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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Go back and make things right
13 JANUARY 2022

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

A legacy, good or bad, is something handed down from one person to another. I hope, over time, God has healed your hurts and you have moved on, but what are you leaving behind? The harsh words you spoke may have been based on what was happening in your life at the time, but now you see things more clearly. It’s wonderful when you move from resenting others to forgiving them – but have you left unhealed wounds? James writes, ‘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). Your words can do lasting damage, and that should concern you. Paul writes, ‘See…that no one falls short of the grace of God and…no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many’ (Hebrews 12:15 NIV). Have you planted seeds that caused a root of bitterness to grow in someone’s heart? If possible, you must make amends by seeking forgiveness and trying to set the record straight with those you have left festering over a situation you now feel differently about. It’s humbling, but you must do it because you won’t feel right towards God until you’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 writes: ‘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.’

Genesis 27-28, Matthew 8:19-34

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Be wise – say nothing!
14 JANUARY 2022

‘The prudent hold their tongues.’
Proverbs 10:19 NIV

The story is told of a wealthy grandfather who went to his doctor to be fitted for a unique hearing aid. The device not only allowed him to hear perfectly, it was hidden so no one could see it. When he went back for a follow-up visit, the doctor said, ‘Your family must be happy to know that now you can hear.’ The grandfather said, ‘Well, I haven’t told them about my hearing aid. I just sit around and listen to their conversations – and I’ve already changed my will three times!’ The Bible says, ‘The prudent hold their tongues.’ And this isn’t only a law of speech, it’s a law of science. The odds of putting food in your mouth grow exponentially the more times you open it. To put it another way, the potential for saying the wrong thing rises proportionately to the amount of words you say. Ever notice that the person who habitually throws in their ‘two pennies’ worth’ frequently says something that’s worth about two pence, or less? The writer of Proverbs says, ‘Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them’ (Proverbs 29:20 NIV). A man walked into a pet shop one day, where a colourful parrot was sitting on a perch. The man looked at the bird, and in a cocky tone asked, ‘Hey, stupid, can you speak?’ To his amazement the parrot replied, ‘Yes, stupid, can you fly?’ Why does God say so much about offences of the tongue? Because when you sin with your tongue, you offend Him, affect others, and hurt yourself.

Genesis 29-30, Matthew 9:1-17

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Be gentle (1)
15 JANUARY 2022

‘Show a gentle attitude.’
Philippians 4:5 GNT

The Greek word used for gentleness means ‘strength under control’. It pictures a wild stallion that has been tamed. It doesn’t mean to be weak and wimpy. The only two people in the Bible who were called gentle – Moses and Jesus – were both strong. Gentleness is restraining your reactions. It’s choosing your response to people rather than merely reacting to them. For the next few days, let’s look at what it means to be gentle. When someone serves you, be thoughtful and not demanding. Paul writes, ‘Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing’ (Philippians 2:4 TLB). How do you treat restaurant servers, clerks, administrative assistants, employees, bank tellers, police officers, and others who serve you? Are you rude and difficult? Are you aloof and impersonal, as if they were just ‘part of the machinery’? Do you realise they may have had a difficult day too, or do you think only of yourself? The first way you develop gentleness is to try and understand the people who serve you. And the first place you should be gentle is at home. The Bible tells wives to adorn themselves with ‘a gentle…spirit’ (1 Peter 3:4 TLB). Peter is simply saying that gentleness can be more attractive than any clothes or jewellery you choose to wear. To husbands, the Bible says, ‘You husbands should try to understand the wives you live with’ (v. 7 PHPS). If you are normally insensitive and overbearing, you will have to work extra hard on this. The Scriptures say you must be understanding, not demanding towards the people who serve you and the people with whom you live.

