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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Good leadership
13 MAY 2022

‘The LORD spoke to Moses.’
Numbers 1:1 NIV

A good leader is like a ship’s good captain; they plan the whole trip in their mind before they leave the dock. They have a clear vision of their destination, they understand what it will take to get there, they know who needs to be on board for the trip to be successful, and they recognise obstacles long before they appear on the horizon. And because they prepare well, good leaders can take their people just about anywhere.

Moses was such a leader. He spent forty days praying and fasting on a mountain, refusing to leave until he understood what God wanted him to do. Then he came back and communicated it to the people so they could participate in the vision.

In Leadership Promises For Your Week, Dr John Maxwell writes: ‘As a good leader, Moses methodically arranged the tribal camps in the wilderness (see Numbers 2:34). We would do well to…organise as he did. 1) Give time for planning and organising. Determine your primary purpose. 2) Understand where you are before trying to develop a strategy. 3) Prioritise the needs and goals of the team by asking the right questions. 4) Write goals that are realistic, measurable, and convicting. 5) Clarify goals and communicate with your team. 6) Identify possible obstacles. Have an open system approach to your planning. 7) Budget your cost and time by scheduling everything you can and setting deadlines. 8) Study the results. Evaluation prevents stagnation and exaggeration.’

If you want God to bless your plan, you must have a plan He can bless. And it must come from God Himself. So, talk to God today about His plan for your life.

2 Samuel 16-18, John 20

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Do it today!
14 MAY 2022

‘He said, “Tomorrow.”’
Exodus 8:10 NKJV

Every plague God sent on Egypt mocked one of their gods. For instance, the Egyptians worshipped a goddess with the head of a frog, so God sent them a lot of frogs.. Finally, Pharaoh called for Moses and said, ‘All right, I give up.’ But when Moses asked him, ‘When do you want me to get rid of the frogs?’ Pharaoh’s response was classic; he said, ‘Tomorrow.’ He must have been insane! Why would you wait any longer to have the frogs removed?

But we do the same, don’t we? We procrastinate by putting off the changes we know would be good for us. Maybe we’re unconcerned. Maybe we’re too lethargic to change. Maybe we’re fearful because we don’t know what the changes will entail. Maybe we’re just too proud and stubborn. Whatever the reason – we procrastinate.

NASA space engineers tell us most of the fuel that is used in a rocket launch is burned during the initial few seconds of lift-off. It takes enormous energy and thrust to move the rocket off the launching pad. Once it’s moving and headed for orbit, it needs much less fuel and is simpler to control and direct. It has conquered inertia.

It’s one thing to know God can solve your problem and change your life. It’s another matter to overcome your inertia and let Him begin to do it now! We keep saying, ‘One of these days…’ The truth is, Jesus Christ has the power to make changes in your life today. He will give you the power to begin and the power to keep going. It’s not too late. He can put your life back together again. So the word for today is – do it today!

2 Samuel 19-20, John 21

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Work it out
15 MAY 2022

‘Work out your own salvation…for it is God who works in you…to will and to do…His good pleasure.’
Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘Work out your own salvation…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.’ This Scripture almost sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? But instead, it is a paradox. And G.K. Chesterton described a paradox as ‘truth standing on its head to get attention’.

The key to understanding this particular paradox lies in the little word out. Notice that the Bible doesn’t say, ‘Work for your salvation.’ To work for something means to earn it, deserve it, merit it. And the Bible plainly teaches that salvation isn’t something we have to work for or earn. It’s a free gift of God’s grace (see Ephesians 2:8-9). When Paul says, ‘Work out your salvation,’ he is talking about a ‘spiritual workout’. What do you do during a physical workout? You develop and tone the muscles God has already provided you. To ‘work out’ means to grow and make the most of what you have been given. What Paul is saying here is this: develop your spiritual life!

God has a part in our spiritual growth, and we, too, have a part. He provides the power, but we must access it, flip the switch, and let it flow through our lives to fulfil His will for us. Practically speaking, how do we do that? By spending time praying and reading God’s Word each day. By sharpening and strengthening one another through fellowship. By exercising the gifts God has given us. The fact is, He has already done His part; now it’s up to you to do yours.

Luke 9:18-36, Psalms 51-53

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How God changes us (1)
16 MAY 2022

‘It…teaches us to do what is right.’
2 Timothy 3:16 NLT

One of the ways God changes us is through His Word. ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work’ (vv. 16-17 NLT).

