[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Conquering bad habits
20 OCTOBER 2022

‘You shall conquer them and utterly destroy them.’
Deuteronomy 7:2 NKJV

American author Henry Van Dyke says, ‘As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge.’ Habits are like machines; they consistently turn out the same product. They can’t do anything else; they’re designed to produce that specific result. Change requires new behaviours, thoughts, relationships, and a willingness to do battle with old ways of thinking. And that calls for a strong relationship with God!

Upon entering the Promised Land, God told His people to ‘utterly destroy’ their enemies; otherwise, their enemies would live to eventually destroy them. So when God tells you it’s time to declare war on your bad habits, don’t say, ‘Everybody’s doing it,’ or ‘It’s no big deal.’ Anything that keeps you enslaved and prevents you from enjoying the freedom Jesus purchased for you at Calvary is a very big deal. Instead of resisting and making excuses, pray, ‘Lord, show me the root of this problem and how to deal with it. I’m ready for positive change in my life today.’

Have you ever noticed that whenever you have had a mountaintop experience with God, the Enemy is always waiting for you at the foot of the mountain? After their experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus’ disciples were approached by a man whose son was caught in a cycle of self-destruction where ‘frequently he [fell] into the fire and…water’ (Matthew 17:15 AMPC). Anytime you keep falling into the same traps, making the same mistakes, jumping into the same relationships, getting hooked on the same habits, it’s time to take your problem to Jesus and ask Him to help you. And He will!

Jeremiah 32-33, 2 Timothy 2

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

George Müller’s thoughts on meditation
21 OCTOBER 2022

‘I will delight myself in thy commandments.’
Psalm 119:47 KJV

George Müller was a man of great faith. He rescued thousands of homeless children in England. Sometimes when they gathered at the table for supper there was nothing to eat, so he would pray and thank God for supernatural provision. No sooner had he said, ‘Amen’, than a baker would show up at his door with bread, or a greengrocer with vegetables, or a farmer with milk.

Here is an entry from his journal, dated May 9, 1841: ‘I saw more clearly than ever that the first great primary business to which I ought to attend every day was…not how much I might serve the Lord…but…how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers…and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit. Before this time my practice had been…to give myself to prayer after having dressed myself in the morning. Now, I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God, and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that this, by means of the Word of God, whilst meditating on it, my heart might be brought into experimental communion with the Lord.’

For over forty years, Müller walked in the power of God and saw miracles. What was his secret? Taking time each day to meditate in God’s Word.

Jeremiah 34-36, 2 Timothy 3

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Use your God-given gift
22 OCTOBER 2022

‘Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you.’
2 Timothy 1:6 NIV

Other people may not think you’re important, but God does. And His opinion is the one that counts most. Remember David? Before he became king, he had to overcome two obstacles. The first obstacle was his family’s inability to see his potential. When Samuel the prophet came looking for a king among Jesse’s sons, David wasn’t even considered. Maybe that’s because he was the youngest, or his brothers seemed more qualified, or his father wanted to impress the prophet.

The second obstacle was Samuel’s inability to recognise God’s call on his life. When Samuel the prophet saw the oldest brother, Eliab, a general in the king’s army, he said, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here’ (1 Samuel 16:6 NIV). But God set Samuel – and the rest of us – straight with these words: ‘People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV).

David’s problem is a common one. Many of us don’t believe in ourselves because we weren’t recognised or encouraged by our parents. Perhaps you have the potential to be a great musician, but because nobody cared enough to give you music lessons when you were young, you have given up on yourself. Or you may be a budding entrepreneur who was criticised for your ‘foolish ideas’ about how to do business, and you have given up the dreams of your youth. If that’s the case, it’s time to rise up and reclaim who you are; to start praying that God will open your eyes and put someone in your life who will validate and ‘fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you’.

Jeremiah 37-39, 2 Timothy 4

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Night-time experiences (1)
23 OCTOBER 2022

‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.’
Psalm 30:5 NKJV

The earth is continually revolving, which means when it’s light in one hemisphere, it’s dark in another. While one person is experiencing midnight, another is rejoicing because daybreak has finally come for them. Both people live on the same planet, but they’re in very different places. So when you’re having a night-time experience, if you can just hold on a little longer, things will change. God guarantees it. The same way you rotated into the darkness, you will rotate out of it again. God works the night shift, and He will turn your darkness into light if you just keep trusting Him.