Genesis 31-32, Matthew 9:18-38

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Be gentle (2)
16 JANUARY 2022

‘Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling.’
Romans 14:1 NIVUK

When someone upsets or disappoints you, God expects you to be gracious towards them instead of judgmental. The Bible says, ‘If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted’ (Galatians 6:1 NIV). You say, ‘Tempted how?’ Tempted to become judgmental or ‘holier than thou’. That’s the wrong response. ‘Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling.’ Instead of criticising their faults, you’re supposed to help strengthen their faith. You set yourself up for Satan’s attack in your own areas of weakness the moment you begin to pass judgment on someone else. What’s your reaction to people when they mess up their lives? Do you say, ‘I told you so,’ or ‘I could see it coming,’ or ‘It serves you right,’ or ‘How could you be such a fool?’ Jesus didn’t do that! His reaction to the woman caught committing adultery was full of compassion and sensitivity. He defended her publicly, then restored her privately. He was gracious, not judgmental. Why should you work at not being judgmental? Because that is the way Christ treated you. ‘Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God’ (Romans 15:7 NIV). God puts up with a lot from you, right? And if He puts up with your inconsistencies and weaknesses, you can learn to put up with other people’s shortcomings. Whenever you’re tempted to judge another person, pause and remember how much God has forgiven you. The more you recognise God’s grace to you, the more gracious you will be to others.

Luke 1:39-56, Psalms 7-9

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Be gentle (3)
17 JANUARY 2022

‘A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.’
Proverbs 15:1 GNT

When someone disagrees with you, be tender without surrender. You will never be able to please everyone. You will always meet people who like to argue and quarrel. Some people will contradict everything you say. How should you respond to them? One of the tests of spiritual maturity is how you handle those who disagree with you. Some people have a need to demolish anyone who disagrees with them. If you challenge them or offer a comparison, complaint, or criticism, they respond with a full-blown personal attack. Then what do you do? You have three alternatives: 1) You can retreat in fear. Many people choose this route because they haven’t developed the ability to respond in gentleness. So, if you’re a ‘peace at any price’ person, it will have hidden costs in your life’s most important relationships. 2) You can react in anger. Anger is often a tell-tale sign that you feel insecure and threatened by someone’s disapproval. It’s a warning light that tells you you’re about to lose something, often your self-esteem. When we become angry, often we become sarcastic and attack the other person’s self-worth. 3) You can respond in gentleness. ‘A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.’ This is the kind of response that requires a fine balance between maintaining your right to an opinion, while equally respecting another person’s right to their opinion. It requires being tender without surrendering your convictions. Sometimes you must stand by your convictions. But other times you will find you’re answering this question: ‘Is our relationship more important than the point I’m trying to prove?’

Genesis 33-35, Matthew 10:1-16

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Be gentle (4)
18 JANUARY 2022

‘Whoever heeds correction is honoured.’
Proverbs 13:18 NIVUK

When someone corrects you, be teachable and not unreachable. ‘Let every man be quick to listen but slow to use his tongue, and slow to lose his temper’ (James 1:19 PHPS). If you do the first two things, the third one naturally falls into place. If you are quick to listen and slow to answer back, you’re going to be slow to lose your temper. ‘Whoever heeds correction is honoured.’ So use your ears more than your mouth, and be willing to accept correction. The wisest people have a ‘teach me’ attitude and are willing to learn from others. You can learn from anyone, if you just know the right questions to ask. It is important that you never stop asking questions, because the moment you’re through learning in life, you’re through! Full stop! Be teachable, not unreachable. Husband, can you learn from your wife, or does that threaten you? When she makes a suggestion, do you get defensive? Do you take every comment as a threat to your manhood? Wife, can you learn from your husband? Parent, can you learn from your children? If you want to end up lonely in life, never admit your mistakes, never learn from anyone, and never let anyone teach you anything. How long has it been since you admitted to your spouse, ‘Honey, I was wrong; it was my fault’? Some people haven’t said that in years. The Bible says, ‘Humbly accept the word planted in you’ (James 1:21 NIV). The word ‘humble’ here means ‘gentle’. When you approach God’s Word, you ought to approach it with a gentle, or humble, attitude that says, ‘Lord, I’m willing to be taught.’

Genesis 36-38, Matthew 10:17-42

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

The story of Cyprian
19 JANUARY 2022

‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.’
Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV

Cyprian, a wealthy noble who lived during the third century, enjoyed galloping about Carthage in his gold and bejewelled chariot. He wore fancy clothes studded with diamonds and precious stones and lived a debauched life. In a letter to one of the Christian theologians of his time, Cyprian said he couldn’t possibly conceive how he could change his life – the life he had lived for so long. The inveterate habits, tastes, and desires that he had developed, the sins he clutched to his bosom, how could he possibly give these things up? How could he ever become like the Christians he saw? He said it seemed to him to be an utterly impossible thing. Yet in the mysterious providence and grace of God, that which seemed utterly impossible came to pass and Cyprian was transformed. God reached down and took out of Cyprian’s breast that stony heart and placed within him a heart of flesh – a heart tuned to love his God and sing his praises. Cyprian, who later became one of the great Christian leaders of the early church, said things that before had seemed utterly impossible, mysterious, and difficult to understand had all become plain. All his problems had disappeared. You say, ‘But I don’t understand the new birth.’ The good news is you don’t have to. You just have to trust in Christ and be born again. All kinds of people – the great and the mighty, the base and the low, the noble and ignoble, the savage and the sophisticate – have experienced the regenerating power of God and enjoyed a new life in Christ. And you can too.

