[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

God and your money (6)

‘He…giveth thee power to get wealth.’
Deuteronomy 8:18 KJV

The UCB Word for Today - 23 MAY 2020

When it comes to God and your money: 1) When you do what pleases Him, He will bless you. Why?

Because your actions prove that doing His will is more important to you than doing your own thing. ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things’ (Matthew 25:23 KJV).

But there’s another side to the coin. When you knowingly don’t do what pleases God, He will stop blessing you.

‘Take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away’ (vv. 28-29 NKJV).

2) God will show you how to make more money. He taught Joseph how to prosper in the midst of a worldwide famine, and bless the needy nations around him.

And when the fish weren’t biting, Jesus showed the disciples where to find a boatload of them. On one occasion, they actually caught a fish with enough money in its mouth to pay their taxes! (see Matthew 17:27).

God works through unlikely channels, and He wants you to depend on Him as the source for everything you need. The Bible says, ‘Remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.’

The word ‘power’ encompasses ideas, strategies, plans, relationships, and investments. Yes, God can send you an unexpected cheque in the mail that will solve your problem temporarily, but you should believe Him for a plan that’ll solve your problem long term.

1 King 12-13, Acts 5:21-42

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

God and your money (7)

‘That you…might become rich.’
2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 24 MAY 2020

The Bible assures us that God isn’t poor. ‘“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,” saith the Lord’ (Haggai 2:8 KJV). ‘Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills’ (Psalm 50:10 KJV).

Now ask yourself: if you were a billionaire, would you be happy seeing your children running around ragged and hungry? No?

Well, neither is God! Paul writes, ‘For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich’ (2 Corinthians 8:9 KJV).

Maybe you’ve read this Scripture and thought Paul was talking about being spiritually rich but not financially rich. Let’s read the verse in that context and see if it makes sense: ‘He who was spiritually rich, for our sakes became spiritually poor, that through his spiritual poverty, we might become spiritually rich.’

That’s not what it says! Question: when was Jesus ever spiritually poor?

No, the verse says what it means and means what it says: ‘That you…might become rich.’ Now, the word ‘rich’ means different things to different people.

In some countries you’re considered rich if you have a roof over your head, three square meals a day, and a bicycle to ride to work. In fact, right now would be a good time to discuss the much abused and widely misunderstood Bible word ‘prosperity’.

Prosperity simply means ‘having enough to do the will of God’. Does God have a will for your life?

Yes. Does He want you to have enough money to fulfil His will for your life?

Yes. That’s God’s plan for your life!

Luke 9:37-62 , Psalm 54-56

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

God and your money (8)

‘The Word became flesh.’
John 1:14 MSG

The UCB Word for Today - 25 MAY 2020

Jesus came into the world for two reasons. First, to give you the greatest gift of all – eternal life.

Second, to let you know He cares about every detail of your life. ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14 NKJV).

In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases it: ‘The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.’

Roughly 20 per cent of everything Jesus taught had to do with your finances, your job, and your earthly needs. He cares!

And when you can’t make ends meet, the Bible says, ‘God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory’ (Philippians 4:19 NKJV). When your business is going under, His promise is ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit’ (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV).

God cares about the burden you’re carrying today, so if your needs aren’t being met, re-evaluate your understanding of your heavenly Father. Have you even discussed your finances with Him?

How about the purchase of your home? Did you feel the inner confirmation of the Holy Spirit that the timing was right?

Have you been tithing, sowing into God’s kingdom and expecting a harvest in return? Seed sown in good ground always produces a harvest, and faith is the magnet that pulls the harvest into your life.

The word for you today is – God loves you and wants to bless every area of your life.

1 King 14-15, Acts 6

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

‘Thou, O king, art the most worthy’

‘Every knee will bow to the name of Jesus.’
Philippians 2:10 NCV

The UCB Word for Today - 26 MAY 2020

During one of the crusades, Philippe Auguste, king of France, assembled all his noble knights and encouraged them to be strong in battle. On the table he placed his royal crown, bearing the inscription ‘To the most worthy’, and pledged it as a prize to be given to the bravest fighter.

