2022-05-01
Ecclesiastes 5:2 NLT
When writing about the topic of making commitments and keeping them, the author of Ecclesiastes was very clear about the right way to handle them. In The Message, his words are paraphrased: ‘Don’t shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think… When you tell God you’ll do something, do it – now. God takes no pleasure in foolish drivel. Vow it, then do it. Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up. Don’t let your mouth make a total sinner of you. When called to account, you won’t get by with “Sorry, I didn’t mean it”‘ (Ecclesiastes 5:2, 4-6 MSG). That means we mustn’t be impulsive, we should listen as much as we speak, get as much information as we can, and then ask God for wisdom and guidance before making a commitment.
People often say what they think others want to hear, but that can end up causing a lot of trouble. We must be very careful not to promise something we can’t actually deliver. And if we do make a mistake and over-promise, we need to be honest and admit our mistake as soon as possible, rather than trying to cover it up or make excuses.
We might make a commitment based on our emotions, perhaps because we feel sorry for the person who’s asking, or because we want them to like us more. But true commitment doesn’t work like that. Emotions are constantly changing, but commitment has to be absolutely solid. It should be based on integrity. Real dedication shines through in times of trouble and adversity, and goes the distance when it’s based on godly values.
So before we make a commitment, let’s take time to think it through and get God involved.
2 Kings 4:42-44; Mark 6:30-44
2022-04-09
Ezekiel 36:26 NIV
When you have been hurt, it’s easy to put up barriers. But be careful – a protective shell can turn into a “heart of stone”: resistant, unreceptive, impenetrable even to God.
One Christian author writes: “The only thing more painful, and with… more serious ramifications than a broken heart, is a frozen one… Paul warns us [about]… allowing our hearts to harden. ‘They are darkened in their understanding… separated from the life of God… due to… hardening of their hearts’ (Ephesians 4:18 NIV). A soft heart is not weak or naive. To the contrary, wisdom, experience, and faith make for a strong heart, weathered by compassion and seasoned with mercy. A hardened heart is not protected, it’s merely encased in injury, and it is painfully obvious to everyone but you…
After a weekend that felt like one painful test after another, I called my best friend in tears. ‘Why won’t this end? How strong does God want me to be? I can’t take it anymore!’ Being a godly woman… she replied, ‘Perhaps it’s the other way around. You have been strong enough. God wants your heart to be soft and open.’ I hadn’t thought of it that way.
In response to heartbreak, betrayal, or shame, it is… easy to develop a heart of stone. We think this will protect us from… more pain. The problem with stone is… it feels nothing – no pain, but no love. It is a trap that feels like self-preservation, but it is actually self-destruction. [God] wants to give you a heart of flesh. With His love you can emerge from a painful season of loss with a heart that is yielding, porous, and ready to receive the gifts He has… for you.”
Soul food: Lev 15-17; Luke 22:54-62; Ps 25:1-7; Pro 10:1
2022-04-01
Hebrews 10:38 NCV
Living by faith is something you learn to do by practicing it daily. Before you became a Christian, you trusted in your own ability and intellect. But those things only took you so far and no further, right? Now you’re trusting God for the wisdom, guidance, resources, and ability to fulfill His will for your life. The Bible tells us, “By faith Noah… prepared an ark for the saving of his household” (Hebrews 11:7 NKJV). Think about it: When Noah built the ark, there had never even been rain.
Living by faith doesn’t always make sense. It doesn’t mean your problems will vanish into thin air. Sometimes faith changes your circumstances; other times it changes your perspective. How? By giving you the tenacity to hang in there when the check doesn’t come in the mail, or the doctor says the condition is incurable, or your spouse asks for a divorce, or the kids are running amok, or the company where you have worked for the last twenty years closes its doors. Faith gives you the fortitude to endure, confident that God will work things out on your behalf. Paul tells us, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).
Living by faith means (1) obeying God and believing He will never let you down, (2) following in the footsteps of ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God, and (3) using your faith because you know it’s the only currency heaven recognizes. When the Bible says, “The just shall live by faith,” it doesn’t mean little, sporadic bursts of faith; it means making faith a lifestyle.
Soul food: Phil 1-2; Luke 21:1-11; Ps 31:14-24; Pro 9:1-3
2022-02-17
James 3:16 NCV
When a well-known pastor was asked by a skeptic, “Do you believe there is such a thing as a real devil?” he smiled and replied, “Have you ever been to an annual church business meeting?” Seriously, if you have been a church member for any length of time, you know that strife rears its ugly head in the family of God just like it does everywhere else.
Paul and Barnabas, a brilliant ministry team, allowed their differences over John Mark to separate them to where they could no longer work together. Later Paul changed his mind, but the die was already cast. He appealed “to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News” (Philippians 4:2-3 NLT).
Strife hinders our prayers, takes our focus off lost souls, and makes us ineffective in our ministry. We must learn to respect each other’s talents, perspectives, and positions instead of envying them. In other words, learn to disagree without being disagreeable. The Bible says: “Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:16-18 KJV).
God blesses peacemakers (See Matthew 5:9), so when strife arises in your church, make it your mission to sow seeds of peace!
Soul food: Isa 42-44; Luke 10:1-12; Ps 5; Pro 5:1-2
James 3:16 NCV
If you’ve been a member of a church for any length of time, you’ll probably have seen that jealousy, trouble, selfishness, conflict, and bitterness can all show up in the family of God, just like it does everywhere else. Paul and Barnabas, a brilliant ministry team, allowed their differences over John Mark to separate them to the point where they could no longer work together. Later Paul changed his mind, but there was no going back. He appealed ‘to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News’ (Philippians 4:2-3 NLT).
Conflict can get in the way of our prayers, take our focus off lost souls, and make us ineffective in our ministry. We need to learn to respect each other’s talents, perspectives, and positions instead of envying them or belittling them. In other words, we should learn to disagree without being disagreeable.
The Bible says: ‘Where jealousy and selfishness are, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. But the wisdom that comes from God is first of all pure, then peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help those who are troubled and to do good for others. It is always fair and honest. People who work for peace in a peaceful way plant a good crop of right-living.’ (James 3:16-18 NCV). When conflict arises in your church, make it your mission to sow seeds of peace.
Isa 42-44; Luke 10:1-12; Ps 5; Pro 5:1-2
