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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to be fruitful (2)
03 JANUARY 2022

‘The godly have deep roots.’
Proverbs 12:3 NLT

You must cultivate deep spiritual roots. ‘Blessed are those who trust in the Lord…They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by…heat or worried by…months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit’ (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT). This Scripture gives you one reason why you need deep spiritual roots: to make it through the rough times – times of heat and drought. Solomon said, ‘No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted’ (Proverbs 12:3 NIV). It’s when seasons of adversity hit your life that you discover what you’re ‘rooted’ to: God’s strength or merely your own. When the Bible speaks of ‘heat’, it’s speaking about the pressures of life. When it speaks about ‘drought’, it’s speaking about seasons of crisis and lack. What’s the answer? ‘Roots that reach deep into the water.’ What’s the result? ‘They never stop producing fruit.’ Because of their roots, the giant redwoods of Northern California can withstand the major forest fires. If you were to measure the roots of a large oak tree, they would stretch out for several hundred miles. That’s why they’re stable in the storms of life. Paul writes this: ‘I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong…you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God’ (Ephesians 3:16-17, 19 NLT).

Genesis 4-6, Matthew 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to be fruitful (3)
04 JANUARY 2022

‘Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him.”
Colossians 2:7 NLT

Paul writes this: 'Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.…you…are complete through your union with Christ’ (vv. 6-8, 10 NLT). If you ever visit an Arizona desert, you will find that it is full of different kinds of vegetation. The contrasts are fascinating. The dried-up, brittle tumbleweed blows everywhere. Why? Because it has no roots. By contrast, the saguaro cactus bears fruit even in 130-degree weather. Why? Because its roots go out fifty to sixty feet in all directions. You must have deep spiritual roots if you are going to make it through the ‘dry spells’ of life. Anyone can survive a day or two of drought, but what about extended seasons of stress, grief, lack, illness, and adversity? Whatever your life is rooted to – is what you will draw your strength from. The psalmist writes this: ‘They delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind’ (Psalm 1:2-4 NLT). Pray, ‘Lord, root me deep in you.’

Genesis 7-9, Matthew 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to be fruitful (4)
05 JANUARY 2022

‘The seeds…fell among…thorns.’
Luke 8:14 NLT

You must eliminate the weeds. In His famous parable of the sower, Jesus said the seed fell into four different kinds of soil. ‘The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature’ (v. 14 NIV). Notice, three varieties of ‘weeds’ can keep you from growing into spiritual maturity. 1) Worry. You become so preoccupied with everyday cares that you take your eyes off Jesus. 2) Riches. Making money and buying things dominates your life so much that you don’t have time for the Lord. 3) Pleasure. Pursuing ‘the good life’ can choke out your spiritual growth. It’s okay to have a good time, but you need to protect your priorities. When you have time to shop, go to the beach, play golf, or spend hours watching television yet you don’t have time to read your Bible and pray, your priorities are out of balance. You say, ‘I just don’t have time to serve the Lord. I’m too busy. I don’t have time to commit.’ Then you are too busy! You’d better do some weeding. Lots of things in life are not necessarily wrong; they are just not necessary. Maybe you need to cut back your schedule a little to remove the weeds. You have to tend your tomato plants, but you don’t have to do anything to produce dandelions; they grow by themselves when you neglect your garden. Getting the idea? If the ‘weeds’ in your life are keeping you from bearing ‘fruit’, it’s time to stop talking about it and take action.

Genesis 10-12, Matthew 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to be fruitful (5)
06 JANUARY 2022

‘He prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.’
John 15:2 TLB

You must submit to the pruning process. ‘He prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.’ Pruning entails cutting off dead branches and cutting back living branches. Both are necessary to shape the tree and stimulate growth. Professional pruners will tell you that most people are too hesitant when it comes to pruning. But God is not. He not only cuts off that which is sinful and superficial, He cuts back that which is alive and successful; a business that’s doing great, a satisfying relationship, or a plan that seems to be working well. God doesn’t just cut off the ‘bad’, but the ‘good’, in order to give you the ‘best’. It’s not pleasant, but it’s absolutely essential for spiritual growth. What does God want in your life? ‘Much fruit’ (John 15:8 KJV). So, you are going to be pruned! You may be undergoing pruning right now, and it may not all be deadwood. God cuts off things we view as productive so that more fruit may be produced in our lives. This can be perplexing. We believe we’re being faithful, so we are puzzled, even frustrated, by His pruning. ‘Why are you doing this, God? I have given my business to you, but it’s unprofitable. I have committed my health to you, now I’m in the hospital. I’ve been tithing faithfully, yet I’m going bankrupt.’ What’s happening? ‘No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it’ (Hebrews 12:11 NIV). You’re being pruned for greater fruitfulness.

