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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

‘There is God’
19 DECEMBER 2022

‘He gave us his Son – will he not also freely give us all things?’
Romans 8:32 GNT

Do you like to collect Bible promises for challenging times? When your collection seems inadequate, do you add to it, thinking, ‘I just haven’t found the right promise yet’? Claiming the promise without understanding the all-sufficiency of the Promiser can disappoint you. Since there is no lack in God, He is all you need. And He is all you will ever need! The Bible says, He can do ‘immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine’ (Ephesians 3:20 NIV).

Seeking relief during a difficult time in life, author Hannah Whitall Smith visited a respected Bible teacher, hoping to find an answer. After listening attentively, the teacher told her, ‘Yes, all you say may be very true, but then, in spite of it all, there is God.’ Frustrated, Hannah responded, ‘Surely you did not understand how very serious…my difficulties are.’ ‘Oh yes, I did, but then, as I tell you, there is God.’ Several disappointing visits later, after hearing the same response, ‘There is God,’ the light dawned. She realised she had received the answer she needed; God alone was enough for all her needs!

She writes: ‘The all-sufficiency of God ought to be…[to us], as the all-sufficiency of a good mother is to [her] child…[Her] presence and…love…make all fears…disappear. [She doesn’t need] to make any promises and…explanations, [she alone] is all that the child needs.’ All God’s blessings come in one package – Himself! Paul reminds you, ‘Everything belongs to you, [because] you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God’ (1 Corinthians 3:22-23 CEV). You will get what you need because you are His redeemed child.

Nahum 1-3, Revelation 11

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Let God settle it for you
20 DECEMBER 2022

‘Dear friends, don’t try to get even. Let God take revenge.’
Romans 12:19 CEV

When someone has hurt or betrayed you, it goes against your grain to resist the instinct for revenge – especially when there is an opportunity to settle the old score and your friends urge you to capitalise on it. They tell you, ‘It’s only right and fair.’ Before you decide, consider the story in 1 Samuel 24.

King Saul, consumed by jealousy, took every opportunity to try and destroy his God-ordained successor, David. Driven by a desire to eliminate him, Saul took three thousand soldiers to find him and kill him. By divine appointment, Saul stopped to rest in a large cave where David and his men were hiding. David’s men said, ‘Now is a perfect opportunity to kill him and take the throne.’ Instead, David just cut off a corner of Saul’s robe and showed it to Saul later as evidence he had spared the king’s life. David’s men probably considered his strategy ludicrous, but David lived by a different code – God’s Word! He told his men, ‘Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one?’ (1 Samuel 26:9 NLT).

And God hasn’t changed His mind. The Bible says don’t take revenge. That’s God’s territory – stay out of it! (See Romans 12:17-21.) So what should you do? Be prepared to act contrary to your instincts! The Bible says, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink…overcome evil with good’ (Romans 12:20-21 NIV). Will that change your enemy? Maybe, and maybe not. But it will change your attitude, and God will bless you for it.

Habakkuk 1-3, Revelation 12

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Speak to the Enemy
21 DECEMBER 2022

‘We are wrestling with…the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil.’
Ephesians 6:12 GWT

In his classic book, War on the Saints, Jessie Penn-Lewis writes, ‘The chief condition…for the working of evil spirits in human beings, apart from sin, is passivity.’ That’s why the apostle Peter urges us, ‘Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8 NLT). Have you ever seen a hungry lion devour its prey? That’s a picture of what Satan is out to do to you. And he will use things like pleasure, power, pressures, possessions, passions, and people to do it. Paul tells us to be on guard ‘so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes’ (2 Corinthians 2:11 NLT).

How can you defend yourself? Neil Anderson says, ‘Our defence against direct attacks by the evil one is to speak aloud God’s truth.’ Why speak aloud to Satan? Because God knows the thoughts and intents of your heart – Satan doesn’t (see Jeremiah 17:9-10 and Psalm 139:1, 23-24). When you’re in Satan’s crosshairs, remember James 4:7: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (KJV).

Take these two powerful steps: First, talk to God before engaging the Enemy. ‘Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee’ (Psalm 50:15 KJV). Second, talk to the Enemy. And keep it short and authoritative! ‘Satan, in the irresistible name of Jesus, cease all activity against me now. Leave and don’t return!’ Will he obey? You have submitted and resisted – he has no option.

Zephaniah 1-3, Revelation 13

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

He gave His most precious possession
22 DECEMBER 2022

‘Thank God for his gift that is too wonderful for words!’
2 Corinthians 9:15 CEV

One afternoon a little girl stood outside Pete Richardson’s antique shop studying the treasures in the window. Then she went in and asked to see a string of blue beads. When Pete set them on the counter, she said: ‘They’re perfect. Will you gift wrap them, please? They’re for my sister. She takes care of me. This will be our first Christmas since Mum died, and I’ve been looking for the perfect present.’

