2017-12-05
Proverbs 12:15 NIV
Another way God will lead you is: Through godly advice. Moses experienced this. Instead of getting help, he tried to do it all himself. At that point his father-in-law, Jethro, said to him, “What you are doing is not good” (Exodus 18:17 NIV). Then he told Moses to delegate responsibility to capable leaders who could share the load with him. “Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said” (Exodus 18:24 NIV). As a result, Moses’ problem was solved, and Israel made it successfully to the Promised Land. Some of the time God will speak to you directly and reveal what you should do, but much of the time He will speak to you through relationships. He will bring wise and seasoned people alongside you. At that point you need to be humble enough to heed their advice. You may be good; indeed, you may be better than most. But you’ll never be as good as you could be, without the help of others. But you must be careful who you listen to – trustworthy counsellors and persons who want only what God wants. Such persons will stay objective, listen carefully, and answer slowly. Often they won’t give you an answer at the time you ask for it. They want to sleep on it; they want to pray about it; they want to think about it. Such a person is like having an extra set of eyes and ears. Why would you want to live without them? So today be open to those God sends into your life to help guide you.
Soul food: Gen 32-34; John 14:1-31; Ps 147:1-11; Ecc 3:5-8
2017-11-07
Psalm 1:2 NIV
Butterflies cover more ground, but bees gather more honey. That’s because the butterfly just flies over the flowers, whereas the bee lands on each one and stays there long enough to extract the nectar. That’s the difference between merely reading your Bible for a few hurried minutes, and taking time to meditate on what you’re reading. Meditation isn’t something difficult and mysterious that only scholars and “spiritual” people do. It’s just thinking deeply and continuously about a passage of Scripture, memorizing it, letting it take root, and “owning it” until it becomes a life force operating within you each day. The point isn’t how much Scripture you memorise, it’s what happens to you in the process. Meditating on God’s Word clarifies your understanding and corrects your conduct. It enriches your thinking and equips you by making you think different thoughts than if you were watching TV, for example, or texting, or talking on your cell phone, or shopping at the mall. The Psalmist writes: “The Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night. They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. These people succeed in everything they do” (vv. 2-3 CEV). Meditating on God’s Word is the cure for moral and spiritual weakness; for a life with no focus; for a lack of intimacy with God; for chronically weak faith that causes you to fail and keep missing God’s best. So open your Bible, read it, and pray, “Lord, what are You saying to me?” Then meditate on His answer.
Soul food: Isa 53-57; John 7:33-44; Ps 15; Prov 29:4-6
2017-10-17
Isaiah 12:2 NKJV
How much of a factor is fear in your life? Go ahead, take the fear test. Circle the number that best corresponds to how you feel. (1) I don’t remember the last time I was really afraid. (2) I am afraid rarely, and only when I or someone close to me is in physical danger. (3) I am a little more fearful than I’d like to be. (4) Fear is a significant factor in my everyday life. I avoid anything risky or dangerous. (5) I’m afraid of many things on a daily basis, and it changes the way I live my life. If you circled number one you’re an unusual individual who doesn’t experience normal fear. You may have to temper your actions with greater discernment and wisdom. If you circled number two, you have a healthy attitude toward fear and you’ve got a handle on it. You should try to encourage others who have a more difficult time with fear than you do. If you circled number three or four, you’re in an excellent position to improve your life by changing your attitude. Begin by identifying the source of your fears, and determining to turn your fear into faith in God (See Romans 10:17). For each area of fear, figure out a positive opposite, and create a plan of action to cultivate that quality. Then focus on what you can control today. If you circled number five, chances are fear is getting the better of you and you’ll have a difficult time overcoming it on your own. So pray and reprogram your mind with God’s Word (See 1 Timothy 1:7). And don’t be afraid to seek help from a trusted friend or counselor.
Soul food: Exo 33-35; John 4:1-12; Ps 87; Prov 27:4-6
2017-10-16
Proverbs 1:5 NIV
In order to keep growing, you must understand three principles: (1) You grow to the extent you give. By giving out, you create more room to grow on the inside. So give until it hurts, and keep giving until it feels good. Always endeavor to leave people better off than you found them, and you’ll be better off too. Solomon said, “The liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself” (Proverbs 11:25 TLB). This epitaph on a tombstone says it all: “What I gave, I have. What I spent, I had. What I kept, I lost.” (2) To accomplish more, you’ve got to grow more. Do you feel stuck spiritually, relationally, career-wise, or at home? You won’t get unstuck by making external changes, like pursuing a new career, leaving your family, or changing churches. Nobody’s keeping you down but yourself. The lid on your life is – you. So if you’re serious about getting unstuck, instead of looking for quick fixes take a long hard look at yourself, accept responsibility for what you see, pray, and decide to do something about it. (3) It’s not enough to dream; you must do. The Tartar tribes of Central Asia are reputed to have used a particular curse against their enemies. They didn’t call for their swords to rust or their people to die of disease. They simply said, “May you stay in one place forever.” If you don’t work daily to improve yourself, that will be your fate too. You’ll end up stuck in the same place, doing the same things, dreaming the same dreams, and never getting anywhere. So keep growing!
Soul food: Exo 30-32; John 3:22-36; Ps 32; Prov 27:1-3
2017-10-02
Ezekiel 40:4 NKJV
If you train yourself to listen carefully to what someone is saying, they will generally tell you who and what they are before you get into a relationship with them. Prevention is better than cure! But more times than not, when someone begins to warn us of their weaknesses and what to expect, we jump in with our motivational “Oh no, that can’t be true” thoughts, and encourage them to move forward with us. We need to learn the priceless art of listening without interrupting. If you do, you’ll save yourself years of tears, secret disappointments, and negative experiences. Rather than using your optimism and persuasive style to coerce somebody into accepting your goals and objectives, you need to know when a person can’t become something just because you want them to or believe they can. They can’t run on your fuel! Your character and maturity won’t make up for their lack of it. Without your awareness of this principle, these high-maintenance relationships can weary you and drain your strength for years. In private or professional relationships, if you have to keep motivating to get started, you’ll have to keep motivating to maintain. On the other hand, if you look, listen, pray, and observe, you can decide whether it’s worth the effort to engage in the relationship in the first place. And if you ask God, He will guide you in this: His Word says, “Look with your eyes…hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here…that I might show them to you.”
Soul food: 1 Cor 15-16; Mark 15:33-47; Ps 51; Prov 25:23-25
