2019-10-08
Psalm 134:1 NKJV
The last verse of the last psalm in the Bible says, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). That means as long as you are alive you are called to worship God. But some of us are more wired to be worshipers in the church, while others are more wired to be workers. While all of us are called to worship God, some of us are more inclined to do it through works while others are more inclined to do it through worship. And with God, both count as acts of service. The psalmist said, “Bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord” (Psalm 134:1-2 NKJV). Note the words “servants of the Lord.” How were they serving Him? Through worship. The Westminster Confession of Faith says, “The chief end of man is that he might glorify God.” And there are many ways to do it: “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me” (Psalm 50:23 NKJV). Worship acts like a thermostat; it creates a climate in which God’s presence can be experienced and enjoyed. David said: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV). What a benefits package! Forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and protection. How do we receive these benefits? Through worship. When we bless the Lord, He blesses us. So when you worship, you’re serving God.
Soul food: 2 Sam 14:21-17:13; John 3:1-21; Ps 89:15-37; Prov 23:15-18
2019-09-27
2 Corinthians 10:4 NKJV
The story of Joseph the prisoner becoming Joseph the prime minister teaches us that we can rise above the circumstances, overcome the challenges, and live in the fullness of our God-given potential. His journey was a long one, and yours may be too. But if you don’t take the first step, you’ll remain stuck where you are. Sometimes your “stronghold” was established early in life. Family pain is the deepest pain, because it’s inflicted so early and involves people who should have been trustworthy. You were too young to process the mistreatment. You didn’t know how to defend yourself. Your dad, mom, uncle, big brother – they towered over you, usually in size, always in rank. When they judged you falsely, you believed them. All this time you were operating on faulty data: “You’re stupid…slow…dumb like your daddy…fat like your mama…” Decades later those voices of defeat still echo in your subconscious. But they don’t have to! “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” Use the “reject and repeat” strategy and you’ll win the victory in your thinking. When negative, fearful, guilt-ridden, inferior, condemning thoughts arise, reject them and begin to repeat what God says about you in His Word. As God’s Word comes to life within you, your old thoughts will begin to die and lose their control over you. Today pull down that stronghold and let your healing begin.
Soul food: 1 Sam 24-26; Matt 28:1-10; Ps 51; Prov 22:12-16
2019-09-03
Proverbs 22:6 CEV
A mother who smokes passes on the nicotine to her baby in her breast milk. Unintentionally she pollutes her child with her own vices. And it’s the same when we pass on things like bitterness, guilt, and insecurity to our kids. That’s why we need God’s help; only He can bring healing to the root of our problem and break the cycle. No one else can teach faith to your children like you. The foundation must be laid by you and built on by them. And don’t just teach them your doctrine; expose them to your faith. Tell them Who brought you through the tough places. That way, when they encounter their own tough places they’ll be armed with more than a set of religious rules; they’ll have confidence in God for themselves. And stop beating yourself up over past mistakes; there are things all of us wish we’d done differently. The truth is that God can alter the effects of your past and prevent tragedy in your future. He’s the God of restoration who makes “all things new” (Revelation 21:5 NKJV). He can bring right out of wrong, good out of bad, and enable you to pour His wisdom and love into your children. This is your chance of a lifetime – seize it! Let go of yesterday and take hold of tomorrow. Your children are your tomorrow; they’re being shaped by you. Give them a taste of the things of God when they’re little, and when they grow up the world will never satisfy them.
Soul food: Ezek 27:25-30:26; Matt 23:1-12; Ps 112; Prov 20:1-4
2019-03-26
Psalm 30:2 NKJV
We talk so easily about things that don’t matter. But when it’s time to talk about our fears, our loneliness, our guilt, or our need to be loved, we clam up like oysters. Sometimes we act like we don’t even hear, when the truth is we don’t like what we hear. You heard your mate say they needed more of your time, or your child say, “I love you.” And you also heard them sigh when you didn’t say anything in return. You ran and hid because either you don’t know how to give them what they’re asking for, or you don’t want to pay the price. We all have hiding places – like our jobs, our habits, or relationships that require no emotional honesty. And as a result we feel bottled up inside. But every one of our escape mechanisms traps us deeper in the cycle of silence. God created you with a need to feel, to touch, and to express emotions. How long are you going to hide behind the mask and deny your unmet needs and unexpressed fears? God said, “It is not good that…man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). If you keep denying your emotions, you’ll never experience the joy of a good relationship. David wasn’t afraid to admit to God that he felt weak, or sad, or angry, or needed love. He said, “I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed” (Psalm 61:2 NKJV). If you can’t express yourself to others, start by talking to God. What He did for David, He can do for you. So turn to Him today and let the healing begin.
Soul food: Est 1-4; Luke 19:45-48; Ps 69:19-36; Prov 8:30-31
2018-05-28
Galatians 6:2 NLT
Dr. Raymond Vath said, “We must do for others what they cannot do for themselves, but we must not do for them what they will not do for themselves. The problem is finding the wisdom to know the difference.” You can be too helpful! By doing for somebody what they can do for themselves, you undermine their self-reliance and create an unhealthy dependence. So instead of rushing in and taking over: (1) Show them manageable action steps. By helping them take charge of their life you’re arming them against despair and powerlessness. And by validating their efforts you’re helping them to rebuild their fragile confidence. A word of caution, however: When the crisis involves irreversible loss like divorce or death, the work of simply getting through one day at a time is action enough. (2) Give them hope. In the depth of crisis there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel – a sense that the suffering will go on endlessly. Growth and improvement can’t happen without hope. Hope provides energy, and brings relief based on the conviction that things will improve. God promises, “I will bless you with a future filled with hope – a future of success, not…suffering” (Jeremiah 29:11 CEV). (3) Be sure to follow up. Crises are seldom resolved quickly. Although life may eventually take on some semblance of normalcy, there may be episodes of relapse into sadness, helplessness, or loneliness. Your words may bring comfort, but your ongoing attentiveness will help the hurting person maintain faith and progress in their journey to healing.
Soul food: Judg 19:16-21:25; Mark 11:27-33; Ps 45; Prov 13:13-16
