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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

You belong to God
29 JULY 2023

‘Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!’
Psalm 139:14 NLT

Do you remember the old TV series The Six Million Dollar Man? He was built and equipped with nuclear-powered bionic limbs and implants. Well, he has nothing on you! You’re unique…one of a kind…a genuine marvel of God’s creative genius. For example, your tongue; four hundred little taste buds, each one capable of discerning the difference between asparagus and lemon meringue pie. And how about your intestinal system? Twenty million little mouths capable of digesting almost anything. Then, there is your cooling system. Frigidaire has nothing like it; three hundred and fifty thousand sweat glands per square inch. And how about your sensory system? A network of ten million nerves, the branches of which send and interpret messages and also formulate a response for each.

You’re one in seven billion! Nobody else has your voice pattern, fingerprints, or DNA. When you were born, God didn’t stop and say, ‘What are we going to do with this one?’ No, you were given your father’s name (see Isaiah 43:1). You were bought with a price (see 1 Corinthians 6:20). You were made a member of His redeemed family (see 1 John 3:2). Your steps are ordered by him (see Psalm 37:23). He has already planned your success (see Jeremiah 29:11). He loved you when you were unlovable and chose you before you could do either right or wrong. Doesn’t that give Him the right to say, ‘I want your praise and obedience, I want you to spend time with Me, I want you to read the letters I’ve written to you, and I don’t want anybody or anything to come between us’? The word for today is – you belong to God!

Job 11-13, Romans 16

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Let your children enjoy their childhood
30 JULY 2023

‘I will lead on slowly, at the pace of…the children.’
Genesis 33:14 ESV

Today there is a tendency on the part of some parents to try and make their children grow up too quickly. They rush them through the milestones of childhood and thrust them into the turmoil of adolescence. This is the conclusion of developmental psychologist Dr David Elkind, who called this cultural phenomenon the ‘Hurried Child Syndrome’. It happens when parents encourage their children to act like teenagers, such as buying make-up for pre-school girls, allowing early-teenage dating, treating kids more like grown-ups, expecting them to make adult-level choices, dressing them in designer clothes, and especially, subjecting them to graphic sexuality in television, music videos, movies, and the internet.

Years ago, parents understood the necessity of a safe and orderly progression through childhood. There were cultural markers that defined the ages at which specific behaviours and activities were deemed appropriate or inappropriate. Today these markers have vanished, or they have been moved downwards. And it can be a big mistake.

When you treat your children as if they’re already grown, it becomes very challenging to set limits on their adolescent behaviour in the near future. How can you establish a curfew for a thirteen-year-old, for example, who has been taught to view himself or herself as an adult? In short, the ‘Hurried Child Syndrome’ deprives our kids of childhood and puts them on an unnatural timetable that’s detrimental to their mental and physical health. If you’re wise, you will heed the advice of Jacob to his brother Esau: ‘I will lead on slowly, at the pace of…the children.’

Luke 14:1-24, Psalms 79-80

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Break out of the box
31 JULY 2023

‘Again and again they…limited the Holy One of Israel.’
Psalm 78:41 NKJV

The Bible says: ‘They provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power’ (vv. 40-42 NKJV). The Israelites continually provoked God’s anger and grieved His heart in the wilderness. How? By limiting Him. By limiting what He could do for them and through them. And we do the same when we fail to recognise and use the gifts He gives us and the creative ideas He places within our minds.

God wants you to break out of the ‘box’ of your own history, hang-ups, and personal limitations. One of the ways in which you do that is by constantly exposing yourself to new ideas, new places, and new people. God’s Word says: ‘Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left’ (Isaiah 54:2-3 NKJV). Note the words ‘enlarge’ and ‘stretch out’ and ‘lengthen’ and ‘strengthen’ and ‘expand’. Creativity is just teachability.

So, are you teachable? The words on a tombstone read: ‘Died at forty, was buried at eighty.’ Unless you keep learning, growing, and expanding your thinking, that can be your fate too. You say, ‘But I’m not naturally creative.’ Creativity is not necessarily something you’re born with; it comes from developing your God-given gifts and seizing the opportunities He sends your way in life. Do you want to break out of the box? That’s how you do it!