After the army went to battle and returned victorious, they encircled the table where the crown sat. Then one of the nobles stepped forward, lifted the crown, and placed it on the king’s head, saying, ‘Thou, O king, art the most worthy.’

The Bible says, ‘Every knee will bow to the name of Jesus – everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord’ (vv. 10-11 NCV).

Note the words ‘every knee will bow’. In 2011, the population reference bureau estimated that 106 billion people had been born since the dawn of the human race.

Guess what? Every single one of them will bow to the name of Jesus.

Try to imagine all those people – over ten times the world’s population – kneeling before Christ and saying, ‘Thou, O king, art most worthy.’ And in that moment Christ will assume His position ‘far above all rule and authority and power and dominion…not only in this age but also in the one to come’ (Ephesians 1:21 NASB).

Then He, the author and finisher of it all, will close the book on this life and open the book on the next. That’s the beginning of the unending story that we, the redeemed of the Lord, wait for and long for.

1 King 16-18, Acts 7:1-22

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

You need a vision

‘You spoke in a vision.’
Psalm 89:19 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 27 MAY 2020

The psalmist says: ‘You spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said…“I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him”’ (vv. 19-21 NIV).

Great vision always precedes great achievement. And God is the giver of great visions – so ask Him for one.

Vision gives birth to the goal; it sparks and fuels the fire within, and moves you forward in spite of the odds and obstacles. To get a handle on the word ‘vision’, you must understand these things:

1) Vision comes from God. He knows what you’re capable of and what He has gifted you to do.

Are you looking beyond yourself, even beyond your own lifetime, as you seek your vision? If not, you may be missing your God-given potential and His best for you.

If, after seeking God for a vision, you still don’t have one, consider partnering with someone whose vision resonates within you.

2) Vision draws on your history. Vision isn’t some mystical quality that comes out of a vacuum.

It grows out of your past experiences, and the history of the people around you.

3) Vision meets other people’s needs. A God-given vision goes far beyond what one person can accomplish.

It includes and blesses others. If your vision doesn’t do that, it’s probably too small.

4) Vision attracts resources. Like a magnet, it draws, challenges, and unites people.

It also rallies finances and other resources. The greater your vision, the more faith-filled people it will attract.

And the more challenging the vision, the harder the participants will fight to achieve it.

1 King 19-20, Acts 7:23-43

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

God will forgive and restore you

‘A bruised reed He will not break.’
Isaiah 42:3 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 28 MAY 2020

Have you ever heard of the Great Boston Molasses Flood? On January 15, 1919, a steel vat containing 2.3 million gallons of molten molasses burst.

A 30-foot-tall wave of hot syrup drowned people and horses, destroyed buildings, and crushed freight trains, wagons, and cars. The enormous tank, 50-feet tall and 240-feet around, had been poorly designed.

Company officials had reacted to the constantly leaking cracks by repainting the tank to match the colour of the molasses; their philosophy was ‘out of sight, out of mind’. These officials knew the vat was dangerous but they did nothing about it.

The disaster, described by one author as the ‘Dark Tide’, killed 21 people and injured 150 others. There are two important lessons in this story.

First, pay attention to the cracks in your character; what you ignore today, you may drown in tomorrow. Second, no matter how badly broken you may be, if you turn to God, He’ll restore you.

Isaiah said, ‘A bruised reed He will not break.’ These words portray the gentleness and grace of God as He stoops to restore and make us whole.

Maybe you think your sin is too great and you’re too far gone. No. God said, ‘I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness’ (Exodus 34:6 NLT).

‘I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him’ (Hosea 14:4 NKJV).

‘He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us…[He] will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea’ (Micah 7:18-19 NKJV).

Today God will forgive and restore you.

1 King 21-22, Acts 7:44-60

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Don’t give in to despair

‘When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.’
James 1:2 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 29 MAY 2020

When difficulties come to us in life and in our relationships, as they inevitably will, it’s easy to succumb to the ‘dominoes of despair’. First, we become disappointed with an event or relationship.

Then as the trial lingers, we topple into discouragement and surrender our expectations that things will change. Finally, as we feel the impossibility of moving the object against which we lean, we succumb to the last domino of despair.