Genesis 39-40, Matthew 11

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Don’t ‘fly off the handle’
20 JANUARY 2022

‘A quick-tempered person does foolish things.’
Proverbs 14:17 NIV

When a person loses his or her temper, one of the most common expressions used to describe their reaction is ‘flying off the handle’. The phrase refers to the head of a hammer coming loose from the handle as you attempt to use it. And several not-so-good things happen as a consequence. 1) The hammer becomes useless. Your message may be all-important, but the manner in which you deliver it determines whether or not you get the results you desire. Simply stated, when people don’t take you seriously, you don’t get the outcome you hoped for. 2) The hammer head does damage. By flying out of control, it’s likely to damage anything in its path. Words spoken in anger cause wounds, and sometimes those wounds can last a lifetime. James’ words are paraphrased: ‘Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger’ (James 1:19-20 MSG). 3) Repairing both the hammer and the damage may take a long time. In some cases, it simply can’t be done. Here are some Scriptures to keep in mind before you vent your spleen. Again, ‘A quick-tempered person does foolish things.’ ‘Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil’ (Psalm 37:8 NIV). ‘A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offence’ (Proverbs 19:11 NIVUK). ‘Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools’ (Ecclesiastes 7:9 NIV). So the word for today is – ‘Don’t fly off the handle.’

Genesis 41-42, Matthew 12:1-21

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

There is no turning back
21 JANUARY 2022

‘But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’
Hebrews 10:38 NKJV

A little boy in Sunday school heard the story of how Lot’s wife looked back towards Sodom and turned into a pillar of salt (see Genesis 19:26). ‘That’s nothing,’ he said. ‘Last week when my mother was driving down the street, she looked back – and turned into a telephone pole!’ Seriously, God says, ‘If anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ Every pilot knows there is a point of no return. The runway has all been used up; it’s fly or die! In Hebrews chapter eleven we find a list of ordinary people who in the worst of times refused to turn back. The Bible says: ‘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). Here’s the score: if you’re beginning your walk with God, Satan will use every trick in the book to get you off track. If you’re in the middle of your walk with God, he will try to tell you that your life doesn’t count. Don’t believe him; he’s a liar! And if you’re nearing the end of your walk with God, he will try to discourage you by highlighting all your faults and failures. Don’t buy what he’s selling! Instead, stand on this Scripture: ‘I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day’ (2 Timothy 1:12 NKJV).

Genesis 43-45, Matthew 12:22-50

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Relationships (1)
22 JANUARY 2022

‘Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?’
Amos 3:3 NLT

Having the right relationships will help you to soar in life; they’re like the wind beneath your wings. But the wrong relationships will drag you down; they’re like a ball and chain around your feet. To know which relationships are good for you and which are not, here are three guidelines: 1) When a relationship is not working, acknowledge it. Sometimes you must cut your losses. The old saying goes, ‘When you’re in a hole, stop digging!’ Accept the fact that sometimes your efforts are not enough and that you can’t help everyone. Releasing someone doesn’t mean they will never get better; it just means that God is more qualified to help them than you are. 2) There is a difference between helping someone and carrying them. This is particularly so when you’re dealing with a person who always turns to you for help and tries to make you feel guilty when you’re ‘not there’ for them. Don’t try to be someone’s God. Your constant help may actually be a hindrance – you have become a crutch and an enabler. Step back and let them learn to walk on their own. 3) Don’t allow your fear of criticism to restrain your common sense. Here is a fact of life that you must learn to live with: not everyone will be pleased with you! The truth can hurt and often alienate, but it’s still the truth. There are times when you must ‘tell it like it is’ and accept the consequences and disapproval. The only way to avoid criticism is to always say what everyone desires to hear, which is equal to living a lie in a relationship.

Genesis 46-48, Matthew 13:1-30