Notice: certain significant events in the Bible happened at night. For example, while Adam was sleeping, God reached in, performed surgery, and made Eve. At midnight, while the other prisoners slept, Paul and Silas sang praises to God and He delivered them. When Peter was locked in the inner prison, at midnight God sent an angel to liberate him. When Jesus was crucified, the earth was plunged into darkness, but on Easter morning the light came on – forever.

You have to expect some night-time experiences; it comes with the territory. God’s ‘darkroom’ is where He develops you into the image of Christ. Enduring is what gives you the credentials to walk out into the daylight, having earned the right to be there. This kind of faith is tenacious, radical, and relentless. When it’s backed into a corner, it stands its ground and declares, ‘I’ve lost my job, my mortgage is overdue, my symptoms don’t look too good, but I still believe God.’ That kind of faith gets results every time!

Luke 20:27-47, Psalms 110-112

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Night-time experiences (2)
24 OCTOBER 2022

‘Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you.’
Jeremiah 1:5 MSG

When God blesses you, get ready for the complainers who think He should have blessed them instead – or at least as much as you. When a dispute arose about which of the twelve tribes should lead Israel, God told Moses to have each tribal leader write his name on his staff and place it overnight in the tabernacle. Then God said, ‘The man I have chosen…buds will grow on his rod! Then at last this murmuring and complaining against you will stop!’ (Numbers 17:5 TLB).

Imagine an old stick with no roots or sap blossoming in the dark! The truth is, faith can’t grow without hardship; it must incubate in the darkness of adversity. There is a stage at which you don’t even know you have been chosen by God; only He knows. He told Jeremiah, ‘Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you.’ Before you were a beep on a monitor, God had plans for you. The reason you didn’t die on the operating table or in that car accident is because God had His hand on you. Furthermore, He didn’t choose you because you’re so virtuous and wonderful. No, ‘He chose what the world thinks is unimportant…so that no one can brag’ (1 Corinthians 1:28-29 NCV).

When God created the heavens and the earth, the Bible says, ‘Darkness covered the face of the deep’ (Genesis 1:2 NRSV). Then God spoke and said, ‘Let there be lights…And it was so’ (Genesis 1:14-15 NIV). And today God can bring light out of your darkness and hope out of your despair. He is not intimidated by the darkness – it’s where He does some of His best work!

Jeremiah 40-42, Titus 1

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Building good relationships
25 OCTOBER 2022

‘Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.’
Philippians 2:4 MSG

Paul writes, ‘Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand’ (v. 4 MSG). That means do these five things:

1) Be genuinely interested in others. ‘Laugh…when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down’ (Romans 12:15 MSG). And you can only do that when you take the time to find out what’s going on in someone else’s world.

2) Be upbeat. ‘A cheerful heart brings a smile…a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day’ (Proverbs 15:13 MSG). Don’t dump your problems on others, they have enough of their own. Take them to the Lord in prayer.

3) Be careful what you say, and always say less than you think. ‘A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in’ (Proverbs 29:11 KJV). And since how you speak is as important as what you say, always be kind and courteous.

4) Be reliable. The Bible says, ‘In the last days…men shall be… trucebreakers’ (2 Timothy 3:1-3 KJV), but you don’t have to fulfil that prophecy. When you say you will do something, do it. Character is measured by actions, not words. So strive to be a person whose word has meaning.

5) Be an encourager. Barnabas was known as a motivator because he ‘encouraged the believers’ (Acts 11:23 NLT). Ever notice what happens when you push a child on a swing? Eventually they start pumping and doing it themselves; they just needed a little help to get going. Even a smile can work wonders. Job said, ‘When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them’ (Job 29:24 NLT). Sometimes it’s that simple!

Jeremiah 43-45, Titus 2

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Help for your marriage
26 OCTOBER 2022

‘Unless the LORD builds the house, they labour in vain who build it.’
Psalm 127:1 NKJV

Nobody knows more about marriage than God. He not only thought up the idea – He put the first couple together. And His Word says, ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it.’ So let’s turn to His Word and see what kind of help He has to offer your marriage.

1) Be willing to take advice. Solomon says, ‘Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise’ (Proverbs 13:10 NLT). So before the argument reaches a stalemate and the stalemate becomes a full-blown crisis, get input from a trusted friend or counsellor. That takes humility, but it pays great dividends.

2) Don’t stop talking. Even though something seems obvious to you, don’t assume your mate can read your mind. And don’t resort to ‘the silent treatment’. Tell your husband or wife what’s bothering you, even if it means working through a disagreement. It’s when you don’t care enough to disagree that things fall apart.

