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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



Don’t be a know-it-all
08 JULY 2021


‘The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge.’
Proverbs 12:23 NLT


Do you have a hard time refraining from offering unsolicited advice? Do you routinely use expressions like ‘You should’, or ‘You shouldn’t’? People tend to resent someone who always assumes that they know what’s best for them. Even when you feel like you’ve earned the right to speak into someone’s life, proceed with caution.


Saying ‘Have you considered?’ sounds a lot less controlling, and will be more readily received, than telling somebody ‘You must’, or ‘You mustn’t’. As one author writes: ‘Even if you have knowledge and insight into a certain situation, sometimes it’s prudent to keep silent and give another the joy and fulfilment of explaining it.’ Being an ‘expert’ on almost every topic is a sure indication of pride, and it’s repulsive to God and man.

Even if you’re brilliant but humble, your very presence can cause those with low self-esteem to feel uncomfortable and inferior. Displaying intellectual superiority simply alienates people, and can cause them to look for areas of weakness in your life in order to cut you down to size.


If you tend to be a know-it-all, you may need to do some honest soul-searching. Is your display of knowledge a disguise for insecurity? Do you long for attention or appreciation from others because you’re not getting it from the source you desire? Try this: listen attentively, ask for ideas, resist correcting and disputing, and limit your opinion to one or two points.

You’ll be surprised how quickly your relationships will start to improve. People enjoy a dialogue, not a monologue, so live by this time-tested scriptural principle: ‘The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge.’

2 Chronicles 34-36, Romans 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Are you successful but unfulfilled?
09 JULY 2021


‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart.’
Proverbs 3:5 NKJV


In 1987 the Minnesota Twins baseball star Kirby Puckett saw a childhood dream come true when he led his team to a World Series Championship. Greg Gagne, the Twins’ shortstop, described the scene in the clubhouse after their win.

He related the hugging, the shouting, the laughing, the obligatory dousing of champagne over the players’ heads, and the presentation of the trophy.

But the memory that would stick with him forever, he said, took place ten minutes into the celebration when he noticed the normally ebullient Puckett sitting silently on a stool away from everyone else.

Gagne wove his way through the media, players, and coaches, sat down beside Puckett and asked him what he was thinking about.

With deep sadness in his eyes, Puckett said, ‘If this is all there is to it, life is pretty empty.’ Can you relate? You may have a great job, an excellent salary, a fine house, a wonderful family, good health, and even a low golf handicap – but no real peace.

If so, you’re not alone. There are multitudes of people out there just like you.

King Solomon’s fame spread throughout the world. In his day he had more money than Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk combined. Yet he wrote, ‘When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless’ (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NIV). What answer did Solomon come up with? ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths’ (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV).

Ezra 1-2, Romans 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Fishing lessons (1)
10 JULY 2021


‘He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s.’
Luke 5:3 NKJV


Lesson one: Invite Jesus into your boat. That’s the starting point! Always! Nothing has greater influence on your personal success than whether or not you have Jesus Christ in your life. By himself, Peter fished all night and caught nothing.

But when he brought Jesus on board, he caught more fish than he had ever caught before. Now, Jesus never performed a miracle without a purpose.

He always used His miracles to illustrate principles. So this incident teaches you what to do when you’ve failed, or when your best is not good enough. For Peter, his boat represented his livelihood.


When you’re a fisherman, your boat is your business! It’s significant that Peter invited Jesus into his business, and Jesus used it as a platform for his ministry.

Are you willing to do what Peter did? If you are, the Lord will bless your business. Indeed, He’ll bless anything you give Him.

If you give Him all your life, He will bless all of it. But if you give Him just part of it, He will bless just that one part.


And here’s another thought: having Jesus in your boat eliminates the fear of failure and reduces your worries about the results. When Peter made Jesus his fishing partner, the results were incredible. But don’t miss the sequence. First, Peter used his boat for Jesus’ purposes.

Then Jesus blessed Peter’s boat and used it to take care of all Peter’s needs. Jesus said, ‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need’ (Matthew 6:33 NLT). Did you get that? ‘Everything you need.’

Ezra 3-4, Romans 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Fishing lessons (2)
11 JULY 2021


‘He and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish.’
Luke 5:9 NKJV


Lesson two: God is interested in your success. Peter knew Jesus was a great teacher and that He could even heal the sick. What he was about to learn, however, was that Jesus wants you to succeed in your career. Peter probably had the best nets, owned a good boat, and knew exactly where to catch the most fish. And his income depended on a good catch.