Job 14-16, 1 Corinthians 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Growing older with grace (1)
01 AUGUST 2023

‘If you respect the LORD, you will live longer.’
Proverbs 10:27 CEV

Does the thought of ageing make you anxious? If so, it’s time to re-examine your value system. With God, the contents are more important than the package. And in order to make peace with your wrinkles, you must come into agreement with Him. Ultimately, it’s not the number of days in your life that count but the quality of life in your days.

Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. Note what the host of the wedding reception said: ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first…but you have saved the best till now’ (John 2:10 NIV). And that can be the story of your life too. You don’t have to suffer from gerascophobia, the fear of ageing. Keep fighting, keep growing, keep moving forwards.

Listen to the words of Caleb: ‘For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God…Moses solemnly promised me, “The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever”…Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise – even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me…So Joshua blessed Caleb…and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land’ (Joshua 14:8-13 NLT). That’s called ‘growing older with grace’.

Job 17-19, 1 Corinthians 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Growing older with grace (2)
02 AUGUST 2023

‘They will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.’
Proverbs 3:2 NIV

By the year 2030, one in five of us will be seventy years of age or older. That’s about 20 per cent of the world’s population. Millions of us will live to be a hundred or more. When asked at his birthday party how he felt about turning eighty, President Dwight D. Eisenhower replied, ‘It sure does beat the alternative!’

Anita Bogan died in 2007 at the ripe old age of 106. Her obituary in the Los Angeles Times read: ‘Blessed with good health and a sound mind, Bogan spent most of her old age doing what she wanted to do, with a feisty, what’s-age-got-to-do-with-it attitude. In the decades following her 80th year, she created a non-profit foundation to build senior housing…opened a floral shop, played golf daily…took cruises to celebrate her…birthdays…and inspired people. On Bogan’s 100th birthday, the Kern County Board of Supervisors declared an “Anita Bogan Day”.’ By her attitude towards life, Anita changed the way people around her viewed ageing.

And the Bible doesn’t just promise long life, it promises quality life. ‘My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity’ (vv. 1-2 NIV). ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life’ (Proverbs 9:10-11 NIV). The secret of enjoying the ageing process is to build a close relationship with God and live according to His principles.

Job 20-21, 1 Corinthians 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Are you being sifted?
03 AUGUST 2023

‘Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.’
Luke 22:31 KJV

Jesus knew Peter would deny Him, yet He called him to be His disciple, saying: ‘Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren’ (vv. 31-32). The mistakes you make and the messes you create usually don’t happen by accident but by choice. Yet they don’t put you beyond the reach of God’s grace. The secret of victory is to let God use your mistakes to develop you rather than let Satan use them to destroy you.

Note the words ‘Satan hath desired to have you’. Satan wants to take back what he lost – you. When you doubt, he has the power to bring you down; you’re setting yourself up to fail. Have you ever seen wheat going through a threshing process? It’s not a pretty sight. And when it happens in your life, it doesn’t feel good. So the question is, if Peter, one of Christ’s handpicked disciples, could fail, how much more likely is it to happen to you? And when it does, what do you suppose the Lord wants to accomplish through it?

Today your life may be a mess, but if you turn to God, He can make something beautiful out of it. And one more thought: Jesus told Peter, ‘I have prayed for thee.’ Today, Jesus is praying for you. ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’ (1 John 2:1 KJV). So, if you have fallen, Jesus will lift you up and restore you.

Job 22-24, 1 Corinthians 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

God has not forsaken you
04 AUGUST 2023

‘You will deny Me three times.’
Luke 22:61 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘Peter remembered the word of the Lord…“Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly’ (vv. 61-62 NKJV). What is it that saves us? Our good works? No, it’s our faith in Christ. ‘By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV). Now you understand the words of Christ to Peter: ‘I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail’ (Luke 22:32 NKJV).

When you have faith in Christ, you can bounce back. When it comes to God’s grace, there is no statute of limitations. Peter denied Jesus not once but repeatedly. Perhaps that’s your story too! This wasn’t a moment that Peter would be proud of but an experience he would grow stronger as a result of. When someone fails badly, we say that they ‘crash and burn’. And when something is burned, all that’s left is ashes. But we serve a God of restoration who gives ‘beauty for ashes’ (see Isaiah 61:3).