The story is told of a converted cannibal in the South Sea islands. He was sitting by a large pot reading his Bible when an anthropologist approached him and asked, ‘What are you doing?’ The native replied, ‘I’m reading the Bible.’ The anthropologist scoffed and said, ‘Don’t you know that modern, civilised man has rejected that book? It’s nothing but a pack of lies. You shouldn’t waste your time reading it.’ The cannibal looked him over from head to toe and slowly replied, ‘Sir, if it weren’t for this book – you’d be in that pot!’ The Word of God had changed his life – and his appetite.

If you’re serious about changing your life, you have to get into the Bible. You need to read it, study it, memorise it, meditate on it, speak it, and apply it. ‘But my faith is weak,’ you say. Are you reading your Bible regularly? Are you studying it? Are you memorising it? No? Then how do you expect your faith to grow? The Bible says, ‘Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’ (Romans 10:17 NKJV). Bottom line: the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us more like the Son of God.

2 Samuel 21-22, Acts 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How God changes us (2)
17 MAY 2022

‘Beatings purge the inmost being.’
Proverbs 20:30 NIV

Another way God changes us is through circumstances. Problems, pressures, sorrows, hardships, and stress always get our attention. C.S. Lewis said, ‘Pain insists on being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures…but shouts to us in our pain.’

The J.B. Phillips translation of Romans 8:28-29 reads: ‘To those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. God…chose them to bear the family likeness of his Son.’ Nothing can come into your life without your heavenly Father’s permission; it must be ‘Father filtered’. The interesting thing about how God uses circumstances is that their source makes no difference to Him. We often bring problems on ourselves. Sometimes they’re caused by other people. Other times the Enemy causes things to happen to us. But the source of the circumstances is irrelevant. God said, ‘I will make it fit into my plan for your life, to make you like Jesus Christ.’ That means there is no circumstance from which we can’t learn if we maintain the right attitude.

Why did Solomon say, ‘Blows and wounds scrub away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being’? Because we change only when our fear of change is surpassed by our pain. If you want to become more like Jesus, think about this: ‘Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered’ (Hebrews 5:8 NKJV). If God used the challenges, conflicts, and circumstances of life to prepare His Son for His destiny, won’t He do the same in our lives? So instead of trying to escape your circumstances, learn from them and grow stronger.

2 Samuel 23-24, Acts 2:1-21

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Think right, live right
18 MAY 2022

‘Your life is shaped by your thoughts.’
Proverbs 4:23 GNT

Someone has wisely said, ‘You’re not what you think you are, but what you think – you are.’ Lasting change always begins with new thinking.

How do you become a Christian? By repenting of your sin and placing your trust in Christ. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, and it means to change your mind. We’re not changed by willpower, but by the transforming power of God’s Word when we use it to renew our minds each day. The Bible clearly teaches that the way we think determines the way we feel, and the way we feel determines the way we act. So if you want to change your actions, you have to return to the source and change the way you think. At times you may act resentful. Why? Because you feel resentful. And do you know why you feel resentful? Because you are thinking resentful thoughts. The same is true of anger, worry, lust, and other destructive thought patterns.

Jesus said, ‘You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32 NLT). When you base your life on truth – when you live with the right kind of thoughts, not misconceptions or false beliefs, and you base your life on thinking from God’s Word – you will be set free. You will find your old habits, feelings, and actions beginning to fall away. When you focus solely on removing bad thoughts, you create a vacuum into which the bad thoughts can return. But when you replace bad thoughts with good ones – scriptural ones – you are empowered by God to live the life of blessing He wants you to enjoy.

1 Kings 1-2, Acts 2:22-47

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

What does it mean to meditate?
19 MAY 2022

‘I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.’
Psalm 119:15 NKJV

Another word for meditation is rumination. Rumination is what a cow is doing when she chews her cud. The cow eats grass, chews all she can, and then swallows it. It sits in one of her stomachs for a while, and then a little later, she burps it up – with renewed flavour. The cow chews on it some more and swallows it again. This process continues in all four stomachs. That’s rumination. The cow is pulling every ounce of nourishment from the grass.

And meditation is simply thought digestion. Meditation doesn’t mean putting your mind in neutral and thinking about nothing. On the contrary, it’s thinking seriously about what you’re reading. For example, you dwell on one verse of Scripture and ask, ‘What does this mean for my life?’ You talk to yourself about it and talk to God about it. The Bible says this: ‘Keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise…And God, who gives peace, will be with you’ (Philippians 4:8-9 CEV). Notice that we are to ponder different categories of things and, by implication, to avoid thinking about the opposite kind of things.