Genesis 13-15, Matthew 5:1-26

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Weigh your words carefully
07 JANUARY 2022

‘If we could control our tongues, we…could…control ourselves.’
James 3:2 NLT

When it comes to your tongue, here are three rules: 1) Don’t speak too quickly. ‘We all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we…could…control ourselves in every other way’ (v. 2 NLT). Because you can never be totally aware of all the sensitivities of a person, you must rely on the Holy Spirit to direct your speech in a way that doesn’t tap into their pain or other negative experiences. Everybody has a different sensitivity level, depending on their past experiences. That includes you too. So practise not being easily offended, and giving others the benefit of the doubt when they say something that could be misconstrued as offensive. 2) Don’t respond too quickly. ‘To answer before listening – that is folly and shame’ (Proverbs 18:13 NIV). Before you speak, listen carefully and make sure you understand what is really being said. And if you don’t – say so. Your need to ‘look good’ can cause you to lose respect in the eyes of the person you’re seeking to impress. 3) Don’t commit too quickly. Solomon writes, ‘Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God’ (Ecclesiastes 5:2 NKJV). Then he goes on to explain how we shouldn’t try to drop out of a commitment by saying we made a mistake. Your word is your bond, and when you break a promise, you hurt people and forfeit their trust. So pause before you speak, and if need be, take time to pray. Your time and your words are two things that can never be taken back, so carefully weigh what you say.

Genesis 16-17, Matthew 5:27-48

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Love is a decision
08 JANUARY 2022

‘You must love…’
Matthew 22:37 NLT

When a lawyer asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, He replied that he must love God, others, and himself (see vv. 37-39 NLT). Observe that He said, ‘You must love’ (emphasis added). This tells you a lot about the true nature and behaviour of love. If love can be commanded, then it can’t be only emotional, or a matter of feelings. Genuine love is much more than feelings; it’s a matter of the will. That’s why Jesus could command us to express it. It’s a commandment followed by a commitment. Although feelings are important, true love functions regardless of how you feel. In his book The Fred Factor Mark Sanborn writes: ‘I learned a long time ago that liking people and loving them are different. Liking someone is an emotional response. Unlike love, “like” is a feeling. The tough part is that we can’t control our emotions. We can control how we choose to express those emotions but not the feelings themselves. A healthy person can choose to be angry and still choose to act lovingly…A feeling is a reaction. Maybe that’s one reason Jesus didn’t say, “Like your enemies.” He knew that liking or not liking someone was not always in our immediate control…I have learned that love is, among other things, an action. I can love someone I don’t necessarily like. I can do something or act towards that person in a certain way because I know it is the right thing to do even if I don’t feel warm and fuzzy doing it.’ And here’s the thing: when you act lovingly towards another person, your emotions begin to line up with your actions. Go ahead, try it and see!

Genesis 18-19, Matthew 6:1-15

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Lord, Teach Me to Pray (1)
09 JANUARY 2022

‘Lord, teach us to pray.’
Luke11:1 NKJV

In his book With Christ in the School of Prayer, Andrew Murray writes: ‘None can teach like Jesus…therefore we call on Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” A pupil needs a teacher who knows his work, who has the gift of teaching, who in patience and love will descend to the pupil’s needs. Blest be God! Jesus is all this and much more…Jesus loves to teach us how to pray.’ If you: a) are not sure God is really listening when you talk to Him; b) don’t understand why some prayers seem to go unanswered; c) wonder if you are praying ‘right’ or generally feel frustrated in prayer; d) are eager to know what to do to feel more connected with God and gain confidence that your prayers really do make a difference, say, ‘Lord, teach me to pray.’ Although there are principles of prayer that apply to everyone, God will lead each of us individually. He wants to take you just the way you are, and help you discover your own rhythm of prayer; to develop a style of prayer that maximises your relationship with Him. He wants prayer to be an easy, natural, life-giving way of communicating as you share your heart with Him and allow Him to share His heart with you. Prayer is so simple; it’s nothing more than talking to God and taking time to listen to what He has to say to you. God has a personalised prayer plan for you, a way for you to communicate most effectively with Him. So begin by saying, ‘Lord, teach me to pray.’

