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Prayer (5)
Monday, 19 January 2015
'And He went a little further.'
Matthew 26:39 KJV
Jesus left the crowd. He left the
twelve disciples. In Gethsemane
He even left the three who were
closest to Him, went ‘a little
further’ and fell on His face and
prayed, ‘Not as I will, but as You will.’ (Matthew 26:39
NKJV)
It was here, face to face with His
Father, that He found strength to
embrace the will of God for His
life.
Today God is saying to you,
‘The strength to handle this crisis and the wisdom to
know what to
do will be yours if you’ll just go a
little further, stay in My presence a
little longer, and dig a little deeper in My Word. If only you
knew how close you are to the answer!’
Jesus was only a few hours away from the cross, a few
days away from the resurrection, and on the threshold of
launching the church. Are you in Gethsemane? Sometimes
surrendering your will to God is
hard, isn’t it? Look at Jesus.
Before Heaven accepted the
sacrifice of a surrendered body, it
demanded the sacrifice of a
surrendered will. Have you surrendered to God? Why do
we
trust others so easily while God
longs for us to trust Him? You go
to a doctor whose name you
can’t pronounce, get a prescription you can’t read, take it
to a pharmacist you don’t know, get medicine you don’t
understand, and take it with confidence. Why is it so much
easier to have confidence in
these ‘unknowns’ than in God, Who is faithful in every
way? The
answer lies in where you place
your trust. Trust comes from
knowing someone intimately,
listening to them and spending
time with them. It doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time.
SoulFood: Dan 5-7, Luke 4:1-13,
Ps 89:1-14, Prov 2:20

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THE RISK AND THE RETURN
‘Cast your bread upon the waters.’ Ecclesiastes 11:1
NKJV
The Bible says, ‘Cast your bread upon the waters, for after
many days you will find it again.’ Notice two things in this
Scripture: 1) The risk requires faith. At first this verse
doesn’t make sense. When you ‘cast your bread upon the
waters’, the best you can hope to get back is mushy,
waterlogged bread. Its meaning becomes clearer,
however, when you realise it was written in a culture
where seafood was the basis of trade and economic
survival. Throwing bread into the water attracted fish,
which you could then catch. There are important spiritual
principles at work in this Scripture. For example, catching
fish depends on the current flowing in the right direction,
the sun, the moon and other elements only God can
control. But when you do your part, God promises to do
His. George Müller said, ‘Faith does not operate in the
realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that
which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s
power ends.’ 2) The return requires patience. ‘After many
days you will find it again.’ You ask, ‘When will it
happen?’ When God is ready, when He knows you are
ready, and when it all fits into His plan. The Bible tells us
to ‘imitate those who through faith and patience inherit
what has been promised’ (Hebrews 6:12 NIV). You need
faith and patience to receive what God has promised. And
even when you don’t know what’s ahead, you can be sure
of one thing—God will be there. Today He’s calling you to
choose faith, even when you don’t know what’s on the
other side.
Exodus 20: 7, Isaiah 29: 22-24, Matthew 6:9, Phil 2: 5-11
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'He brought me...into a large
place... because He delighted in
me.' Psalm 18:19 KJV
Melody Beattie says: ‘First you
crawled; then you learned to
walk and the world grew bigger.
Then you rode a bike…drove a
car…bought a plane ticket.
Suddenly the horizons were limitless. Then doubts crept
in: I
can’t (you fill in the blank)…and
your world shrinks a little. I
shouldn’t take that trip…I’ll never
find my way around…I’ve too
many responsibilities. And it shrinks a little more…[until]
you’re sitting in a little box with
the lid tightly affixed.
No experiences, no lessons, no life.
Boxes can be comfortable…but
no matter how cosy you make it, it’s still a box. They
come in all
shapes and sizes.
When we let unrealistic fears hold us back we can be
fairly certain we’re
climbing inside another box…
and sooner or later we’ll run into the walls. Find one
small “I can’t”
in your life and take the lid off the
box… try for a minor
impossibility… apply for that
dream job… start pursuing your
vision… Poke the top off your box. Stick your head out and
look around. Find a fear and turn
it into a ladder.
Get out of the box of doubt and insecurity and into the
freedom of courage and belief.’ If you let it, fear will cause
your imagination to run riot.
But ‘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) A sound mind restores
your perspective and helps you see things from God’s
viewpoint,
where all things are possible.
Today He wants to give you the
courage to climb out of the box
and bring you ‘into a large place’,
because He ‘delights’ in you.
SoulFood: Dan 11-12, Luke
4:31-44, Ps 89:38-52, Prov 3:1-2

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Life Is About Choices (1)


