[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Choose joy

‘Do everything without complaining.’
Philippians 2:14 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 23 APRIL 2020

Chronic complainers are almost impossible to help. You can never satisfy them but they won’t let you stop trying, so you end up feeling trapped.

Once you get a reputation as a chronic complainer, people avoid you like the plague, and you end up feeling lonely and unappreciated. And chances are you’ll never really understand why!

Attitudes don’t just happen – you choose them. Paul writes, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4:4 NKJV).

Joylessness is something many church folks are prone to indulge in, and it’s usually not the kind of problem that gets you thrown out of the choir or removed from the church committee. The psalmist writes, ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it’ (Psalm 118:24 NKJV).

Notice that he doesn’t say, ‘Yesterday was God’s day, how happy I was then,’ or, ‘Tomorrow will be God’s day, I’ll endure until then.’ No, this day is a gift from God!

Complaining is often self-centred; it’s about what you like and don’t like. It is self-focused.

Real joy is a choice. It comes to those who devote themselves to something greater than their own happiness.

There are decisions you get to make every day, like what you eat, the clothes you wear – and the attitude you project. Paul was in prison with no hope of release when he wrote, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always.’

His circumstances didn’t dictate his joy, his focus did! And the same goes for you.

‘Always be joyful. Never stop praying.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus’ (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT). So today choose joy!

1 Samuel 4-6, John 9:24-41

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Be willing to listen, consider, and yield

‘Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another.’
Romans 12:10 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 24 APRIL 2020

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died after being hurled into the icy water below. News of the disaster got worse when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident.

It wasn’t a technical problem like radar malfunction, or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness.

Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence and both could have steered clear. But according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other, because each was too proud to yield.

By the time they came to their senses, it was too late. If you’re a tough-minded, strong-willed, make-it-happen kind of person, think about what you’ve just read.

If by winning the argument you hurt or lose the relationship, what have you gained? If you save face but lose the relationship, you end up in the loss column.

So here’s the word for you today: ‘Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another…Be of the same mind towards one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.

Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.…Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’ (vv. 12:10, 16-19, 21 NKJV).

1 Samuel 7-9, John 10:1-21

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Do you have a difficult boss?

‘Serve wholeheartedly.’
Ephesians 6:7 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 25 APRIL 2020

If you think your boss is hard to get along with, imagine working for David’s boss, King Saul. The more David tried to help him, the more Saul tried to kill him.

So what did David do? Every time his boss flew into a jealous rage and threw spears at him, David ducked and kept on serving him. Why?

1) Because David knew God had called him to be king, and what better place to learn the ropes than right there in Saul’s palace? The truth is, sometimes you can learn more from mistakes and failures than from the achievements of success.

So David kept his head down and kept on learning and growing.

2) David recognised that because Saul had been called by God to the position he held, it was God’s job, not his, to remove him. Was that hard to do?

Yes. But David understood that how you treat others when they’re in trouble determines how God treats you when you’re in trouble.

And before his life was over, David got into lots of trouble and needed God’s mercy big-time! Paul writes, ‘Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.’

Instead of murmuring and complaining, work to excel on the job and pray for favour. Remember: ‘The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes’ (Proverbs 21:1 NKJV).

Because David acted with grace and integrity while serving under a boss who was a nightmare, God made him the boss! And when you honour God on the job, He can do the same for you.

1 Samuel 10-12, John 10:22-42

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Forgive them and release yourself

‘When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them.’
Mark 11:25 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 26 APRIL 2020

When someone hurts us, our natural response is to either hurt them back or hope they will suffer for what they have done to us. Yet as redeemed children of God, we know this is the wrong response.

That is when we discover forgiving someone doesn’t come naturally or easily; it requires supernatural grace on our part. And where do we get that?

Through prayer! Jesus said, ‘When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’ Recalling God’s grace towards you leaves you no choice but to extend that same grace towards someone who hurts you.

Someone once said, ‘Forgiveness is a decision to set a prisoner free, and then discovering that the prisoner is you.’ So if you have a desire to forgive someone, get excited; the Holy Spirit has already done half the job.

