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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Keep your peace
28 JUNE 2023

‘The wisdom that is from above is…peaceable.’
James 3:17 NKJV

Have you ever got into an argument before church and felt like a hypocrite during the entire service? Understand this: the enemy knows that God’s Word can only be ‘sown in peace’ (see James 3:18), so he will do everything he can to keep you from receiving it and being blessed by it. That’s why you must do whatever it takes to keep your peace. There’s power in peace! If the devil can’t get you upset he has no power over you. He only gains control when you ‘lose it.’ He plans to get you upset in order to steal your peace, confuse you and make you run in circles. Don’t let him.

James writes, ‘The wisdom that is from above is…peaceable.’ In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases this Scripture: ‘Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterised by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoys its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour’ (v. 17-18 MSG).

Notice, getting along with others can be ‘hard work.’ So next time you get worked up about some issue, ask yourself, ‘What’s the Enemy trying to do here? If I give in to these emotions what will the result be?’ When you’re stressed out you lose your joy, and when you lose your joy you lose your strength because ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength’ (see Nehemiah 8:10). So today, pray, exercise self-control, and keep your peace.

2 Chronicles 15-16, Acts 23:1-15

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Who can you count on?
29 JUNE 2023

‘Timothy has proved himself.’
Philippians 2:22 NIV

God will be faithful to you, come what may. Humanly speaking, who else can you count on? Paul writes: ‘Everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel’ (vv. 21-22 NIV). Paul knew he could count on Timothy. Who can you count on? Before you answer, consider the following four questions:

1) When something goes wrong, do you have at least one friend you can easily talk to about it? ‘A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for…adversity’ (Proverbs 17:17 NIV). There is no way to put a price on such a relationship, is there?

2) Who in your life could accurately name your greatest fears and temptations? ‘Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble…A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken’ (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 NLT).

3) Do you have one or more friends with whom you meet regularly? ‘Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him’ (Malachi 3:16 KJV).

4) Do you have a friend you know well enough to trust their confidentiality? ‘A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret’ (Proverbs 11:13 NIV).

2 Chronicles 17-18, Acts 23:16-35

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Getting real
30 JUNE 2023

‘The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.’
1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

The problem isn’t just that we sin; it’s that we can’t talk about it. We’re comfortable with tales of people who used to sin, because they have happy endings. Imagine going to a counsellor and saying, ‘I only want to discuss problems I used to have. Please don’t ask me to confess any current ones. I would be embarrassed. I’m afraid you would reject me.’ Why would you go to a counsellor and try to convince them that you don’t need counsel? People are okay telling a doctor about their physical problem or a mechanic about a problem with their car. Shouldn’t we be okay telling each other when we have a problem?

If you want God (or anyone else) to love the real you, you have to work at ‘getting real’. David was Israel’s best king, but he was a polygamist. He was also a horrible father. He coveted another man’s wife, committing adultery with her, attempting to deceive her husband, ultimately having him murdered, and covering up his crime for a year; so, he was a coveter, an adulterer, a liar, and a murderer. As somebody quipped, ‘Nobody in those days was walking around wearing a “What Would David Do?” bracelet.’ Yet the Bible calls David ‘a man after [God’s] own heart’ (1 Samuel 13:14 NIV). Is it possible for someone to be struggling so intensely with sin and yearning for God at the same time? Yes. And it’s also why the Bible says, ‘Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed’ (James 5:16 NLT).

2 Chronicles 19-20, Acts 24

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When you’re under attack (2)
02 JULY 2023

‘This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.’
1 John 5:4 KJV

Adversity is often the Enemy’s attempt to rob you of the next season of God’s blessing in your life. If you’re under attack today, you need to do these three things:

1) Rise up and fight back. You will be tempted to withdraw or become timid and passive, especially if you have been hurt. Don’t do it. A wounded animal just invites attack. Satan loves shy, fearful types, but real fighters intimidate him. So, be bold and claim the promise, ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7 KJV).

