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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

What you must give up
18 MAY 2023

‘One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek.’`
Psalm 27:4 NKJV
In order to succeed, there are certain things you must give up.


1) You can’t be friends with everybody. Jesus loved everybody but spent most of His time with twelve people mentoring them. And He spent extra time with Peter, James, and John, His inner circle. At His life’s end, He could say, ‘I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do’ (John 17:4 NIV).

2) You can’t do everything. Because of the fast pace of our society, people tend to multi-task. But shifting from task to task can cost you up to 40 per cent efficiency. According to researchers, you will get more done focusing on one task at a time, not switching constantly from one task to another. David said, ‘One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek.’

3) You can’t be well rounded. Yes, there must be a balance between your private world and your public one. But it’s a myth to believe that you can know everyone, do everything, go everywhere, and have everything. You don’t need to know 99 per cent of everything in life; you just need to focus on the 1 per cent that gives you the highest return. If you’re too easily distracted, you need people in your life who are empowered to ‘call you on it’ and help you get back on track. You need to know what you should and shouldn’t be bothered about.

Bottom line: in order to go higher and achieve greater things, you must be willing to lay aside certain things. Even good things (see Hebrews 12:1-3).

1 Kings 1-2, Acts 2:22-47

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

You need others
19 MAY 2023

‘Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.’
Ecclesiastes 4:12 NKJV

Ken Blanchard said, ‘None of us is as smart as all of us.’ As much as we would like to think that we know it all, if we’re honest, each of us is painfully aware that we have blind spots and areas of inexperience. You have had experiences others haven’t had; they have had experiences you haven’t had, and when you get together, you harness your joint experience and knowledge. Jesus sent the seventy disciples out in groups of two. Why?

1) For support. ‘Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.’

2) For enlightenment. Playwright Ben Jonson said, ‘He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.’

3) For accountability. The pastor of a megachurch introduced the man who travelled with him to his audience, saying, ‘I am vulnerable to temptation, and he is my safeguard.’ You could have heard a pin drop in the crowd!

Sometimes you need comfort, and other times you need correction. It takes humility to acknowledge that, and emotional security to put it in place. Until you realise that others can help you live a fuller and better life than you could live on your own, you’re tying your own hands and limiting your potential. As long as your goal is to get ahead of others rather than work with them, your future will be short-changed. Good thinkers comprehend the power of shared thinking. They understand that when they treasure the thoughts and ideas of others, they receive the compounding results of shared thinking and achieve more than they ever could on their own. The truth is, you need others.

1 Kings 3-5, Acts 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How well do you know Jesus?
20 MAY 2023

‘Don’t you know me?’
John 14:9 NIV

A fascinating encounter took place between Jesus and Philip. When ‘Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father”…Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?”’ (vv. 8-9 NIV). There’s a lesson here for all of us. You can go to church regularly, serve on the board and sing in the choir, yet not really ‘know’ the Lord. To truly know someone, you must spend time with them, sharing and opening your heart. In other words, the relationship must become your top priority.

What you are reading is called a ‘devotional’ because its aim is to bring you to the place where you’re more devoted to Christ than anything else. Does that mean neglecting other things? No, it’ll actually enhance every other area of your life. The Bible says, ‘He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel’ (Psalm 103:7 NKJV). Israel knew God’s acts because they were observers, whereas Moses knew His ways because he was intimate with Him. Israel saw what God did; Moses was close enough to understand His thinking and why He did what He did.

Three times Jesus asked Peter, ‘Do you love Me?’ (John 21:15 NKJV). The first two times Peter answered, ‘Yes.’ The third time, frustrated by the question, he answered, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You’ (v. 17 NKJV). Note the words, ‘Lord, You know.’ You can fool others, and even yourself, but the Lord knows the quality of your love for Him. Today His desire is to draw you closer to Himself. Are you available?



1 Kings 6-7, Acts 4:1-22

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Don’t ‘drift away’
21 MAY 2023

‘We must give…earnest heed…lest we drift away.’
Hebrews 2:1 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away…how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?’ (vv. 1, 3 NKJV). Note the words ‘drift’ and ‘neglect’. Those words should set off alarm bells!

Samson’s decline was so gradual that he didn’t even realise it was happening. Like flipping a switch, he’d become used to drawing on the power of God and overcoming every enemy and obstacle. But sin and self-indulgence became his undoing. When Delilah said, ‘“The Philistines are upon you, Samson!”…he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines took him’ (Judges 16:20-21 NKJV).

