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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Don’t ‘chop off’ people’s ability to hear
11 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘Those who speak rashly will come to ruin.’
Proverbs 13:3 NIV

Harsh words can ‘chop off’ a person’s ability to hear what you’re saying. When Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He didn’t retaliate even though He could have called twelve legions of angels to His defence (see Matthew 26:53). Then the mob came, laid hands on Him, and arrested Him. At that point, Peter drew his sword and chopped off the high priest’s servant’s ear. He was probably thinking, ‘We don’t have to take this!’ But Jesus said that’s not how you handle things! Then, ‘He touched the man’s ear and healed him’ (Luke 22:51 NIV).

Peter had a tendency to talk when he should have been listening and got into things he had no business getting into. He needed to learn how to wait on God and exercise humility and discernment. God had great plans for him, but if he wanted to fulfil them, he couldn’t do it by chopping off peoples’ ears when they upset him.

There is a lesson here. You can’t fly off the handle whenever you feel like it. You must become sensitive to God’s Spirit: if He tells you, ‘Say nothing,’ then you must stand there quietly even if it means letting someone think they’re right when you know they’re not. You must learn that God doesn’t owe you an explanation. You can hinder your spiritual growth or God’s blessing in your life when you don’t control what you say. Perhaps you think that compared to adultery or stealing, this is no big deal. Think again: ‘Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin’ (Proverbs 13:3 NIV).

Luke 17:20-37, Psalms 94-96

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

God is still on the throne (1)
12 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘The LORD sits on his throne in heaven.’
Psalm 11:4 NCV

The psalmist asked, ‘When the foundations for good collapse, what can good people do?’ (v. 3 NCV). Then he goes on to answer his own question: ‘The Lord sits on his throne in heaven.’ When sickness comes, when your marriage fails, when your children suffer, when death strikes, what are you to do? Remember that God is still on the throne, and He is watching over you. No detail escapes His notice or care. He works according to a plan, and it’s not usually a plan we can understand when we’re going through hard times. Only in looking back do we realise that His goodness and mercy have followed us all the days of our lives (see Psalm 23:6).

Joseph landed in prison. Moses spent forty years in the desert. Daniel ended up in chains. These were dismal moments. Who could possibly have seen any good in them? Who could have known that Joseph the prisoner was only a single promotion away from becoming Joseph the prime minister? Who would have thought God was providing Moses forty years of wilderness training in the same desert through which he would lead the people? Who would have imagined that Daniel the captive would soon become the king’s counsellor? God carries out His plans like that. He did it for Joseph, Moses, and Daniel – and He will do the same for you – so trust Him. He will give you the grace you need to get through this situation. When you ask, ‘God, where are you?’ He answers, ‘I am with you and will watch over you…I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you’ (Genesis 28:15 NIV).

Isaiah 14-16, Galatians 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

God is still on the throne (2)
13 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘My thoughts are not like your thoughts.’
Isaiah 55:8 NCV

God said, ‘My thoughts are not like your thoughts…Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my…thoughts higher than your thoughts’ (vv. 8-9 NCV). Until you come to terms with the fact that God doesn’t think like you, you will question His ways and even doubt His love. We try to avoid pain, but often God uses it to bring us peace. We want comfort, but He is more interested in character. We pursue stuff that doesn’t last, whereas He tells us to build our lives on that which endures for eternity.

The fact is, God dwells in a dimension we can’t begin to fathom: Solomon said, ‘No one can really build a house for our God. Not even the highest of heavens can hold him’ (2 Chronicles 2:6 NCV). What controls you doesn’t control God, and what worries you doesn’t worry Him. Ask yourself: is an eagle agitated by traffic? No, he soars above it. Is a whale disturbed by a hurricane? Of course not; he dives beneath it. Is a lion flustered by a mouse standing in his way? No, he walks over it. How much more is God able to soar above, dive beneath, and walk over the troubles of earth?

What is impossible with man is possible with God (see Matthew 19:26). God can be everywhere at once, and He can hear and answer all the prayers that come to Him. Think about it: God works according to a plan and a purpose, He’s on the throne and in control of everything – yet He still watches over every detail of your life. Let that truth comfort you today.