‘How much do you have?’ asked Pete cautiously. Pouring a stack of coins on the counter, she said, ‘I emptied my bank.’ Pete picked up the necklace, the price tag visible to him and not her. ‘What’s your name?’ he asked, walking into the back room. ‘Jean Grace,’ she replied. Pete returned with a beautifully wrapped package, and the little girl thanked him and left.

On Christmas Eve when the last customer had left and he was locking up, a young woman rushed into the store and handed him a familiar package. ‘Do you remember who you sold this to?’ she asked. ‘A girl called Jean bought them for her big sister,’ he replied. ‘How much are they worth?’ she inquired. ‘The price,’ Pete replied, ‘is always confidential between the seller and his customer.’ Her sister asked, ‘But how could she pay for them?’ Carefully rewrapping the present, Pete handed it back to her and said, ‘She paid the biggest price anyone can ever pay. She gave everything she had.’

When ‘God sent forth his Son’ (Galatians 4:4 KJV) to redeem us, He gave everything He had. ‘Thank God for his gift that is too wonderful for words!’

Haggai 1-2, Revelation 14

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When it doesn’t ‘feel’ like Christmas
23 DECEMBER 2022

‘He sent me to…heal the heartbroken.’
Isaiah 61:1 MSG

At this time of year, it’s tempting to buy into the myth that everybody else is enjoying a picture-perfect Christmas. The truth is, there are thousands out there whose lives have been forever altered by death, divorce, sickness, and financial problems.

Tammy Hanson Maltby writes: ‘It was December 20. There was no hint of Christmas around our house…Most years, our tree was up the day after Thanksgiving…Christmas music…and luscious aromas filled the air…Our house had been Christmas central. Not this year…My 20-year marriage had just dissolved…My budget was stretched…and my spirit was strained even further. Some days I could barely manage to get out of bed…All four of my kids were home on Christmas break. And there was still no tree. “This is really depressing,” I heard one of them grumble, and my heart broke again. “I’ll get a tree tomorrow,” I repeated. Even I didn’t believe my words.

'That evening…I heard voices…in the…basement…There, near the piano, stood the scruffy little artificial conifer…I’d bought…years before, and I used it to hang [the kids’] school ornaments…creations that just didn’t look right on my majestic, fragrant, decorated, upstairs tree…The kids had…set it up, draped it with lights, and hung their childhood ornaments…It was still scruffy, but it was beautiful…I was happy…And overcome with gratitude that they had gotten together to make it happen for me.’

If you’re having a tough Christmas, don’t beat yourself up. Remember, you can get through anything for one day (see Deuteronomy 33:25). Jesus understands. He came to ‘heal the heartbroken’, so turn to Him this Christmas and ask Him to restore your peace and joy.

Zechariah 1-2, Revelation 15

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Your provision is on the way!
24 DECEMBER 2022

‘Opening their treasure bags, they presented to Him gifts.’
Matthew 2:11 AMPC

The Bible tells us: ‘When Jesus was born in Bethlehem…[astrologers] from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east…and have come to worship Him.”…and behold, the star…went before them until it came and stood over the place where the young Child was…And on going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then opening their treasure bags, they presented to him gifts – gold and frankincense and myrrh’ (vv. 1-2, 9, 11 AMPC).

One Bible teacher says: ‘We all remember the Christmas story: how…Wise Men came from the east following a star which led them to the Holy Child, how they came in and worshipped Him, laying before Him precious gifts…Mary and Joseph didn’t go out seeking gifts. Although they were forced to spend the night in a cold, dark stable, they didn’t send out messages asking for gifts. But because they were in the middle of God’s will, He sent them Wise Men…on camels, loaded down with provisions…

'If we are in the will of God, He will…bring our provision to us. We don’t have to try to chase it down; it will seek us out. We don’t have to try to make things happen; God will bring them to us…The camels will come for each of us if we will stay in the will of God. The only way we can expect this kind of provision is by being faithful…where God has placed us…When we begin to believe this, we are free to cast our care upon Him. We don’t have to stay up all night fretting and worrying.’

Zechariah 3-4, Revelation 16

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

‘Indescribable!’
25 DECEMBER 2022

‘Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.’
2 Corinthians 9:15 NKJV

Paul says that the gift God gave each of us that first Christmas is ‘indescribable’. The Living Bible says it’s ‘too wonderful for words’. Consider this: Isaiah says, ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given’ (Isaiah 9:6 KJV). Jesus was both God and man. As a child He was born, but as the Son of God He could only be given, because He always existed. So He is the perfect solution to our sin problem because He understands both the claims of divinity and the struggles of humanity.

Today let’s examine this ‘indescribable gift’. First, He is our ‘daysman’! Job said, ‘Neither is there any daysman [umpire, mediator, or middleman] betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both’ (Job 9:33 KJV). ‘Daysman’ is an old English word for someone who was more than just an umpire; they could actually join the game and bring both sides together. So when you mess up, Jesus keeps one hand on you and the other on God so that the connection is never broken. ‘Indescribable’!

