2021-11-05
Matthew 26:40 CEV
In Gethsemane, Jesus “came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, ‘Can’t any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? Stay awake and pray that you won’t be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak'” (vv. 40-41 CEV). Jesus was just hours from the cross, and He asked His disciples to pray for Him. Imagine His disappointment when He found them sleeping! Perhaps they didn’t get enough rest the night before. Maybe they were worn out from a hard day’s work.
We have all been victims of drowsiness, so we shouldn’t be surprised that they fell asleep, but we are! We’re shocked because it was such an important night. This night, more than any other, required the discipline of prayer. But the disciples missed a great opportunity to encourage and strengthen Jesus in His hour of need. They missed an opportunity to strengthen themselves as well.
Satan knows if he can keep you from prayer, you will be powerless. He is the master of distraction. Think how often he has robbed you of your quiet time with God by using things like TV, the telephone, the internet, a messy house, your to-do list, your wandering mind, your heavy eyelids. Your quiet time with God isn’t something you try to “fit into” your schedule; it must be something you prioritize, or it won’t happen. The King James Version says, “Pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (v. 41). You don’t know what each day holds, but through prayer and spending time in God’s Word, you can prepare your heart for whatever life throws at you.
Soul food: 1 Chr 7:20-9:44; John 8:31-41; Ps 30; Prov 25:13-17
2021-11-04
Hebrews 10:38 NKJV
A little boy in Sunday school heard the story of how Lot’s wife looked back toward Sodom and turned into a pillar of salt (See Genesis 19:26). “That’s nothing,” he said. “Last week when my mother was driving down the street, she looked back – and turned into a telephone pole!” Seriously, God says, “If anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” Every pilot knows there is a point of no return. The runway has all been used up; it’s fly or die!
In Hebrews chapter eleven we find a list of ordinary people who in the worst of times refused to turn back. The Bible says: “If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:15-16 NLT).
Here’s the score: If you’re beginning your walk with God, Satan will use every trick in the book to get you off track. If you’re in the middle of your walk with God, he will try to tell you that your life doesn’t count. Don’t believe him; he’s a liar! And if you’re nearing the end of your walk with God, he will try to discourage you by highlighting all your faults and failures. Don’t buy what he’s selling! Instead, stand on this Scripture: “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 Chr 6:1-7:19; John 8:21-30; Ps 86; Prov 25:8-12
2021-11-03
Romans 1:12 NCV
Next time you walk in the woods, stop and think about what’s taking place right under your feet. As the roots of the trees connect with each other, they form a support system. One has access to water, another to nutrients, and another to sunlight. No single tree has it all, but together they can grow, thrive, and withstand the storms of life. “Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love” (Ephesians 4:15-16 CEV).
Some of us independent types have difficulty with this concept. We want to fly solo – until we crash – then we realize our need for these: (1) Encouragement. Even Paul needed cheering on: “Everyone in Asia has turned against me, especially Phygelus and Hermogenes. I pray that the Lord will be kind to the family of Onesiphorus. He often cheered me up and wasn’t ashamed of me when I was put in jail. Then after he arrived in Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me” (2 Timothy 1:15-17 CEV).
(2) Sympathy. “Be sympathetic” (Colossians 3:12 GWT). We all need to be understood and have our feelings validated. But sometimes we’re in such a hurry to “fix” people, we don’t have time to sympathize with them.
(3) Grace. “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT). What motivates us to extend grace to others? God’s grace to us! You will never be asked to extend more grace to someone than God has already extended to you.
Soul food: 1 Chr 3-5; John 8:1-20; Ps 96; Prov 25:1-7
2021-11-02
John 14:26 NKJV
First, listen to the Holy Spirit within you. He will constantly remind you of God’s plan and show you how to carry it out. He will “teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (v. 26 NKJV). What has God’s Word instructed you to do? Have you done it yet? Obedience is the doorway to blessing.
Second, spend time with God in prayer daily: “In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion” (Psalm 27:5 KJV). A “pavilion” was a secret chamber in a king’s palace, and it was so well fortified that even if an enemy found it, they couldn’t penetrate it. All hell could have been breaking loose and it didn’t make a difference; in the secret place there was peace. Are you letting things that don’t really matter overwhelm you? Are you upset over things that should be dismissed as trivialities? Get alone with God and let Him restore your perspective.
Third, never be too proud to seek advice and assistance. The Bible says those of us who are strong ought to bear the burdens of the weak (See Romans 15:1). There are times when we need to lift others, and times when we need to be lifted. Jesus healed a woman who had been bowed down by sickness for eighteen years and “could in no way raise herself” (Luke 13:11 NKJV). Sometimes you need help because you can’t help yourself. David understood this, and he turned to the men of Issachar because they “had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles 12:32 NKJV). God has provided help – reach for it!
Soul food: 1 Chr 1-2; John 7:45-53; Ps 9; Prov 24:30-34
2021-11-01
Philippians 4:7 CEV
Mother Teresa is attributed with saying, “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much!” Is that how you feel today? Like there is too much to do and not enough of you to do it? Let Romans chapter fifteen, verse thirteen, percolate in your mind: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (NIV). The way to have peace in the midst of a troubled situation is by staying filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
How do you do that? By developing a spiritual hunger and letting God fill you. He can give you a sense of serenity when you’re surrounded by stress. So, if you’re in over your head today, pray this: “Father, you said no weapon formed against me shall prosper (See Isaiah 54:17). I can’t keep the Enemy’s weapons from being formed, but I know you will keep them from prevailing against me. You said if I ask anything according to your will, you will grant my request (See 1 John 5:14-15). You said when I walk in obedience, I will be blessed when I come in, when I go out, when I lie down, and when I get up (See Deuteronomy 28:6; Psalms 1:2; 3:5). You told me to turn all my troubles over to you and you will take care of me (See 1 Peter 5:7). So here they are! Today I’m standing on your promises. You said it! I believe it! That settles it! Amen.”
Soul food: 1 Chr 17:1-20; Heb 11:4-12:3; Ps 18:20-29; Prov 4:18
2021-10-31
1 Samuel 17:46 NLT
Goliath’s ancestors were Israel’s long-standing enemies. And when Joshua entered the Promised Land, he annihilated them all – except the inhabitants of Gath where Goliath hailed from. Why is that important to note? Because if you don’t kill the enemy and cut off his head, he’ll rise to fight you again.
Maybe you’re wrestling with issues your parents and grandparents grappled with; things like addiction, marriage problems, anger, worry and depression. David put “five…stones from a stream…into his shepherd’s bag” (v. 40 NLT) because he didn’t know how many he’d need to do the job. And there are certain “stones” you need to take with you to conquer the giants in your life.
(1) Be relentless. It may take more than a day, a month, or even a year to see results. But with God’s help you’ll win if you persevere.
(2) Get God involved. God’s priority is His reputation, and David’s objective was to defend it by declaring, “There is a God in Israel” (v. 46 NLT).
(3) Keep praying and believing God for victory. “Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare” (Ephesians 6:18 MSG). Rehearsing your hurts won’t heal them and cataloguing your problems won’t solve them. But prayer will.
(4) Recall your earlier victories. David announced, “God, who delivered me from the…lion and…bear, will deliver me from this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37 MSG). When you’re afraid of the future, call to mind God’s past faithfulness: “Remember the wonders he…performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given” (1 Chronicles 16:12 NLT). With God’s help you can conquer the giants in your life!
Soul food: Deut 18:9-18; Dan 2; Isa 47:5-15; Acts 16:16-34
