[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Overcoming rejection (3)

‘She perceives that her merchandise is good.’
Proverbs 31:18 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 20 AUG 2020

The mistakes you have made may be big, bad, and oft repeated. But they haven’t changed God’s mind about you.

‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you…will be rebuilt’ (Jeremiah 31:3-4 NIV). Yes, God will correct you when you need it.

But His correction is not rejection – it’s proof of His love. ‘The Lord disciplines the one he loves’ (Hebrews 12:6 NIV).

God’s purpose in discipline is to develop you to your highest potential. So don’t let anyone put you down.

Be your authentic self when you’re with others. Focus on what you have to give, rather than on how others perceive you.

Don’t put on airs, brag, or name-drop in an attempt to level the playing field. You are already equal – even if you don’t have a similar education, experience, financial status, social standing, or background.

Since when did such things make anybody inherently superior to another – especially in the eyes of your heavenly Father? If your goal in life is to please everyone and have them speak well of you, your self-worth will always be at their mercy.

Solomon describes the qualities of a virtuous woman. Here’s one of them: ‘She perceives that her merchandise is good.’

This woman wasn’t prideful, she was just confident in who God had made her to be and the assignment He had given her to fulfil. Her confidence came from within, not from without.

Solomon ends the chapter in these words: ‘Honour her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise’ (Proverbs 31:31 NIVUK).

Proverbs 16-18, 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Overcoming rejection (4)

‘If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.’
Luke 17:3 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 21 AUG 2020

Sometimes you are called upon to confront behaviour that negatively affects you. Jesus said, ‘If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.’

Now, that doesn’t give you the right to vent your anger or charge in like a bull in a china shop. Jesus also said, ‘And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, “I repent,” you shall forgive him’ (v. 4 NKJV).

And here’s another thought: respect the other person’s decision not to pursue a relationship with you. They may not belong in your life, and you may not belong in theirs.

Think about the last time you went shopping. Did you purchase every single item you examined?

Of course not. Did you reject them because they were inferior?

Surely not. You simply decided they were not for you.

Of course, if you experience a pattern of rejection and you’re baffled about the cause, you may want to consider finding out why. ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful’ (Proverbs 27:6 KJV).

Sometimes it’s wise to ask, ‘I’d like to get some feedback from you for my personal development. My objective here is not to resume our relationship.

I would just like to ask what it was that made you decide to terminate it. I’d really appreciate your honest feedback.’ Be sure to project an upbeat attitude, not a negative one. Listen objectively, and don’t be defensive. You are gathering information.

And be willing to change if there is merit to what they say.

Proverbs 19-21, 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Be content with your calling (1)

‘There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.’
1 Corinthians 12:5 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 22 AUG 2020

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in ministry is to compare yourself to someone else. In fact, it’s been said that if any two of us are identical, one of us may be unnecessary!

The apostle Paul writes, ‘There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.’ It’s true that without help from others, you’ll never become all you can be, but God wants you to be mentored, not cloned.

He has called each of us to emphasise certain truths at different times. For example, John emphasised love, Solomon emphasised wisdom, and Paul’s major emphasis was grace over law.

The need determines the emphasis. If God calls you to be a pastor or church leader, it’s like being a general practitioner.

If He calls you to be an evangelist or a teacher, He’s calling you to be a specialist. ‘For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills’ (vv. 8-11 NKJV). Not everyone will understand or appreciate your style of ministry. And that’s okay – it’s not a popularity contest.

You’re called to be a servant, not a star. And a major prerequisite for ministry is ‘that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful’ (1 Corinthians 4:2 NIV).

Proverbs 22-24, 1 Corinthians 16

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Be content with your calling (2)

‘We make it our goal to please him.’
2 Corinthians 5:9 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 23 AUG 2020

Paul writes: ‘We make it our goal to please him…For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad’ (vv. 9-10 NIVUK). If pleasing people is your main goal in life, you’ll be disappointed.

The moment you stop pleasing them, chances are they’ll criticise you or leave you. Plus, they won’t be with you when you stand at the judgment seat of Christ to be evaluated and rewarded! Bottom line: you’re not assigned to everybody!

So once you discover your God-given gift, ask, ‘Lord, to whom are You sending me?’ ‘One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.

For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God’ (Acts 18:9-11 NIV).

To whom has God sent you? As surely as a plant only thrives in the right kind of soil, you’ll only succeed in the place to which God has assigned you.