When you neglect God, you begin to ‘drift away’. Your prayers aren’t as effective. You’re no longer a godly influence on those around you. You slip back into old habit patterns. You refuse to forgive those who’ve offended you. You fail to make amends to those you’ve hurt. You start doing what’s expedient and comfortable instead of what’s right. You harbour attitudes of fear and resentment. You feed your old nature and neglect your new one.

These are all signs that you need a spiritual check-up. Ask God today to highlight those attitudes, activities and relationships that need to be dealt with and start weeding them out. The good news is that when you’re obedient to God’s Word and the Spirit’s leading, you regain your spiritual vitality and God can use you more effectively.

Luke 9:18-36, Psalms 54-56

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Accepting others
22 MAY 2023

‘Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you.’
Romans 15:7 NIV

Sometimes people don’t make it easy to accept them. They can be bad tempered, selfish, critical, irritating, dismissive, aggressive and pompous. Sometimes you want to give them a piece of your mind; give them what they deserve – anything but acceptance. The command, ‘accept one another’, is inconvenient. And if Paul had stopped there, we might dodge the directive by saying he obviously meant good, reasonable, acceptable people. Alas, he goes on, ‘just as Christ accepted you’. Were you good, reasonable and acceptable? No, but He accepted you – flaws and all – and He still does!

You say, ‘Somebody has to straighten these people out and require them to act right!’ You mean like Jesus required before He accepted you? Roman Christians had difficulty accepting their less experienced brothers, and Paul corrected them: ‘Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling…for God has accepted them’ (Romans 14:1-3 NIVUK). Straightening people out isn’t our department; accepting them is. God calls us to accept messed-up, unspiritual, carnal, obnoxious, doctrinally misled, ‘just plain wrong’ people. You don’t have to approve of, like, or agree with them, but accepting them isn’t optional. There’s no elite, privileged, insider class. We occupy level ground because of two realities: our sin and the cross!

Jews and Gentiles despised each other, even after salvation. Each wanted the other to change and become like them. But Paul took the axe to the root of that tree: ‘For Christ himself…reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death’ (Ephesians 2:14-16 NLT). Our job is to accept people – and let God adjust them.

1 Kings 8-9, Acts 4:23-37

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

You must forgive
23 MAY 2023

‘The Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.’
Colossians 3:13 NLT

By washing the dirt from His disciples’ feet, Jesus demonstrated His willingness to forgive their sin before they even committed it. This takes love to its highest level. You say, ‘I am not the guilty party here.’ Neither was Jesus. Of the men in that room, only One was worthy of having His feet washed. And He was the One who washed the feet.

The genius of Jesus’ example is that the burden of bridge-building falls on the strong one, not the weak one. And do you know what happens? More often than not, if the one in the right volunteers to wash the feet of the one in the wrong, both parties get on their knees. Don’t we all think we are right? Hence we wash each other’s feet. Understand this: relationships don’t thrive because the guilty are punished, but because the innocent are merciful. The mercy of Christ preceded His disciples’ mistakes, and our mercy must precede the mistakes of others too. Those in the circle of Christ had no doubt of His love, and those in our circles should have no doubt about ours either.

Paul writes, ‘Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ’ (Ephesians 4:32 NCV). Because Christ has forgiven us, we can forgive others. Because He has a forgiving heart, we can have a forgiving heart. When Christ truly lives within us, we have no better alternative. There is incredible power in the words, ‘I forgive you; I love you; let’s move on’. Are there any sitting around your table today who need to be assured of your forgiveness?

1 Kings 10-11, Acts 5:1-20

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Through Christ, you can do it
24 MAY 2023

‘I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me.’
Philippians 4:13 AMPC

Paul writes: ‘I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]’ (v. 13 AMPC). Paul believed he could handle whatever life threw at him. Do you believe that too?

What are the things that trigger your fear and cause you to say, ‘I could never do that’? Suddenly losing a loved one? Facing an unexpected illness? Having your adult child with two toddlers move into your fastidiously clean and tranquil house after you have had an empty nest for years? Going on a stringent diet because your life depends on it? Putting yourself on a budget to prevent repossession of your home? Suddenly having to take care of a disabled, elderly parent?

Most people have some sort of situation that truly seems impossible to them, something they are unsure they can handle. The truth is, while some situations may be extremely undesirable or challenging for you, God says you can do whatever you need to do in life. He doesn’t say everything will be simple for you; He doesn’t promise you will enjoy every little thing you do, but that you can enjoy life in the middle of doing them. How? Through the power of the One ‘Who infuses inner strength into you’.