Colossians 3:16 says, ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly’ (KJV). You need to spend time every day – a minimum of ten to fifteen minutes – where you sit down, read a portion of the Bible, and think deeply about what you have just read. Then talk to the Lord about it in prayer. That’s the starting point for spiritual change and growth.

1 Kings 3-5, Acts 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

A love for God’s Word
20 MAY 2022

‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.’
Psalm 119:105 NKJV

The psalmist highlights two important things Bible reading does for you:

1) It shows you your spiritual condition. In Bible times there were no paved roads, so when guests entered a house, they paused to wash the sand, dirt, and grime from their feet. That’s what Bible reading does. David said, ‘How can a young man [and an older one] cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word’ (v. 9 NKJV).

2) It shows you the direction you need to go. Your word is…a light to my path.’ When you’re faced with an important decision and you don’t know which way to go, God will guide you through His Word. David, who loved God’s Word and meditated on it constantly, prayed, ‘Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness’ (Psalm 143:10 NKJV). Many of the mistakes we make could be prevented if we stopped long enough to seek God’s guidance. He knows what lies ahead; we don’t. So ‘commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass’ (Psalm 37:5 NKJV).

Just like children need to be taught to cultivate a taste for healthy food instead of junk food, you need to cultivate a taste for God’s Word. The psalmist said, ‘I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love’ (Psalm 119:47 NKJV). ‘Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it’ (v. 140 NKJV). Today ask God to give you a love for His Word. That’s a prayer He will answer!

1 Kings 6-7, Acts 4:1-22

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Understanding God’s love for you
21 MAY 2022

‘Perfect love casts out fear.’
1 John 4:18 NKJV

Question: since we’re naturally drawn to people who love us, why is it so difficult for us to go to God in prayer? Answer: because we need a fresh revelation of His love for us! Paul prayed that the Ephesian church would ‘be able to take in…the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love’ (Ephesians 3:18 MSG). The word ‘extravagant’ means going above and beyond all that’s expected or deserved. The truth is, God couldn’t love you any more than He does right now.

‘What’s His love like?’ you ask. Look at the cross. Had you been the only person who ever lived, Jesus would have died just for you.

‘What does His love cost?’ you ask. Nothing! It comes with no strings attached. You didn’t do anything to deserve it, and when you mess up, you don’t forfeit it.

‘Absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love’ (Romans 8:39 MSG). Once you accept that, you can acknowledge your weaknesses, seek God’s help, grow strong, and use the talents He has given you. When you believe God loves you based on who you are in Christ, you have the ultimate self-esteem – born of God’s esteem for you. And since His is the only ‘perfect love’, it removes your ‘fear’.

So, what are you afraid of? That you won’t get what you need? That you will lose something you have? John tells us: ‘His perfect love for us eliminates all dread…If we are afraid, it…shows…we are not fully convinced that he really loves us’ (1 John 4:18 TLB). Ask God today for a fresh revelation of His love for you, bearing in mind that what He loves, He prizes, protects, and provides for.

1 Kings 8-9, Acts 4:23-37

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Intercede with God for them
22 MAY 2022

‘I exhort…that…intercessions…be made.’
1 Timothy 2:1 NKJV

Paul writes: ‘I exhort…that…intercessions…be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth’ (vv. 1-4 NKJV).

Intercession means ‘to mediate between parties with a view to reconciling those who differ or contend’. It happens every day in the court system when lawyers intercede on behalf of their clients. It also happened in Scripture. When Israel made a golden calf and worshipped it, Moses interceded with God on their behalf, saying: ‘Oh, these people have committed a great sin…Yet now, if You will forgive their sin – but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written’ (Exodus 32:31-32 NKJV). And it worked. God told Moses, ‘Go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you’ (v. 34 NKJV).

Later when Israel turned again to worship false gods, Samuel said, ‘Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray [intercede] to the Lord for you’ (1 Samuel 7:5 NKJV). As a result, the Lord sent a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were defeated before Israel (see 1 Samuel 7:10 NKJV).

Interceding can be a lonely business, and it’s also hard work: ‘Always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God’ (Colossians 4:12 NKJV). But when nothing else works, intercessory prayer does!

Luke 9:37-62, Psalms 54-56