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WORD FOR YOU

Evidence of God (3)
11 JANUARY 2022

‘Through everything God made, they can…see his…qualities.’
Romans 1:20 NLT

Do you ever have doubts about God, or wonder whether He exists at all? Even strong believers can have moments of doubt, and many of us will experience it too, if we haven’t already. We might feel ashamed of our areas of unbelief, or try to hide them from God, thinking that He’ll be angry with us. But when someone is honestly and sincerely questioning, He’ll patiently answer and soothe those doubts. We can see this in the story of the disciple Thomas, who doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead. (You’ll find the story in John 20:19-29.) So when we’re doubting, what can we do? Here are some ideas: 1) Talk to God. The most important thing we can do is be honest about our doubts and tell God about them. This can be difficult if we’re struggling to believe He exists, but He’ll hear us and answer. Thomas didn’t actually express his doubts directly to Jesus, but Jesus still knew about them and showed up to help him at the right moment. 2) Look for signs of God’s work. ‘Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can see clearly his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature’ (Romans 1:20 NLT). The delicate balance and complexity of nature and the world we live in shouts of God’s power and hand at work. 3) Listen to what others have to say. Hearing or reading about someone else’s experiences of God at work in their lives can give us confidence that He’s real and that He loves us. We might not be in the same situation, but every story we hear of Him coming through for other people adds to the evidence for God and encourages us to trust in Him.

What Now?

Write about any situations or moments you’ve experienced when you’ve had a glimpse of God’s goodness and power. Keep what you’ve written to encourage yourself when you’re having doubts about God, and maybe even to encourage others you know who are also struggling.

Genesis 23-24, Matthew 7

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WORD FOR YOU

Evidence of God (4)
12 JANUARY 2022

‘Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain the hope you have.’
1 Peter 3:15 NCV

In 1 Peter 3, we read this: ‘Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, but answer in a gentle way and with respect’ (v.15-16 NCV). We can sometimes underestimate the importance of our own personal testimonies, but the reality is that they’re so valuable in sharing evidence of God. Our first-hand experience of God’s goodness could be the thing that someone connects with and encourages them to find out more about God. We don’t have to embellish our testimony or try to make it seem more exciting. All we need to do is truthfully lay out the facts and the experiences we had, then trust God for the rest. We might think our story isn’t very dramatic and won’t have much of an impact; but God’s in everything, the big things and the small things of life. Our honesty in telling our story just as it happened, and even revealing our own doubts and explaining that there are some parts we don’t understand, can be just as powerful to our listener and open the door to a real, worthwhile conversation about God. And we can even encourage ourselves with stories of what God’s done for us. When we look back and remember all the times He’s been good to us, the times He’s walked beside us, and the times He’s guided and sheltered us, we can grow our confidence and trust in Him when we’re beginning to have our own doubts. People might argue that the Bible isn’t inspired by God, or that Jesus didn’t perform miracles, and so on. But nobody can argue with the evidence of a life transformed because of our faith in Him.

What Now?

Do you know someone who’s struggling with doubts about God? Try having a chat with them about why you trust God, and share a time when you saw His hand at work in your life.

Genesis 25-26, Matthew 8:1-17

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WORD FOR YOU

Make amends
13 JANUARY 2022

‘Tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.’
Psalm 78:4 NIV

A legacy is something that’s passed on from one person to another, and it can be good or bad. That’s why we should consider what we’re passing on. We might have used harsh words that stemmed from what was happening in our lives at the time; but now we’re able to see things more clearly, and feel ashamed of the hurtful words we said. James wrote, ‘Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires’ (James 1:19-20 NLT). Our words can do lasting damage, so we should care about what we’re saying. Paul wrote, ‘See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many’ (Hebrews 12:15 NIV). Maybe we’ve planted seeds that caused a root of bitterness to grow in someone’s heart. If possible, we should make amends by seeking forgiveness and trying to set the record straight with those we’ve left hurt over a situation that we feel differently about now. It’s humbling, but we need to do it because we won’t feel right with God until we’re right with those He loves. Jesus said, ‘If you are offering your gift at the altar and…remember…your brother…has something against you…go and be reconciled…then come and offer your gift’ (Matthew 5:23-24 NIV). Dr Dale Turner wrote: ‘It is the highest form of self-respect to admit our errors and mistakes and make amends for them…A mistake is only an error in judgment, but to adhere to it when it is discovered shows weakness of character.’ When we’ve made a mistake, let’s do the right thing by making amends when we can.

What Now?

Is there someone you need to apologise to, or a mistake that you need to put right? Today, if you can, take steps to reconcile and repair any damage. Thank God for the opportunity to make amends.

