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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When preparation meets opportunity
22 FEBRUARY 2022

‘I have finished the race.’
2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV

Seneca the Younger said, ‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.’ As you read in Scripture about the people God used to accomplish great things, you discover that much of their time was spent preparing for what seems like a relatively brief assignment. The ego in each of us craves two things – limelight and longevity! But with God only one thing matters: doing His will. When you can say like Paul, ‘I have finished the race,’ you have lived successfully. So, who does God use? Those who are prepared! Whether you’re called to business, art, education, politics, medicine, or ministry, this principle is immutable: opportunity comes to the prepared. That means every experience in life has potential value. Disraeli said, ‘One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes.’ And it’s not enough to simply get prepared; you must stay prepared. Solomon writes, ‘Hold on to instruction…guard it well, for it is your life’ (Proverbs 4:13 NIV). Knowledge in most fields doubles about every five years, and unless you keep growing, you will end up with outdated skills that don’t match the challenges of the world you live in. And here is another thing: preparation doesn’t start with what you do; it starts with what you believe. When you believe that tomorrow’s success depends on today’s preparation, you see today differently. Queen Elizabeth I reputedly offered the royal physicians up to half her estate if they could extend her lifespan. But, of course, they couldn’t. That’s why the Bible says it’s important to recognise ‘how short our lives really are so that we may be wise’ (Psalm 90:12 NCV).

Leviticus 15-16, Matthew 27:1-26

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

It’s a blessing in disguise
23 FEBRUARY 2022

‘Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory.’
2 Corinthians 4:15 MSG

If you’re going through a difficult time right now, let Paul’s words encourage you. ‘Surrounded and battered by troubles…we’re not demoralised; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows…we’ve been spiritually terrorised, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken’ (vv. 8-9 MSG). Who was Paul talking to? Followers of Christ who were having a rough time. Here is what he told them: ‘For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake…Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day…For…(this slight distress of the passing hour) is…producing…an everlasting weight of glory’ (vv. 15-17 AMPC).When you’re under pressure, your faith grows – and God knows exactly how much pressure to apply! He will let you get to 1) a place where you’re out of answers and your resources seem depleted, 2) a place where you’re tired of Satan stealing what you know God promised you, and 3) a place where you’re no longer willing to let other people’s opinions control you. (Remember, with God there are no hopeless situations, just people who have grown hopeless about them.) It’s when there is nothing more you can do that you start trusting God to do the impossible. As Paul says, ‘This slight distress of the passing hour’ (v. 17 AMPC). The crisis you’re experiencing may be a blessing in disguise; an opportunity to experience God’s ‘unfolding grace’ and a greater degree of His power at work in your life.

Leviticus 17-18, Matthew 27:27-50

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Adjusting your vision
24 FEBRUARY 2022

‘My eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.’
Isaiah 6:5 NIV

Before God called the prophet Isaiah to a position of leadership in the nation, He adjusted his vision. Uncorrected vision leads to skewed perspective, poor judgment, and wasted effort. Israel’s constant rebellion was putting them in jeopardy with God, and they needed a leader with clear vision. So, the first thing God did was give Isaiah a vision of His glory and power. Without it, he could not have done the job. Without this life-changing encounter with God, he would never have been strong enough to complete his mission. And the same applies to you. Whatever God calls you to do will require more than a job description and some basic skills. You will need a vision of His glory and limitless power to reassure you He is more than adequate for the challenge! (See Ephesians 3:20.) The second thing God did was adjust Isaiah’s vision of himself. Once your God-concept is adjusted, you’re ready for a self-concept adjustment – and not before! If you start with step two, you will quit before you begin. Isaiah cried, ‘I am not pure, and I live among people who are not pure’ (Isaiah 6:5 NCV). Isaiah realised he was no better than the people he had been called to reach. Until you see yourself realistically, honestly, and humbly in relation to God and others, your mission won’t succeed (see Romans 12:3.) The third thing God did was respond to Isaiah’s humility. An angel touched his lips with God’s purifying fire and said, ‘Your sin is taken away’ (Isa 6:7 NCV). God doesn’t call perfect leaders. He calls humble, honest, forgiven leaders, and crowns their efforts with success, regardless of the odds.

