2022-05-25
Luke 8:48 NKJV
The Bible says: ‘Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years… touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped… Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden… she declared… she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately’ (v.43-44, 46-47 NKJV).
There are three important lessons for us in this story: 1) Recognise and then seize your moment of opportunity. This woman realised that Jesus was visiting her town and was determined not to miss the chance she had. There are ‘God moments’ in life when we have to rearrange our priorities, overcome fear, and rely on our faith to ensure we don’t miss God’s best.
2) Be willing to try a different approach. Because of the large crowd, the woman couldn’t get Jesus’ attention, so instead she touched the hem of His garment, and was healed. Many times, faith calls for stepping into the unknown, doing something we’ve never tried before, and discovering God’s grace at work in ways we never expected.
3) Set an example for others to follow. Until this time, no one in Scripture had been healed by touching Jesus’ garment, and this woman’s faith opened a door for others to follow her example. ‘People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed’ (Matthew 14:35-36 NIV).
God looks for people who are willing to break with tradition, or the ‘normal’ way of doing things. And when He finds them, He uses them to unlock new dimensions of His power so others can be blessed and made whole.
Heb 9:1-11:16; Matt 12:15-21; Ps 97; Pro 12:1-3
2022-05-24
2 Corinthians 4:7 NCV
When we don’t feel good about ourselves, we constantly live with a sense of insecurity. We’ll keep looking to others for approval, and if we don’t get it, our sense of worth shrivels, and we spend our time living far short of our God-given potential. So instead of relying on other people’s opinions and acceptance, we need to base our self-worth on God’s opinion. He loves and accepts us just the way we are. Putting our trust in His opinion will help us battle every feeling of insecurity.
It’s fine for us to have a good opinion of ourselves. We know we should value other people because God values and loves them, and that applies to ourselves too. However, we must be careful that we don’t become arrogant and think we’re more worthy than others. The Bible cautions about having an over-inflated opinion of ourselves. But we must also be careful that we don’t go to the other extreme.
Living in continual self-rejection is an open invitation to Satan. The Bible says he’s like a roaring lion who goes hunting for someone to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). Paul wrote, ‘Nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature’ (Romans 7:18 NLT), but that means the good qualities we do possess are evidence that God is at work in our lives. The Bible says, ‘We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great power is from God, not from us’ (2 Corinthians 4:7 NCV).
So today, instead of focusing on your flaws and feeling insecure because you’re not perfect, try to recognise the ‘treasure’ of God’s presence, power, and potential that live within you.
Heb 5-8; Matt 12:1-14; Ps 93; Pro 11:30-31
2022-05-23
Romans 13:14 NIV
First impressions are important, so we’re often encouraged to ‘dress for success’. But as redeemed children of God, our first concern shouldn’t be how we look to others, but to God. Just like a mirror reflects our physical appearance so that we can make adjustments, the Bible reveals our spiritual condition and tells us what to do about it. James wrote: ‘Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do’ (James 1:23-25 NIV).
It’s important to spend time every day in the Scriptures; otherwise, we’ll run around spiritually threadbare. Paul wrote, ‘Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh’ (Romans 13:14 NIV).
Author Chuck Swindoll wrote: ‘The number one enemy of change is the hard-core, self-satisfied sin nature within you. Like a spoiled child, it has been gratified and indulged for years, so it will not give up without a violent temper tantrum… The flesh dies a slow, bitter, bloody death – kicking and struggling all the way down.’
Lasting change takes place in first gear, not overdrive. In the journey of lasting change, we should expect occasional setbacks and refuse to let them throw us off course. And if we feel like giving up, we should ask God to help us get back on track. He will do it, and give us all the help we need.
Heb 1-4; Matt 11:20-30; Ps 88:9b-18; Pro 11:27-29
2022-05-22
1 Timothy 2:1 NIV
Paul wrote: ‘I urge then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth’ (v.1-4 NIV).
Intercession means ‘to mediate between parties with a view to reconciling those who differ or contend’. It happens every day in the court system when lawyers intercede on behalf of their clients. It also happened in Scripture. When Israel made a golden calf and worshipped it, Moses interceded with God on their behalf, saying: ‘Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! …But now, please forgive their sin – but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written’ (Exodus 32:31-32 NIV).
And it worked. God told Moses, ‘Go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you’ (v.34 NIV). Later when Israel turned again to worship false gods, Samuel said, ‘Assemble all Israel to Mizpah, and I will intercede with the LORD for you’ (1 Samuel 7:5 NKJV). So that day, God sent a loud thunder over the Philistines and confused them so much, they were defeated (see 1 Samuel 7:10).
Interceding for others can be lonely, and it’s also hard work. Epaphras was described as ‘wrestling in prayer’ for the people of the Colossian church (see Colossians 4:12 NIV). But there’s so much value in intercessory prayer. Could you be an intercessor for someone today?
Gen 24:1-51; 2 Cor 6:14-7:1
2022-05-21
1 John 4:18 NKJV
We naturally tend to be drawn to people who love us, so why do we sometimes find it difficult to go to God in prayer? It can be because we need a fresh revelation of His love for us! Paul prayed that the Ephesian church would ‘be able to take in… the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love’ (Ephesians 3:18 MSG). The word ‘extravagant’ means going above and beyond all that’s expected or deserved.
The truth is, God couldn’t love you any more than He does right now. If we want an idea of how much God loves us, we should think of the cross. Even if you were the only person who ever lived, Jesus would have died just for you. And you don’t need to earn His love. You can’t. It’s completely unconditional. You didn’t do anything to deserve it, and when you mess up, He doesn’t withhold His love or stop loving you as much. ‘Absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love’ (Romans 8:39 MSG).
When you accept His unconditional love, you can feel secure in acknowledging your weaknesses and seek His help, grow strong, and use the talents He’s given you. When you believe God loves you based on who you are in Christ, you have the ultimate self-esteem – born of God’s esteem for you. And since His is the only ‘perfect love’, it removes your ‘fear’.
So, what are you afraid of? That you won’t get what you need or you’ll lose something you have? John tells us: ‘His perfect love for us eliminates all dread… If we are afraid, it… shows… we are not fully convinced that he really loves us’ (1 John 4:18 TLB). Ask God today for a fresh revelation of His love for you, bearing in mind that whatever He loves, He prizes, protects, and provides for.
Jonah 1-4; Matt 11:1-19; Ps 88:1-9a; Pro 11:24-26
2022-05-20
Psalm 119:105 NKJV
The author of the Psalms highlights two important things that Bible reading does for us: 1) It shows us our spiritual condition. In Bible times, roads were unpaved and dusty, so when guests went into a house, they took time to wash the sand, dirt, and grime from their feet. That’s what Bible reading does. It gives us time to pause, reflect, and shed some of the messiness of everyday life. David said, ‘How can a young man [and an older one] cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word’ (v.9 NKJV).
2) It shows us the direction we need to go. Your word is… a light to my path.’ When we’re facing an important decision and don’t know which way to go, God will guide us through His Word. David, who loved God’s Word and meditated on it constantly, prayed, ‘Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness’ (Psalm 143:10 NKJV). Many of the mistakes we make could be prevented if we stopped long enough to seek God’s guidance. He knows what lies ahead. We don’t. So ‘commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass’ (Psalm 37:5 NKJV).
We need to cultivate a taste for God’s Word. The psalmist said, ‘I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love’ (Psalm 119:47 NKJV). ‘Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it’ (v.140 NKJV). Today, let’s ask God to give us a love for His Word.
Titus 1-3; Matt 10:32-42; Ps 75; Pro 11:23