If you had seen Peter swearing that he didn’t know the Lord, would you have picked him to be your church leader? God did. He made him the head of the New Testament church. We tell people, ‘Don’t get into messes’ and ‘Don’t sin’. And that’s good advice – God doesn’t want us sinning. But we should really say, ‘Don’t walk headfirst into sin when you know better. But when you fail, as you surely will, turn to God and He will restore you and use your failure to strengthen you.’

Job 25-27, 1 Corinthians 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Commit to the relationship (1)
05 AUGUST 2023

‘For wherever you go, I will go.’
Ruth 1:16 NKJV

One of the greatest Scriptures on commitment in the Bible are the words of Ruth to Naomi: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.’ Why are we afraid to commit to a relationship?

1) Fear of losing control: ‘Why forgo my independence?’

2) Fear of lack: ‘What if he or she ruins my finances?’

3) Fear of inadequacy: ‘What if I can’t meet his or her expectations?’

4) Fear of loneliness: ‘What if he or she deserts me?’

5) Fear of pain: ‘I’ve been hurt before, and I don’t want to be hurt again.’

So, what do you do? Today the answer has become a ‘common law marriage’, but this isn't God's way. Living together without marriage is like renting a room versus buying a house. If a repair is necessary for the rented room, the renter is apt to abandon the room for another. If a repair is necessary for their home, the owners (who should have put much consideration and prayer into the decision to purchase) make the required commitment to protect their investment.

A study on cohabitation found that nearly 19 per cent of couples who lived together before their engagement had suggested divorce during their marriage. In couples who did not live together first, the figure was just over 10 per cent. Contrary to what you may think, those who play around and move from relationship to relationship don’t experience lasting happiness. Whereas, those who commit themselves to God and to one another experience true and lasting happiness.

Job 28-29, 1 Corinthians 6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Commit to the relationship (2)
06 AUGUST 2023

‘The two shall become one.’
Matthew 19:5 NKJV

The word commit means ‘to bind, or obligate, or pledge’. And for some of us, it evokes pictures of servitude, restraints, and the loss of our freedom. In other words, it frightens us. Many people place a high value their independence and self-sufficiency, and as a result, some of them can also become more reluctant to commit to a relationship that requires compromise and consideration of another person's views (see Philippians 2:3-4). It may lead to a desire to keep the relationship fluid and flexible, so they can stay or leave whenever they want.The partner desiring the commitment finds such a relationship frustrating and unfulfilling. So, what should you do if you’re reluctant to commit to the relationship? Two things:

1) Be honest with yourself about your fears, feelings, and motivations. David said, ‘You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom’ (Psalm 51:6 NKJV). Notice, wisdom comes from being honest about what is going on inside you. What are your memories of your parents’ marriage and how it affected you? Have you observed similar patterns of behaviour on your own part or that of your potential mate when it comes to dealing with relationships?

2) Admit the role you may have played, even as an enabler of poor behaviour, in the collapse of a former relationship. Have you changed now? Are you willing to? If so, then here is God’s promise to you of a better future: ‘Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing’ (Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV).

Luke 14:25-35, Psalms 81-83

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Commit to the relationship (3)
07 AUGUST 2023

‘Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him.’
Samuel 20:17 NKJV

For a relationship to succeed, both parties must be totally committed to it. Today let’s look at some more of the reasons why we may be afraid to commit.

1) Consider whether you have real feelings for your partner or whether you are biding your time until somebody better comes along. In other words, be honest with yourself because your happiness depends on it.

2) Talk about your specific fears with your partner. One writer offers these: ‘I’m afraid you will try to change me’; ‘I’ll feel emasculated if you don’t submit to me’; ‘If the marriage fails, you may take my money and leave me impoverished’; ‘You may restrict too much of my time with the boys’; ‘You may require too much of my attention.’ You must honestly share your feelings and request feedback to your concerns.

3) Try a thirty-day interval of ‘no contact’ with your romantic interest and find out how life would feel without him or her. Some non-committed relationships are merely for convenience, so assess your feelings apart from the inconvenience you will endure. Convenience is a weak foundation for a marriage.

4) Re-examine your expectations. Don’t expect your partner to fulfil every facet of your life. For example, if you have a need for high adventure that’s manifested in bungee jumping, find friends to enjoy it with, and be happy that your partner is faithful, loving, and laughs a lot.

And one more thought: there is an emptiness within each of us that only God can fill. And when He does, we require less from our partner and learn how to become a better partner.

Job 30-31, 1 Corinthians 7:1-19