2021-12-10
1 Chronicles 16:41 NKJV
There is a good chance you have never heard of these two men; they’re among the Bible’s more inconspicuous characters. In the wonderful worship choirs of King David, they were appointed to give thanks. Heman and Jeduthun “were under the king’s authority” (1 Chronicles 25:6). It was literally their job. And it’s your job too! You’re under the authority of the King of Kings who commands you to “be thankful,” “offer to God thanksgiving,” “come before His presence with thanksgiving,” “enter into His gates with thanksgiving,” and “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (Colossians 3:15; Psalms 50:14; 95:2; 100:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV).
Eugene Peterson writes, “The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise” (Philippians 3:3 MSG). Have you ever been so moved that you sprang into spontaneous worship? Nothing is more thrilling. You will never know what you’re missing if you don’t praise your Creator with your every fiber. Sing, lift up your hands, cry out, laugh, whatever…if you do it in a spirit of praise, thanksgiving, and gratefulness, God will love it.
Plus, thanksgiving leads to better physical, emotional, and mental health. The Creator of your soul is a master psychologist. He knows that thanksgiving is not only appropriate but therapeutic. It’s hard to be thankful and at the same time be grumpy, critical, or ill tempered.
Soul food: Neh 5-7; John 18:12-24; Ps 150; Prov 29:22-27
2021-12-09
Psalm 89:15 MSG
To enjoy the benefits of a computer, you must have a password. That’s what enables you to log on, participate, download, and get the information you need. And in a similar vein, the psalmist writes, “Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise.” “Those who have learned to acclaim you…walk in…your presence” (v. 15 NIV).
Praise isn’t simply a reaction to coming into God’s presence; it does much more. It opens the door through which God enters your life and goes to work on your behalf. In other words, praise brings God’s presence along with His direct intervention.
The name Judah means “praise the Lord,” and when the twelve tribes of Israel traveled, Judah led the way (See Judges 20:18). On one occasion when Judah’s enemies arrayed against them, Jehoshaphat, their king, sent a choir to the front line ahead of the army to sing the praises of God. It may sound like a strange strategy, but it brought a supernatural victory. The Bible says, “As soon as they began singing, the Lord confused the enemy camp…Then they turned against each other” (2 Chronicles 20:22-23 CEV).
Praise is an expression of faith; an affirmation that you believe God is in control of the situation. The Bible speaks of “the sacrifice of praise” (Hebrews 13:15). That means you must praise God even when you don’t feel like it. When it doesn’t come naturally, you must choose to do it anyway. Nehemiah said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Praise can heal your emotions and lift the weight of negativity you’re under. Go ahead – try it! Use your “password.”
Soul food: Neh 1-4; John 18:1-11; Ps 148:7-14; Prov 29:16-21
2021-12-08
Proverbs 29:18 KJV
From 1923 until 1955, Robert Woodruff presided over the Coca-Cola Company. He wanted the beverage to be made available to every American serviceman around the world for five cents, no matter how much it cost the company. That’s a bold goal! But it was modest compared to the big picture he saw in his mind’s eye. In his lifetime, Woodruff wanted everybody in the world to taste Coca-Cola.
Observe three things: (1) Vision starts within. When you look inside yourself, what do you see? You can’t buy, beg, or borrow vision; you must look within and draw on your innate gifts and desires. What do you feel passionate about? Think constantly about? Pray about? What would you be willing to sacrifice everything for? Your most persistent desire will point you to your destiny.
(2) Vision draws on your history. Moses grew up in the comfort of Pharaoh’s palace hearing the cries of Hebrew slaves. That experience prepared him to lead the exodus. Vision isn’t some mystical quality that materializes out of a vacuum; it’s interwoven with your past and the history of the people around you. If your vision is born of God, it won’t just benefit you, it will benefit others too.
(3) Vision attracts resources. One of the hallmarks of vision is that it acts like a magnet – attracting, challenging, and uniting people. It rallies finances and other resources, and the greater the vision, the more potential winners it must attract. The more challenging the vision, the harder the participants will fight to achieve it.
So ask God to give you a vision for your life, and watch how it all comes together.
Soul food: Col 3-4; Philemon; John 17:13-26; Ps 148:1-6; Prov 29:11-15
2021-12-07
Acts 10:3 NKJV
When God wants to change the status quo, He often starts by giving someone a vision. That’s what broke a centuries-old racial barrier and allowed the Gentiles to hear the gospel preached for the first time. Did you know you can be a Christian and be prejudiced? Indeed, you can be a believer and be biased toward people you don’t really know or understand because you have spent your life avoiding them and making judgments about them.
Jesus told His disciples, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14 NKJV). And Peter was present when Jesus said it. But either he wasn’t listening, or he didn’t like what he heard.
Back then, the divide between Jews and Gentiles was as deep as the divide between blacks and whites in America before the civil rights movement. God told Peter to go to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile, and preach the gospel, a person Peter considered to be “unclean.” Prejudice is the product of a closed mind. It is contempt prior to honest investigation. It is pride that must be humbled.
So how did God change Peter’s heart? It required not one, but two different visions! God gave Cornelius a vision in which He told him to invite a Jewish preacher named Peter into his home to preach the gospel. And at the same time, He gave Peter a vision in which He told him, “If I accept someone, don’t you dare reject them!” The truth is, when God wants to change things, He starts the process by giving someone a vision – and that someone could be you!
Soul food: Col 1-2; John 17:1-12; Ps 147:12-20; Prov 29:6-10
2021-12-06
Acts 9:10 NKJV
Maybe you think because you haven’t been to theological seminary that God would never give a vision to someone like you. But you would be mistaken. The Bible says this: “There was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ So the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.’ And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened” (vv. 10-11, 17-19 NKJV).
And who exactly was Ananias? The right man, in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude! And God used him to lead the apostle Paul to Christ. Pretty impressive, eh? But what’s interesting is this: After that, Ananias is never mentioned again in Scripture. Bottom line: He was a “nobody” who played a key role in God’s plan. And if God gave Ananias a vision and used him greatly – He will do the same for you.
Soul food: Jos 22-24; John 16:19-33; Ps 147:1-11; Prov 29:1-5
2021-12-05
Acts 9:6 NKJV
Paul believed he was doing God’s will by imprisoning and killing Christians. And when he discovered his true calling, it was in a dramatic way. “As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do'” (vv. 3-6 NKJV). That day his ministry began; one that was destined to change the world! And as his life neared its end, he could say, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19 NKJV).
Your vision must not be born out of your need to impress others or be like them. You’re called to do God’s will, not your own or someone else’s. The Bible says, “Ephraim [was] oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked by human precept” (Hosea 5:11 NKJV). Your vision must be the result of divine guidance and not “human precept.” You must be able to pray, “Lord, you gave me this vision, and I’m trusting you to provide what I need.” The apostle John writes, “This is the confidence…we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14 NKJV).
Soul food: Jos 1; Ps 27:11-14; 2 Tim 2:1-13; 1 Cor 16:1
