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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Learn to control your anger
29 MARCH 2023

‘Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.’
Proverbs 19:11 NLT

When it comes to anger, here is what you need to know: it isn’t a psychological disorder; everybody gets angry. And it’s not necessarily a sin. Like a fast-flowing river, it can generate constructive or destructive energy, and be unleashed negatively or harnessed positively. Anger is commonly misunderstood as something that’s done to us by others or by circumstances. We say, ‘I couldn’t help it; they pushed my buttons!’ ‘What could I do; he got my hackles up!’ That sounds like Eden: Adam said, ‘The woman you gave me made me do it!’ Since the fall, we have claimed to be victims of people, the devil, and circumstances beyond our control – a belief that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, causing us to feel helpless and at the mercy of external forces.

What does God’s Word say about our anger? ‘Sensible people control their temper.’ That means when sensible people get angry, they control their emotions. No matter what the external trigger is, the answer is always an internal response. ‘The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV). Staying filled with God’s Spirit is the key to anger management. Instead of feeding your anger by telling yourself, ‘You can’t get away with treating me like that,’ try thinking, ‘No matter what you say or do, God’s Spirit lives in me and I have self-control!’ The Bible says, ‘The grace of God…teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age’ (Titus 2:11-12 NIV). So, learn to control your anger.

Deuteronomy 25-27, Mark 14:27-52

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Seek God for direction
30 MARCH 2023

‘Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.’
Proverbs 16:3 NIV

As a follower of Jesus Christ, your direction shouldn’t come from people and be confirmed by God, it should come from God and be confirmed by people. The Bible says: ‘Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word. Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good. Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place. God made everything with a place and purpose’ (vv. 1-4 MSG). You may be able to do what someone else has done and do it even better. But has God called you to do that particular thing? Before you follow someone else’s guidance, do these:

1) Check the source of their wisdom. ‘The Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless…he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path’ (Proverbs 2:6-9 NIV1984).

2) Check their motives. John writes, ‘I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened’ (Revelation 20:12 NKJV). Will one of those be ‘the book of motives’? And if it is, will your actions and accomplishments stand up under divine scrutiny?

3) Check the outcome they’re pursuing. If you seek success in order to have power and prestige, or seek riches only to have comfort, you violate one of the core principles of God’s Word: you’re blessed in order to be a blessing to others.

Deuteronomy 28-29, Mark 14:53-72

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Try a power nap
31 MARCH 2023

‘When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.’
Proverbs 3:24 NIV

God built specific triggers into our bodies to let us know when it’s time to escape consciousness. And wise people listen to these clues. History’s most notable power nappers include Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Winston Churchill. There is a reason why your eyelids start to droop around 2pm. The levator muscles, which constantly contract to keep your eyelids open, give out and beg for a break. And a chemical called adenosine, which collects in your brain when you’re awake, piles up and makes you feel drowsy. Consequently, your body yearns for sleep to allow the adenosine to disperse, resulting in instant relief.

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine confirms that people who nap for at least thirty minutes daily, three times weekly, are one-third less likely to die from heart disease. And additional research suggests that taking a nap can improve creativity and memory. Cognitive neuroscientist William Fishbein says that often during a brief nap, our brains actually keep working to resolve problems and form new ideas. That helps explain why Mozart professed to have composed music in his dreams. Studies also show that a little extra sleep can assist with weight control – which means you can lose as you snooze! Ghrelin, a hormone produced in our intestines, tells us we’re hungry and triggers cravings for sweets, salty foods, and starches – all the bad stuff! However, when we sleep more, our colon stores less ghrelin, and our craving for junk food diminishes.

In Scripture, Jesus not only took frequent rest breaks himself; He encouraged His disciples to follow suit. So, try a power nap.

Deuteronomy 30-31, Mark 15:1-24

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HAPPY NEW MONTH; APRIL



TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Go to the right source
01 APRIL 2023

‘The only way to escape…is to go to Philistia.’
1 Samuel 27:1 CEV

The Bible says, ‘[David] thought to himself, “One of these days, Saul is going to kill me. The only way to escape from him is to go to Philistia”’ (v. 1 CEV). Now, in times past, David had ‘enquired of the Lord’ (see 23:2, 4 NIVUK). He also sought advice from experienced, proven counsellors. But this time, he was guided by his fears and ended up defecting to enemy territory. And it gave him a temporary sense of relief. Looking to the wrong source can do that – but it doesn’t last. Solomon said: ‘You may think you are on the right road and still end up dead. Sorrow may hide behind laughter, and happiness may end in sorrow. You harvest what you plant, whether good or bad…be smart and know where you are headed’ (Proverbs 14:12-15 CEV).

