[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Giving and receiving

‘Give, and it shall be given unto you.’
Luke 6:38 KJV

The UCB Word for Today - 28 Sep 2018

Many of us want to give to people we love and causes we believe in. But fear stops us.

We’re afraid that if we give, we might not have enough left for ourselves. So instead of sowing, we hoard our seed and miss the harvest God promised us.

Why? Because on some deeper level we wonder if God would actually bless someone like us.

Jesus said, ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.’ If a bank promised that kind of return on your investment you’d beat a path to their door, right?

But banks can fail and bankers can’t always be trusted, whereas God has never broken a promise! Here’s an important Bible truth: when you open your hand to God, He opens His hand to you.

And God has a bigger hand! But as well as learning how to give, you must learn how to receive.

Jesus said, ‘Good measure…will be poured into your lap’ (NIV 2011 Edition). When God gives back to you, He often does it through people.

All kinds of people! So don’t let pride or prejudice stop you from receiving from others, because God wants to give them a harvest on the seeds they sow into your life.

Don’t circumvent the harvest – yours or theirs. Never hesitate to give to a true servant of God.

‘Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper’ (2 Chronicles 20:20 NKJV). When God moves you to sow a seed, it’s because He has a harvest for you to reap.

Don’t miss it!

Isaiah 50-52, Colossians 2

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Moses and you

‘God called to him…“Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”’
Exodus 3:4 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 29 Sep 2018

Moses had all the potential in the world at forty, but felt like a lost cause at eighty. Instead of doing God’s will God’s way, he tried to expedite God’s will and delayed it for four decades!

At some point in our lives most of us feel like life has passed us by. Our dream seems like a lost cause.

That crisis presents us with a choice: throw in the towel, or throw our hat back in the ring. Many of us give up on our dreams because we feel like God has given up on us.

But we serve a God of restoration (see Joel 2:25). The life of Moses proves that no matter how many wrong turns we’ve taken, it’s God’s grace that gets us back onto the parade route.

Moses thought his past had disqualified him, but God leveraged it to prepare him for his date with destiny. No one knew the protocol of the palace like the Prince of Egypt.

After all, he grew up in it. And after tending sheep for forty years he knew the ways of the wilderness – the wildlife, the watering holes, the weather patterns. Moses got it wrong before he got it right, and you may too.

And here’s the good news: God can use your past failures to fertilise your character and equip you with the strength and wisdom needed to do what He put you on this earth do to. The saying is true: ‘It’s wonderful what God can do with a broken life when you give Him all the pieces.’

Isaiah 53-55, Colossians 3

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Why sin doesn’t work

‘We are tempted by our own desires.’
James 1:14 CEV

The UCB Word for Today - 30 Sep 2018

James writes: ‘Don’t blame God when you are tempted! God cannot be tempted by evil, and he doesn’t use evil to tempt others.

We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.

Don’t be fooled, my dear friends’ (vv. 13-16 CEV). When you keep sinning and violating your values, you can reach a place where it’s hard to live comfortably in your own skin.

Any appetite that’s overindulged can quickly become an addiction. What you wanted yesterday, you find yourself needing today.

Then before you know it, you give yourself over to the thing that’s controlling your life because it’s the only way you can find temporary escape. Stop and ask:

1) ‘What about my life’s purpose?’ What about the person God called you to be? Seeing the joy others have is a constant reminder of the joy you’ve lost, and what you’re missing out on.

2) ‘What happens when trouble hits my life or my family?’ In such moments you wonder, ‘Is this happening because of me?’

A thousand voices may tell you it’s not your fault, but deep down you are never sure. The only way to find real peace is to get right with God.

And you can. Here’s His offer: ‘Turn to the Lord! He can still be found.

Call out to God! He is near. Give up your crooked ways and your evil thoughts.

Return to the Lord our God. He will be merciful and forgive your sins’ (Isaiah 55:6-7 CEV).

Luke 18:18-43, Psalm 100-102

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Jesus wants to set you free

‘If you abide in My Word…the truth shall make you free.’
John 8:31-32 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 01 Oct 2018

Are you trying to overcome a bad habit? Jesus wants to set you free. ‘If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ You ask, ‘What is this “truth” that will make me free?’

Jesus answers in six words: ‘If you abide in My Word.’ Victory is gained in your mind, and maintained in your mind.