Leviticus 19-20, Matthew 27:51-66

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Forgiving others (1)
25 FEBRUARY 2022

‘“I will pay them back,” says the LORD.’
Romans 12:19 NLT

Long after you think you have forgiven someone, you can still be harbouring hard feelings. Some indicators that you still have work to do are these: you keep thinking about the person who hurt you and become resentful. You avoid them. You rehearse the incident mentally and in conversation. You take every opportunity to remind them of what they did. Do you know what you’re doing? Justifying an unforgiving attitude! There are two things God won’t share. 1) The praise that’s due Him. ‘I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise’ (Isaiah 42:8 NLT). 2) The right to ‘settle the score’. Paul writes: ‘Never take revenge…The Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good’ (Romans 12:19-21 NLT). So forgive, hand the situation over to God, and trust Him to work it out! When ‘people insulted Christ…he did not insult them in return…He let God…who judges rightly, take care of him’ (1 Peter 2:23 NCV). Resentment chains you to the offender, and you end up as a hostage. Dwelling on something your parents or spouse did, or how a colleague took credit for your work, or what someone may or may not have said about you, makes you – not them – miserable. You walk around stewing, and they don’t even know you’re upset. Don’t give anyone that kind of control over your life. Forgive – and move on!

Leviticus 21-22, Matthew 28

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Forgiving others (2)
26 FEBRUARY 2022

‘Turn thou me, and I shall be turned.’
Jeremiah 31:18 KJV

The Bible tells us: ‘Isaac’s servants dug…a well…But the herdsmen of Gerar quarrelled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So…they dug another well, and they quarrelled over that one also.…And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called it…Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land”’ (Genesis 26:19-22 NKJV). What a great example of practising forgiveness. During a drought, Isaac dug wells and his enemies moved in and claimed them. It wasn’t fair, but instead of retaliating, he moved on and dug new wells – and God blessed him greatly. The truth is this: God will fill the emptiness in your life when you forgive those who have hurt you. Let’s face it; as long as we share this planet with other imperfect human beings, they will hurt us. There is no way to avoid it. And when the hurt goes deep, it can be hard to forgive. Does that mean you should go around pretending that nothing is wrong, and denying how you feel? No, the first step towards healing is acknowledging your feelings. And Jesus gives us the second step: ‘Pray for those who mistreat you’ (Luke 6:28 NIV). When you do that, something unexpected happens. Your heart softens and you start to see the offender through God’s eyes instead of your own raw emotions. ‘But I don’t want to forgive them!’ you say. Then here is step three. Acknowledge your unwillingness to forgive and ask God to make you willing. Pray, ‘Turn thou me, and I shall be turned.’

Leviticus 23-24, Mark 1:1-22

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Take time to rest and sharpen
27 FEBRUARY 2022

‘Come with me…to a quiet place and get some rest.’
Mark 6:31 NIV

A competition was held between two men to see who could chop down the most trees in a single day. One man was older and more experienced, while the other was younger and less experienced. And that’s where the difference showed up. The younger man spent eight hours chopping down trees, and at the end of the day he had a total of twenty-five. Believing the older man lacked stamina and youth, he sat down, fully confident he would win. Meanwhile the older man, who had taken a ten-minute break each hour, ended his day by chopping down forty trees. In shock the younger man asked, ‘How is this possible, old man? I didn’t stop. You stopped every hour for ten minutes and yet you chopped down almost twice as many trees as I did.’ The older man replied, ‘Every hour I sat down for ten minutes and did two things. First, I took time to rest and recharge my batteries. Second, I took time to sharpen my axe. Yes, you were working hard but you were working with a dull axe.’ There’s an important lesson here for you. In order to succeed at what God has called you to do in life, you must always do these two things: 1) Make time for rest and renewal. You cannot always be giving out; you must also stop and take in. That’s where prayer and Bible reading come in: they restore what life depletes. 2) Stay sharp. When your axe is dull it requires more energy and produces fewer results. So take time to rest and sharpen.

Luke 4:1-30, Psalms 23-25

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When conflict comes home (1)
28 FEBRUARY 2022

‘Let there be no strife between you and me.’
Genesis 13:8 NASB

The conflict between Abram and Lot teaches us important principles about our families. Lot had lived peacefully in his Uncle Abram’s home. Abram had taken him along on the journey of faith, when suddenly conflict arose. And because conflict reveals character, Lot showed his true colours. Since their growing herds were too big to share the same pastures, Abram suggested they split the land between them, offering Lot first choice. Lot ‘chose for himself’ (Genesis 13:11 NASB) the best land, leaving the rest to his uncle. Lot moved to rich, sinful Sodom; Abram built an altar to the Lord. Same genes – totally different values! So: 1) Consider the facts. Abram was God’s appointed leader and Israel’s primary patriarch. God had promised him a homeland, fatherhood of a great nation, blessing and protection. And above all these, God promised that in him, ‘All the families of the earth will be blessed!’ (Genesis 12:3 NASB). In practical, day-to-day terms, Abram was the senior partner and major stockholder in the family business. He had shown love and generosity to his nephew, and in the crunch, valued their relationship over personal interests. Abram, therefore, deserved consideration and deference from his nephew. But Lot never gave it to him. 2) Consider the point. For the family’s sake, Abram chose not to ‘pull rank’, or ‘insist on his rights’, or ‘show who’s boss’. He proved that God alone vindicates us! We shouldn’t even attempt to vindicate ourselves. Abram chose grace over law, humility over pride, self-denial over ‘rights,’ mercy over justice, love over lust, and character over popular opinion. Think about it!