Genesis 27-28, Matthew 8:18-34

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WORD FOR YOU

Godly words
14 JANUARY 2022

‘The lips of the godly speak helpful words.’
Proverbs 10:32 NLT

Having integrity includes how we use our words. If we wouldn’t say something if a parent, friend, or Jesus Himself was standing next to us, then we probably shouldn’t be saying it at all. God’s always with us and He knows every word we’ve ever said. He even knows the words we don’t say – the ones we only think. Jesus declared: ‘What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs’ (Luke 12:3 NIV). He knows everything about us, and we’ve undoubtedly said or thought at least a few words that we regret, and that we’d hate to have brought into the light where everyone would know about them. Psalm 139 says, ‘before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely’ (v.4 NIV). The word ‘completely’ suggests that He doesn’t only know the words we’re about to speak, but the real meaning behind them, the motive with which we’re saying them, and their sincerity. The thought of God knowing everything about us can seem very daunting. It can feel like He’s keeping a list of all our mistakes and there’s nothing we can do about it. But that’s not the case at all. God shows us where we’re going wrong so we can change it. And He knows we’re never going to be perfect, because we’re human. Instead of being disappointed in us when our words don’t match up to His standards, He’s there to inspire us to do it differently next time around, encouraging us to say and think godly words. ‘The lips of the godly speak helpful words’. Let’s aspire to that.

What Now?

In every conversation you have and everything you write today, imagine Jesus physically standing next to you. Notice if it changes the words you decide to use.

Genesis 29-30, Matthew 9:1-17

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WORD FOR YOU

Don’t look back
21 JANUARY 2022

‘If they turn back with fear, I will not be pleased with them.’
Hebrews 10:38 NCV

In Genesis 19, we read about the destruction of the sinful towns Sodom and Gomorrah. God decided to completely flatten the towns for their wickedness, but He allowed Lot and his family to escape, with the instruction, ‘“Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”…But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt’ (Genesis 19:17, 26 NLT). Instead of looking ahead to the place of safety, she looked back to her old life. God says, ‘Those who are right with me will live by faith. But if thy turn back with fear, I will not be pleased with them.’ In Hebrews 11 we find a list of ordinary people who refused to turn back, even when times were bad. ‘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). Satan will use every trick in the book to get us off track in our walk with God. As we go further with God, Satan will try to discourage us by whispering that we’re not good enough. He’ll remind us of all our faults and failures, and try to persuade us that our old life was better. But we mustn’t listen to him. Instead, we should be more determined than ever to stay focused on God, and refuse to look back to anything He’s told us to leave behind. He has something much better ahead.

What Now?

Pray that you’ll stay focused on God and life with Him. Ask Him to help you withstand any temptations to go back to your old life and the things He’s told us to leave behind.

Genesis 43-45, Matthew 12:22-50

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WORD FOR YOU

Speak life to their spirit (1)
29 JANUARY 2022

‘We do not think of anyone as the world does.’
2 Corinthians 5:16 NCV[

Paul wrote, ‘From this time on we do not think of anyone as the world does. In the past we thought of Christ as the world thinks, but we no longer think of him in that way. If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!’ (v.16-17 NCV). Here’s something important that we need to keep in mind: When we’re trying to help believers who are struggling or battling with addiction or a physical problem, we should speak life to their regenerated spirit. We need to speak to the part of them that’s capable of rising up in faith and responding to God’s Word: ‘Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ’ (Romans 10:17 NIV). Faith comes by hearing what God thinks, says, and can do. Until God has been heard, the last word hasn’t been spoken. God instructed Ezekiel to stand in a valley full of dead bones and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life’ (Ezekiel 37:5 NIV). And it happened! Ezekiel said, ‘As I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together’ (v.7 NIV). Faith doesn’t deny reality or ignore what’s happening, but it does refuse to be intimidated, limited, or ruled by the circumstances we can see. ‘Spirit can be known only by spirit’ (1 Corinthians 2:14 MSG), so when someone is a redeemed child of God, we shouldn’t speak to their human mind. Instead, we should let God guide us in speaking His words of life and hope to their spirit.

What Now?

Offer to pray for someone who’s battling with a problem at the moment. Ask God to guide you in the right words of encouragement to speak over them.

Exodus 12-13, Matthew 16

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WORD FOR YOU

Overcoming rejection
01 FEBRUARY 2022

‘Think how much the Father loves us.’
1 John 3:1 CEV

Rejection can come from all kinds of sources, and most of us will experience it at some point. We might have a university or job application rejected. An idea we’ve had or a piece of work we’ve done might be rejected. We might experience rejection in a relationship. When we’re struggling and hurting with the pain of rejection, it can often show itself in things like these: 1) Perfectionism. But this doesn’t fulfil us, because we’re not perfect – only God is – so we’ll never reach the impossibly high standards we’ve set for ourselves. 2) People pleasing. But other people’s needs and expectations vary so much, which makes it impossible for us to keep everyone happy. 3) Becoming defensive. Rejection can feel very much like a personal attack (even if it’s not meant to be), so we try to protect ourselves by attacking back. But harsh words spoken with an angry temper just escalate the problem. 4) Isolation. We want to protect ourselves, so we might try to distance ourselves from others to avoid being criticised and rejected again. But that can lead to loneliness and bitterness, as well as missing out on some of the great connections God’s planned for us. Rejection is never an easy thing to take. But there’s one thing we can be sure of: God will never reject us. He values every one of us. We’re unique, wonderfully made by Him. ‘Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are.’ When we accept how much He loves and values us, other people’s opinions won’t matter nearly as much to us.