One lady joked, ‘Giving up cigarettes is easy; I’ve done it thousands of times.’ Seriously, how can you stop going back to old habit patterns?

By repenting of them, renouncing them, and replacing the old thoughts that lead us back to them with new thoughts. And where do these new thoughts come from?

Jesus answers, ‘If you abide in My Word.’ This means staying out of places that foster wrong thoughts and away from people who encourage wrong thoughts. It may mean changing what you watch on television.

You’ll notice that before you give in to a bad habit, you think the thoughts that lead to it. The Bible says, ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:2 NKJV).

In the early stages of recovery from any addiction it’s critical to saturate your mind daily in the Scriptures, pray, and be willing to reach for the support of a friend (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Will you sometimes fail on your way to success?

Yes. But victory begins when you decide to be free, and believe God will set you free.

Isaiah 56-58, Colossians 4

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Try to ‘see’ what God is doing in your life!

‘The LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush.’
Exodus 3:2 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 02 Oct 2018

Moses lived on the backside of the desert for four decades: that’s over 21 million minutes! His life was defined by monotony until he had an epiphany.

On a day that started out like the 4,600 days before, Moses spotted a burning bush out of the corner of his eye. Then he heard a voice from out of the bush calling his name.

Sometimes God will surprise you! A burning bush is about as absurd as a talking donkey. Oh, wait, God did that too!

One of the dangers inherent in walking with God for a long time is thinking that you’ve got Him figured out. We try to put Him in a box, but there’s no box big enough to contain Him.

He says: ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV).

Instead of drifting through life aimlessly and letting all your days run together, you need to get up each morning and pray: ‘Father, thank You for this new day. Give me fresh insights in Your Word that reveal new aspects of Your character so that I might do Your will and glorify You.’

Become more alert and aware; don’t miss what God has for you. Do what Moses did: ‘“This is amazing,” Moses said to himself, “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go and see it”’ (Exodus 3:3 NLT).

Today, try to ‘see’ what God is doing in your life!

Isaiah 59-61, 1 Thessalonians 1

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Listening for God’s voice

‘You will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the…way.”’
Isaiah 30:21 NCV

The UCB Word for Today - 03 Oct 2018

A counsellor who was once an addict writes: ‘I was in treatment for chemical dependency and needed a job to get out. I looked for months, but nobody wanted to hire me.

One day I was waiting for a bus when a little voice urged: “Look behind you.” I was standing next to an attorney’s office.

“Go talk to the head of the firm and tell him you need a job,” were the words I heard. That’s crazy, I thought…but that “still, small voice” urged me on, so I obeyed.

When I talked to the attorney and told him what was happening in my life, he understood because someone in his family was also recovering from addiction. Then he looked at me and said, “It’s funny you came in today.

I was thinking about creating a position for a legal secretary and hadn’t gotten around to advertising.” Two weeks later I got the job, and it was better than any position I’d applied for.

It paid more and made the best possible use of my skills.’ The problem isn’t that God no longer speaks to us; it’s that we don’t recognise His voice.

Don’t be so quick to dismiss the random thoughts that cross your mind (see 1 Corinthians 2:16). Generally speaking, God won’t send a thunderbolt from heaven to get your attention.

More often He speaks through your thoughts, a family member, a friend, a teacher, a pastor, a change in your circumstances, the sudden discovery of the ‘perfect’ Scripture, the writing of a gifted author, or in the quietness when He fills your heart with perfect peace. So learn to listen to God’s voice.

Isaiah 62-64, 1 Thessalonians 2

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Change your diet

‘Glorify God in your body.’
1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 04 Oct 2018

One pastor writes: ‘I stood on every healing Scripture in the Bible. Finally I got so sick that I had to be rushed to the hospital.

There they discovered I had five arteries completely blocked and scheduled me for a bypass surgery. When I came through it, I started questioning, “How could this have happened to me?

I’m a pastor. I believe that God heals. I’ve prayed for others and watched Him heal them.” Then I remembered!

I’d been warned repeatedly that my cholesterol and sugar levels were too high. I needed to change my diet, but I wouldn’t listen.

I was addicted to fried foods and fatty foods. They were so tasty I couldn’t give them up.’

Jesus said the children of this world are wiser than the children of light (see Luke 16:8). The media and medical establishment are warning us daily to eat more healthily, yet often the church is silent.

