2019-08-04
Proverbs 23:7 NLT
Until Roger Bannister came on the scene in 1954, some experts said it was physically impossible to break the four-minute mile. The thinking was, if it hasn’t been done, it’s because it can’t be done. But Bannister not only did it, he started a new trend. History continues to prove that records are made to be broken. And with God on your side, your chances for success go through the roof! Paul said, “I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ” (Philippians 4:13 TLB). Have you ever seen trained fleas in a jar? You don’t need a lid to keep them in. That’s because when the trainer first places them in the jar, he puts the lid on it, and the fleas jump up and down frantically hitting their heads against it. Finally after a lot of headaches, they stop jumping and settle in to enjoy their newfound comfort. Now when the lid is removed the fleas are held captive by a mindset that says, “So high and no higher.” What a picture! Jesus said He came to “set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18). Bruised by what? By past mistakes, by harsh criticism, by crippling fears, by wrong teaching, by physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual handicaps. In other words, Jesus came to help you take the lid off your thinking! No matter how bad your past is, the future He has in mind is better – and it is worth pursuing and fighting for.
Soul food: 1 Sam 17:4-51; Eph 6:10-18
2019-07-17
Psalm 107:9 NIV
Successful people are often just people who were a little hungrier and thirstier for success than the rest of us. What we desired, they pursued. Napoleon was born in poverty. His classmates made fun of him in school. But he devoted himself to his books, excelled in his studies, and became the brightest student in class. Before his life was over, he conquered much of the world! If a seedling tree has to fight its way up through rocks to get to sunlight and air, then wrestle with storms and frost to survive, you can be sure of one thing: Its root system will be strong and its timber resilient. Nature itself teaches us that it’s impossible to succeed without going through adversity. If you’re successful and haven’t experienced hardship, you can be sure someone else has experienced it for you. And if you’re experiencing adversity without succeeding, there’s a good chance somebody else will succeed because of the price you paid. Either way, there’s no achievement without adversity. The acid test of character is determined by what it takes to discourage you and make you quit. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan tells of a man whose shop burned to the ground in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Next morning he arrived at work carrying a table which he set up amid the charred ruins. On it he placed a sign that read, “Everything lost except wife, children, and hope. Business as usual tomorrow morning.” Solomon said, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings” (Proverbs 22:29). You say you want to succeed? The question is – how “hungry” are you?”
Soul food: Acts 18-19; Matt 10:11-20; Ps 146; Prov 16:4-5
2019-05-21
1 Samuel 12:21 NKJV
In order to succeed in what God has called you to do in life, you must recognize your gift and know your goal. When you’re clear about and committed to these two things, you need to demonstrate two qualities: discipline and determination. Fritz Kreisler, one of the greatest violinists of all time, had them. Crowds packed Carnegie Hall in New York to hear him. But the road to success was a bumpy ride. As a boy he wanted to do nothing more than play the violin, so his parents paid for him to have music lessons. But he didn’t make as much progress as they hoped, and after a few years he quit the lessons. Over the next several years, through college and early adulthood, he studied medicine but failed to complete medical school. He joined the army and failed to be promoted. He tried and quit many other pursuits. Realizing that the one piece of success he had enjoyed in life related to the violin, he went back to his instructor and said, “I want to play.” She said, “Fine, I’ll take you back as a student, but only if you acquire the irreplaceable quality that is necessary for you to become a great violinist. You must exhibit undefeatable determination.” So once again, here are your steps to success: (1) Recognize your gift. (2) Know your goal. (3) Dedicate yourself to the process no matter how long it takes. (4) Trust God to bless your efforts.
Soul food: 1 Kings 10-11; Mark 8:27-38; Ps 45; Prov 12:7-9
2019-05-13
Luke 19:3 NIV
The Bible says, “Zacchaeus…was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was…So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree…since Jesus was coming that way” (vv. 2-4 NIV). The story of Zacchaeus teaches us that rich people can be as damaged as poor people. How some of them got damaged is in the story of how they got rich. When you violate your conscience, it’s hard to live in your own skin. When you trade your core values for money, your success can be hollow and your guilt heavy. Zacchaeus struggled with this: “Lord…if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (v. 8 NIV). If that’s how you feel today, Jesus is saying to you the three things He said to Zacchaeus: (1) “Make haste.” Don’t put your salvation off a day longer. At any given moment you’re as close to eternity as a faulty heartbeat or a malignant cell. Don’t gamble with your soul; get right with God while you can. (2) “Come down.” Humble yourself. Kneel at the feet of the One who loves you and gave His life to redeem you. It doesn’t matter how badly you’ve failed: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NKJV). (3) “Today I must abide at thy house” (Luke 19:5). The word “abide” means “to take up residence.” Refuse to live another day without the assurance that Christ lives in your heart, directs your steps, and watches over all that concerns you.
Soul food: Heb 5-8; Mark 6:30-44; Ps 18:30-50; Prov 11:22
2019-02-10
Psalm 75:7 NLT
If you don’t find your significance and self-worth in your relationship with God, you’ll be tempted to spend your life trying to promote yourself. And that will make you insecure – and dangerous. Why? Because when others get promoted ahead of you, you’ll become resentful; you may even try to tear them down. In God’s kingdom you don’t achieve success on your own, you receive it from God. “God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another” (KJV). While David’s brothers were striving to be Israel’s next king and “get the nod” from the prophet Samuel, David just kept tending his sheep and doing the job God gave him. Let others compete and compare! Just stay faithful in what God has given you to do – and when the time is right He’ll come and get you! Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Note the word “easy.” When you try to promote yourself, you have to sweat, strain, and struggle, but when you trust God and do things His way, it comes “easy.” That doesn’t mean you won’t have to work hard or sacrifice in order to succeed. It just means you won’t have to strive to get it, or keep it. Why? Because when God sets “before you an open door” (Revelation 3:8 NIV), He’s the only one who can shut it. And He won’t do that unless, like King Saul, you’re rebellious, resentful, or refuse to repent. Knowing God is in control takes the strain out of serving Him. When you think about it – it’s the only way to live.
Soul food: Gen 28:1-30:24; Luke 9:28-36; Ps 141; Prov 4:18-19