2) Use all your weapons. The Bible says, ‘The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world…they have divine power to demolish strongholds’ (2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV). Prayer is a weapon – use it daily. And join in prayer with others. One person alone can’t multiply faith; increase begins when two people get together (see Matthew 18:19). Make sure you know the intercessors in your life, because they have influence with God. Scripture is also a weapon, so use it. ‘Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God’ (Ephesians 6:17 KJV). Find out what God’s Word says about your situation, and then use it like a sword to cut the Enemy’s head off.

3) Try to see the big picture. Few things are ever as they first appear, so look beyond the moment and see if something good is being birthed in you. After adversity comes blessing and favour, so get your eyes back on the big picture. Paul, who suffered relentless attack, said, ‘Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all’ (2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV).

Bottom line: today you can win.

Luke 12:1-31, Psalms 70-71

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When you’re under attack (3)
03 JULY 2023

‘We don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit.’
2 Corinthians 4:8 TLB
Satan can attack you anytime, anywhere. If you want to defeat him, here are some tried and true biblical principles you need to follow:

1) Guard your mind. You will never be defeated as long as you’re victorious in your mind; that’s the birthplace of everything you do. Satan knows that, and he will try to get your thoughts so scattered you won’t be able to concentrate on what’s important. Don’t let him do it. Get back into focus. Isaiah said, ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee’ (Isaiah 26:3 KJV).

2) Love people, but trust God. Live by the Scripture: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man’ (Psalm 118:8 KJV). When the devil wants to hurt you, he will often use a person to do it. Your ‘enemy’ is anyone who attempts to thwart the will of God in your life, so identify such people and avoid them. God never commanded us to trust people; He commanded us to love people – and trust Him. Understand the difference, for your victory depends on it.

3) Never give up. Jesus said, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’ (Luke 9:62 NIVUK). Your dreams and goals are worth any fight, any price, and any waiting period. Your faith is what defeats Satan. Remember Joseph? Every day of adversity was just another stepping-stone towards the throne. So, keep walking and believing, for there is victory ahead!

2 Chronicles 23-24, Acts 26

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When you’re under attack (4)
04 JULY 2023

‘If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.’
Proverbs 24:10 NLT
For the last few days, we have talked about how to handle Satan’s attacks when they come. So, if you’re under attack today, do these:

1) Be tough. Life is a collection of battles, which means it can also be a collection of victories. ‘Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world’ (1 John 4:4 KJV). Reach within and draw on God’s strength. Go ahead; He longs to show you what He can do for you. ‘For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me’ (Hebrews 13:5-6 KJV). Did you get that? ‘He hath said…so that we may boldly say’! There is power in His Word when you speak it, believe it, and act on it.

2) Depend on God’s wisdom. Jesus said, ‘Don’t worry…about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply’ (Luke 21:14-15 NLT). God has given you two things that always work: your mouth and His wisdom. When unexpected things arise, the Holy Spirit within you will rise to the occasion and speak through you, so start depending on Him.

3) Trust God to stop the attack. The Bible says, ‘He causes wars to end throughout the earth’ (Psalm 46:9 NLT). God is in control, He is bigger than whatever you’re dealing with, and you’re on His mind this very moment. Your tears, your fears, and your pain have been noticed by Him – and He will move on your behalf.

2 Chronicles 25-27, Acts 27:1-26

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When you’re under attack (5)
05 JULY 2023

‘With us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.’
2 Chronicles 32:8 NIV

The new birth creates a battle between your old nature and your new nature, and you must learn how to fight it. For the last handful of days, we have been looking at scriptural strategies for winning. Here are a few more:

1) Fill your mind with Scripture. David said, ‘If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction’ (Psalm 119:92 NIV). Your mind is like soil; it will grow any seed you plant, good or bad. When you plant words spoken by God, you’re sowing energy, life, and hope into your spirit. God’s Word is like a vaccination; it strips Satan of his power to infect you with fear and unbelief. The psalmist said, ‘The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip’ (Psalm 37:31 NIV).

2) Reach out to others. ‘When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!’ (Job 42:10 NLT). Does that sound strange? It may be strange in the kingdom of men, but not in the kingdom of God. You are the solution to somebody else’s problem, and when you reach out to them, God will reach out to you (see Ephesians 6:8). Go ahead, try it.