Tobacco, alcohol, and drugs can kill you, but so can eating unhealthy food! Paul writes: ‘Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s’ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV). You have an assignment from God, and a responsibility to stay healthy and fulfil it.

Your body is the temple in which He dwells, and the instrument He uses. So seek to ‘glorify God in your body’ each day.

Isaiah 65-66, 1 Thessalonians 3

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Don’t try to force it!

‘See the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.’
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 05 Oct 2018

Often life doesn’t go according to plan. A promotion doesn’t happen in time and your career plans get side-lined, or a relationship backfires and you spend every waking moment analysing what went wrong.

The secret to real peace lies in seeing ‘the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end’, and accepting that He works according to His own timetable. Have you ever tried unlocking the door to your house when you’re rushing, weighed down with packages, and the phone is ringing?

It’s the right key, but it won’t work because you’re forcing it. Once you relax, the door opens with no problem. One counsellor says: ‘Stop trying so hard. You’re sabotaging yourself. Once you decide a situation is good or bad, you put yourself in a position of having to do something about it.

For example, if someone is “good” you start comparing yourself: am I better or worse? How do I need to improve? We’re exhausted before we begin! When the path is uphill – walk up the hill!

When you have to go around an obstacle…go around it! Accept the path before you. The Bible says there’s “a proper time and procedure for every delight” (Ecclesiastes 8:6 NASB).

Sometimes that means you don’t get what you want today, you get what you have today. Maybe something needs to happen first.

Or there’s an important lesson God wants you to learn and you’re trying to avoid it. Or it’s just not time. Stop trying so hard to make things happen on your timetable.

Do what you can do in peace, surrender the rest to God, and watch the “impossible” fall into place.’

Jeremiah 1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

A father’s blessing (1)

‘By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.’
Hebrews 11:20 KJV

The UCB Word for Today - 06 Oct 2018

Every child needs their father’s blessing, and every father should speak words of blessing to them. When Isaac blessed his sons he was speaking with divinely given authority, not out of sentiment or favouritism.

By Hebrew custom a father’s blessing had these ingredients:
1) A meaningful touch. ‘Jacob went close to his father…who touched him…Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me”’ (Genesis 27:22, 26 NIV 2011 Edition).

A father’s blessing included the laying on of hands, a kiss, and an embrace of love and acceptance. Jesus also knew the importance of this: ‘He took [the children] up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them’ (Mark 10:16 KJV). And such expressions of love still bless your children’s hearts when they get them from you, Dad.

2) Words of affection. Before blessing Jacob his father Isaac said to him, ‘Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed’ (Genesis 27:27 NIV 2011 Edition).

To a city dweller these words might bring a puzzled look, but not to Isaac’s boys. Isaac, who loved nature, was saying, ‘That’s my boy – a country boy, a hunter, a man’s man like his dad!’

He couldn’t have spoken more affirming words to his sons. Dad, make sure your words aren’t demeaning or insensitive; speak words that say, ‘I love you, I believe in you, I’m proud of you, and I’ll always be here for you.’

Jeremiah 3-5, 1 Thessalonians 5

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

A father’s blessing (2)

‘May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness – an abundance.’
Genesis 27:28 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 07 Oct 2018

Let’s look at the next two ingredients of a father’s blessing:

1) The power of prayer. Here’s how Isaac, who was a farmer, prayed for his sons: ‘May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness – an abundance of grain and new wine.’

Dad, have your children ever heard you praying for them to succeed in life? Perhaps they’ve heard cutting and critical words like: ‘How could you be so stupid?

Don’t you ever think? You’ll never amount to anything!’

If so, apologise and ask their forgiveness. Then create opportunities for them to hear you talk to God about them by name; to hear you speak blessing over them.

What a powerful thing is a father’s prayer of blessing over his family!

2) The vision of a glorious future. The Bible says, ‘When there’s no vision, the people get out of control’ (Proverbs 29:18 CEB).

School counsellors grieve over the lack of vision in their students. Many of today’s kids see nothing ahead for them but economic gloom, unemployment and hard times.

They need somebody to believe in them; to assure them they can succeed and live happy lives; to know their best days are ahead. Isaac didn’t wait for his boys to devise their own vision for the future.

No, he prayed for their future success, for their rise to prominence, and for respect with their family and society. Dad, your kids need you to motivate them in the right direction.

Luke 19:1-27, Psalm 103-104