2020-05-17
Isaiah 40:29 NKJV
When the battle continues to rage with no end in sight, you grow weary. Is that where you are today? Are things that once ran smoothly no longer working? Have you done all you know to do but it hasn’t helped? What should you do? Spend more time with God in prayer, and listen to Him as He speaks to you through His Word. As long as you don’t give up within, victory is assured without. It’s a matter of replenishing your strength by drawing on God’s strength, refocusing your faith toward victory, and ” [calling] to remembrance” God’s promises (Psalm 77:6 NKJV). When you feel overwhelmed by trouble in your marriage, your business, your health, your job, or your finances, stand on these two Bible promises: “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31 NLT). “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and…thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God…And he did rescue us…We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us” (2 Corinthians 1:8-10 NLT). Instead of trying to escape the situation, seek God and He will give you strength and a strategy to come out of it stronger.
Soul food: Matt 4:12-16; Matt 5:14-16; Acts 9:1-19
2020-05-10
Romans 10:17 NIV
The Bible says that faith is ‘confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’ (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). Faith isn’t empty hope, or simply a positive confession of something we want to be true. Faith is recognising something that’s already a reality despite the fact that it can’t yet be seen. The Bible says that God ‘gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not’ (Romans 4:17 NIV). When God promised Abraham that he would be the father of future generations, and that he would have a son even though he was old, Abraham had to put his faith in the God who speaks things into being. Abraham didn’t speak Isaac into existence, God did. Abraham simply believed that God would act on His promise, and as a result Isaac was born. The Bible tells us that ‘without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised’ (vv.19-21 NIV). Do we have faith that God will do what He’s promised? Our faith can begin to waver when we don’t see anything change or when we’ve been praying for years without seeing His promises come into being. So how do we develop strong faith? The Bible tells us that ‘faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.’ So let’s immerse ourselves in God’s Word, and build up our faith.
Matt 5:10; 1 Thes 2:13-3:5; 1 Cor 4:11-13; Rev 6:9-11
Romans 10:17 NKJV
Let’s define the word “faith” more clearly. The Bible says faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV). Faith isn’t empty hope, or simply a positive confession of something we want to be true. Faith is recognizing something that’s already a reality despite the fact that it can’t yet be seen. The Bible says Abraham “believed – God, who…calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17 NKJV). Based on this verse some people think that whatever they want they can simply “speak into existence.” Read the verse again! Abraham didn’t speak Isaac into existence, God did! Abraham simply believed God, acted on His promise, and as a result Isaac was born. “Not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (vv. 19-21 NKJV). Your faith must be in God, not in your faith! In and of itself, faith has no creative power; it just affirms what already exists in the unseen world and in what God has promised, knowing that in His time it will come to pass because it’s His will. Whatever you claim by faith must be based on what God has clearly promised you in His Word. And how do you develop that kind of faith? Read the Word! “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
Soul food: Matt 5:10; 1 Thes 2:13-3:5; 1 Cor 4:11-13; Rev 6:9-11
2020-05-05
Proverbs 3:24 NLT
Insomnia is a miserable thing. At any given time it affects 30 to 50 percent of the population. You dread bedtime, toss and tumble all night, and walk around exhausted the next day. And when it continues for weeks or even months, it can depress you and rob you of your joy. Is that what’s happening to you right now? Then let God help you. His Word says He “gives rest to his loved ones” (Psalm 127:2 NLT). His promise is “You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.” And if you’re addicted to sleeping pills, the Great Physician can heal you. Make this your prayer today: “Father, shine Your light on the root cause of my sleeplessness. Whatever anxieties are stopping me from entering into a state of restorative slumber, I cast them all on You as instructed, knowing You care for me (See 1 Peter 5:7). Calm my racing thoughts and restless mind. Help me to be still and know You are my God (See Psalm 46:10). I submit to Your command not to worry about anything, but to pray about everything instead. I bring my needs to You, and thank You for all You have already done. Your Word assures me that if I do this I’ll experience Your peace, which is more wonderful than the human mind can understand, and that it will guard my heart and my mind (See Philippians 4:6-7). By faith I will lie down tonight without fear or anxiety and enjoy pleasant dreams. Yes, I will lie down in peace and sleep because You…Lord, will keep me safe (See Psalm 4:8). In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
Soul food: Num 8-10; Mark 6:30-44; Ps 37:16-24; Prov 11:4
2020-05-01
John 20:25 NIV
When the disciples told Thomas, ‘We have seen the Lord!’, Thomas refused to believe them. He said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’ When Jesus appeared to the disciples again, this time Thomas was there too. Jesus invited Thomas to touch His scars and see His hands. When Thomas did this, He stopped doubting and exclaimed ‘My Lord and my God!’ (v.28 NIV). Thomas has often been given a bad reputation because of his doubt, but how often do we find ourselves doubting God too? We might believe in the resurrection, but we doubt that God will come through for us in the situation we’ve been praying about for years. We can doubt His love, goodness, grace, faithfulness, and promises. We doubt Him because He does things that we don’t understand. But we’re not going to understand everything in this life. This is where we need to have faith that God’s in control. The Bible says: ‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’ (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). Thomas only believed when he saw Jesus with his own eyes, but Jesus said, ‘blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’ (John 20:29 NIV). We don’t always see God working in our lives, and it can be challenging to have faith in a God we can’t see. But Jesus says that we’re blessed when we keep believing and when we keep trusting. So let’s take all our doubts to Jesus, and ask Him to help us have faith in Who He is and what He’s doing in our lives.
Num 3:1-4:33; Mark 5:31-43; Ps 2; Prov 10:30-32
