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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Overcoming temptation
18 AUGUST 2023

‘Temptation…is common to man.’
1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it’ (v. 13 NKJV). Our minds are like a hotel. The manager cannot keep someone from entering the lobby, but he can keep them from getting a room. And it’s the same with temptation.

When God redeemed you, you became a regenerate spirit living in an unregenerate body. And you were ‘sealed [by the Holy Spirit] unto the day of redemption’ (see Ephesians 4:30). When you seal an envelope, its contents are protected until it’s delivered to its destination. Getting the idea? Satan can’t prevail against your regenerate spirit, so he attacks you through your lower nature. Paul acknowledged this: ‘I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway’ (Romans 7:19 NLT). You will never be immune to temptation, but you can overcome it. Notice three things in this Scripture:

1) ‘God is faithful.’ Like a shepherd who never abandons his sheep, when you go astray, He will bring you back to the fold.

2) ‘Will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.’ Like a good coach training you, God will permit the weight of your temptations to strengthen you but not break or destroy you.

3) ‘With the temptation will also make the way of escape.’ If you choose your own way, you will go down in defeat. God’s ‘way of escape’ is through prayer, His Word, Christian fellowship, and Spirit-filled living. That’s how to overcome temptation.

Proverbs 10-12, 1 Corinthians 14:1-19

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Pray for wisdom (1)
19 AUGUST 2023

‘Now give me wisdom.’
2 Chronicles 1:10 NKJV

When King Solomon ascended to the throne, God told him, ‘Ask! What shall I give you?’ (v. 7 NKJV). Imagine: Solomon was given carte blanche by the One in whose dictionary the word impossible doesn’t occur. But there was a catch! God was testing Solomon to find out what was in his heart. An arrogant person would have asked for fame. A worldly person would have asked for wealth. A self-seeking person would have asked for power.

What did Solomon ask God for? ‘Now give me wisdom.’ So, God granted Solomon’s request and gave him something more gratifying than fame, more extravagant than wealth, and more thrilling than power. As it turned out, all the material blessings Solomon enjoyed were by-products of the gift of wisdom.

An anonymous thinker wrote: ‘Tell me your dreams, and I will tell you the riddle of your life. Tell me your prayers, and I will write the history of your soul. Tell me your askings, and I will tell you your gettings. Tell me what you seek, and I will tell you what you are…I do not wish to know your possessions…only your wants. I do not care to know what you have, only what you have not and desire to have; not your attainments, but what you have not yet attained and follow after; that which comes to you in your victories by day and your dreams by night, the ideal you set before you, the things you approve as excellent, what you seek after and have given your heart to, these are the measure of a man.’ So, pray for wisdom.

Proverbs 13-15, 1 Corinthians 14:20-40

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Pray for wisdom (2)
20 AUGUST 2023

‘Wisdom is worth much more than…anything else you desire.’
Proverbs 8:11 CEV

When King Solomon asked God for wisdom instead of power, fame, or riches, God told him: ‘You could have asked me to make you rich or famous or to let you live a long time. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom and knowledge to rule my people. So I will make you wise and intelligent. But I will also make you richer and more famous than any king before or after you’ (2 Chronicles 1:11-12 CEV).

Did God keep His promise? Well, consider this: what would you get if you crossed Mickey Mouse, an oil magnate, the leader of a superpower nation, and Socrates? The most famous, richest, most powerful, wisest person on the planet! That’s a fitting description of King Solomon in his time. He ruled the world’s greatest empire. His merchant ships plied the seas, bringing him back the treasures of the earth. He designed and built some of the world’s most important buildings, including the temple. He constructed reservoirs, parks, gardens, and vineyards. He mastered commerce, science, and literature. He became a poet laureate, a distinguished writer, and a gifted musician. He learned the incredible worth of wisdom, enjoyed all its benefits, and wrote: ‘Let instruction and knowledge mean more to you than silver or the finest gold. Wisdom is worth much more than precious jewels or anything else you desire’ (Proverbs 8:10-11 CEV).

There are thirty-one chapters in the book of Proverbs – one for every day of the month – so here is a suggestion: why don’t you read a chapter a day for the next twelve months and become wise?

Luke 15:11-32, Psalms 87-88

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Pray for wisdom (3)
21 AUGUST 2023

‘The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom.’
Proverbs 4:7 NIVUK

Why does the Bible talk so much about Solomon’s wisdom? Because it’s not human wisdom raised to a supernatural height; it’s supernatural wisdom lowered to human understanding. Lest you think the water is too deep and wisdom is beyond you, listen to what Solomon, the wisest man in the world, said: ‘Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honour you’ (vv. 6-8 NIVUK).

