2021-12-04
Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV
You don’t get to decide God’s purpose for your life, you discover it. How? Through prayer. God says, “I know the plans I have for you” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT). Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. You may be overwhelmed with problems, but God sees your potential.
David’s family didn’t think he would amount to much. But where they saw a shepherd boy, God saw a king. Looking back, David wrote: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me… I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” (Psalm 139:16-18 NLT).
You’re unique – and so is God’s plan for you. It’s encouraging to read stories and listen to great achievers and think, “If they can do it, so can I!” However, the secret is to learn from others without trying to duplicate them. It’s not enough to have a good idea; it must be the will of God. You don’t get to decide what your vision will be; you discover it by seeking God for direction. And His Word says He will give it to you: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21 NKJV). That way you know it’s “from the mouth of the Lord.”
Soul food: Jos 19:24-21:45; John 16:12-18; Ps 2; Prov 28:25-28
2021-12-03
Psalm 101:2 MSG
After King David’s affair with Bathsheba, the prophet Nathan told him, “The sword shall never depart from your house” (2 Samuel 12:10 NKJV). And it happened. His son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar, and because David had lost his moral authority at home, he did nothing about it. When his other son Adonijah staged a coup, “his father…never crossed him at any time by asking, ‘Why have you done so?'” (1 Kings 1:6 NAS). If ever there was a time David needed to be a husband and father, this was it.
As a leader he unified Israel, won wars, and brought the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem. But with his own family, he blew it. No wonder he “went up by…the Mount of Olives, and wept” (2 Samuel 15:30 NKJV). When he heard of his son Absalom’s untimely death, he cried, “If only I had died in your place!” (2 Samuel 18:33 NKJV). And when he faced death himself, instead of sending for his wife and children, his servants hired a “young woman…and she cared for the king” (1 Kings 1:4 NKJV). The man who made strangers of his own family died in a stranger’s arms.
It’s too late to change David’s story – but not yours! If you succeed in your career and fail at home, your achievements will be hollow. Apart from your relationship with God, your first priority should be to love your mate and dedicate yourself to the children who carry your name. David wrote, “I’m doing the very best I can…at home, where it counts.” Sadly, David’s best wasn’t good enough. But by God’s grace, your story can be different!
Soul food: Jos 16:1-19:23; John 16:1-11; Ps 130; Prov 28:21-24
2021-12-02
Judges 7:11 NIV
Are you being criticized? Has it shaken your confidence? God told Gideon, “If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp…and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged” (vv. 10-11 NIV). Why did God send Gideon and his servant into the enemy camp? To hear what they were saying, and to encourage him. When they arrived, a soldier was telling a friend about his dream: “‘A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent…collapsed.’ His friend responded, ‘This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon…God has given…the whole camp into his hands.’ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he…worshiped” (vv. 13-15 NIV).
Sometimes when you need encouragement, it’s good to pay attention to what your critics are saying. As Dale Carnegie observed, “Nobody kicks a dead dog!” You’re making a difference – otherwise, they wouldn’t even notice you. Seen through this framework, criticism can actually strengthen your faith. For every battle, God has a strategy. So don’t just pray for victory; ask God to show you the winning strategy.
A God-given vision will always be greater than the person who is called to fulfil it. The Bible says, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Psalm 127:1 KJV). God knows the weight load you can handle, the materials you need, and how it will all fit together in your life. So if He’s speaking to you and, like Gideon, you’re afraid to act, stand on this verse: “I will be with you, and you will strike down…the [enemy]” (Judges 6:16 NIV).
Soul food: Jos 14-15; John 15:18-27; Ps 65; Prov 28:17-20
2021-12-01
Jeremiah 2:13 NLT
Let’s take a moment and try to understand some of the reasons for our discontent: (1) Looking for happiness in the wrong places. God said: “My people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me – the fountain of living water. And…dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” (v. 13 NLT). There is an emptiness inside you that only God can fill, and He will, if you invite Him in.
(2) Failure to serve others. How we treat others is often a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. Philosopher-poet Eric Hoffer said: “The remarkable thing is that we really love our neighbour as ourselves: we do unto others as we do unto ourselves. We hate others when we hate ourselves. We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves. We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. We are prone to sacrifice others when we are ready to sacrifice ourselves. It is not only love of self but hatred of self which is at the root of the troubles that afflict our world.”
(3) Comparing ourselves with others. Paul writes, “Rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15 NIV). When you resent someone else’s achievements or level of blessing, joy drains out of your life like a sieve. The Bible says: “We are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around….So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves…or trying to be something we aren’t” (Romans 12:4-6 MSG).
Soul food: Jos 11-13; John 15:5-17; Ps 14; Prov 28:13-16
2021-11-30
Psalm 105:19 CEV
God may not respond exactly when you want Him to, but He is always on time. “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11 NKJV). It’s difficult to watch God blessing others while you’re forced to wait. The Bible tells us, “Joseph remained a slave until his own words came true, and the Lord had finished testing him.” God’s plan was for Joseph to live in a palace, yet for years he lived in a prison, charged with crimes he never committed. But it was there he met a butler who had the ear of Pharaoh, and through this connection, he was promoted to the number-two spot in Egypt.
Understand this: When you walk with God, your opportunities for advancement are regulated by His plan, not someone else’s actions. And preparation always precedes promotion. When Elijah called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel, everybody admired and applauded him. But then he spent years living through a famine, and the only friend he had was an impoverished widow. Together they had to trust God for every meal. That’s when Elijah learned important lessons about humility, divine guidance, and trusting God in times of need; things that don’t necessarily make sense to your natural mind.
When God is going to build something great, He takes time to lay a strong foundation. “Jesus grew…in Favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52 NIV). Allow yourself time to grow. Let Him build a foundation under you that will sustain you and the blessings He has in mind for you in the years ahead.
Soul food: Jos 8:30-10:43; John 14:26-15:4; Ps 146; Prov 28:9-12
2021-11-29
Proverbs 29:25 NKJV
Fourth, change your mindset. Does risk scare you? Are you discouraged by past failures? Do you not see the potential that opportunity offers? You won’t be able to move forward until you discover what is holding you back. “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” A snare is a trap. And when you begin to see your fears as a trap, you will want to be free from them.
Fifth, don’t wait for opportunity to knock. Opportunity seldom comes knocking; you have to go look for it. Assess your assets, talents, and resources. Doing so will give you a picture of your potential. “But I don’t have any special talents,” you say. Yes, you do. “God has…given each of us different gifts to use” (Romans 12:6 CEV).
Sixth, take the next step. It’s one thing to notice an opportunity; it’s another to act on it. Somebody once quipped, “Everyone has a great idea in the shower. But only a few people step out, dry off, and do something about it.” Choose the best opportunity you see, pray about it, do the best with it that you can, and keep going until you have done everything possible to make it happen. And when you have done your best – trust God to do the rest. Winston Churchill said, “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities…because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” And where does courage come from? God! The psalmist said, “Trust in the Lord forever…for in…the Lord, is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4 NKJV).
Soul food: Jos 5:1-8:29; John 14:15-25; Ps 118:19-29; Prov 28:5-8