Isaiah 17-19, Galatians 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When you’re disappointed
14 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you.
Psalm 42:6 NLT

Max Lucado says: ‘When God doesn’t do what we want it’s not easy; it never has been, and it never will be. Faith is the conviction that God knows more than us…and he’ll get us through. Disappointment is caused by unmet expectations…and it’s cured by revamped expectations…Don’t panic…don’t give up…be patient…God’s in control. It ain’t over till it’s over.’

So, when you’re disappointed: 1) Look inward. David asked, ‘Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?’ (v. 5 NLT). Admit how you feel. You can’t deal with what you don’t acknowledge. Ask God to show you the root of the problem. Is it pent-up anger? Envy? Unforgiveness? Pride? Lust? Physical and mental fatigue? Be open to what He reveals.

2) Look upward. David said, ‘I will put my hope in God! I will praise him’ (v. 5 NLT). Instead of focusing on your discouragement, focus on the One who knows the way out.

3) Remember God’s past faithfulness. David said, ‘I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you.’ Through every trial Joseph clung to the assurance that God still controlled his destiny. Recalling God’s faithfulness builds your confidence that He’ll continue to provide.

4) Remember, you don’t have to understand. Just because you can’t figure out what God’s doing right now, doesn’t mean it won’t make sense later. He ‘causes all things to work together for good to those who love [Him]’ (Romans 8:28 NASB). 5) Don’t give in to bitterness. When your hopes are dashed, resentment can set in. ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ (v. 31 NKJV). Regardless of how deep the pit may seem, God is on your side!

Isaiah 20-22, Galatians 6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to be happy
15 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’
John 13:17 KJV

Jesus summed up His teaching on happiness this way: ‘If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’ The Bible gives us three keys that are vital to happiness.

1) Be content (see 1 Timothy 6:8). A man who tried everything to get rid of dandelions called a garden centre and asked, ‘What can I try next?’ The shop owner said, ‘Try getting used to them!’ In life, you get what you focus on. Paul writes, ‘Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise’ (Philippians 4:8 NLT).

2) Be grateful (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Look around and be grateful for what God has given you. And if you can’t, thank Him for what He has protected you from. The devil doesn’t have to steal anything from you, just make you take it for granted. ‘From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another’ (John 1:16 NLT).

3) Learn to appreciate your loved ones. ‘Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others’ (1 Corinthians 10:24 NLT). George Eliot wrote: ‘Oh…the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.’

Remember, happiness is not an entitlement; it’s a reward for doing the right thing every single day.

Isaiah 23-25, Ephesians 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

All the charges are dismissed
16 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘He cancelled the record of the charges against us.’
Colossians 2:14 NL2

When someone is arrested for a crime and brought into court, the prosecutor will say, ‘The charges against you are…’ At that point, they hope their lawyer can get the charges dismissed. Well, God has a record of every sin you have committed from the womb to the tomb. It details all the bad decisions you have made, the hateful acts, the unforgiving attitudes, the prejudice, the greed, the lust, the lies; He has recorded them all.

But you have never seen that record, nor has anyone else. That’s because ‘he forgave all our sins. He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross’ (vv. 13-14 NLT). Knowing full well that the price for our sins was death, ‘Christ suffered for our sins once for all time…he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God’ (1 Peter 3:18 NLT). Notice the words ‘forgave’ and ‘cancelled the record’ of the sins you have committed. The cross is like a trading post. There, at the point of believing faith, God takes all your sins and puts them on Christ’s account, while at the same time taking all Christ’s righteousness and putting it on your account.

Is there a limit to God’s love? If there is, David the adulterer never found it. Nor Paul the persecutor of Christians. Nor Peter the liar. Nor the thief on the cross. And you won’t find it either. When Jesus cried from the cross, ‘It is finished,’ God wrote ‘Paid in full’ over every sin you would ever commit. The word ‘justified’ simply means ‘just-if-I’d-never-sinned’. How good is that?

Isaiah 26-27, Ephesians 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Your daily devotions (1)
17 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘Your servant, who is devoted…to…You.’
Psalm 119:38 NKJV

The word ‘devotion’ implies total commitment to someone – giving them your time and attention, enjoying their company, seeking to please them, and making them a priority in your life. And that should be the goal of your daily devotions. But here are two pitfalls to look out for and avoid:

1) ‘Me-itis’. God has promised to bless you, but when you seek His blessing instead of pursuing a relationship with Him, you become me-centred rather than Christ-centred. The truth is you can pray until you’re blue in the face but God won’t give you certain things, if you’re not mature enough to handle them. More than anything in life, Abraham wanted a son. And God gave him one. Yet when God asked him to offer his son as a sacrifice, he didn’t hesitate. Abraham proved there was nothing he loved more than God, therefore God promised to bless him and multiply all that he possessed (Genesis 22:17). Abraham became one of the most successful men of his generation, but his real claim to fame was that God referred to him as a ‘friend’ (Isaiah 41:8 NKJV).

