2018-11-18
1 Samuel 17:40 NLT
In David’s day they fought “by representation.” One man would fight for the nation as a whole, and the country of the losing warrior became subservient to the country of the conquering warrior. The upside is obvious, isn’t it? Everybody didn’t have to die! So David versus Goliath was really Israel against the Philistines. It was a one-on-one contest: winner take all. We’re familiar with David’s victory over the giant with faith, a stone, and a slingshot. Yet Scripture tells us he picked up not one, but “five smooth stones.” Why? It wasn’t a lack of faith – he knew that Goliath had four brothers. Observe: (1) Giant-killers realize that their giant represents greater issues. A giant never stands alone; behind him lie his causes. Overeating, addiction, abuse, and anger are all driven and supported by other issues. Somewhere behind the obvious giant are his supportive brothers – pain, guilt, loss, and shame. David was prepared with five stones – one for Goliath and one for each of his four brothers. What lies behind your giant? With God’s help you can conquer both the giant and his support team. (2) Giant-killers are not overwhelmed by the challenges. Never allow your fears to overwhelm your faith. The Bible says that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). Fear will feed on the failures of the past, but you can’t allow yesterday’s failure to overwhelm today’s faith. So take your failings; list them on a piece of paper and boldly print at the top of the page: “Things I don’t need to try again! Lesson learned.”
Soul food: Dan 1:3-21; Dan 3:7-30; Dan 5:10-12; Dan 9:1-19
2018-11-16
1 Samuel 17:50 TLV
First Samuel chapter 17 is the backdrop for the story of David and Goliath. The shepherd slays the warrior. The boy conquers the giant. God gives David victory over his giant, to inspire us to confront our own giants. Giants can be tangible or intangible: the things we can’t overcome because, seduced by fear, we think we can’t. They can also be unattainable goals, unfinished projects, or unfulfilled dreams – the “loose ends” of life that keep us mired in mediocrity. A giant is anything or anybody keeping you from being or doing what God wants you to be or do. Giants can be internal or external, real or imagined, physical or emotional. A giant could be an attitude, a habit, a belief, a philosophy, or a memory. It could be a person who stands between you and God; between who you are and who God wants you to be; between where you are and where God wants you to go; between what you believe and what God wants you to believe. Giants have one goal – to stop your progress and prevent you from reaching your destiny. But giant-killers see victory in the shadow of defeat! They perceive every fight as a test where the challenge is to turn a negative into a positive. Conflict is accepted and resistance is expected. To them conflict is growth, and overcoming is the prerequisite to promotion. Giants can expose our hidden strengths, be a measuring stick for our growth, and feed our confidence in God. Giant-killers see opportunity in opposition, potential in problems, and victory in the shadow of defeat. And with God’s help you can become a giant-killer.
Soul food: Rom 12-14; John 11:1-16; Ps 105:1-15; Prov 30:1-4
2018-11-11
Philippians 3:8 NKJV
Ever hear of “one-way missionaries”? They purchased a one-way ticket to the mission field, and instead of packing a suitcase they packed their belongings into a coffin, knowing they would never return home. A. W. Milne was one of them. He went to the New Hebrides in the South Pacific, knowing that headhunters had martyred every missionary before him. But he didn’t fear for his life because he had already died to himself. For thirty-five years he lived among them and ministered to them. When he died, the tribe buried him in the middle of their village and inscribed these words on his tombstone: When he came there was no light. Nowhere in Scripture does God send us to safe places to do easy things. Faced with the cross, Jesus prayed the ultimate prayer of commitment: “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). And today He’s asking you to be totally committed to Him. Paul wrote: “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:7-10 NKJV). It’s when you’re willing to fellowship with Christ in His sufferings that you get to experience the power of His resurrection. So the word for you today is: Be totally committed.
Soul food: Job 1; Job 2:7-10; Job 40:1-5; Job 42:7-17
2018-11-02
Ephesians 1:9 NIV
What a joy it is when the will of God is no longer a mystery, because He has made it “known to us.” Suddenly your outlook is different, your attitude changes, and fear can no longer play games with your mind. Now you know – and knowledge is power! The Bible says, “The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). There are times you know things in your spirit that you can’t figure out in your head. And it can cause you to be misunderstood. You can carry the knowledge of a breakthrough or a blessing in your spirit long before it happens. The Bible says, “We know about these things because God has sent His Spirit to tell us” (1 Corinthians 2:10 TLB). When God imparts wisdom to you, it puts you in a position to succeed. What separates the bank president from the janitor? It’s what he or she knows! They may be equal in every other sense, but one has paid a price to learn things that place him or her in a different position that brings different rewards. “We know these things.” God can cause you to know something that will change the course of your life. He can show you something during the night that changes how you feel in the morning. In His presence you receive insights that give you purpose, hope, dignity, direction, and the strength to get up and fight for what He promised you in His Word. So get into His presence today – and stay there until He reveals to you His will in the matter.
Soul food: Isa 34-37; John 7:25-44; Ps 104:24-35; Prov 28:9-12
2018-10-27
Isaiah 41:10 NKJV
Loyalists: Loyalists love to be part of a great team. When the chips are down, you can count on them. They crave a cause to which they can give themselves, and want to be part of a group they can believe in. At their best, loyalists help everyone else become better. They’re usually quite bright and articulate, although they may not always volunteer their thoughts. They can become cynical when they feel let down – which is inevitable at times. That’s why the Bible has so much to say about showing grace and extending forgiveness to each other. When twelve-steppers use the term “the God of your understanding,” they’re referring to your personal perception of God. Loyalists often perceive God as hard to please, so their signature sin is fear. Jesus told of three servants who were each given a sum of money to invest. The first two invested wisely, bringing profit to their master and pleasing him. But the third, afraid of failing and incurring his master’s displeasure, buried his talent in the ground (See Matthew 25:14-30). The “takeaway” in Christ’s parable is that God reserves His harshest judgment not for those who try and fail, but for those who fail to try because they give in to fear. Someone estimated that there are 365 “fear nots” in Scripture; that’s one for every day of the year. If God designed a bumper sticker it might read, “Fear not.” So don’t be afraid – He’s with you today!
Soul food: Isa 17-21; John 6:35-51; Ps 98; Prov 27:23-24