Peter did well preaching to the Jewish people, whereas Paul writes, ‘God…was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles’ (Galatians 1:15-16 NIV). You must love people, and listen to the right people.

But when it comes to your calling – you must be led by God! So go where He sends you and trust Him to take care of you.

Luke 16:1-15, Psalms 87-88

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Stay out of harm’s way

‘Run from anything that stimulates…lusts.’
2 Timothy 2:22 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 24 AUG 2020

The Bible sets the scene for us: ‘“You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are!

My bed is spread with…coloured sheets of Egyptian linen…Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses, for my husband is not home.

He’s away on a long trip…and won’t return until later this month”…and enticed him with her flattery. He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter…like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart…like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life’ (Proverbs 7:15-23 NLT).

Let’s modernise the setting. The bed could be a water bed or the back seat of a car.

The linens could be plush carpet in front of a fireplace. The spices could be beer and pizza accompanied by soft background music.

Today we call such liaisons ‘friends with benefits’. It means each has all the benefits of sexual intimacy without a shred of commitment or concern for the other person’s well-being.

And experts can document a growing mountain of evidence that it always ends the same way: with guilt, depression, and devastated lives. Solomon pleads: ‘Listen to me, my sons…pay attention to my words.

Don’t let your hearts stray away towards her. Don’t wander down her wayward path.

For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. Her house is the road to the grave.

Her bedroom is the den of death’ (vv. 24-27 NLT). In other words: remove yourself from harm’s way before you get in over your head!

Proverbs 25-26, 2 Corinthians 1

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Develop an attitude of gratitude

‘Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.’
1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 25 AUG 2020

God is crystal clear on this issue: we are all called to be thanks-givers. Who? You! When? In all circumstances! Why? Because it’s God’s will for you!

Whatever else you may be confused about concerning God’s will, this part is clear. It’s not a suggestion – it’s a commandment.

And since there are more commands in Scripture about thanksgiving than anything else, God evidently enjoys receiving thanks. The psalmist said, ‘I will praise the name of God with a song, and…magnify him with thanksgiving.

This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock’ (Psalm 69:30-31 KJV). Why does God need to remind us to give thanks?

For the same reason you remind your child to do it – it’s considerate, and until it becomes habitual, we forget! David, a man after God’s own heart, prodded his often-forgetful soul into thanksgiving: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits’ (Psalm 103:2 KJV).

When you feel ungrateful, stop and read David’s ‘benefit list’ in your Bible – it will fire up your attitude of gratitude. Even when circumstances don’t look good, God can turn them around for your benefit.

In all things He deserves your thanks. Even at his lowest point in the belly of a whale, Jonah recognised the need to thank God, and ‘out of the belly of hell cried…I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving’ (Jonah 2:2, 9 KJV).

So make a habit of ‘giving thanks always for all things unto God’ (Ephesians 5:20 KJV). In other words, develop an attitude of gratitude.

Proverbs 27-29, 2 Corinthians 2

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Love them for who they are

‘Love never fails.’
1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 26 AUG 2020

The words of a popular song go, ‘I love you for a hundred thousand reasons, but most of all I love you ’cause you’re you.’ There’s great truth in that song, particularly when it comes to children.

Christian psychologist Dr James Dobson writes: ‘When the birth of a first child is imminent, the parents pray that he will be normal – that is, average. But from that moment on, average will not be good enough for them.

Their child must excel. He must succeed. He must triumph.

He must be the first of his age to walk or talk or ride a tricycle. He must earn a stunning report card and amaze his teachers with his wit and wisdom.

He must star in little league, and later be quarterback or senior class president. His sister must be the cheerleader or soloist or the homecoming queen.

Throughout the formative years, some parents give their children the same message day after day: “We’re counting on you to do something fantastic. Don’t disappoint us.”

Unfortunately, exceptional children are just that – exceptions. Seldom does a five-year-old memorise the King James Bible, or play chess blindfolded, or compose symphonies.

The vast majority of our children are not dazzlingly brilliant. They’re just plain kids, with an oversized need to be loved and accepted as they are.

Most parents have average kids. To expect more sets the stage for considerable disappointment for parents, and puts unrealistic pressure on the younger generation.’

Now let’s recall the song: ‘Most of all I love you ’cause you’re you.’ If you take that message to heart, one day your children will rise up and call you ‘blessed’ (see Proverbs 31:28).

