2019-01-13
James 1:2-4 TLV
You’re closer than you know to becoming the person God wants you to be. By His enabling grace, you’ll make it through this trial and come out stronger and wiser. Paul says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NKJV). God is for you! That means you can do the thing you are afraid you can’t do. The prison bars you’re beating against are in your mind. And since you put them up, with God’s help you can take them down. God wants to set you free from the fearful attitudes that have held you back for so long; to release you to live up to your full potential. The right attitude can overcome almost any barrier. For example, the Bible says, “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8 NIV). Why? Because love isn’t dependent on your emotions or circumstances, it’s a servant of your will. Love is a decision! Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12). And if Jesus commands it, He will enable you to do it! Beginning is usually the hard part. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; after that it gets easier. But look out; old attitudes will try to resurface and come back stronger than ever. Don’t let them. Radio commentator Paul Harvey says, “You can always tell when you’re on the road to success; it’s uphill all the way.” So be patient; it will take time to get there. But anything worthwhile is worth working for!
Soul food: 1 Sam 3:1-11; Acts 9:1-9
2019-01-08
Romans 4:18 NIV
The second dream killer is: Disappointment. Disappointment is the gap that exists between expectation and reality, and no doubt you’ve encountered the gap. You’ve had to live with unfulfilled desires or had your hopes dashed, and it can damage you. Mark Twain said: “We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that’s in it – and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove-lid. She’ll never sit down on another hot stove-lid again – and that is well; but also she’ll never sit down on a cold one anymore.” When something goes wrong we say, “I’ll never do that again!” What a mistake, especially when it comes to your dreams! Experiencing failure is the price you must pay to achieve success. Sometimes you must face it and overcome it repeatedly in order to be able to move forward and pursue your dream. Abraham was called to birth a nation. But before he fathered Isaac he grew impatient and fathered Ishmael, and created a bad situation he had to live with all his life. But he never stopped believing in his God-given dream. The Bible says: “He did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (vv. 20-21 NIV). Note the words “was strengthened in his faith.” You must strengthen your faith each day by reading God’s Word and praying, recalling God’s goodness and reminding yourself that nothing is too hard for the Lord (See Jeremiah 32:17).
Soul food: Isa 22-25; Luke 1:67-80; Ps 42:6-11; Prov 1:28-31
2019-01-03
Genesis 37:5 NKJV
The story of Joseph teaches that success can cause others to mistreat you. Not everyone will celebrate your success, including some of those closest to you. When Jesus’ fame began to spread, the first people to reject Him were from the town He grew up in. It caused Him to say, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country” (Matthew 13:57 NKJV). The Bible says of Joseph, “His brothers envied him” (Genesis 37:11 NKJV). There it is – envy! When God blesses you, those who feel left out may target you. Some may feel more worthy and deserving, and that your blessing came at their expense. That’s how Cain felt when he murdered his brother Abel. That’s how King Saul felt when David killed Goliath and the people sang, “Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 29:5 GNT). Shortly afterwards Saul started throwing spears at David. And the spear never left his hand until it plunged into his own heart. That’s because envy is like a boomerang; it comes back to hurt the one who throws it. When their father threw a party to celebrate the homecoming of his prodigal son, the older brother said, “These many years I have served you…yet you never gave me a…feast” (See Luke 15:29 AMPC). He made three mistakes we often make: (a) He compared himself to his brother. (b) He exposed his brother’s sins and shortcomings. (c) He failed to appreciate the extent of his father’s love for him and the blessings he had bestowed on him. So learn from his mistakes.
Soul food: Isa 4-7; Luke 1:11-25; Ps 90:7-17; Prov 1:5-9
2018-12-16
Luke 9:61 NIV
When you squander or lose your money, there’s a chance you can get it back. But not when you squander or lose your time. One of the saddest stories in Scripture is found in these words: “Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-bye to my family.'” But nowhere is it recorded that he followed Jesus. And procrastination and perfectionism go hand in hand. We say, “If I can’t do it right, I won’t do it at all!” No, before you get it right you’ll probably get it wrong. In every story of success there are chapters of struggle, but they are chapters of learning and growth. A study was done at Yale University. Graduating seniors were told of the dangers of tetanus and given the opportunity to get a free inoculation at the health center. While a majority of the students were convinced they needed the shot, guess how many followed through and got the vaccine? Three percent! Another group was given the same lecture, but also given a copy of the campus map with the location of the health center circled on it. They were then asked to look at their weekly schedules and figure out when they could find time to get the shot. Guess what? Nine times as many students got inoculated. Good intentions aren’t enough. You need to make the call, or make the move. You need to set the deadline, or set the appointment. “Today” is the tomorrow you were talking about yesterday. So stop procrastinating and do it.
Soul food: Heb 11:1-6; Matt 21:18-22; Matt 8:5-13; Mark 6:1-6
2018-10-24
Philippians 2:5 NIV
Achievers: Achievers love to overcome challenges and perform for others. At best, they’re motivated to grow, stretch, and learn. They inspire and move people to action and enjoy being in front of crowds. Giving a talk energizes them. Without a chance to develop and shine they lose their motivation. Achievers want to make an impact, can be tempted to live for the image they portray, and end up idolizing their own performance. They’re apt to measure success in terms of applause and recognition. When John the Baptist said about Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30 NKJV), he demonstrated the kind of surrender that can be difficult for an achiever. Simon Magus thought he could buy a spectacular ministry like Peter’s, and offered Peter money in exchange for the ability to give others the Holy Spirit (See Acts 8:18-22 NIV). Similarly, an unredeemed achiever can turn what looks like serving God into serving himself. For many of us “the sin that so easily trips us up” (Hebrews 12:1 NLT) is pride. While achievers have the ability to accomplish great things and enrich the lives of others, they can also become preoccupied with their own image and success. What’s the answer? Paul says: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves…look not only to your own interests, but…the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:3-5 NIV).
Soul food: Isa 4-7; John 5:31-47; Ps 5; Prov 27:13-16