Leviticus 25, Mark 1:23-45

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When conflict comes home (2)
01 MARCH 2022

‘Let there be no strife between you and me…for we are brothers.’
Genesis 13:8 NASB

Family conflict brings out the worst and the best in all of us. But conflict itself isn’t the problem – character is! Conflict just reveals what’s important to us. Abram’s priority was the family; Lot’s was ‘getting rich’. Abram’s concern was harmony; Lot’s was self-preservation. Abram was driven by his faith; Lot by his greed. Abram was a giver; Lot was a taker. But watch how the story turned out. 1) What should have happened? The junior partner should have submitted to the senior; the follower should have deferred to the leader; the less-spiritual should have acknowledged the more-spiritual. But Lot failed on all counts! 2) What could have happened? As the God-appointed leader Abram could have assumed top dog status and enforced his will, but he didn’t. He could have been concerned about winning, but wasn’t. He could have called in his debts with Lot, but refused to. 3) What did happen? First, Abram elevated relationship above personal advantage. Second, he relinquished his ‘rights’, to keep peace in the family. Third, he ‘turned the other cheek’ and deferred to Lot. The greater gave way to the lesser. The stronger made allowance for the weaker. The mature showed mercy toward the immature. Did it make Abram the weaker man and Lot the stronger? Did Abram lose and Lot win? No! God always has the last word. And it was this: ‘Look…northward and southward and eastward and westward…all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever’ (Genesis 13:14-15 NASB). Doing things God’s way is the certain road to peace and prosperity.

Leviticus 26-27, Mark 2

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What to do when you feel down (1)
02 MARCH 2022

‘Elijah was…as human as we are.’
James 5:17 CEV

Elijah got so ‘down’ that he was ready to end it all. And it happened on the heels of his greatest victory. He had just called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel, when he went from exhilaration to exhaustion. We forget that even when we’re successful and love what we do, it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. So, if you’re a purpose-driven person with no boundaries, pay attention! 1) Exhaustion made Elijah lose perspective. He had just defeated 850 false prophets (see 1 Kings 18:19), and now he was running from one woman: Jezebel. General George Patton Jr. said, ‘Fatigue makes cowards of us all.’ When fatigue walks in, faith walks out! It distorts our thinking and makes us overlook God’s power and His promises. Mental fatigue coupled with physical exhaustion is a deadly combination that invites hopelessness and creates the illusion that we have no options. 2) Fear made Elijah isolate himself. Leaving his servant in Beersheba, he went into the wilderness and told God, ‘I am the only one left…now they are trying to kill me’ (1 Kings 19:10 NIV). At that moment, Elijah was in the worst possible company – his own! When you feel down, that isn’t the time to isolate yourself. That’s when you need to reach for God and the people who love you and can help you get back up. Even Paul needed help. After writing, ‘[In] Macedonia, we…found trouble all around us…fighting on the outside and fear on the inside,’ he added, ‘But God, who comforts those who are troubled, comforted us when Titus came’ (2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NCV). So, who do you need to call? Who do you need to reach for? Don’t keep putting it off – do it!

Numbers 1-2, Mark 3:1-19

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What to do when you feel down (2)
03 MARCH 2022

‘My glory and the One who lifts up my head.’
Psalm 3:3 NKJV

When Elijah was at his lowest point, God told him these three important things: 1) Spend more time with God. ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord’ (1 Kings 19:11 NKJV). That was where God spoke to him in ‘a still small voice’ (v. 12 NKJV). The word ‘still’ teaches us that instead of always working for God, we need to spend time with Him. If you don’t, you will run on empty, and get nowhere. When David was feeling down, he wrote: ‘Many are saying…“God won’t rescue him.” But, Lord, you are my shield, my wonderful God who gives me courage. I will pray to the Lord and he will answer me’ (Psalm 3:2-4 NCV). 2) Stop trying to do it all yourself. That’s the fast route to depression. Leadership isn’t just about getting the job done; it’s about developing others and getting it done through them. Elijah wasn’t alone. God told him, ‘I have reserved seven thousand in Israel…whose knees have not bowed to Baal’ (1 Kings 19:18 NKJV). Don’t just operate – learn to cooperate! 3) Realise your assignment isn’t over. God showed Elijah there were still kings to anoint, battles to win, and a successor to be prepared (see v. 16). Need a reason to get out of bed in the morning? God will give you one! When you’re ‘down’, He doesn’t get mad at you. On the contrary, His Word says, ‘He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the dimly burning flame. He will encourage the fainthearted, those tempted to despair’ (Isaiah 42:3 TLB). That’s the loving-kindness of God!

Numbers 3-4, Mark 3:20-35