2020-10-03
Galatians 5:7 NKJV
You must take responsibility for your life instead of blaming others. In the Garden of Eden when God asked Adam why he had eaten from the tree, he blamed his wife: “‘The woman whom You gave…me…gave me of the tree, and I ate'” (Genesis 3:12 NKJV). Then we read, “The Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me'” (v. 13 NKJV). Eve blamed the Devil.
So did God accept their excuses? No. He said to Adam: “‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and…eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, “You shall not eat of it:” Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you'” (vv. 17-18 NKJV).
Then God told Eve, “‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you'” (v. 16 NKJV).
When those words were spoken, Adam and Eve were banished from Paradise.
“Since God is all-knowing,” you ask, “how come He got angry with Adam and Eve?” Because neither one would take responsibility for their actions! When you sin, God will readily forgive you (See Nehemiah 9:17). What He won’t accept, however, is obfuscating, rationalizing, justifying, excusing, and blaming. His Word says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NKJV).
So if you want to move forward, you must take responsibility for your life!
Soul food: 1 Sam 14-15; Luke 24:36-44; Ps 51; Prov 22:12-16
2020-09-12
Genesis 39:12 NKJV
The second coat Joseph wore was: The coat of temptation. One day Joseph was tempted by his boss’ wife. The Bible says: ‘She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house’ (v.12 NIV). Joseph was young, handsome, lonely, far from home, and facing repeated temptation at the hands of his boss’s wife. Yet he resisted her advances and said, ‘How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’ (v.9 NIV). His first concern was not that he couldn’t get away with it, but that he couldn’t live with himself if he said yes. Remembering how God had loved, preserved, and blessed him stopped him from giving in to the temptation in front of him. David was a different story. After his affair with Bathsheba, he wrote these words in his prayer of Psalm 51: ‘Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight’ (v. 4 NKJV). When we sin, we’re sinning against God. He is the One observing what we’re doing. God forgave David, and He’ll forgive us too. But David’s story proves that sometimes we have to live with the consequences of our actions, and they can devastate not only us but those around us. Paul, the greatest of the apostles, acknowledged this truth: ‘I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others’ (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV). We have to discipline ourselves, and strengthen ourselves, so that we can stand against temptation and keep ourselves effective in God’s kingdom.
Eze 31-33; Luke 21:25-38; Ps 78:40-55; Prov 20:22-24
2020-07-17
Proverbs 20:5 NIV
The people who knew Simon knew he was impulsive and tended to put his foot in his mouth. But Jesus saw something else in him; that’s why He renamed him Peter, implying he was a stone suitable for a foundation. Can’t you imagine the look on the other disciples’ faces when Jesus said, “You are Peter…upon this rock I will build my church, and…hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT)? But Peter did become a pillar, a respected leader and founder of the church. And all because of Christ’s ability and willingness to look beyond the surface and see what was on the inside. Being made in God’s likeness gives a person amazing potential, but sometimes it takes “a man of understanding” to recognize it and draw it out. Too many of us see only what is on the surface. So we are quick to peg someone as arrogant, or quick-tempered, or weak, etc. But when you have spiritual insight, you see beyond all that, to the hopes and fears behind the person’s behavior. We don’t need more self-appointed critics, we need: (1) Parents who pray for their children, look beyond their flaws, and draw out their uniqueness. (2) Spouses who search for the hidden treasure in their mates. (3) Business leaders who treat their workers with respect, and match their responsibilities with their talents. (4) Believers who forgive immature, stumbling fellow Christians and work to develop them. (5) Soul winners who see lost people through the eyes of Jesus and recognize what His transforming power can do. So pray for spiritual insight.
Soul food: Acts 3:11-5:42; Luke 8:1-15; Ps 133; Prov 16:2
2020-05-28
Isaiah 42:3 ESV
Ever felt like your life was lying in ruins? That you’d been hurt so much your emotions were bruised and broken? That you’d made too many mistakes to ever experience God’s redemption? No matter how badly broken we may be, if we turn to God, He’ll restore us. Isaiah said, ‘A bruised reed he will not break.’ These words portray the gentleness and grace of God as He restores and makes us whole. The Bible says: ‘His anger lasts only a moment, but his kindness lasts for a lifetime’ (Psalm 30:5 NCV). Other people might walk away from us when our lives are a mess, but God doesn’t. He never abandons us. He is longing for us to hand all the pieces over to Him so that He can bring something beautiful out of them. The Prodigal Son is a great example of this (you can read the whole story in Luke 15). When the son returned home after wasting all of his inheritance money, his father welcomed him back, forgave him, and then restored him to his rightful place as son. ‘The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet”‘ (Luke 15:21-22 NIV). Sometimes we can think our sin is too great and we’re too far gone. But with God, there’s always hope of restoration. When we confess our mistakes to Him, He promises to forgive us, and to forget our sins.
Lev 23:15-22; Acts 2:1-18
2020-04-26
Mark 11:25 NIV
When someone hurts us, our natural response is to either hurt them back or hope they will suffer for what they have done to us. Yet as redeemed children of God, we know this is the wrong response. That is when we discover forgiving someone doesn’t come naturally or easily; it requires supernatural grace on our part. And where do we get that? Through prayer! Jesus said, “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Recalling God’s grace toward you leaves you no choice but to extend that same grace toward someone who hurts you. Someone once said, “Forgiveness is a decision to set a prisoner free, and then discovering that the prisoner is you.” So if you have a desire to forgive someone, get excited; the Holy Spirit has already done half the job. To complete the other half, humble yourself and pray: “Father, I turn from every desire I have to avenge this wrong. You saw the situation before it happened, and in Your infinite wisdom You allowed it to be so. Your Word says that “all things work together for [my] good” (Romans 8:28), so from this moment on, with the help of Your Holy Spirit, I forgive them. I will not dwell on the situation but will declare Your Word instead.” That’s called “a prayer of release.” And you’re not just releasing your offender; you’re releasing and repositioning yourself to walk in God’s blessing. That’s why you must forgive them!
Soul food: Matt 5:8; Ps 24:3-6; 2 Pet 3:3-14; Ps 51:10
