2020-05-20
Hebrews 4:16 NKJV
When you have a spiritual, physical, relational, or financial need, God says He will meet it. But some of us have a hard time believing this. After all, Jesus condemned the rich man for overlooking the poor man sitting on his doorstep. And God hasn’t changed His position on that issue. Jesus told the story of a man so busy making money that he had no time for God. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (Luke 12:20-21 NLT). And He hasn’t changed positions on that issue either. Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple because they were ripping people off. He went so far as to call them “a den of thieves” (Mark 11:17 NKJV). Does that mean God is interested in meeting our spiritual needs but not our material ones? Let’s be clear; your spiritual needs should always be your highest priority, but let’s allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves. When it comes to God and your money, Jesus said: “Don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT). Note the word “everything.” When you’re in right standing with God, you can pray with confidence and ask Him to bless you in all things!
Soul food: Heb 1-4; Mark 10:13-22; Ps 88:9b-18; Prov 11:27-29
2020-05-19
2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV
Let’s begin by saying it again: What you believe about God and your money will determine what you believe Him for. If the reason you want more is to “keep up with the Joneses,” or brag about what you own, don’t expect God to bless your plans. The Bible says, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble” (James 4:6 NIV). Humility says, “Lord, everything I have is a gift from You. And everything I’ll ever need comes from You.” Before you ask God for more money, you must know that your heart motive is right. And when you know it is, you can stand on this Scripture: “Whoever sows sparingly will…reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will…reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:9-11 NIV). Who does God give seed to? Sowers – not hoarders. When does God multiply your seed? When you sow it to fulfill His purposes.
Soul food: Titus 1-3; Mark 10:1-12; Ps 88:1-9a; Prov 11:24-26
2020-05-18
Psalm 84:11 KJV
What you believe about God and your money will determine how you pray and what you believe Him for. You say, “But money is the root of all evil.” No, the Bible says, “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10 KJV). That means if you’re a miser, God won’t give you more. “But haven’t some preachers used the Bible to enrich themselves?” you ask. Absolutely – and you wouldn’t want to stand in their shoes when they answer to God! But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. The best way to tell if a dollar bill is counterfeit is to place it beside a genuine one. So here’s the question: Are you looking for a reason to doubt God’s promises, or a reason to believe them? The Bible says, “No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11 NIV). We all agree that providing for your family, getting a promotion, educating your children, and meeting other people’s needs are all “good” things. So when you “do what is right” before God, you can expect Him to bless you. John wrote, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2 NKJV). Only when our children reach maturity and demonstrate responsibility do we entrust them with the keys to the family car, right? So maturity must precede prosperity. When you demonstrate maturity, you can go to God with confidence, knowing He’ll meet your needs and bless you. Which raises the question: Are you growing and maturing spiritually?
Soul food: Jonah 1-4; Mark 9:38-50; Ps 75; Prov 11:23
2020-05-13
Daniel 2:21 NIV
Realize that rough times won’t last forever. As surely as God created spring to follow winter, “He changes times and seasons…He gives wisdom.” The season of adversity you’re in will end. And when it does, you’ll glean from it the wisdom to build a better future. Sometimes your greatest blessings come from your most negative circumstances. Paul writes, “Our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT). Tough times don’t last, but tough people do! Out of your greatest tests come your greatest testimonies. Don’t make major decisions during a storm. Thoughts and feelings often run wild in the midst of a crisis; those are times when you need to be careful about making decisions. Remain calm, discipline yourself to focus on what you can do, and trust God to do what you can’t. Just as a pilot error can cause a plane to be diverted from its intended destination, or have to make a dangerous emergency landing, a bad decision can divert or delay you from reaching your destiny. Let your emotions subside – before you decide. You may not always have that option, but as much as possible, put significant decisions on hold until your storm passes. Just as the wind blows about wildly during a storm, your thoughts can become wild and frantic, and that’s not the best time to make crucial assessments. What should you do? Paul answers, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and…His peace will guard your hearts and minds” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).
Soul food: Num 27-29; Mark 8:27-38; Ps 62; Prov 11:15
Daniel 2:21 NIV
When we’re going through a rough time, we need to remember that it won’t last forever. Just as there are seasons throughout the year, there are seasons in our lives too. Daniel said: ‘He changes times and seasons…He gives wisdom.’ If we’re in a season of hardship, disappointment, hurt, or loneliness, we can rest in the knowledge that it will end. And through it, we’ll have more wisdom for our future. Sometimes our greatest blessings come from our most negative circumstances. Paul wrote: ‘Our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!’ (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT). Tough times don’t last. When we have the right attitude, we know that we’ll survive. So how can we have the right attitude when we’re in a stormy season of life? We need to remain calm, discipline ourselves to focus on what we can do, and trust God to do what we can’t. It’s also wise for us to avoid making big decisions when we’re in a storm. Just as the wind blows wildly during a storm, our thoughts can become wild and frantic, and that’s not the best time to make big decisions. A bad decision can take us down the wrong path, and lead us further away from God’s plans and purposes for us. When we have an unhelpful attitude, we’re unlikely to make decisions that are helpful to us. If we’re in a storm, and struggling to have the right attitude, we can take the advice Paul gave to the church in Philippi. He said: ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need…His peace will guard your hearts and minds’ (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).
Num 27-29; Mark 8:27-38; Ps 62; Prov 11:15