Eventually, the Philistines rejected David because they couldn’t trust him. They said, ‘Send David back to the town you gave him. We won’t have him going into the battle with us. He could turn and fight against us!’ (1 Samuel 29:4 CEV). Be careful when you’re in a spiritual slump, because the decisions you make can have long-lasting ramifications. Rejected by the Philistines, with no country and no family to come home to, here is what we learn from David:

1) Instead of listening to your fears, listen to God. Standing among the ruins of his life, ‘David found strength in the Lord’ (1 Samuel 30:6 NIV), and you will, too.

2) Seek wise counsellors. It’s the last thing you will feel like doing because misery loves company, but ‘the more wise counsel you follow, the better’ (Proverbs 11:14 MSG).

Deuteronomy 32-34, Mark 15:25-47

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How God sees you
02 APRIL 2023

‘You are precious…in my sight.’
Isaiah 43:4 NIV

Have you ever gone to a car boot sale hoping to find a bargain? To the untrained eye, much of the stuff looks like rubbish. It may even have been gathering dust and mildew in somebody’s loft. But the trained eye sees treasure in disguise; items that just need to be cleaned, polished, and restored in order to become valuable again.

That’s what God does with us. When Satan tells you you’re worthless, God looks inside you and sees hidden treasure. When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, He enables you to overcome your past, resist temptation, conquer bad habits, rise above your self-imposed limitations, and realise that in God’s eyes, you have great worth. You actually start believing what He said: ‘You are precious…in my sight.’

The truth is when you keep putting yourself down, you can tend to gravitate towards people who do the same. But once you begin to realise the value God places on you, your entire outlook changes. With God, you can’t lose. Even when you stumble, He will help you to get back up, become stronger and wiser, and move on to victory. When you see yourself only as somebody who makes mistakes and falls short, you’re looking in the wrong mirror. Once you start to see yourself in the mirror of God’s Word, you see someone who is being transformed day by day into the likeness of Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). And that’s how God sees you today.

Luke 6:27-49, Psalms 35-36

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

You have to ‘walk out’ the process
03 APRIL 2023

‘I will give you every place where you set your foot.’
Joshua 1:3 NIV

The book of Job has forty-two chapters. In the first forty-one chapters, Job experienced the loss of his health, his wealth, and his family. Over and over again, he questioned God but got only silence for an answer. But he kept walking with God, and said, ‘When he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold’ (Job 23:10 NIV).

Notice three things: First, to become gold, you have to go through the fire. Second, the degree of heat and the amount of time required is determined by the refiner. Third, when you try to rush the process, you end up with a substance of lesser value, like tin. God told Joshua, ‘I will give you every place where you set your foot.’ In other words, ‘To get what I have promised, you must “walk out” the process.’

American poet C.V. White wrote: ‘The man who succeeds never waits for the crowd. He strikes out for himself. It takes nerve, it takes a lot of grit, but the man that succeeds has both…Success is the accomplishment of that which people think can’t be done.’ Complacency, fatigue, doubt, criticism, and discouragement are everyday hurdles you must constantly overcome. And how do you do that? You keep on walking!

You will notice a common thread throughout the Bible: when you really need Him, God shows up and does for you what you can’t do for yourself. The rest of the time – which is most of the time – He strengthens you and says, ‘You have to “walk out” the process.’ And that’s the word for today!

Joshua 1-3, Mark 15

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Guard these three areas of vulnerability
04 APRIL 2023

‘Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.’
1 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV
Here are three areas where we’re particularly vulnerable:

1) Discouragement. In a moment of discouragement, Peter did what he swore he would never do: deny Jesus. Discouragement makes you say things you don’t mean, and do things that are out of character. That’s why Jude writes to ‘build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the…Spirit, staying right at the centre of God’s love’ (Jude vv. 20-21 MSG).

2) Excitement. Herod became excited by a dancing girl, threw caution to the wind, and made an offer he lived to regret: ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you’ (Mark 6:23 NKJV). She asked for John the Baptist’s head, and since he was a king, Herod couldn’t renege on his promise. That single moment of indulgence cost him his kingdom and his life. Be careful where you turn for excitement, and how you react when you find it. ‘When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived’ (James 1:15-16 NKJV).

3) Weariness. In Old Testament times, a ‘birthright’ meant the oldest son inherited twice as much of his father’s estate. Normally, Esau wouldn’t have considered selling his birthright, but he did so in a state of exhaustion (see Genesis 25:29-34). Weariness can cause you to lose perspective and make decisions based on what feels right in the moment rather than what’s right for you long term.