To complete the other half, humble yourself and pray: ‘Father, I turn from every desire I have to avenge this wrong. You saw the situation before it happened, and in Your infinite wisdom You allowed it to be so.

Your Word says that “all things work together for [my] good” (Romans 8:28 KJV), so from this moment on, with the help of Your Holy Spirit, I forgive them. I will not dwell on the situation but will declare Your Word instead.’

That’s called ‘a prayer of release’. And you’re not just releasing your offender; you’re releasing and repositioning yourself to walk in God’s blessing. That’s why you must forgive them!

Luke 8:1-25, Psalm 43-45

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Prayers that don’t work

‘My prayers returned to me unanswered.’
Psalm 35:13 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 27 APRIL 2020

Misdirected prayers. Some people turn the blessing at mealtime into a public airing of their frustrations.

Others bounce their prayers off God, hoping to hit the person across the table – the one they’re trying to win to Christ. Don’t do that.

God gets enough bad press without you adding to it! Jesus said, ‘When you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production’ (Matthew 6:5 MSG).

Judgmental prayers. In one church a childless couple was praying for a baby. The prayer group arbitrarily decided the husband wasn’t ‘godly’ enough to be a father, so they spent their time asking God to change him.

If God gave children only to perfect parents, the human race would be extinct! The Bible says, ‘We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy’ (Daniel 9:18 NLT).

Quorum-based prayers. You think there’s a better chance of getting your prayers answered if you involve a lot of people, like having a quorum at a business meeting.

With God, what matters is the faith with which you pray, not the number of people. Jesus said, ‘Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours’ (Mark 11:24 NIV 2011 Edition).

Now, when you face a situation that’s too big to handle alone, it’s wise to reach for someone who really knows God and can pray in agreement with you. ‘If two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven’ (Matthew 18:19 NIV 2011 Edition).

Which raises the question: do you have prayer partners you can call on? Are you a prayer partner for someone else?

1 Samuel 13-14, John 11:1-29

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

‘Yes, but’ people

‘They have an unhealthy interest in controversies.’
1 Timothy 6:4 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 28 APRIL 2020

Some people miss all the good things in life by focusing only on what’s wrong. They miss the flowers in the garden and point out the weeds.

Who are they? They’re the ‘Yes, but’ people. In order to help them and to deal with them the right way, you must:

1) Be discerning. Recognise that often their outward bravado masks a deep inner insecurity. It lets them shift the focus off their own fears and onto the faults of others.

2) Be accepting. Our first inclination is to ignore and isolate difficult people.

That’s a mistake. Difficult people often want to be ignored, and avoiding them just provides the emotional distance for them to hide.

Plus, it confirms their belief that you don’t care and won’t listen because you think they’re wrong and you’re right.

3) Be interested. Show genuine concern for their family, their work, and their well-being.

‘Yes, but’ people usually struggle with giving and receiving love; they’re inclined to elevate opinion and loyalty above communication and reconciliation. And nowhere is it more evident than in their personal lives.

So be prepared to empathise with the trail of broken relationships you’re likely to find.

4) Be kind. The Bible says, ‘Love is patient, love is kind…It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails’ (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV 2011 Edition).

Avoiding ‘Yes, but’ people doesn’t work; neither does arguing with them or trying to straighten them out. You can’t change the habits of a lifetime in one or two conversations.

But given enough time, the one strategy that never fails is love.

1 Samuel 15-16, John 11:30-57

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Do only what God wants you to do

‘I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’
John 17:4 KJV

The UCB Word for Today - 29 APRIL 2020

Over half of those who enter the ministry quit within ten years because of stress and discouragement. How can you avoid that?

By following Christ’s example. How did Jesus do it?

He tells us: ‘The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does…By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me’ (John 5:19-20, 30 NIV 2011 Edition).

That sounds simple, right? Simple – but not easy.

People will try to talk you into doing good things that are not necessarily God’s highest priority for you. You can spend your life doing the ‘good’ and never get around to doing the ‘best’.