Proverbs 30-31, 2 Corinthians 3

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Praying according to God’s will

‘You do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.’
James 4:3 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 27 AUG 2020

When you pray for the salvation of a loved one, you never have to wonder if it’s God’s will. His will is clearly spelled out in Scripture: ‘God…wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth’ (1 Timothy 2:3-4 NIV).

However, when it comes to praying for things that aren’t clearly promised in Scripture, you should say, ‘If it be Thy will.’ Why? Because the Bible says, ‘When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.’

Sometimes we have a hard time accepting this truth because we’re convinced our petitions are justified. But unless your heart is pure towards God and your will is lined up with His, your motives for asking can be tainted by self-interest.

John says: ‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears – whatever we ask – we know…we have what we asked of him’ (1 John 5:14-15 NIV).

When you pray for something you’re not sure is in keeping with the mind of God, you should pray, ‘If it be Thy will.’ This doesn’t mean you’re weak in faith when you say, ‘Lord, I want this thing – if it’s Your will, fits in with Your plan, is Your best for me, and it’s in Your timing.’

Paul says, ‘We can see and understand only a little about God now’ (1 Corinthians 13:12 TLB). We see only a partial picture, but God has complete knowledge of the situation from beginning to end.

So pray in faith, and trust God for the right results.

Ecclesiastes 1-3, 2 Corinthians 4

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Stop!

‘When Jesus heard him, he stopped.’
Luke 18:40 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 28 AUG 2020

Is there room in your schedule for interruptions? Author Jon Walker writes: ‘Jesus stopped when people needed help.

He saw interruptions as opportunities to show God’s love. Woe to those who are so busy saving the world that they ignore the perceived interruptions of those in need.

Like the Good Samaritan, we should be ready to stop for someone who’s hurting. “Whoever…sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart…how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17 NKJV).

When Jesus acted out of love, people recognised “God…at work among them” (Luke 7:16 MSG).’ Chuck Swindoll writes: ‘The One who said, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) must hurt when He witnesses our frantic, compulsive, agitated motions. In place of a quiet, responsive spirit, we offer Him an inner washing machine – churning with anxiety…activity…resentment and impatience.

But you can change. Here’s how. Admit it. Acknowledge that you’re too busy and something must be done – NOW.

I did that recently, and through tears my family and I cleared some bridges the thorns had overgrown. Stop it.

Starting today, refuse every activity that isn’t absolutely necessary. Sound ruthless?

So is the clock. So is your health…Quit feeling so important.

They’ll find somebody else to sit on the committee…or they’ll wise up and adopt a better plan. Maintain it.

It is easy to start fast and fade quickly. Paul told the Galatians, “You were running…well.

Who…held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God…he is the one who called you to freedom” (Galatians 5:7-8 NLT).

Share it. Once you start gleaning the benefits from reordering your priorities…tell other “activity-addicts.”

They’d love to stop – if they only knew how.’

Ecclesiastes 4-6, 2 Corinthians 5

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

How to negotiate well (1)

‘There is…A time for every purpose under heaven.’
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 29 AUG 2020

In order to negotiate well, it helps to understand what’s happening on both sides of the table. People seldom buy a product for the reason you want to sell it.

If you show more interest in making a profit than meeting their need, you’ll fail. So here are a few things to keep in mind when negotiating with someone:

1) The right attitude. Nobody likes being taken for granted, coerced, and pressured.

2) The cost involved for others. There’s a world of difference between negotiating with someone who has so much money that whatever the cost they can afford it, and someone who is sacrificing because they really need your product.

If you want a long-term customer rather than a short-term sale, practise the Golden Rule: ‘Whatever you want others to do for you, do for them’ (see Matthew 7:12).

3) The proper timing. Solomon tells us there’s ‘A time to gain, And a time to lose’ (Ecclesiastes 3:6 NKJV).

Whether you’re asking for a raise or trying to sell a product to a customer, timing is all-important. When someone is hungry, lonely, angry, tired, stressed, or in a crisis, you risk losing out, whereas if you’d waited for the right time, chances are you’d have won.

Does God really care about stuff like that? Yes. ‘God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business’ (Proverbs 16:11 MSG).

As a follower of Christ, you want both sides to walk away feeling they were treated fairly.

Ecclesiastes 7-9, 2 Corinthians 6