Second, He is our intercessor! The Bible says, ‘He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them’ (Hebrews 7:25 NIV). If you had to remember and confess all the sins of omission and commission you commit each day, you would never sleep; you would live on your knees. But Christ’s death covers all the wrong you have done (commission), and His life covers all the good you have left undone (omission). So, He is fully qualified to represent you before the throne of God. There is only one word that fits such a Christmas gift: ‘indescribable’.

Luke 24:36-53, Psalms 140-150

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Keep your group healthy
26 DECEMBER 2022

‘There is one who scatters , yet increases more; and…one who withholds…but it leads to poverty.’
Proverbs 11:24 NKJV

Not all poverty is financial; there is a spiritual poverty that comes from not reaching out to others. Pastor Allen White says, ‘Sometimes it makes sense to keep your group small, but the following reasons don’t count:

1) “We value closeness.” Too much closeness can cause your group to become ingrown. The motto changes to “Us four and no more” or “We seven going to heaven”. What was once so great becomes the death of the group. Members move away, schedules conflict, the group begins to decline around the two-year mark, and it’s harder to recruit new members. There is too much history going on.

2) “Outsiders might upset our rhythm.” People get comfortable with familiar patterns. They sit in the same place and make the same inside jokes, but a comfort zone can quickly become a rut. New people don’t “get” the jokes, they don’t know the routine, and what’s worse, they sit in your spot!

3) “Confidentiality.” It is paramount because “loose lips sink ships”. When new members join, review the ground rules. The conversation might go like this: “Since several new people have joined, let’s take a minute to review the ground rules. We value confidentiality, and anything said here needs to stay here.” If they agree, you’re good to go.

4) “If we get too big, we’ll have to divide.” When it comes to the ideal group size, eight to twelve seems to work well. But numbers aren’t nearly as important as what’s happening inside the group. When numbers go up, personal care sometimes goes down.’

Bottom line: keep your group healthy.

Zechariah 5-6, Revelation 17

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

What do you ‘see’? (1)
27 DECEMBER 2022

‘Look up…and count the stars…That’s how many descendants you will have!’
Genesis 15:5 NLT

Vision is the God-given ability to see the invisible. Without it, ‘people…stumble all over themselves’ (Proverbs 29:18 MSG). When God told Abraham he would be the father of many nations, he and Sarah were old and childless. Naturally speaking, it looked impossible. So God ‘took Abram outside and said to him, ”Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”’ It wasn’t enough to hear what God said: Abraham needed to see it in his mind’s eye. And although the promise wasn’t fulfilled for twenty years, every night when Abraham looked up at the heavens, the stars were a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness.

Woodrow Wilson said, ‘No man that does not see visions will ever realise any high hope or undertake any high enterprise.’ To give birth to something, you must first conceive it by seeing it through the eyes of faith and burning the image on the canvas of your mind. Jesus said, ‘If your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness’ (Matthew 6:22-23 NASB). Legend has it, when Michelangelo looked at a chunk of marble the owner told him was worthless, Michelangelo said, ‘It’s priceless to me. There is an angel locked inside, and I must set it free.’ What you ‘see’ will change the direction of your life. Like a thermostat, it dictates how high you rise or how low you fall. And the good news is, no matter how dark things look on the outside, today God can give you a fresh vision and a new future.

Zechariah 7-8, Revelation 18

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

What do you ‘see’? (2)
28 DECEMBER 2022

‘I am doing a new thing…do you not perceive it?’
Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Your life will manifest what you continually keep in front of you. Paul says, ‘We have the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV), and creativity and vision are part of the package. A blind man asked St Anthony, ‘What could be worse than losing your sight?’ He replied, ‘Losing your vision.’

And a respected author adds, ‘Maybe you’re not experiencing God’s best because your vision needs to be improved. You say, “I have problems…I’m in debt…I’m lonely.” Don’t let that image take root. Paint a new picture…See yourself stronger and healthier…rising higher…accomplishing your dreams…let the image of victory take hold. Get it on the inside…[Remind yourself] of these scriptural truths: “I can do all things through Christ” (Philippians 4:13 KJV); “This is the day the Lord has made” (Psalm 118:24 NKJV); “We are more than conquerors through [Christ]” (Romans 8:37 KJV); “God…always causes us to triumph in Christ” (see 2 Corinthians 2:14); “You bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour” (Psalm 5:12 NIVUK); “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6 NKJV).’

In Bible times wine was stored in leather wineskins, but as they aged, they lost their flexibility. New wine always required new wineskins. And just like, ‘You can’t pour new wine into old wineskins’ (see Matthew 9:17), God can’t give you a new vision until you change the old images and attitudes you’re carrying around in your head. God says, ‘I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?’ He is ready to do something new in your life today. Are you ready to change your old way of thinking and make room for it?

Zechariah 9-10, Revelation 19