Jesus said, ‘I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.’ If God doesn’t give it to you, don’t take it on.

And if He does, don’t try it without His help. Grandfather clocks come with two simple instructions.

First, don’t let it run down. Second, don’t wind it too tight.

Why did Jesus rise before dawn to pray and sometimes pray all night? To avoid getting run-down, or wound up too tight!

The Bible says, ‘Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall’ (Psalm 55:22 NLT).

But He can only carry them when you give them to Him.

1 Samuel 17-18, John 12:1-26

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Where is God when it hurts?

‘Shall we indeed accept good from God, and…not…adversity?’
Job 2:10 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 30 APRIL 2020

If you could ask God one question and be guaranteed an answer, what would you ask? When pollster George Barna asked this question in a national survey in the USA, the primary response was: ‘Why is there pain and suffering in the world?’

The short answer is: Christ’s first coming was to save us from the penalty of our sin; His second coming is to save us from the presence of sin and restore paradise lost. But at some point in your life you will face pain and suffering.

Job was a good and godly man, yet all ten of his children died tragically in a single day. ‘Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity?

Curse God and die!” But he said to her…“Shall we indeed accept good from God, and…not…adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips’ (vv. 9-10 NKJV).

Observe two things about adversity. First, the opposite of integrity [wholeness] is fragmentation; we either fall apart or draw closer to God.

Second, what we say is crucial: ‘In all this Job did not sin with his lips.’ Yes, he grieved deeply.

And he had lots of questions for God, including unanswered ones. Yet when he spoke, here’s what he said: ‘He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food’ (Job 23:10-12 NKJV).

1 Samuel 19-21, John 12:27-50

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Thomas’s twin

‘Thomas, called the Twin…was not with them when Jesus came.’
John 20:24 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 01 MAY 2020

The Bible says: ‘Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails…and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them.

Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas,” Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.

Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”’ (vv. 24-28 NKJV).

Note the words ‘Thomas, called the Twin’. Do you know who the other twin is? You!

Whoever you are, reading this page today, you are Thomas’s twin. Think about it: how often have you doubted God’s love, His goodness, His grace, His faithfulness, and His promises?

So what’s the solution? An up-close-and-personal encounter with Jesus like Thomas had.

It happens when you read His Word and a verse leaps off the page, causing you to exclaim, ‘My Lord and my God!’ It happens in conversation with a friend when he or she shares such wisdom and insight that you find yourself saying, ‘My Lord and my God!’

It happens when you pray like the psalmist: ‘Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word.

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions’ (Psalm 119:17-18 NLT).

1 Samuel 22-24, John 13:1-20

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Learn to think strategically (1)

‘So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.’
Ephesians 5:15-16 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 02 MAY 2020

Strategic thinking helps you to plan, to become more efficient, to maximise your strengths, and to find the most direct path towards achieving your God-given assignment in life. The benefits of strategic thinking are numerous.

Here are a few of them:
1) Strategic thinking simplifies the difficult.

It takes complex issues and long-term objectives that can be very difficult to address, and breaks them down into manageable sizes. Anything becomes simpler when you have a plan!

The Bible says, ‘The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty’ (Proverbs 21:5 NIV).

2) Strategic thinking helps you to ask the right questions. Take a look at the following questions developed by Bobb Biehl, author of Masterplanning.

‘Direction: What should we do next? Why?

Organisation: Who is responsible for what? Who is responsible for whom? Do we have the right people in the right places?

Cash: What is our projected income, expense, net? Can we afford it? How can we afford it?

Tracking: Are we on target?

Overall evaluation: Are we achieving the quality we expect and demand of ourselves?

Refinement: How can we be more effective and more efficient?’ These may not be the only questions you need to ask in order to begin formulating a strategic plan, but they are a good first step.

Until you take the first step, you’ll remain stuck. Until you get over your need to do it perfectly, you won’t do it at all.

You ask, ‘When should I start?’ Today!

1 Samuel 25-26, John 13:21-38