3) Keep your love alive. Building a strong marriage means falling in love over and over again – with the same person. Paul writes, ‘Use your head…so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush’ (Philippians 1:9 MSG). It’s impossible to escape marital stress, but you can control it by scheduling breaks away from the daily grind. Take a walk together, watch a film you both enjoy, go for coffee, do whatever reconnects you. And let your children know you’re taking time out to be together. Not only will they learn to appreciate it, it will help them build a good marriage of their own later on.

Jeremiah 46-47, Titus 3

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Communicate with your mate
27 OCTOBER 2022

‘Use your head…so that your love is sincere…not sentimental gush.’
Philippians 1:9 MSG

Ever notice when you’re dating somebody, you can talk effortlessly for hours, but if you have been married a while, unless you work at it, conversation can become superficial and even lead to disagreements? The Bible says, ‘Be willing to listen and slow to speak’ (James 1:19 NCV). There is an art to communicating.

1) Look for opportunities to compliment one another. You may think your partner is wonderful, but they need to hear you say it frequently. It takes twelve compliments to neutralise the effect of one criticism, so when life beats your mate down, build them up.

2) Don’t try to change them by nagging. Questions like, ‘Why can’t you?’ or ‘Why do you always?’ can sound more like parenting than partnering. Tell your partner once – not a thousand times – what’s bothering you. And before you speak, ask yourself, ‘Would I say this to a valued friend?’ If not, don’t say it!

3) A marriage can only stand so much ‘soul-baring’. As a rule, shorter is better. ‘Honey, can we talk for a few minutes?’ is less threatening than the ominous, ‘We need to talk’ announcement. People can only stand so much ‘soul-baring’; pressuring them just gets the wrong result. If your spouse is unresponsive on an issue, discuss it with a trusted friend or counsellor. Then give your spouse the condensed, less emotional version.

4) Let your mate lead. When your spouse is talking about things you’re not particularly interested in, remember the Scripture, ‘Submit to one another’ (Ephesians 5:21 NIV). Sometimes that means asking, ‘What would you like to talk about?’ If you want a good marriage, use those four principles every day.

Jeremiah 48-49, Philemon

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Your stage and your standing
28 OCTOBER 2022

‘I am writing to you, dear children.’
1 John 2:12 NIV

John says, ‘I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name’ (v. 12 NIV). When you’re born again, the only thing you know is that your sins are forgiven and you’re in right standing with God. But you have a lot more to learn. The Greek term for ‘children’ refers to toddlers. And toddlers keep tripping and falling. Until they learn to walk, they need someone to pick them up and reassure them that falling down doesn’t mean they will never walk or they’re not part of the family.

In spiritual childhood, it’s essential that you understand two things: the difference between your stage of growth and your standing before God. Don’t get them mixed up! Trusting in the finished work of Christ gives you right standing with God as a fully accepted, redeemed child of His. If you forget that, every time you fall, the devil will make you doubt your salvation. When you sin, it doesn’t mean that your standing before God is altered; it means your stage of spiritual growth needs work.

The forgiveness you receive at the new birth is a judicial act, making you a member of God’s family in good standing. But the forgiveness you receive on a daily basis is a relational act. For example, when you enter some wrong numbers into your calculator, what do you do? There is a little button called ‘clear entry’ that lets you erase your mistake and start over again. That’s what the blood of Jesus does. Repentance allows you to override sin by triggering God’s forgiveness, so that the flow of His grace continues. And when grace flows, growth follows.

Jeremiah 50, Hebrews 1

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Eight principles to live by
29 OCTOBER 2022

'Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.'
Proverbs 21:5 NLT

People who set goals accomplish much more than people of equal education and ability who don't. With that in mind, build these eight principles into your life.

1) Decide what you want. But first consult God. 'Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails' (Proverbs 19:21 NIV).

2) Think on paper. Writing your goals down gives them a sense of permanency, plus it energises you. 'Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity.' Wishy-washy objectives won't get you where you want to go.

3) Establish a deadline. Without a definite beginning and ending it's easy to procrastinate and get nowhere.

4) Make a list of what you need to do to. Keep it before you at all times; it'll give you a track to run on.

5) Convert your list to a plan. Decide what you need to do first and what you can do later. An organised plan is always better than trying to carry stuff around in your head.

6) Act immediately. 'Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity' (Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV). Do something! A mediocre plan that's implemented beats a brilliant one that's not.

7) Do something every day to move you forwards. Build it into your schedule. For example, read systematically through your Bible, call a specific number of clients, engage in physical activity for a given time.

8) Have a goal you're willing to devote your life to. And keep your eye on that goal at all times. 'Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom' (Psalm 90:12 NIV).

Jeremiah 51-52, Hebrews 2