'Daniel resolved not to.' Daniel 1:8
NIV
When Daniel was taken prisoner
to Babylon, he was quickly
promoted to leadership in the
king’s palace. But as a Jew he
refused to ‘defile himself with the
royal food and wine’. Could his choice have affected his
career, or even cost him his life?
Absolutely! But what we choose
to do under pressure results from
one of two things:
(1) Clearly established convictions we live by.
(2) Fuzzy convictions we’re willing to compromise for
personal gain. Hard times don’t make you, they reveal
you!
In Leadership Gold John Maxwell
writes: ‘After visiting twenty cities in seven days, it was
good to be
coming home! As the small
private jet approached the runway, we were celebrating
the success of the week. Then, in a moment, everything
changed. The plane was hit by crosswinds and dropped
straight down to the runway, the wheels hitting out of
balance. All conversation stopped and our eyes widened
as we realised we were in danger. The pilot, without
hesitation, pushed the throttle
and launched the plane back into
the air… We all realised that could
have been it! We sat quietly as the
plane circled the airfield and a few minutes later we
landed safely.’ As he got off the plane, John asked the
captain, ‘When did you make the decision to put the plane
back into the air?’ He replied, ‘Fifteen years ago.’ He went
on to explain how as a young pilot in training, he
decided in advance what decision he would make for
every possible air problem.
His decision was made long before the crisis. So have a
gameplan in
place before the problem arises.
SoulFood: Jas 1-2, Luke 5:1-11,
Ps 91, Prov 3:3-4

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Evidence of God's Grace


'He...saw...evidence of the grace
of God.' Acts 11:23 NIV
Where there’s grace, there’s
growth. And where there’s growth, there’s clear evidence
of it.
The church at Jerusalem sent
Barnabas to the church at Antioch, and ‘when he arrived
and saw…evidence of the grace
of God, he was glad.’
As believers, we should be growing
in ‘grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Saviour.’ (2 Peter 3:18
NIV) And there should be evidence of it! When you accept
Christ, He ‘[equips] you with everything good for doing His
will’ (Hebrews 13:21 NIV); you become ‘a new creation…
old things have gone; everything is made new!’ (2
Corinthians 5:17NCV)
Grace makes you more caring and compassionate, and
less critical and judgmental. It makes you slow to speak
and quick to consider the other person’s point of view.
You’re
less likely to react in anger when
things don’t go your way, and
more likely to put the good of
others ahead of your own (1
Corinthians 10:24).
Jon Walker says: ‘When you become a believer your role
changes. You
no longer have the job of looking
out for your own interests; your
job is to represent the interests of
Jesus. You are the face of Jesus; showing up in the lives
of others
on His behalf… in hospitals… at
funerals… at weddings… across
the table as you share coffee with
a friend… You’re on the job for
Jesus, and the more you serve others in love, the more
you’ll
influence them toward Christ.’
Paul wrote, ‘Though I am free…I
make myself a slave to everyone,
to win as many as possible.’ (1
Corinthians 9:19 NIV) That’s what it’s all about!
SoulFood: Num 1-2, Luke 5:27-39, Ps 100, Prov 3:7-8

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TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
‘Don’t try to disclaim responsibility.’ Proverbs 24:11 TLB
A woman went shopping one day and came home with a
very expensive dress. Her budget-conscious husband was
very upset and demanded to know what on earth
possessed her. ‘The devil made me do it,’ she replied
sweetly. He asked, ‘Well, why didn’t you say, “Get thee
behind me, satan?” ‘I did,’ she replied. ‘But he said it
looked great from the back as well—so I had to buy it!’
Satan is an expert at distorting the truth by getting us to
blame circumstances and other people for our mistakes;
that way we never have to take responsibility. But as
Albert Ellis observed, ‘The best years of your life are the
ones in which you decide your problems are your own.
You don’t blame them on your mother, the ecology or the
government. You realise you control your own destiny.’
Florence Nightingale, hero-nurse of the Crimean War, said,
‘I attribute my success to one thing: I never gave or took
an excuse.’ When a winner messes up, they admit they
were wrong and ask for forgiveness. When a loser makes
a mistake, they immediately look for somebody or
something to blame. The Bible says, ‘Don’t try to disclaim
responsibility by saying you didn’t know…God…knows
you knew! And he will reward…according to [your] deeds.’
David constantly prayed about his shortcomings, and his
honesty helped make him ‘a man after [God’s] own
heart’ (1 Samuel 13:14 KJV). Instead of denying and
defending your mistakes, take responsibility, learn from
them and move on. That’s how you grow!
Numbers 1-2, Matthew 10: 11-20, Psalm 100, Proverbs 3:
7-8

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QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF (1)
Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.’
Proverbs 4:7 NIV
Like any good parent, God wants His children to succeed.
But to succeed in life, you must periodically ask yourself
two questions: 1) Am I committed to personal growth?
‘Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost
all you have, get understanding.’ Keep reading, keep
learning, keep asking questions. A Chinese proverb says,
‘He who asks is a fool for five minutes; he who doesn’t
ask remains a fool forever.’ Some of us are like the little
girl who thought she’d exhausted the subject of
mathematics once she learned her twelve-times tables.
When her grandfather asked with a twinkle, ‘What’s 13
times 13?’ she scoffed, ‘Don’t be silly, Grandpa, there’s
no such thing!’ Your hunger for wisdom and knowledge
determines your future. In order to keep giving out, you
must keep taking in. 2) Am I enjoying what I do? You’ll
never fulfil your destiny doing something you despise.
Passion lies at the core of true success and fulfilment; it’s
the spark for your fuse. It energises you when those
around you grow tired. It helps you come up with answers
when others cease to have creative ideas and strengthens
you when they drop out. It gives you courage to take risks
while others crave security. When you lose your passion,
two things happen: first, you fail to pursue excellence;
second, you jeopardise your integrity, because you’re
tempted to take shortcuts and compromise by settling for
less than God intended. One leader says, ‘What generates
passion in you is a clue to your destiny. What you love is
often a clue to something you can achieve.’
Number 3:1 - 4:33, Matthew 10: 21-31, Psalm 104: 1-23,
Proverb 3: 9-10.

