2018-05-05
Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon talks about all the things in life he tried and found to be disappointing: the intellectual pursuit of knowledge, the physical pursuit of pleasure, and the material pursuit of wealth. In the last chapter of Ecclesiastes he bottom-lines it: “Everything is meaningless” (v. 8 NIV). In other words: “Been there, done that – and it’s just the ‘same ol’, same ol’.” Now, penning his last divinely-inspired thoughts, he wraps up his life’s message with these words: “Here is the conclusion of the matter.” This is big stuff! Solomon is about to give us his bottom-line evaluation of a life well-lived. What is it? “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment” (vv. 13-14 NIV). The words “fear God” simply mean to reverence, love, and serve Him, and live your life according to the precepts laid down in His Word. The songwriter put it this way: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Author John Mason writes: “Is more money, a higher position, or more influence your goal? These are not goals; they are the by-product of true goals…Seek not success, but truth, and you will find both. Work to become, not acquire. Measure wealth by the things you have which you would not exchange for money.” When you wake each morning, pray this simple prayer: “Lord, above all else help me to spend this day loving You and carrying out Your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
Soul food: Deut 8-10; Mark 6:30-44; Ps 37:8-15; Prov 11:27-29
2018-05-02
1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJV
Jabez prayed that God would bless him in three specific ways: (1) “Enlarge my territory.” He had a dream of owning more land, and he asked God to bless that dream. When you stop dreaming you lose direction. When you stop setting goals you stop growing. You must have something you’re pushing toward. As long as your horizon is expanding, you’ll be spiritually and emotionally healthy. (2) “That Your hand would be with me.” God’s hand represents His power. Jabez realized that if he got more territory it meant he would have more responsibility. He would have greater demands and more pressure, and he would really need God’s help in his life. So he requested God to be with him. And when you ask for God’s presence in your life, you can be sure He’ll answer. (3) “That You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.” Jabez asked God for His protection. Why? Because in those days the more land you owned, the more influence you had, and the better known you were. And that made you a bigger target. It’s still like that today. The more successful you are, the more critics you have. The more territory you own, the more your enemies will attack you. The closer you grow to the Lord and the stronger you become as a Christian, the more the Devil will harass you because he doesn’t want you to grow. But you can be sure, as Jabez was, that with God’s protection you don’t have to fear anyone or anything. Do you want to break out of mediocrity? Then pray the prayer that Jabez prayed.
Soul food: Deut 1-2; Mark 6:1-6; Ps 35; Prov 11:19-21
2018-04-20
Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV
The Bible says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV). That Scripture is easy to quote but hard to live by, especially when tragedy and loss touch our lives and we don’t understand why. There are times when we pray and God gives us answers, and there are times when we pray and He gives us peace. “Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). In times of pain and loss, here are two Scriptures you can stand on: (1) “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us.” When it comes to understanding things – we have our territory and God has His. And ours is limited to what He decides to reveal to us. Paul, who wrote half the New Testament by divine revelation, acknowledged, “We know in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9). At best, we will always be limited in our understanding. (2) “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJV). Sometimes God explains things to us, and other times He stamps them “Will explain later.” So when you’re tempted to throw up your hands in despair and say, “Who knows?” remind yourself, “God knows!” And today remind yourself that He’s working things out for your good and His glory.
Soul food: Acts 8-9; Mark 3:28-35; Ps 130; Prov 10:24-26
2018-04-11
Psalm 5:12 NIV
When you ask someone for a favor, you’re generally asking for something they don’t owe you. The Bible says of God: “You bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor.” This word “righteous” doesn’t mean flawless, otherwise none of us would qualify! It means to be clothed in “the righteousness of God,” thereby making us acceptable before God and qualifying us for His favor (2 Corinthians 5:21). And that’s a truth you need to grasp and hold on to! Why? Because when you have God’s favor, people start favoring you too – often for reasons they themselves can’t explain! The favor of God made it possible for people in the Bible who otherwise wouldn’t have amounted to much, to do great things. God called a teenager named Esther to save the Jewish people. So she stepped out in faith, approached the king uninvited, even though it violated protocol, and “obtained favor in his sight” (Esther 5:2 AMPC). God made a way for her to do the job He’d given her. Without the favor of God, Ruth, a Gentile, wouldn’t have been accepted by the Jews. But because God had a plan for her life and her heart was open to Him, she ended up marrying Boaz, “a man of great wealth” (Ruth 2:1 NKJV). And from that union descended King David, and ultimately our blessed Lord Jesus. What favor! The Bible says, “A good man will obtain favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 12:2 NAS). And a single moment of God’s favor will do more for you than a lifetime of striving. So pray for the favor of God today – and start looking for it!
Soul food: Jer 41-44; Mark 2:1-12; Ps 25:8-15; Prov 10:1-3
2018-04-03
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
The Bible says God “created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” These are devastating times. A billion people are hungry, millions are trafficked in slavery, and pandemic diseases are gouging entire nations. Each year nearly two million children are exploited in the global sex trade. In the few minutes it took you to read today’s devotional, almost ninety children died of preventable diseases. More than half of all Africans don’t have access to modern health facilities. As a result, ten million die each year from diarrhea, acute respiratory illness, malaria, and measles. And many of those deaths could be prevented by one injection. You ask, “What can I do about it?” God answers prayer, so you can pray for those who are suffering. You can give, whether it’s a lot or a little. And you can volunteer. You’re surrounded by great causes in need of people. And here’s why you should get involved: Your life is racing by, and if you aren’t careful, one day you’ll look up and your one shot at life will have passed you by. Some people don’t concern themselves with such thoughts. They grind through their days without lifting their eyes to look. They live and die and never ask why. If you want your life to matter, live it in such a way that the world will be glad you did. You were created and redeemed to “do the good things he planned for [you] long ago.” And when you stand before God, He will ask you how well you carried out your assignment, and reward you accordingly.
Soul food: Jer 18-21; Matt 28:16-20; Ps 69:19-36; Prov 8:30-31