We feel powerless and hopeless, and don’t know how to see our way clear. Instead of running our life’s race, it feels like we’re swimming below the surface in an ocean of jelly.

Often when we can’t understand life’s circumstances, we limit our expectations of who God is and what He can do. We think there’s only one good outcome – the one we want!

Instead, we need to trust our heavenly Father because He may have bigger and better things in mind. We must try to see Him at work in whatever trials come our way.

Remember, God’s expectations are bigger than our own, and only our heavenly Father and His purposes, no matter how painful they seem at the moment, truly satisfy our souls. James writes: ‘Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing’ (vv. 2-4 NLT).

Keep that truth uppermost in your mind today, and you won’t give in to despair.

2 King 1-3, Acts 8:1-25

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Let them go!

‘They went out from us, but they were not of us.’
1 John 2:19 KJV

The UCB Word for Today - 30 MAY 2020

Every relationship in your life is for a reason and a season. Your commitment to your family should be for a lifetime; other relationships may have term limits.

So when someone walks away, don’t try to talk them into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, or staying attached to you. Your destiny is not tied to those who leave you.

John writes: ‘They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.’ People leave you because they’re not joined to you.

And if they’re not joined to you, you shouldn’t try to make them stay. That doesn’t mean they’re bad people; it just means their part in your story is over.

You’ve got to know when a relationship is over, and graciously say goodbye knowing that whatever relationships God means you to have, He will provide. Stop begging them to stay – let them go!

Clinging to a relationship whose season has ended will only lead to heartbreak. After Lot left him, Abraham entered a new level of God’s blessing.

When Orpah left Naomi and went back home to Moab, Ruth stayed with her, and both Naomi and Ruth were blessed by God. You’ve got to know who belongs in your life and who doesn’t.

If you’re holding on to someone who doesn’t belong, and who is not intended to be in your life, the word for you today is – let them go!

2 King 4-6, Acts 8:26-40

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Speak ‘in good taste’

‘Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt.’
Colossians 4:6 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 31 MAY 2020

John Grisham, author of blockbuster books that become blockbuster movies, has been called ‘a straight arrow making his way along a very crooked path’. His novels often depict sleazy lawyers, corrupt politicians, and trigger-happy police – the underbelly of a world of wealth and respectability.

His heroes, on the other hand, are generally the innocent or children, such as the eleven-year-old boy in The Client. Grisham said he would rather be a nice guy than resort to filling his books with sex and gore.

He refuses to write anything that would offend or embarrass either his mother or his children. Contrary to what many in the publishing world might have predicted, his approach has paid off.

The Firm now has over twenty million copies in print. So far, the oldest fan to write to him is ninety-six years old, the youngest ten years old.

Most of his readers commend him for leaving out graphic violence, obscenities, and profanities. The Bible says, ‘Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.’

Note the words ‘seasoned with salt’, or in good taste. Jesus said: ‘Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things…every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned’ (Matthew 12:34-37 NKJV).

So, speak ‘in good taste’.

2 King 4-6, Acts 8:26-40

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Looking for donkeys – and discovering your destiny (1)

‘Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head.’
1 Samuel 10:1 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 01 JUNE 2020

Here’s the remarkable story of how Saul became Israel’s first king. He was out scouring the countryside for his father’s lost donkeys when he met the prophet Samuel.

‘Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” And he went on.

“But you stand here awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God.” Then Samuel took…oil and poured it on his head, and…said: “Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over His inheritance?”’ (1 Samuel 9:27-10:1 NKJV).

Think about it: Saul went out looking for donkeys – and discovered his destiny! And it can happen to you too!

God has a habit of calling people who are busy doing other things. James and John were mending their fishing nets, Matthew was collecting taxes, Elisha was farming, and Saul was out looking for his father’s lost donkeys.

It was just another day on the job, working to make a living. But when God has a destiny for you, and a date on His calendar with your name on it, He will come and get you.

You say, ‘But I’m nobody special!’ That’s what Saul said too: ‘Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?’ (1 Samuel 9:21 NKJV).

Your social status doesn’t limit God. When He has a plan in mind for you, He will reach into the background and bring you into the foreground.

So stay faithful, keep serving Him, and your time will come!

2 King 7-9, Acts 9:1-22