2023-03-11
Psalm 23:5 NKJV
David said: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over” (vv. 4-5 NKJV). Notice, God didn’t promise that you wouldn’t have to deal with death, or fear, or evil, or enemies. He simply said that in spite of them, and sometimes in the midst of them, your cup will still overflow with His blessing. Next time you pour a cup of tea or coffee and it overflows onto the saucer, you have an “overflowing” or a “surplus.” Your God is a God of surplus.
Paul writes, “God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT). He saturates you with joy and peace “so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NIV). He bestows a surplus of joy – He causes you to “rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8 NKJV). He also provides a surplus of peace – He gives “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7 NKJV).
So when you’re struggling to make ends meet, or you fear the future, look in the mirror and say, “God is my source; I have more than enough, my cup overflows.” And don’t just do that in times of need or crisis; make it a habit you practice every day.
Soul food: Exo 36-38; Luke 15:11-32; Ps 27; Prov 7:10-20
2022-12-18
Psalm 62:8 NKJV
Life can feel overwhelming when you’re responsible for mortgage and rent payments, medical bills, clothes for the family, escalating food and fuel expenses, college fees, plus the reality of preparing for your retirement! And the pressure is even greater if you’re underemployed or unemployed. Where can you turn?
Surrounded by enemies, David turned to God: “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation… I shall not be moved” (vv. 5-6 KJV). Where does your “expectation” lie? In the hope for an improved economy or job market? Or the promise of better times to come? David’s hope was more certain: He expected the answer to be found in the unchanging character and faithfulness of God.
When anxiety arises, we sometimes resort to our OMGWI list – “Oh my God, what if?” We focus on our fears, feel inadequate, and give in to despair. Being aware of your needs is being responsible but being overwhelmed by them is evidence you’re looking to the wrong source for answers.
George MacDonald said, “We look upon God as our last and feeblest resource. We only go to Him when we have nowhere else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven.” Remember David? “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” By Himself, plus nothing, God is your adequate source. Since He gave us His Son, you have all the evidence you need that He will also “freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32 GNT).
Soul food: Ps 103:8-18; John 3:16-18; Acts 2:38-41
2022-12-10
Philippians 4:19 NKJV
God promised to supply your need, not your greed. When you get into debt by buying things you shouldn’t, don’t expect Him to bail you out. No responsible parent would do that, and God is a responsible parent. He gives you choices, and He points out consequences. He told Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit. Then Satan came along and said, “God doesn’t really mean it, you can do what you want and be okay.”
Sound familiar? Advertisers do the same thing. One furniture company offers a house full of furniture with no monthly payments for two years. Question: If you can’t afford it now, how will you pay for it two years from now? It’s time for you to get out of debt, not deeper in. And the Bible tells you how:
(1) Don’t be greedy for the things of this life, “for greed is a form of idolatry” (See Colossians 3:5 GNT). Instead of craving things you don’t need, enjoy the things you have.
(2) If you’re not tithing, start now! You will be switching from the world’s faltering economy to God’s fail-safe economy. When you tithe, He promises to protect your interests and bless you. “There shall not be room enough to receive” (See Malachi 3:8-12).
(3) Before you go shopping, try praying. Ask God about what you “need,” then wait for Him to respond.
(4) Start giving away some of what you have. “It is possible to give away and become richer… [and] to hold on too tightly and lose everything… the liberal man shall be made rich!” (Proverbs 11:24-25 TLB). Obey God. Be patient and watch what happens.
Soul food: Josh 14-15; John 15:5-17; Ps 148:1-6; Prov 29:11-15
2021-02-20
2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT
God hasn’t made prayer difficult or complicated, but really simple. The truth is, many of us pray more often than we know. And we have a more effective and successful prayer life than we realize. The trouble is, we don’t always recognize when we’re praying. That’s because we’ve gotten the wrong idea about it. We’ve been taught that prayer requires a specific environment like church, or a prescribed posture like kneeling, or a particular form of words like “Thee” and “Thou,” and that we must strictly adhere to certain religious rituals.
No, prayer is simply talking to God, then being still and allowing Him to talk to you. You can pray any time, anywhere, about anything, by just directing your thoughts, spoken and unspoken, toward God.
Paul writes, “We fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” Imagine that all of God’s blessings and benefits are stored in a giant warehouse in the invisible realm; things like forgiveness, strength, wisdom, guidance, favour, and resources. Through prayer you enter God’s warehouse of blessings, and by faith you receive them and bring them back into your life.
The Bible says you have not because you ask not (See James 4:2). So whatever you need today, pray and ask God for it – believing that He will give it to you. Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted” (John 15:7 NLT). So, have you prayed about it?
Soul food: Gen 10-12; Matt 16:13-28; Ps 36; Prov 5:21-23
2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT
God hasn’t made prayer difficult or complicated. Prayer is actually really simple. The truth is, we probably pray more often than we realise. The trouble is, we don’t always recognise when we’re praying, because we can get the wrong idea about it. We might have been taught that prayer needs a specific place or environment like a church, or a certain posture like kneeling with head bowed and eyes closed, or a particular form of words like ‘Thee’ and ‘Thou’, or that we must stick to certain religious rituals when we pray. These things aren’t necessarily wrong, but we don’t need to do them for God to listen to us.
Prayer is simply talking to Him, in a way that feels comfortable and natural to us, then being still and allowing Him to talk to us. We can pray anytime, anywhere, about anything, silently or aloud, just by directing our thoughts towards Him.
Paul wrote, ‘We fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.’ Imagine that all of God’s blessings and benefits are stored in a giant warehouse in the invisible realm; things like forgiveness, strength, wisdom, guidance, favour, and resources. Through prayer we enter God’s warehouse of blessings, and by faith we receive them and bring them back into our lives. Jesus said, ‘If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted’ (John 15:7 NLT).
So whatever you need today, pray and ask God for it, believing that He will give it to you.
Gen 10-12; Matt 16:13-28; Ps 36; Prov 5:21-23
