2019-04-10
2 Timothy 4:2 NIV
We all experience seasons in our lives. Sometimes we’re in the season of small beginnings. That season can frustrate us because we want to do the big things for God, not the smaller tasks. We want to be used by God without first learning the skills we’ll need. But God says, ‘Do not despise these small beginnings’ (Zechariah 4:10 NLT). That’s like spring – the season where life is starting to emerge from winter. Other times we’re in a season of joy. Things in our lives seem to be working out, and we’re on fire for God. We’re passionate for His church, and have opportunities to serve Him. This time is like summer. We’re out enjoying God and everything feels great. Our autumn season can feel like things are starting to die in our lives. We’re trying to hold on to the summer, but things don’t seem to be working out for us anymore. Other times we’re in valley seasons. Those times can feel dark and long. We’re tired and start to wonder if new life will ever come again. That’s like winter. But thankfully, spring always follows winter. If we’re not sure what season we’re in, we can ask God. He does everything according to a set time and purpose. God gives us grace for the season we’re in. He gives us the strength to deal with the tougher seasons. And we can grow our faith, even when we’re not in the summer season. Paul said, ‘Be prepared in season and out of season.’ So let’s ask God to show us what season we’re in and how to make it as productive as it possibly can be.
Phil 1-4; Luke 22:14-23; Ps 43; Prov 10:10
2 Timothy 4:2 NIV
If you sow your seed at the wrong time, you risk losing your harvest. Why? Because you didn’t recognize what season you were in. Are you in the season of small beginnings? If you are, God says, “Do not despise these small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT). The richness and stability that come from “small beginnings” and gradual success are more lasting than the temperamental theatrics of those who have never learned their own vulnerabilities or developed a true sense of dependence on God. If you’re not sure what season you’re in, ask God. He does everything according to a set time and purpose. In the fall you break up the ground, turn the sod, sow the seed, add the fertilizer, and look for the harvest next spring. In the meantime you wait, because the soil that has yielded so many of its nutrients is being replenished. The fertilizer that smells so bad is in the process of producing the highest quality crop. The root system that’s required for strong, healthy growth is being developed. Understand this: God gives you grace for the season you’re in – not the one you were once in, or the one you’d like to be in. When Paul said, “Be prepared in season and out of season,” he recognized that he was in the winter of his ministry. That’s why he was pouring his knowledge into his successor, Timothy. Paul wasn’t resentful about the changing seasons. No, when his days as a player were over he simply became a coach. So ask God to show you what season you’re in and how to make it the most productive season of your life.
Soul food: Phil 1-4; Luke 22:14-23; Ps 43; Prov 10:10
2019-04-02
Joshua 1:11 NKJV
When God tells you He has “given” you something, it means your name is on the title. When He tells you to “possess” it, it may mean you have to fight for it. If you don’t, you won’t receive what He promised. Right now lots of people may be living in your “dream house” and working in your “dream job.” Don’t resent them, rejoice! God can do the same for you! If you’re tired of talking about the things you don’t possess, get up and go after them. And when you get them, remember that it wasn’t because you’re so wise and wonderful, but because God gave them to you (See Deuteronomy 8:18). The Bible says He gives us “all things that pertain unto life” (2 Peter 1:3). But you must receive the promise inwardly before you can experience it outwardly. For example, your challenge may be believing in your spirit that you’re being healed before you see it begin to happen physically. Just because something’s not immediately evident doesn’t mean it won’t happen. For example, when we ask God for an oak tree, He gives us an acorn. At this point we may think God didn’t hear and answer our prayer. No, the oak tree is in the acorn; it’s just a matter of time before what’s inside bursts out. Whatever God has promised you, the seeds are already within you. Water them, nurture them, and don’t let anyone uproot them through unbelief. In other words, begin thanking God for what He’s going to do in your life.
Soul food: Lev 11:1-13:37; Luke 20:41-47; Ps 32; Prov 9:10-16
2019-01-27
James 1:8 NKJV
If you’re afraid to make a decision in case it’s wrong, read this Scripture: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally…and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (vv. 5-8 NKJV). President Reagan enjoyed telling the story of how he learned to make firm decisions. When he was a boy, his aunt sent him to a cobbler to have a new pair of shoes made for him. When the shoemaker asked, “Do you want a square toe or a round one?” he hemmed and hawed, so the cobbler said, “Come back in a day or two and tell me what you want.” Later the cobbler saw Reagan on the street and asked what he had decided about the shoes. “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” he answered. “Very well,” the cobbler said, “your shoes will be ready tomorrow.” When Reagan got the shoes, one had a round toe and the other a square toe! Reagan said, “Looking at those shoes every day taught me a lesson. If you don’t make your own decisions, somebody else will make them for you.” Worst case: If you get it wrong, you’ll learn what not to do next time. Bottom line: To succeed in life you must pray for wisdom, and then make a decision.
Soul food: Eze 47:1-12; Rev 21:22-22:5
2019-01-09
Romans 4:17 NIV
When you dare to dream, God who “calls things that are not as though they were” is at work within you. But there’s a third dream killer you must overcome: Settling for average. A God-given dream will stretch you; you can’t reach for it and remain safely mediocre at the same time. The two are incompatible. When you settle for average, it’s tempting to blame it on others, or on your personal circumstances, or on the system. But the truth is mediocrity is always a personal choice. When you don’t have a compelling dream you are in danger of having your life merely slip away. Author Kenneth Hildebrand puts it this way: “The poorest of all men isn’t the one without a penny to his name. He’s the fellow without a dream…[he is like] a great ship made for the mighty ocean but trying to navigate in a millpond. He has no far port to reach, no lifting horizon, no precious cargo to carry. His hours are absorbed in routine and petty tyrannies. Small wonder he gets dissatisfied, quarrelsome, and ‘fed up.’ One of life’s greatest tragedies is a person with a ten-by-twelve capacity and a two-by-four soul.” If you feel that your life is closer to average than you want, you need to do more dreaming. Nothing will help you break out of your rut like a God-inspired dream. And if you don’t already have one, ask God to give you one. He may give it to you in an instant, or over a period of time, but He will do it.
Soul food: Isa 26-29; Luke 2:1-7; Ps 46; Prov 1:32-33
