2022-08-10
James 1:25 CEV
Your life must be governed by the Word of God, not your impulses, or your thoughts, or the opinions of those around you. The Bible is not God’s attempt to offer you interesting insights or good advice for your consideration; it’s His fixed opinion. Jesus said, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NKJV). This builder’s foundation withstood life’s storms. On the other hand, Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them” is foolish and the storms of life will sweep them away (See vv. 26-27 NKJV).
Now, Jesus didn’t condemn the second man for building an inadequate structure or failing to hear, understand, and believe His words, but for failing to act on them. James writes, “Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it… God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget” (James 1:22, 25 CEV).
If you think reading, knowing, and even believing God’s Word fulfills your obligation to it, you are mistaken. Because it’s God’s Word, His instructions must be obeyed. That requires not just believing it but behaving according to it. James didn’t say you would be blessed because of what you believe, but because of what you “do.” When Moses read God’s Word to the Israelites, they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient” (Exodus 24:7 NKJV). And that must be your rule for living, too.
Soul food: Deut 22-24; Mark 4:1-12; Ps 119:17-24; Prov 17:7-10
2022-08-09
Psalm 119:89 NKJV
God’s Word must be a “settled” issue in your life. Heaven is the Supreme Court; when it rules on a matter, it’s settled. Now, since God’s Word is a settled issue in heaven, the question is, “Is it a settled issue in your life?” Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Mark 13:31 NKJV). The Bible never needs updating; it’s perfect and can’t be improved upon. That’s why Jesus instructs you to let His “words remain in you” (John 15:7 NIV). In other words, program your mind with the Scriptures. How do you do that?
(1) Give it permanent residence, not visitor status. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16 KJV). Take it in richly, meaning copiously and abundantly. Call it Operation Saturation! Read the Bible, meditate on it, speak it out loud. Yes, and even sing its words; “Teach them to each other and sing them out in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (v. 16 TLB).
(2) Keep it before you at all times. “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night… do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8 NIV). Talk it out, think it out, walk it out! You say, “But my memory doesn’t retain things too well.” No problem. Jesus said, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name… will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26 NIV). As you meditate on God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will come to the aid of your less-than-perfect memory.
Soul food: Deut 18-21; Mark 3:20-35; Ps 119:9-16; Prov 17:4-6
2022-07-31
Romans 8:26 NLT
The twin pillars of a believer’s daily life should be prayer and Scripture. But, while praying may be simple, it’s not always easy. We lack motivation, we’re easily distracted, and we are not always sure what we should be praying for. So, recognising our human inadequacies, God provides help for us in the form of the Holy Spirit.
Paul writes: “The Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father… knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us… in harmony with God’s own will” (vv. 26-27 NLT). That means, no matter how you feel when you pray, the Holy Spirit is in prayer with you and for you, transforming your feeblest prayers into powerful appeals to the Father.
And when it comes to the second pillar, namely the Word of God, the Holy Spirit’s role is equally dynamic. Jesus said, “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth… whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13 KJV). Note, the Holy Spirit does three things.
(1) He guides us as we study the Word of God and seek to understand it.
(2) He takes what Jesus wants us to know and reveals it to us.
(3) He opens our understanding about things that are still to come.
No question, good reference books, Scripture-based resources, and skilled Bible teachers are necessary and helpful, but they’re no substitute when it comes to hearing from the Holy Spirit for yourself and listening carefully to what He wants to tell you.
Soul food: Josh 1; Ps 27:11-14; 2 Tim 2:1-15
2021-11-14
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 NIV
Insecurity can sideline you. When you feel like you’re unqualified and unworthy of success, self-doubt can make you act in ways that sabotage your chances to be successful. The truth is, it’s impossible to live for long on a level that’s inconsistent with how you see yourself. And one of the biggest problems with insecurity is that it’s almost impossible to acknowledge, so you don’t deal with it and overcome it.
Why is that? Because you’re afraid that an admission of vulnerability will (1) weaken you in other people’s eyes, (2) empower and embolden your critics, and (3) give your competitors an advantage. Insecurity makes you keep others at a distance. It means living without the counsel and support of the very people whose input can help you to succeed. Bottom line: You have a hard time trusting other people because you have a hard time trusting yourself!
It’s not a new phenomenon. Recorded in the Old Testament, Zophar said to Job, “In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress” (Job 20:22 NKJV). Note the word “distress,” then think of the word “stress.” Your insecurity will whisper, “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t love me, respect me, follow me, invite me, or invest in me.” So…what’s the answer?
Paul has it! He writes, “Not that we are competent…to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent.” The first step to overcoming insecurity is to draw your self-worth from God and learn to see yourself through His eyes. And you can only do that by spending time with Him in prayer and reading His Word each day.
Soul food: Num 9:15-23; Exo 24:15-18; Matt 17:1-8; Acts 1:9-11
2021-11-04
Psalm 90:1 NCV
Even though the Israelites were God’s people, they ‘wandered in the desert lands. They found no city in which to live. They were hungry and thirsty, and they were discouraged’ (Psalm 107:4-5 NCV). If you’re feeling like that today, maybe your soul needs a ‘home’ – a place where it’s at peace, secure, and nurtured; a place where you can put down your worries, weariness, and frustrations, and simply bask in God’s presence. David said, ‘My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and…flesh cry out for the living God’ (Psalm 84:2 NIV).
The good news is that Jesus wants to be your home. The Message paraphrases His words: ‘Live in me. Make your home in me’ (John 15:4 MSG). We sometimes treat Him more like an emergency shelter that’s only used in times of trouble, but what we really need to do is make Him our permanent dwelling place.
So how can we do that? The first thing we need to do is commit to spending time with Him each day. This may not come naturally to us at first, so it’ll take a conscious decision and effort on our part. But as we get to know Him better and our relationship with Him grows, those moments when it’s just us and God will become very precious and our desire to be with Him will get stronger.
We also need to study the Bible and allow God’s Word to influence and guide us. As we learn to trust what He says, we’ll seek His opinion more and more, and discover that He’s our place of peace, safety and rest (take a look at Isaiah 32:18).
1 Chr 6:1-7:19; John 8:21-30; Ps 86; Prov 25:8-12
