2020-03-03
1 Peter 1:8 NLT
In yesterday’s reading, we explored what seeking God means. But it can seem really challenging to seek somebody we can’t see. How are we supposed to deepen our relationship with God when we can’t see Him? Peter said: ‘You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him.’ It’s possible to seek, love, and trust God without physically seeing Him. We can find out more about Him through reading the Bible, from looking at things He’s created, and listening to His voice in prayer. We can’t seek God without doing these things. We have to open our eyes up to see Him in the things and people around us. We also have to allow the Holy Spirit to show us more of God. It’s important to be disciplined. We need to be setting aside time to intentionally seek Him through reading the Bible, prayer, and times of silence. We might not feel like we’re getting closer to God, but that doesn’t mean we’re not. We can’t rely on our feelings. The Bible says: ‘The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him’ (Lamentation 3:25 NIV). God loves it when we make the choice to seek Him and discover more about Him. He wants us to discover just how good and loving He is. Seeking Him isn’t challenging, but it does require sacrifice. We need to put seeking Him at the top of our priority list. We can’t just do what we want, and expect to know more about Him. Jesus said: ‘Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness’ (Matthew 6:33 NIV). We have to set aside the other things we want to do, and focus on drawing close to Him.
Gen 24:1-25:18; Matt 20:1-16; Ps 70; Prov 6:26-28
2020-02-28
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
If you’re praying for an unsaved loved one, here is a Bible promise you can stand on today: “He is patient…not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Remove the word “everyone” and insert the name of your loved one. As long as there’s life, there’s hope! The last miracle Jesus worked was saving a thief who hung on a cross beside Him: “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). In the words of the hymnist, Annie Johnson Flint: “His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus – He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.” No matter how far gone your loved one may be, God’s grace and mercy can still reach them – so keep praying for them. Listen: “The arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear” (Isaiah 59:1 NIV). Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father…draws them” (John 6:44 NIV). So ask God to send someone across your loved one’s path who will show them the way of salvation. Above all, don’t get discouraged and give in to doubt. Remember, it’s God’s will to save them, and when you know you’re praying in accordance with His will, you can approach Him with confidence. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know…he hears us – whatever we ask – we know…we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15 NIV).
Soul food: Gen 13-16; Matt 18:21-35; Ps 61; Prov 6:16-19
2020-02-25
2 Corinthians 3:5 NCV
God doesn’t want us to be trying to do everything by ourselves. He wants us to trust Him and depend on Him for everything we need. We can easily fall into the trap of feeling like we don’t need God, that we can handle everything ourselves. But the truth is that ‘it is God who makes us able to do all that we do.’ God showed this to Gideon when the Israelites were facing a battle with the Midianites. God had called Gideon to lead the army and save Israel. He gathered together all the men who would fight with him and it came to 32,000 men. But God wanted to show that they would win through Him, not manpower. ‘The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men to defeat the Midianites. I don’t want the Israelites to brag that they saved themselves”‘ (Judges 7:2 NCV). So God reduced the number of men down to just 300 (you can read about this in Judges 7). Imagine how Gideon must have felt. In Judges 6 we already see that Gideon felt inadequate (take a look at verse 15). Now he probably felt unprepared too. But God said: ‘Using the three hundred men who lapped the water, I will save you and hand Midian over to you’ (Judges 7:7 NCV). And He did. God wants us to depend on Him for what we need. He provides for all He has made. The Bible says: ‘All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time’ (Psalm 104:27 NIV). He doesn’t want us to be worrying about our situations or becoming prideful about our own abilities. We should stop leaning on our own strength and resources, and instead depend wholly and solely on God.
Gen 4-6; Matt 17:14-27; Ps 40:9-17; Prov 6:6-8
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 NIV
Jesus told His disciples, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41 NKJV). What did He mean by that? He meant that without the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, which He’d just told them they’d soon receive, they weren’t equal to the challenges they were about to face. It wasn’t a matter of His doubting their devotion and willingness to serve Him; He just knew they couldn’t do it by themselves. And you can’t either. So the sooner you quit trying, the better off you’ll be! God isn’t looking for educated, sophisticated, well-meaning flesh, or any other kind of “flesh,” for that matter. He will only bless you when you acknowledge your total dependence on Him. That means praying and leaning on Him before you start, and continuing to pray and lean on Him until you reach the finish line. It also means that if God doesn’t send you and you insist on going, or if He tells you to do something and you try to accomplish it in your own strength, you’ll surely fail. And what’s more, He will allow you to keep failing until you reach the place where you can say like Paul: “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent.” It’s when we reach the end of our resources that God’s power kicks in. So the word for you today is: Instead of leaning on your own strength and resources, depend wholly and solely on God.
Soul food: Gen 4-6; Matt 17:14-27; Ps 40:9-17; Prov 6:6-8
2020-02-24
Isaiah 54:17 NLT
Have you been falsely accused? So was Jesus. They called Him a glutton, a drunkard, and a friend of low-life sinners. They accused the apostle Paul of being a madman, a fool, and a babbler. The Bible calls Satan the “father of lies” (John 8:44 NIV). And when you’re committed to doing God’s will, he will attack you – and use people to do it. Don’t get discouraged and don’t despair. God will vindicate you. His Word says, “No weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me.” If you insist on retaliating, God will back off and leave you to it. But when you put the situation into His hands, the test can result in a testimony to His goodness and grace in your life. So instead of wasting time complaining, pray: “Let your favour shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me. Don’t let me be disgraced…Lord…I call out to you for help. Let the wicked be disgraced…Silence their lying lips – those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly. How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues” (Psalm 31:16-20 NLT). Simply pray, “Father, I put this situation into Your hands today. Vindicate me.”
Soul food: Gen 1-3; Matt 17:1-13; Ps 40:1-8; Prov 6:1-5