When you need money, you make a withdrawal from your bank account. When your car is empty, you make a withdrawal from the petrol pump. So when life gets overwhelming, pray and make a withdrawal on God’s grace, love, strength, power, and guidance.

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

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Depend more on God
25 MAY 2023

‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

The secret of being able to do what you need to do is in realising that you cannot do it alone; you can only do it through God’s empowering grace. God said to Paul, ‘My grace is sufficient for you,’ and the word ‘grace’ includes ‘all of God you will ever need for whatever you face in life’. What a promise!

Sometimes we think we have to do it all. We forget that the power of Christ works through us, so we’re defeated before we even begin. ‘We are labourers together with God’ (1 Corinthians 3:9 KJV). We can’t do God’s part, and He won’t do our part. He wants us to follow His leading, but He insists that we depend on Him every step of the way. This is hard on our ego which says, ‘I can do it myself!’ Sometimes we have to be beaten into the ground before we let go of this kind of thinking. Knowing that we have certain gifts and talents, we make the mistake of assuming we can use them to succeed in our own strength. No, unless God’s grace is operating through your gift, you won’t be adequate to the challenge.

The Bible says, ‘We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us’ (Romans 12:6 NIV). Grace is like electricity; in order for it to function effectively, you must stay plugged in. Jesus said: ‘No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me…apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:4-5 NIV). So, depend more on God.

1 Kings 14-15, Acts 6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Start saying, ‘I can’
26 MAY 2023

‘Many are they who say of me, “There is no help.”’
Psalm 3:2 NKJV

Maybe you have repeatedly heard the words ‘You can’t’ throughout your life. Many people like to tell others what they cannot do. Even people you wouldn’t automatically consider to be against you – teachers, coaches, parents, family members, friends, and leaders of church groups or social events, who often fail to realise the power of their words over young lives. Many of us grew up thinking, ‘I can’t,’ when that wasn’t true at all! No matter how often you have heard someone say, ‘You can’t,’ stand on God’s Word and say, ‘Yes, I can!’

Miracles come in ‘cans’ – our belief that we can do everything we need to do through Christ who is our strength (see Philippians 4:13). God believes in you, and now is the time for you to believe in yourself. This is a new day! Put the past and all its disheartening remarks behind you. Words that speak of failure come from the Enemy, not God, so determine right now not to allow the power of ‘you can’t’ to affect you any longer. In contrast to the Enemy, God’s Spirit encourages you and will do everything to urge you forward towards success in all areas of life.

Facing the challenges of the promised land, God told Joshua three times, ‘Be…of good courage’ (Joshua 1:9 NKJV). Always remember that if you feel ‘dis-couraged’, it’s from the devil. And that if you feel ‘en-couraged’, it’s from God. Decide to agree with God and say to yourself, ‘I can!’ Today let the power of God’s Word dominate the power of every negative word that has ever been spoken to you or about you.

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

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Refuse to live in fear (1)
27 MAY 2023

‘Fear involves torment.’
1 John 4:18 NKJV

Advice columnist Ann Landers received about ten thousand letters every month. When asked to name the most common problem in her readers’ lives, she said, ‘Fear! People are afraid of losing their health, their wealth, and their loved ones. People are afraid of life itself.’ If you allow it to, fear will control you. ‘Fear involves torment’, and until the power of fear is broken, it will keep tormenting you. When fear rules your life, you cannot enjoy anything you do. And you certainly can’t enjoy God’s blessings.

Dr Caroline Leaf says that fear triggers ‘more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than thirty different hormones and neurotransmitters.’ It’s at the root of all our stress. When fear causes a chronic stress reaction in us, it actually ‘marinates’ our body in chemicals that can be harmful in large amounts. This, of course, is terribly unhealthy and threatening to our physical well-being.

The fear of not being accepted by others can make you develop a phony personality, stifling your true self and hiding who God made you to be. The fear of failure will prevent you from trying new things or stretching yourself to do more than you feel comfortable doing. The fear of the future can cause you not to enjoy your life today.

Fear is a spirit, and it doesn’t come from God. ‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind’ (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV). Reject the spirit of fear. Draw on God’s power, believe He loves you unconditionally, and begin to exercise the ‘sound mind’ He has given you. Today, refuse to live in fear.

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