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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Overcoming your insecurity (1)
14 NOVEMBER 2021

‘Our competence comes from God. He has made us competent.’
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 NIV

Insecurity can sideline you. When you feel like you’re unqualified and unworthy of success, self-doubt can make you act in ways that sabotage your chances to be successful. The truth is, it’s impossible to live for long on a level that’s inconsistent with how you see yourself.

And one of the biggest problems with insecurity is that it’s almost impossible to acknowledge, so you don’t deal with it and overcome it. Why is that? Because you’re afraid that an admission of vulnerability will 1) weaken you in other people’s eyes, 2) empower and embolden your critics, and 3) give your competitors an advantage.

Insecurity makes you keep others at a distance. It means living without the counsel and support of the very people whose input can help you to succeed. Bottom line: you have a hard time trusting other people because you have a hard time trusting yourself! It’s not a new phenomenon. Recorded in the Old Testament, Zophar said to Job, ‘In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress’ (Job 20:22 NKJV).

Note the word ‘distress’, then think of the word ‘stress’. Your insecurity will whisper, ‘If people really knew me, they wouldn’t love me, respect me, follow me, invite me, or invest in me.’ So…what’s the answer? Paul has it! He writes, ‘Not that we are competent…to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent.’ The first step to overcoming insecurity is to draw your self-worth from God and learn to see yourself through His eyes. And you can only do that by spending time with Him in prayer and reading His Word each day.

Luke 21:20-38, Psalms 116-188

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Overcoming your insecurity (2)
15 NOVEMBER 2021

‘God can pour on the blessings…so that you’re ready for anything and everything.’
2 Corinthians 9:8 MSG

If your sense of well-being comes from any source other than God – including yourself – chances are you will always struggle with insecurity. That’s why Paul wrote: ‘God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so…you’re ready for anything and everything, more than…ready to do what needs to be done.’ Another translation puts it this way: ‘God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work’ (NIV).

As long as you’re trusting in yourself, or others, you will struggle with uncertainty and self-doubt. But once you start trusting in God – what He can do in you, with you, through you, and for you – you begin to feel differently about yourself. Insecurity destroys your self-esteem by making you feel unqualified and undeserving. And here is the worst part: often it means you can’t be taught, can’t accept honest criticism, and therefore you can’t grow.


The thing you need most – good input – becomes the last thing you’re willing to accept because you’re afraid to let anyone know you’re less than perfect. Consequently, you find it hard to confront challenges and seize the opportunities that come your way.

Deep down, you feel incompetent, unaccepted, disapproved of, and rejected. In short: insecurity is an ‘inside job’! With that in mind, take an honest look at your life right now. Go ahead; it’s safe, no one else is looking! The only person who will benefit from this is you. Then turn to God and say, ‘Lord, everything I need to succeed in life I have in you!’

Ezekiel 27-29, James 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™


Try praying – and fasting!
16 NOVEMBER 2021

‘He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.’
Mark 9:29 KJV

Are you facing a problem that prayer alone hasn’t yet solved? Do you have a loved one who has been taken captive by drugs, or alcohol, or some other destructive power? Try praying – and fasting. Sometimes the spiritual battle you’re in is so intense that it calls for denying the legitimate needs of your body and building up your faith through prayer and fasting so that you are able to prevail.

Jesus had told His disciples, ‘He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also’ (John 14:12 KJV), yet when the disciples were confronted with a demon-possessed boy with self-destructive tendencies, they were disappointed because they prayed and nothing happened. And when they asked Jesus why, He said to them, ‘This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.’ When the Jewish people were threatened with annihilation, only the king could save them.

So Esther said, ‘Gather all the Jews…and fast for me…I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king’ (Esther 4:16 NKJV). As a result, Haman, who had plotted their destruction, was hanged on his own gallows, and the entire Jewish nation was saved.

There are times in life when you must say no to your physical needs so that you can focus on your spiritual ones. Fasting sharpens your focus in prayer, fortifies your faith, prepares you to meet a challenge, and brings miraculous results. Fasting is about having single-mindedness in your search for God’s help – and it brings great results.