3) Remember that seasons change. David said, ‘Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning’ (Psalm 30:5 NLT). This attack won’t last forever – morning is coming! People change and circumstances change. So, start believing God to change things on your behalf. He promised to do it, and He will.

2 Chronicles 28-29, Acts 27:27-44

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When you’re under attack (6)
06 JULY 2023

‘I have fought a good fight.’
2 Timothy 4:7 KJV
Here are three more things to keep in mind when you’re under attack:

1) You are not unique. In a letter to persecuted believers, the apostle Peter said, ‘Be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers…is going through the same kind of suffering you are’ (1 Peter 5:9 NLT). We are all on the same battlefield, but the devil would love to convince you that you’re the only person who has ever experienced anything like this. That’s so you will feel like a failure and cut yourself off from the strength and support that comes from fellowship with other believers. Be wise; don’t let him do that to you.

2) Remove any hindrances. The apostle John writes, ‘Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God’ (1 John 3:21 NIV). We all sin – the mistake lies in trying to cover it up, because ‘whoever conceals their sins does not prosper’ (Proverbs 28:13 NIV). If you’re constantly struggling and being defeated, ask God to show you where the trouble spot is, draw on His grace, and deal with it.

3) Don’t quit. Anybody can begin a marathon, but it takes a champion to finish it. The apostle Paul writes, ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith’ (2 Timothy 4:7 KJV). Every one of us experiences adversity. But it’s those who stay strong to the finish who get the reward. So, pace yourself, and determine to go the distance. Study the lives of people like David, Esther, Deborah, and Paul. Remind yourself that their God is your God, and He has promised to bring you through victoriously.

2 Chronicles 30-31, Acts 28

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Establish your priorities
07 JULY 2023

‘I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.’
John 15:16 NKJV

In order to fulfil God’s plan for your life, you must establish clear priorities and live by them each day. Author Edward de Bono quipped, ‘A conclusion is the place where you get tired of thinking.’ Sadly, many people arrive at priorities based on where they ran out of steam. You definitely don’t want to do that. Nor do you want to allow others to decide your agenda or your priorities. Many ways exist for determining priorities. First, and foremost, your plan must always line up with God’s will for you (see Hebrews 13:20-21). Jesus said, ‘I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.’ Observe:

1) You must know that God has chosen and appointed you to a particular area of service.

2) Your goal in life should be fruit that ‘remains’ after you. If you use them properly, things like money and influence can aid you, but they must never be your goal or your heart’s desire.

So, how can you establish the right priorities? As you get to know yourself better, begin focusing on your strengths and the things that make best use of your God-given skills. Consider what brings you the highest return and reward. Think about what you enjoy most and do best. Those are your core gifts. Utilise the 80/20 rule. Give 80 per cent of your effort to the top 20 per cent of your activities. Bottom line: Jesus said you are to give your attention to the areas that bear the most fruit.

2 Chronicles 32-33, Romans 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Don’t get distracted
08 JULY 2023

‘Look straight ahead.’
Proverbs 4:25 NLT
To succeed at what God has called you to do, you must do these:

1) Remove distractions. This is not easy, as most people now get hundreds of emails, texts, and tweets every day. But you must do it. How? By keeping the discipline of practising your priorities. Don’t accomplish easy things first, or hard things first, or urgent things first. Do first things first – the activities that provide you with the highest return. That way, you keep distractions minimised.

2) Protect yourself from distractions. One leader writes: ‘I need blocks of time to think without interruptions. I’ve mastered the art of making myself unavailable when necessary and going off to my “thinking place” so that I can work without interruptions…however, I am always aware of the tension between my need to remain accessible to others as a leader and my need to withdraw from them to think.’

Jesus often withdrew from activities and prayed (see Luke 5:16). To know people’s needs, He spent time with people. To meet people’s needs, He spent time with God in prayer. As a result, He was always in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, doing the right things. And you must do that too! If you’re naturally withdrawn, then make sure to get out among people more often. If you’re always ‘on the go’, then remove yourself periodically so that you can be refreshed and refocused in order to accomplish what God has called you to do. ‘Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked’ (Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT).

2 Chronicles 34-36, Romans 2