw on your innate gifts and desires. What do you feel passionate about? Think constantly about? Pray about? What would you be willing to sacrifice everything for? Your most persistent desire will point you to your destiny.
(2) Vision draws on your history. Moses grew up in the comfort of Pharaoh’s palace hearing the cries of Hebrew slaves. That experience prepared him to lead the exodus. Vision isn’t some mystical quality that materializes out of a vacuum; it’s interwoven with your past and the history of the people around you. If your vision is born of God, it won’t just benefit you, it will benefit others too.
(3) Vision attracts resources. One of the hallmarks of vision is that it acts like a magnet – attracting, challenging, and uniting people. It rallies finances and other resources, and the greater the vision, the more potential winners it must attract. The more challenging the vision, the harder the participants will fight to achieve it.
So ask God to give you a vision for your life, and watch how it all comes together.
Soul food: Col 3-4; Philemon; John 17:13-26; Ps 148:1-6; Prov 29:11-15
Proverbs 29:18 NLT
When God gives us a vision, it doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone else will support it or believe in it. And if God gives us a big vision, we might not either. We might think it’s too big, or that there’s no way we’re qualified or capable of fulfilling it. But when we say yes to God and trust Him to guide us, nothing will stop us from achieving what God’s laid out for us to do.
Here are three things to bear in mind: 1) Vision starts within. When you look inside yourself, what do you see? You can’t borrow someone else’s vision; you must look within and draw on your God-given gifts and desires. What do you feel passionate about? What do you think constantly about? What are you always praying about? What would you be willing to give up everything else to achieve? Your most persistent desire will help point you to your purpose.
2) Vision draws on your history. Moses grew up in the comfort of Pharaoh’s palace hearing the cries of Hebrew slaves. That experience prepared him to lead the exodus. Vision isn’t some mystical quality that appears from nowhere; it’s interwoven with your past and the history of the people around you. If your vision is born of God, it won’t just benefit you, it’ll benefit others too.
3) Vision attracts resources. One of the sure signs of vision is that it acts like a magnet, attracting, challenging, and uniting people. It draws the resources needed to complete it. The more challenging the vision, the harder the participants will fight to achieve it. So ask God to give you a vision for your life, and watch how it all comes together.
Col 3-4; Philemon; John 17:13-26; Ps 148:1-6; Prov 29:11-15