But after fishing all night and catching nothing, Peter made the best move of his life: he got Jesus involved in his business! Did you know that God wants you to succeed? Don’t you want your children to succeed? So does God.

The question is: do you take God to work with you? Is your business available to Him to use at any time? Is He able to minister to people through you? Too often we try to separate the secular from the spiritual; we have our Christian life nicely partitioned off from our career.

But this prevents God from blessing your business or job. When you realise this, if you’re wise you’ll begin to operate according to the principles of Scripture. Here’s one of God’s success principles for your business or career: ‘Study this Book of Instruction continually.

Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do’ (Joshua 1:8 NLT). God, who’s the CEO of the universe, says: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go’ (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV). Today claim that promise!

Luke 12:32-59, Psalms 70-71

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



Fishing lessons (3)
12 JULY 2021

‘Nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.’
Luke 5:5 NKJV


Lesson three: Cooperate with God’s plan for your life: ‘He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking’ (vv. 4-6 NKJV).

Jesus taught the disciples where to fish, when to fish, and how to fish. And He will teach you how to succeed in life too. But like Peter, sometimes your plan has to fail before you become willing to accept God’s plan.

And if that’s what it takes, God will let you fail. Notice two things: 1) Peter didn’t argue with Jesus, he simply obeyed.

As a professional fisherman, he may well have thought, ‘Lord, who are you to tell me how to fish?’ He may even have thought if he didn’t catch anything at night when the fish were usually biting, he surely wasn’t going to catch anything in the middle of the day when the sun was glaring down on the water.

But he didn’t argue; he just obeyed. You must too. 2) He didn’t listen to his feelings.

No doubt he was dog-tired from working all night. But he didn’t ask, ‘What’s the use? Why should I keep on going?’ Instead of being led by his feelings, he exercised faith in the promise of Christ – and the results were amazing. And if you’ll put your faith in Jesus today, He will do the same for you.

Ezra 6-8, Romans 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



Fishing lessons (4)
13 JULY 2021


‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets.’
Luke 5:4 NKJV


Lesson four: God’s plan for your life always involves risk. Why? Because He wants you to live by faith. Why do you think Jesus said to Peter, ‘Launch out into the deep’? Because that’s where the big fish are. Most people live out their days in the shallow waters of life.

They exist on a superficial level. There’s little depth to their lives; they’re content to play around the edge, never getting out into deeper water. Why? Because it’s safer in shallow water. They think, ‘If I get out into the deep water, there might be some waves. They might rock my boat, and it might overturn.

So I’ll just stay back here where it’s comfortable, and fiddle around.’ We barely get our feet wet because we’re afraid of getting in over our heads. We think, ‘If I really get serious about my commitment to the Lord, He may make me a fanatic. My family might get really upset.

What will my friends think? What if God asks me to do something I’m unable to do?’ So we’re content to stay in the shallows – and we miss out on so much.

Understand this: God’s plan for your life is a good plan, one that will work for your benefit (see Jeremiah 29:11-14). He says, ‘Let me get into your boat.

Let my presence be with you wherever you go – in your business, in your career, in your family, in your marriage, in every area. Let me direct you. Cooperate with my plan, and I will bless you beyond your wildest dreams.’ Why not take Him at His word today, and launch out in faith?

Ezra 9-10, Romans 6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Fishing lessons (5)
14 JULY 2021


‘Because you say so, I will.’
Luke 5:5 NIV


Lesson five: Stand on the promises of God. In their previous fishing attempt, the disciples were trusting in their own experience and ability. But this time they were trusting in Christ’s promise: ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch’ (v. 4 NIV).

Now, Jesus didn’t specifically say, ‘Peter, if you go fishing with me, I promise you a big catch.’ He didn’t need to say it because Peter realised that when Christ told him to go fishing, and then got into his boat, and then told him exactly where to put down the net, there was no way it was going to come up empty! Peter expected God to act. He expected Him to keep His promise.

When you get God’s presence in your boat, God’s plan in your head, and God’s promises in your heart, you can’t fail. Maybe you’re saying, ‘That sounds great, but you don’t know my circumstances. Right now I’m defeated by the problems I’m experiencing.

I’m having some hard times.’ If you’re feeling beaten by your circumstances, do this: read your Bible, find a specific promise from God, and start claiming it.

Start expecting God to act, and you’ll find that His promise will inject new hope into your situation. Just because you haven’t solved your problem doesn’t mean the solution doesn’t exist. With God, success often begins at the point of failure.