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Questions You Should Ask Yourself (2)


'Whoever wants to become great
among you must be your
servant.' Mark 10:43 NIV
Two more questions you should
constantly ask yourself are:
(1) Am I willing to serve others?
You say you want to be a leader?
Why? Until you answer that
question with the right motives,
God won’t promote you.
Sometimes we just want to be in control. Other times we
don’t
want to pay the price for success.
We just want the perks that come
with it: a corner office, a higher
salary, a respected title and the
admiration of others. Jesus said, ‘Whoever wants to
become great
among you must be your servant.’ Leadership puts you in
a position to take care of your own needs first—to set
yourself up— before helping others. That’s always a
temptation and it’s always wrong! You must
genuinely care about people and
help them to reach their potential.
When you do that you’re
honouring God and He will honour you.
(2) Am I doing what I’m called to
do? ‘We have different gifts,
according to the grace given
us.’ (Romans 12:6 NIV) Samuel
Johnson said, ‘Almost every man
wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities
which he does
not possess…and gain applause
which he cannot keep.’ If you’re
harbouring a mental image of the
qualities talented people are
supposed to have and you don’t possess, you’ll have a
hard time
finding your true strengths.
Henry Ford remarked, ‘The
question, “Who ought to be the
boss?” is like asking, “Who
ought to be the tenor in the quartet?” Obviously, the man
who can sing tenor.’ To succeed in life, you must know
what God gifted you to do.
SoulFood: Num 4:34-6:27, Luke
6:17-26, Ps 104:24-35, Prov
3:11-12

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Questions You Should Ask Yourself (3)



'Be very careful, then, how you
live.' Ephesians 5:15 NIV
Three more questions you
should ask yourself are:
(1) Am I making the most of today? ‘Be very careful, then,
how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the
most of every opportunity.’ (Ephesians 5:15–16 NIV)
Only by focusing on what’s required of you today can you
prepare for tomorrow. If you don’t do the right things
today, tomorrow will be spent fixing today’s mistakes.
You’ll
never change your life until you change something you do
daily.
Only by asking yourself, ‘Am I
making the most of today?’ will
you be able to keep yourself on
course, and make a course
correction when you’re not.
(2) Am I taking time to think?
One of the wisest things you can
do is take time to think. This is
especially important if you’re
action–oriented and goal– oriented. We like to feel we’re
making progress, moving ahead and getting things done.
But in order to do the right thing, in the right way, at the
right time, you must take time to evaluate what you’re
doing. Are you?
(3) Is my life pleasing to God?
Enoch is remembered by these
words: ‘He…pleased God.’ (Hebrews 11:5 NIV)
What a testimony! Jesus said, ‘What will it profit a man if
he gains the whole world, and loses his own
soul?’ (Mark 8:36 NKJV)
Regardless of what you accomplish, your supreme goal
should be to please God. And to do that, you must spend
time with Him in prayer and reading the Scriptures. In
prayer you talk to God and through the
Scriptures He talks to you. That’s
a winning combination that
never fails!
SoulFood: Num 7, Luke 6:27-36,
Ps 107:1-9, Prov 3:13-18

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The Grace to Handle It
‘He will empower you with inner
strength.’ Ephesians 3:16
For fifteen years Dr Robert Schuller’s
secretary Lois battled cancer, and for
every one of them she served God
faithfully. Schuller writes: ‘I don’t think I ever met anyone
more courageous.
Some days she was so ill…getting out of bed took all the
strength she had!
She’d deliberately fall out of bed, walk on her hands and
knees to the
bathroom, reach for the sink and pull herself up. She’d
force herself to get dressed, stumble into the kitchen,
drink some water, eat a dry piece of toast, search for her
purse, and walk to the door. Perspiration pouring off her
forehead, she’d look at her husband and say, ‘‘Well,
Ralph, I think I can make it now.’’ Then she’d get into her
car and drive to church.
She was always there before me, and when I arrived with
my usual greeting, ‘‘Good morning, how are you?’’ she’d
always smile and say, ‘‘Great!’’ I never knew until after
her funeral what she went through…Only God can give
you
that kind of courage.’
The Bible says, ‘From his…unlimited resources [God] will
empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.’
There are many ways to say it, but none more eloquent
than the hymnist
Annie Johnson Flint, who put it like this: ‘When we have
exhausted our store of endurance; when our strength has
failed ere the day is half-done; When we reach the end of
our hoarded resources our Father’s full giving has only
begun. His love has no limit…His grace has no measure…
His power no
boundary known unto men. For out of His infinite riches in
Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, an