The Bible says: ‘All these things happened to them as examples…Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall’ (1 Corinthians 10:11-12 NKJV). So, guard these three areas of vulnerability.

Joshua 4-6, Joh 1:1-28

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Simplify your life
05 APRIL 2023

‘If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me.”’
Matthew 11:28 CEV

The average office worker is bombarded each day with over two hundred messages via email, texts, tweets, and blogs. In fact, one in three managers gets sick because of information overload. It’s a blizzard out there! It makes you wonder – if technology is saving us all this time and energy, how come we’re so frazzled?

Here is something Canary Wharf and Fleet Street won’t tell you: success presents more opportunities for the Enemy to run you into the ground. That’s no way to live, and it certainly isn’t God’s will for you. Don’t wait until you hit the bottom, get fired, throw away your life, settle for a dead-end job, or lose your family. Don’t wait until you’re too old, too grumpy, and too locked into your lifestyle. Today, Jesus is saying to you, ‘If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest…learn from me’ (vv. 28-29 CEV).

Leadership expert and Christian author Phil Cooke says: ‘The Lord can’t relieve the pressure while you’re in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing, with the wrong people. If you climb the corporate ladder and neglect your family, His hands are tied because your priorities are out of order. When you’re in God’s will, you can work hard, but travel light! He’ll carry your burdens and take the weight. Simplifying your life may mean working fewer hours, scheduling “down time” and investing more in your loved ones. Markets, assignments, personalities and situations are all different, but these principles hold true for everyone.’

So the word for today is – simplify your life.

Joshua 7-9, John 1:29-51

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Onwards and upwards
06 APRIL 2023

‘I press towards the…upward call of God.’
Philippians 3:14 NKJV
To fulfil God’s will for your life, you must do these:

1) Move to a higher level of faith (see Romans 1:17). Before David killed Goliath, he first had to kill a lion and a bear. And today we’re contending with issues that require us to trust God in a greater way.

2) Seek God’s guidance about each situation that arises (see Proverbs 3:6). His promise is: ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye’ (Psalm 32:8 NKJV).

3) Get into proper spiritual alignment. God is aligning His people and putting together those who will stand as one in the day of battle. It’s imperative to know who you can trust to go into battle with you, and you only discover such people in times of testing (see Joshua 8:1).

4) Know God’s will for your life. God doesn’t play hide-and-seek with His will. It’s only as you spend time with Him that you discover it (see Psalm 143:10). And when you do that, you thrive.

5) Fight, using God’s Word. The God-breathed words found in Scripture are your strength in times of difficulty and testing. Jesus used Scripture to put Satan to flight (see Matthew 4), and the weapon of God’s Word still works today.

6) Don’t be unduly introspective. Only the Holy Spirit has the ability to search and know our hearts and minds (see John 16:8-15). And when God is ready to reveal areas that need correction, He will. Until then, keep moving forward in faith.

7) Guard your mind. Make it a walled city that refuses entry to negative thoughts and harmful influences (see Proverbs 4:23).

Joshua 10-12, John 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How could He do it?
07 APRIL 2023

‘Christ died for us.’
Romans 5:8 KJV

If you watched Schindler’s List, you probably came away asking, ‘How could they do it?’ The showers…the ovens…the smokestacks belching out human ashes. Trains arriving every day with mothers, fathers, children, and old people – herded like cattle on the way to a slaughterhouse. And worst of all – soldiers who carried out orders without a shrug of conscience. How could they do it? The answer is sin! And if you think Hitler and his henchmen had a corner on it, think again!

David says, ‘I was brought forth in guilt, and in sin my mother conceived me’ (Psalm 51:5 NASB). His own sordid chapter of adultery and murder confirms that. Read this CV; it describes each of us: ‘They’ve all taken the wrong turn…all wandered down blind alleys…Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mud slides…They open their mouths and pollute the air. They race for the honour of sinner-of-the-year’ (Romans 3:12-15 MSG). If God did an evaluation on any one of us, that would be it. And you must understand that in order to appreciate this: ‘God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8 NKJV).

When you read that Scripture, the question changes to, ‘How could He do it?’ Thank God we didn’t get what we deserved – punishment. We got what we needed – grace! Hymnist William R. Newell wrote, ‘Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan! Oh, the grace that brought it down to man! Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!’ Take a moment today and thank God for the grace that redeemed you. It’s what Good Friday is all about.

Joshua 13-15, John 3:1-21