What Now?

Memorise a couple of Bible verses that talk about how much God values you, then you can call them to mind whenever you face any type of rejection.

Exodus 16-18, Matthew 18:1-20

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WORD FOR YOU

Learning to be patient
03 FEBRUARY 2022

‘Be patient and trust the LORD.’
Psalm 37:7 CEV

The more we learn to trust God, the more we’ll learn to be patient. David said, ‘Trust the Lord and live right! The land will be yours, and you will be safe. Do what the Lord wants, and he will give you your heart’s desire’ (v.3-4 CEV). We might be striving and struggling to achieve something now, but if we just trusted in God’s timing, it would come easily to us when the moment was right. Sometimes we’re not ready for the things we want, so God withholds them until we’re properly equipped (as long as they’re part of His plan for us). For example, we might want a better job, but God makes us wait until we’ve developed the skills and knowledge we need, and are ready for the extra responsibility, before giving us the opportunity. In the Amplified Bible, we read, ‘Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]’ (Colossians 3:12 AMP). God teaches us how to wait, and how to have a good attitude while we’re waiting. The Message paraphrases James’ words: ‘Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed’ (James 1:4 MSG). The more we realise that God keeps His promises, the more we’ll be willing to trust His timing, however long it takes. God sometimes allows certain things to happen to teach us how to 1) maintain our faith when times get tough, 2) show grace under pressure by controlling our responses, and 3) develop new skills and better ways of thinking. We may think we know what we want and where we should be, but God really does know. So let’s ‘be patient and trust the Lord.’

What Now?

Ask yourself these two questions: What am I waiting for at the moment? and What is God teaching me and developing within me while I’m waiting? If you’re finding the second question difficult to answer, ask God to help you see the work He’s doing within you.

Exodus 21-22, Matthew 19

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WORD FOR YOU

Inner qualities
05 FEBRUARY 2022

‘Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.’
2 Corinthians 4:16 NCV

Every day we’re bombarded by the ‘ideal’ way to look. Whether it’s on social media, adverts, celebrity news, and so on, there are so many things and places that can reinforce the idea that our value comes from the way we look. There’s nothing wrong with us trying to look our best and taking care of ourselves if we’re doing it from the perspective of appreciating God’s creation. The problem comes when our appearance turns into a source of pride and makes us take our focus away from God. There’s so much more to us than our clothes, hairstyle, and body shape. It’s a mistake to focus on the outside and not appreciate and cultivate the unseen qualities God’s given us. When God made you, He didn’t just decorate the outside; He gave you ‘inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in’ (1 Peter 3:4 MSG). Paul reminds us, ‘What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever’ (2 Corinthians 4:18 NCV). It’s a gentle reminder that our looks aren’t lasting, but our inner qualities are. Paul was described like this: ‘in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing’ (2 Corinthians 10:10 NIV). But while his physical appearance wasn’t notable, what he will be remembered for are these words: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now, a crown is being held for me – a crown for being right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give the crown on that day – not only to me but to all those who have waited with love for him to come again’ (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NCV). So today, let’s focus on our inner, not our outer, qualities.

What Now?

Each time you do something to enhance your appearance, like brushing your hair or putting on jewellery, pray that your inner qualities would shine even more brightly and reflect aspects of God’s character to those around you.

Exodus 25-26, Matthew 20:17-34

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WORD FOR YOU

Wonderfully complex
09 FEBRUARY 2022

‘Pray without ceasing.’
1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV

The more we discover about God’s creation, the more we realise what an amazing designer He is and how intricate His designs really are. Here’s just one example: Andrew Newberg is a neuroscientist who specialises in studying the relationship between spiritual phenomena, religion, and the human brain. His research has led to the discovery that there are areas in our brains that can be shown to respond to prayer, reading and meditating on sacred texts, group worship, hymn singing, and empathy for other people. The brain’s frontal lobe is used in focusing attention, rational thinking, and decision-making. It responds to prayer and meditation by helping to reduce stress levels, enhance our memory, and increase our capacity for compassion. Newberg’s research suggests that praying for even just a few minutes a day could help to slow the natural decline in our brains as we get older; on top of that, prayer and reading Scripture also appear to deactivate areas in the brain associated with anger, guilt, anxiety, depression, fear, resentment, and pessimism. The Bible tells us that God designed us to have a relationship with Him and that we need to ‘pray without ceasing’, and Newberg’s research seems to back that up. So let’s allow the word of Christ to dwell in us richly (see Colossians 3:16 KJV), and join with the psalmist in praising our ingenious and loving Father: ‘Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous’ (Psalm 139:14 NLT). He wants to have a relationship with us so much that He hard-wired us for that exact purpose. That’s how much He loves us.

What Now?

If you don’t already, set aside some time every day for Bible reading, prayer, and worship. If you can’t manage to do all three together, try taking several shorter times throughout the day and focus on a different thing each time.

Exodus 31-33, Matthew 22:1-22