It’s after you’ve ‘fished all night and caught nothing’, that He steps in. So the word for today is – don’t give up! Try again. This time do it with Jesus in your boat, and He will make all the difference.

Nehemiah 1-3, Romans 7

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Do the right thing by others
15 JULY 2021


‘Teach those who are rich…to do good.’
1 Timothy 6:17-18 NLT


Taskmasters don’t come much tougher than Bob Thompson. For forty years he pushed his highway workers hard six days a week from April to December to finish the job before the first frost. Their loyalty, sweat, and hard work helped make him a very rich man.

Thompson remembered this and returned the favour. When he sold his company, Michigan’s largest asphalt and paving business, he gave his 550 current and retired employees $128 million (about £96 Million) from his gains. Even surviving spouses got cheques. Some ninety employees became instant millionaires.

Thompson started the Thompson–McCully Company with $3,500 (about £2,600) his wife, Ellen, earned from substitute teaching. The first five years in business were challenging.
Thompson didn’t take a salary.

So why later did he give away so much of his fortune? ‘It was the right thing to do,’ he said. ‘You realise the people around you have gone through all the pain and suffering with you. I wanted to pay them back.’ When the cheques were handed out, Thompson wasn’t present.

He said, ‘I didn’t want to be there because it gets too emotional.’ This man practised what the apostle Paul talked about: ‘Teach those who are rich…to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.’ Doing good isn’t a moonlighting occupation, it’s a full-time job.

The person of character is guided by the North Star of goodness that leads him or her to ask in every situation, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’ And the answer is always: ‘Do the right thing by others.’

Nehemiah 4-6, Romans 8:1-21

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Never betray a confidence
16 JULY 2021


]‘A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.’
Proverbs 11:13 NIV



Betrayal is worse than gossip. A gossip may not necessarily harbour ill will towards his or her victim; but a betrayer knowingly divulges information in a breach of confidence. They commit ‘relational treason’ by violating the trust someone has placed in them.

Judas was in a position to betray Jesus with very little effort because he was familiar with His comings and goings. The Bible says, ‘Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples’ (John 18:2 NIV). Judas used his inside knowledge of Jesus’ tendencies to hurt Him. Then later his behaviour engendered such self-loathing that he committed suicide.


Acts of betrayal eat away at your self-esteem and sense of dignity. So, have you ever breached a confidence? If so, why did you do it? What was the reward? Did you gain some inside advantage? What were you envious or resentful of at the time? Was there an unresolved conflict between you and the other person? Have you repented of what you did? Conversely, has someone betrayed your confidence? If so, were you reaping what you had sown? What valuable lesson did you learn from it? Have you freed the offender in your heart, and no longer desire retribution? If not, you’re still bound to them and they’re controlling your

life. Drop it! Remind yourself that, ‘All things work together for good to those who love God’ (Romans 8:28 NKJV). Strive to become a trustworthy person others can depend on to guard their secrets. And if you’re blessed to have a trustworthy friend yourself, thank God for them!

Nehemiah 7-9, Romans 8:22-39

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Are you worried? Pray about it!
17 JULY 2021


‘Don’t worry about anything;…pray about everything.’
Philippians 4:6 TLB


If after praying, your emotions are still in turmoil – pray more. By cultivating the discipline of frequent prayer, you’ll discover the ability to remain calm and quiet. As you wait before the Lord, you’ll find relief from fear’s grip on your spirit.

You might be tempted to think your prayer was ineffective, or you somehow failed because your anxiety returned – perhaps as soon as you said ‘Amen’. Just take persistent anxiety as a signal that you need more time with God; reviewing all the details of your problem, telling Him how much it plagues you, and sometimes even admitting that you’re afraid He won’t handle it soon enough.


Having a deep, persistent concern for a problem isn’t the same as worry. Worry is choosing to fret instead of turning it completely over to God. So if you tend to worry a lot, pray a lot. Pray, ‘Lord, this is Your problem to fix. You take control.

Let me know what You want me to do if I’m to be involved in the solution. By leaving it with You, I’ll consider it solved.’ At that point discipline your mind not to worry, and not to continue seeking answers or trying to find the solution.

You have solved the problem by giving it to God, and your major responsibility now is to wait for His leading.

When He wants you to act, He will make it clear. As you wait before Him, He will direct your thoughts to the next step you should take. And if there’s nothing He leads you to do – do nothing more. He will take it from there.

Nehemiah 10-11, Romans 9:1-15