2022-12-18
Psalm 62:8 NKJV
Life can feel overwhelming when you’re responsible for mortgage and rent payments, medical bills, clothes for the family, escalating food and fuel expenses, college fees, plus the reality of preparing for your retirement! And the pressure is even greater if you’re underemployed or unemployed. Where can you turn?
Surrounded by enemies, David turned to God: “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation… I shall not be moved” (vv. 5-6 KJV). Where does your “expectation” lie? In the hope for an improved economy or job market? Or the promise of better times to come? David’s hope was more certain: He expected the answer to be found in the unchanging character and faithfulness of God.
When anxiety arises, we sometimes resort to our OMGWI list – “Oh my God, what if?” We focus on our fears, feel inadequate, and give in to despair. Being aware of your needs is being responsible but being overwhelmed by them is evidence you’re looking to the wrong source for answers.
George MacDonald said, “We look upon God as our last and feeblest resource. We only go to Him when we have nowhere else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven.” Remember David? “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” By Himself, plus nothing, God is your adequate source. Since He gave us His Son, you have all the evidence you need that He will also “freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32 GNT).
Soul food: Ps 103:8-18; John 3:16-18; Acts 2:38-41
2022-12-17
Proverbs 15:22 NIV
A good adviser does three things: they observe you, instruct you, and motivate you. At first, the thought of having someone evaluate you may be intimidating. But think about it; people are watching you anyway, so why not have a good adviser among the crowd? Here is a list of some areas in which you might consider inviting an adviser to evaluate you. These things are not options, they’re essentials: spiritual development, personal discipline, family relationships, decision making, handling finance, conflict resolution, picking the right people, breaking bad habits and establishing good ones, goal setting and planning for the future.
If you’re serious about succeeding, look for an environment where you will be mentored, not just paid. Initially, what you learn is more important than what you earn, because what you learn early determines what you earn later. What you don’t know can hurt you and put a lid on your potential. Opening doors of evaluation is something you owe to yourself and those who depend on you.
And don’t let it stop with you. Pass on what you’ve been given to somebody else. Jesus said, “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Mt 10:8). “But I’m too young, nobody is going to take me seriously,” you say. Paul told Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example” (1 Timothy 4:12 NIV). You’re not responsible for knowing everything; you’re just responsible for sharing what you know with others. As you pour into them what God and others have poured into you, they will go further and faster too. So ask God for a good adviser and become one to somebody else.
Soul food: Neh 1-4; John 17:13-26; Ps 105:23-36; Prov 30:15-19
2022-12-16
Proverbs 13:10 NIV
To win in life, you must become a lifelong learner. And learning requires submission; a quality of character we sometimes think doesn’t apply to us. We think submission is “just for those other people who need to be led.” This is particularly true in our early years when we’re sure that we know it all and use every opportunity to prove it.
Reaching for a good adviser requires humility of heart. The truth is, if you’re not teachable, your future is already decided! The more you think you know, the less likely you are to place yourself under the influence of those who really know and can help you. This is especially true when you view yourself as more capable, passionate, and talented than others around you.
The wise always seek counsel. If you’re wise, you will acknowledge your limitations; only a fool believes he or she has none. Only the naive are foolish enough to operate under the assumption that they can make all the right calls without good input. But they can’t.
Here are three Scriptures from the book of Proverbs you need to stop and consider today:
(1) “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice” (Proverbs 12:15 NIV).
(2) “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22 NIV).
(3) “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be… wise” (Proverbs 19:20 NIV).
It’s not just what your adviser knows, it’s what they see that makes them valuable to you. They are extra eyes and ears. Why would you want to live without them?
Soul food: Col 3-4; Philemon; John 17:1-12; Ps 105:16-22; Prov 30:10-14
2022-12-15
John 13:1 NKJV
We handle our relationship problems in one of three ways: flee, fight, or forgive. Some choose to flee. They leave the relationship and start again elsewhere, though they are frequently surprised when the condition resurfaces on the other side of the fence as well. Others fight. As a result, their relationships become combat zones, and stress becomes a way of life.
If you’re wise, you will choose the way of Christ: “Having loved His own… He loved them to the end.” Jesus knew the feeling of being stuck with someone. For over three years, He ran with the same team. He saw the same twelve or so faces around the table. So how did He stay so dedicated to His disciples?
Was it difficult for Jesus to love Peter, knowing he would someday curse Him? Was it tough to trust Thomas, knowing he would someday question His resurrection? How did Jesus resist the urge to recruit a new group of followers? John wanted to crush one enemy, and Peter sliced off the ear of another. Only days before Jesus’ death, His disciples were fighting about which of them was the best! How was He able to love people who were difficult to like?
Here is the answer: Jesus didn’t measure them by their looks, IQ, talent, possessions, or personality; no, He measured them by their potential. And ultimately, they changed and lived up to His expectations. Not in all things or at all times. But when that happened, He forgave them and taught them that love is a commitment we make first to ourselves, and then to others.
Soul food: Col 1-2; John 16:19-33; Ps 105:8-15; Prov 30:5-9
2022-12-14
Daniel 1:4 NLT
When Daniel arrived in Babylon, he was a slave. But he rose to the top because of these qualifications: “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve.” To be promoted in any job, you must first prove yourself. The Bible says, “Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings” (Proverbs 22:29 NIV). Unless you believe in what you’re doing, you won’t give yourself fully to it; therefore, you have no right to expect to succeed.
Have you ever walked into a room and felt love, energy, and excitement? Your thoughts have a presence; they’re like currents moving through the air, capable of drawing people to you or driving them away. Your attitude is always sensed. That’s why in order to succeed, you must believe in what you do. If you don’t – pray and ask God to relocate you someplace where you can put your whole heart into it.
Jesus totally believed in His product. He told the woman at the well, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” (John 4:13-14 KJV). You must take the time and make the effort to know your business. You may be anxious to sell, pocket the profit, and get on with your life. But success doesn’t happen that way. Jesus spent time praying in order to renew His understanding of His purpose.
So the word for you today is – pray and believe in what you do!
Soul food: Josh 22-24; John 16:12-18; Ps 105:1-7; Prov 30:1-4
2022-12-13
Proverbs 10:32 NLT
How do you feel when someone tries to put you down? Then don’t do it to others! “Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit” (Proverbs 15:4 GNT). You can crush someone with what you say, so be careful. Some of the people you meet each day need an emotional lift, so encourage them. “Righteous people know the kind thing to say, but the wicked are always saying things that hurt” (Proverbs 10:32 GNT).
Don’t be the kind of person who pounces on a weakness in someone. Maybe you do it in a joking way, but you do it, and you enjoy doing it. In a cartoon, Charlie Brown is talking on the phone to a girl who says, “Guess what I’m running for? The Queen of the May at our school.” Charlie Brown says, “That’s very interesting. Lucy has always been chosen at our school.” The girl on the phone responds, “Your school has pretty low standards, huh, Chuck?” After Charlie Brown hangs up, he looks at Lucy and says, “She says, ‘Congratulations!'”
Now, that’s diplomacy! It’s also supportiveness. How supportive are you? If God gave you a dollar for each kind word you said and took away a dollar for each unkind word you said, would you be wealthy or poor? When the brothers who betrayed Joseph knelt before him in Pharaoh’s palace, he held the power of life and death over them. But he forgave them, was gracious toward them, and promised to take care of them. Supportive words can build a bridge in a strained relationship.
So the word for you today is – build people up.
Soul food: Josh 19:24-21:45; John 16:1-11; Ps 150; Prov 29:22-27