Luke 1:21-38, Psalms 4-6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Lord, Teach Me to Pray (2)
10 JANUARY 2022

‘Jesus…spent the night praying.’
Luke 6:12 NIV

One of the dangers of being involved in God’s work is that you can go for weeks, or even months, without praying. In a survey of a thousand pastors, half acknowledged that they often went for long periods without taking time to pray. They didn’t have a personal prayer life beyond their function in church. Amazingly, they had preached entire sermons on the topic, yet they themselves didn’t practise it. Can you relate? Jesus arose before dawn and spent hours in prayer. He even prayed all night. And it showed. His incredible success flowed out of the rich relationship He had with His Father. He made deposits every morning so that He could make withdrawals all day long. One Bible teacher writes: ‘I have gone from labouring and striving to pray for five minutes every few days to enjoying – and actually personally needing and wanting – beginning my day with prayer, then to praying throughout the day as things come to my heart, and finally ending my day communicating with the Lord as I fall asleep. I have moved from a sporadic, irregular prayer life to regular times of prayer that are disciplined without being legalistic. Where I once thought I was fulfilling an obligation to God by praying, I now realise that I absolutely cannot survive a day and be satisfied…if I do not pray. I realise that prayer is a great privilege, not a duty. I no longer approach God in fear, wondering if He will really hear me and send an answer to my prayers. I now approach Him boldly, as His Word teaches me to do, and with great expectation.’

Genesis 20-22, Matthew 6:16-34

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Lord, Teach Me to Pray (3)
11 JANUARY 2022

‘Evening, morning and noon…he hears my voice.’
Psalm 55:17 NIV

God is far too creative to insist that every person interacts with Him in exactly the same way. He designed each of us differently. There are prayer principles that apply to all of us, but God leads each of us as individuals. We are all at different places in our walk with Him, we are all at different levels of spiritual maturity, we all have different types of experiences in prayer. Yes, we need to learn the fundamentals of prayer. But then we need to move beyond intellectual knowledge about how to pray, and take those principles to the Lord and say: ‘Teach me to apply this to my life, in my situation, to my heart. Show me how this idea is supposed to work for me. God, I’m depending on You to teach me to pray, to make me effective in prayer, to make my relationship with You through prayer the richest, most rewarding aspect of my life.’ When you say, ‘Lord, teach me to pray,’ you’re asking Him to teach you to pray in a distinctly personal way, and to enable your prayers to be easy, natural expressions of who you are. You need to go before God just the way you are, and give Him the pleasure of enjoying the company of the ‘original’ that He made you to be. You need to approach Him with your own strengths, weaknesses, uniqueness and everything else that so wonderfully distinguishes you from everyone else. God enjoys meeting you where you are, developing a personal relationship with you, and helping you grow to become everything He wants you to be.

Genesis 23-24, Matthew 7

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Lord, Teach Me to Pray (4)
12 JANUARY 2022

‘He fashions their hearts individually.’
Psalm 33:15 NKJV

Your prayer style should be consistent with the way God designed you. Yes, you can learn from people who are more experienced in prayer than you are, but you need to be careful not to make them your standard, or become a ‘clone’. It’s wrong to force yourself to do what others do, if you are not comfortable with it in your spirit. Don’t try to keep up with someone else, or copy their prayer style. And don’t feel compelled to work every prayer principle you have ever learned, every time you pray. Most of us are afraid not to be like everyone else. We are more comfortable following specified rules than daring to follow the leading of God’s Spirit. When we follow man-made rules, we please people. But when we step out in faith and follow God’s Spirit, we please Him. You don’t need to feel pressured to pray a certain way, or for a certain length of time, or to focus on specific things because other people are doing so. ‘Untie the boat from the dock,’ so to speak, and let the tide of God’s Spirit take you wherever He wills. When you are in control, you know what will happen next. But when you let God’s Spirit take the lead, you are in for a lot of surprises in life. Wonderful surprises! You need to be determined to be yourself, and refuse to spend your life feeling guilty because you’re not like somebody else. The Bible says, ‘He fashions their hearts individually.’ So when it comes to prayer, the word for today is, ‘Be yourself’.

Genesis 25-26, Matthew 8:1-17