Ezekiel 30-32, James 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Have an attitude of faith
17 NOVEMBER 2021

‘Everything that has happened to me here has helped.’
Philippians 1:12 NLT

Shortly before he was executed, Paul wrote: ‘I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear’ (vv. 12-14 NLT). Later on, he wrote, ‘Always be full of joy’ (Philippians 4:4 NLT).

Paul had a PMA: a positive mental attitude. He couldn’t control his environment, but he chose an attitude that enabled him to overcome it. Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones said: ‘Have you realised that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you’re listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?’ (emphasis added). When you meet people, do you tell yourself they will let you down? When you face new experiences, does a voice within you tell you you’re going to fail? A man came upon a Little League baseball game one afternoon when he was walking in the park.

He stopped and asked a boy in the dugout about the score. He responded, ‘Eighteen to nothing – we’re behind.’ The man said, ‘I bet you’re discouraged.’ The little boy replied, ‘Why should I be discouraged? We haven’t been up to bat yet!’ What a difference an attitude of faith makes! The last words recorded in the Bible are these: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen’ (Revelation 22:21 NKJV). Have faith – God will give you the grace to handle it!

Ezekiel 33-34, James 5

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Walking with a limp
18 NOVEMBER 2021

‘He was limping because of the injury to his hip.’
Genesis 32:31 NLT

Concerning Jacob, the Bible tells us: ‘A man came and wrestled with him until…dawn began to break…He touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked.

He replied, “Jacob.” “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”…Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face”….The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping’ (vv. 24-28, 30-31 NLT). Imagine the importance of a hip bone to a farmer like Jacob. It was something he leaned on every day, and now he was weak in an area where he had prided himself on being strong. As a result, he had to depend on God as never before.

God has children like Jacob who walk with a limp, and you may be one of them. Perhaps you have experienced a painful failure, and because a limp isn’t something you can hide, people notice it. God loves to use flawed people because when they become successful, they aren’t arrogant like others who think they deserve it. They’re a little warmer, a little more willing to reach out and embrace others. They understand that without God they wouldn’t have made it. When you limp spiritually, you have to depend on God more, and that’s not a liability – it’s an asset!

Ezekiel 35-36, 1 Peter 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Don’t judge a book by its cover
19 NOVEMBER 2021

‘Look beneath the surface.’
John 7:24 NLT

John Wesley said, ‘We should be rigorous in judging ourselves and gracious in judging others.’ Why did Jesus say, ‘Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly’? (v. 24 NLT). Because He had experienced the pain of rejection and misunderstanding. ‘He came unto his own, and his own received him not’ (John 1:11 KJV).

The apostle James writes: ‘How can you claim to have faith in…Christ if you favour some people over others…give special attention…to the rich…but…say to the poor…“Stand…there, or…sit on the floor”…Doesn’t this discrimination show…your judgments are guided by evil motives?…If you favour some people over others, you are committing a sin’ (James 2:1, 3-4, 9 NLT). The story is told that when country singer Lonzo Green’s nephew Jimmy asked him to tune a friend’s guitar, he agreed. The problem was Jimmy’s friend was from the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ and Jimmy’s parents wouldn’t allow him inside their house where Uncle Lonzo was visiting. So they decided to meet outside.

As the kid approached, Green noticed his self-consciousness and sideways glances at the upscale neighbourhood. Lonzo, who had experienced poverty and discrimination in his own life, tuned the boy’s old guitar, played a few songs, and taught him some chords.

The young man thanked him and left with a warm memory he would carry throughout the rest of his remarkable life. Eventually that boy crossed the tracks for good with his guitar and soft, polite drawl and hesitant smile, and was never unwelcome again. That’s because the boy who wasn’t allowed in the house that day was – Elvis Presley!

Ezekiel 37-39, 1 Peter 2

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A memo from heaven
20 NOVEMBER 2021

‘Conquer evil by doing good.’
Romans 12:21 TLB

It’s easy to forget why God saved you, what He’s called you to do, and how you’re supposed to live. So here’s a memo from heaven: ‘Don’t just pretend that you love others: really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of good. Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honouring each other.

Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble and prayerful always. When God’s children are in need, you be the one to help them out... If someone mistreats you… pray that God will bless him.