2) Being too busy. One of the dangers in working for God is that you can fail to spend time worshipping Him. The Psalmist said, ‘Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name’ (Psalm 29:2 NIV). The word ‘due’ means ‘deserving of’. When John saw the multitudes in heaven praising God, they were singing, ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power’ (Revelation 4:11 NIVUK). So start your daily devotions in praise by saying: ‘Lord, I’m here because You deserve to be worshipped and adored.’

Isaiah 28-29, Ephesians 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Your daily devotions (2)
18 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘I will lead them'
Isaiah 42:16 NKJV

Another goal of your daily devotions should be: guidance. Without God’s input you’re at the mercy of your own best thinking – and that should concern you greatly! The psalmist wrote, ‘Show me your ways…teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long.’ (Psalm 25:4-5 NIVUK). God said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.’ (Isaiah 42:16 NKJV).

The path you take determines your destination, so before you decide to go in a given direction, talk to God. And don’t be surprised when He takes you down a road ‘you have not known’. You must trust that God knows what He’s doing. Blaise Pascal said, ‘All of man’s troubles stem from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.’ In this fast-paced age you must take time to slow down, collect your thoughts, evaluate what’s happening around you, and get direction from the One who knows the end from the beginning (see Isaiah 46:10). Jesus told His disciples to ‘come apart’ in order to be rejuvenated physically and spiritually (see Mark 6:31). The Bible says, ‘When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.’ (Mark 4:34 NKJV). There are certain things God will explain to you only when you take the time to be alone with Him.

Luke 18:1-17, Psalms 97-99

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Your daily devotions (3)
19 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘Search me, God, and know my heart.’
Psalm 139:23 NIV
Here are two more reasons why spending time alone with God each day is important:

1) To take spiritual inventory of your life. David prayed, ‘Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting’ (vv. 23-24 NIV). Note the words ‘anxious thoughts’ and ‘offensive way’. These are things you start to take stock of when you are in God’s presence. For example, are you growing daily in your spiritual walk? Are you allowing unconfessed sins to pile up in your life? How about your attitudes? In order to see yourself from God’s point of view, you have to face these questions in His presence and answer them honestly.

2) To commit each day to the Lord. The writer of Proverbs said, ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths’ (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV). Share your schedule with God, ask Him to guide you in your daily activities and alter them as needed. Ask Him to help you manage your time better so you can get more done (see Psalm 90:12). Ask Him to help you distinguish between what’s truly important and what isn’t (see 1 Corinthians 10:23). Every day of your life you’ll have to deal with two things: problems and opportunities. And God will give you the right perspective and approach to handle both. You’ll be amazed how much more effective and efficient you are when you’ve spent time with Him.

Isaiah 30-31, Ephesians 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Go overboard for the Lord!
20 SEPTEMBER 2022

‘Peter…headed to shore.’
John 21:7 NLT

‘At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he…jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat’ (vv. 4-8 NLT).

Peter had to decide whether to leave his fish and go to Jesus or stay behind and enjoy what he had worked hard for. It’s a test we all face when we have accomplished our life’s objectives, when our nets are full and we have finally ‘made it’. Your challenge is, ‘Do I stay and guard my blessings or go overboard for the Lord and commit myself fully to Him?’

Paul refers briefly to his career’s success: ‘You know my pedigree…from the elite tribe of Benjamin…defender of…my religion…meticulous observer of…God’s law’ (Philippians 3:4-6 MSG). But listen to him now: ‘Things I once thought were so important are gone…I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ’ (vv. 7-8 MSG). Paul realised his true identity lay not in his accomplishments but in his relationship with Jesus. Do you feel that way too?

That night Peter may have felt like he was forfeiting everything, yet when he reached the shore, he found Jesus busy – cooking fish! The point is, whatever you need, God has it. Whatever you give up, He will repay many times over.

Isaiah 32-33, Ephesians 5:1-16