When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. Work happily together. Don’t try to act big. Don’t try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of ordinary folks. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone will see you are honest clear through. Don’t quarrel with anyone.

Be at peace with everyone, just as much as possible… never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for He has said that He will repay those who deserve it... Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty give him something to drink and you will be heaping coals of fire on his head. In other words, he will feel ashamed of himself for what he has done to you. Don’t let evil get the upper hand but conquer evil by doing good’ (vv. 9-21 TLB).

Ezekiel 40-41, 1 Peter 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

To be godly is to be good (1)
21 NOVEMBER 2021

‘The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight.’
Proverbs 15:26 NIV

Sometimes we say to people, half in jest, ‘Try to be good. And if you can’t be good, be careful!’ The idea being that if you decide not to be good, make sure you’re clever enough not to get caught. But in reality, our lack of goodness is no laughing matter. In the words of Robert Fitch: ‘Ours is an age where ethics has become obsolete. Morality is superseded by science, deleted by philosophy, and dismissed as emotive by psychology.

It drowns in compassion, evaporates in aesthetics, and retreats before relativism. The usual moral distinctions between good and bad are simply bathed in a maudlin emotion in which we feel more sympathy for the murderer than the murdered, for the adulterer than for the betrayed, and in which we have actually begun to believe that the real guilty party – the one who somehow caused it all – is the victim and not the perpetrator of the crime.’ Those are sobering thoughts.

Things that were once considered black or white are now categorised as grey. Goodness that used to meet a universal standard is now a matter of personal interpretation and preference. And an epidemic of public officials whose private conduct leaves us shocked hasn’t made things any better. Right about now you may be thinking, ‘I read this Devotional every day to get something that will help me feel good, and today isn’t doing it.’ That’s the whole point! In order to feel good, the Bible says you must practise doing good and being good, which makes you a ‘pleasure’ to God.

Luke 22:1-38, Psalms 119:1-88

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To be godly is to be good (2)
22 NOVEMBER 2021

‘They acted with complete honesty.’
2 Kings 12:15 NIV

In the Old Testament, when King Joash repaired the temple, we’re told: ‘The money brought into the temple…was paid to the workers…They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty’ (vv. 13-15 NIV). And because integrity was practised, the nation of Israel prospered.

James Madison, one of America’s Founding Fathers and a signatory to the Constitution, wrote: ‘The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.’ Nowadays, most surveys show that trust in our political and business leaders is at the lowest point on record. We believe they have only two things in mind: to get rich and to stay in power.

And sadly, good leaders receive the same broad-brush stigma. So what should you do? 1) Pray for those in authority. Prayer is the conduit through which God’s influence is brought to bear in any situation. If you believe that, you will pray. 2) Support godly leadership.

The Bible says, ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people’ (Proverbs 14:34 KJV). Take an interest in their decisions, and praise those actions which show God’s influence at work. 3) Get personally involved. Edmund Burke is attributed with saying, ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ One person, plus God, can change things. So endeavour to be that person!

Ezekiel 42-44, 1 Peter 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

You must know truth from error
23 NOVEMBER 2021

‘An enemy has done this!’
Matthew 13:28 NLT

‘Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. The farmer’s workers went to him and said, “Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds!”…“An enemy has done this!” the farmer exclaimed. “Should we pull out the weeds?” they asked. “No,” he replied, “you’ll uproot the wheat if you do.

Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds”’ (vv. 24-30 NLT). There are two important lessons here. 1) You must know God’s Word so well that error, regardless of how convincingly it’s presented, can’t mislead you. Paul warned the leaders of the church at Ephesus: ‘Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!’ (Acts 20:30-31 NIV). 2) You must stay spiritually awake and alert.

Notice, the seeds that were sown that night didn’t produce a harvest of weeds until later. And at that point they could not be uprooted. Perhaps you think this is no big deal. Think again! One degree off course may seem harmless enough. But if you stay on that trajectory long enough, spiritually speaking, you will end up far from where God wants you to be and realise ‘an enemy has done this!’ So what is the answer? ‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…to fellowship…the breaking of bread and…prayer’ (Acts 2:42 NIV).

Ezekiel 45-46, 1 Peter 5