Along those lines Haddon Robinson observes: ‘Since 1955 knowledge has doubled every five years…High school graduates today have been exposed to more information about the world than Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza, or Benjamin Franklin. In terms of facts alone, neither Moses nor Paul could pass a college entrance exam today. Yet, by everyone’s standards, even with all our knowledge…society today is peopled with a bumper crop of brilliant failures…men and women…educated to earn a living often don’t know anything about handling life itself. Alumni from noted universities have mastered information about a narrow slice of life – but couldn’t make it out of the first grade when it comes to living successfully with family and friends. Let’s face it. Knowledge is not enough to meet life’s problems. We need wisdom, the ability to handle life with skill.’

Spurgeon once said, ‘There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool; but to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.’ Bottom line: the more information you’re exposed to, the more you need to pray for wisdom.

Proverbs 16-18, 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Pray for wisdom (4)
22 AUGUST 2023

‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.’
James 1:5 NKJV
Here is a time-tested and proven formula for obtaining wisdom:

1) Acknowledge that you need it. Benjamin Franklin correctly said, ‘The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of your own ignorance.’

2) Go to the right source. ‘The Lord gives wisdom’ (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV). He alone can give you true wisdom, because He alone has true wisdom. Indeed, His wisdom makes ours look like foolishness. Paul says, ‘The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom’ (1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV). Think about that. If God were capable of a stupid thought, which He is not, it would still be wiser than the wisest thought we could ever conceive.

3) Ask for it. God doesn’t hoard his wisdom; He is ready to give it away. Solomon says: ‘If you call out for insight…cry aloud for understanding…look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding’ (Proverbs 2:3-6 NIV).

James writes: ‘If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all’ (James 1:5-8 CEV). Today, pray for wisdom.

Proverbs 19-21, 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

All you need to know
23 AUGUST 2023

‘Be still, and know that I am God.’
Psalm 46:10 NIV

If Job had a weakness, it was his tongue. He talked excessively. Not that you could blame him. After being hit by calamity, there wasn’t a wall standing in his house or a loved one living. And his wife, empathetic soul that she was, told him to ‘curse God, and die’ (Job 2:9 KJV). Then his four friends with the bedside manner of drill sergeants told him he had probably brought all this trouble on himself. We’re thirty-seven chapters into the book of Job before God speaks a word. Chapter 38 begins, ‘Then the Lord answered Job’ (KJV). And after God got through speaking, Job said, ‘I am not worthy; I cannot answer you anything, so I will put my hand over my mouth’ (40:4 NCV).

Notice, before he heard from God, Job couldn’t talk enough. But after he heard from Him, he couldn’t talk at all. The only thing Job got right was: ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him’ (13:15 NKJV). Sometimes the best way to handle your problem is to trust and not talk. To submit and not speak. Job didn’t know it at the time, but God’s plan was to give him twice as much in the end as he had lost. And it happened when he stopped focusing on his own problems and started praying for his friends (see 42:10).

So, be still. Be open and willing. God is still on the throne. He is in control of every detail of your life. Even in the worst of circumstances, He has your best interest at heart. ‘The Lord will vindicate me’ (Psalm 138:8 NIV). That’s all you need to know!

Proverbs 22-24, 1 Corinthians 16

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

God will do whatever it takes
24 AUGUST 2023

‘Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.’
Romans 5:20 NKJV

Paul writes, ‘I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it’ (Galatians 1:13 NIV). Clearly, Paul had no thoughts of becoming a Christian. As a Jew, he was obsessed with the law. As an intellectual, he could debate the finest minds. Articulate and educated, he was committed to the tenets of his faith. Yet he hated Christians! He watched as Stephen, the first martyr, was stoned to death. And while he didn’t personally participate, he held the coats of those who did (see Acts 7:57-59). Paul never dreamed that one day he’d switch sides.

But when God has a plan for your life, He will do whatever it takes to fulfil it. By the time He places the hook in your jaw, He’s already begun to work out His purpose for you. Even while Paul held the coats of Stephen’s executioners, God had plans to use him. Just as He had plans for you when you were out partying, doing your own thing, going from relationship to relationship, or thinking only of making money. None of that stopped God because, ‘Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.’

Had Paul known God planned to meet him that day on the Damascus Road, he might have taken a different route. But ‘He was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice’ (Acts 9:3-4 MSG). This proud Pharisee had an appointment with God that wasn’t in his diary, one that knocked him off his high horse. And to bring you into submission with His will, God will do whatever it takes. So be warned! God won’t permit your stubbornness to subvert His plans for your life!

Proverbs 25-26, 2 Corinthians 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

You have only two options: forgiveness or bitterness
25 AUGUST 2023

‘How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?’
Matthew 18:21 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him…“up to seventy times seven”’ (vv. 21-22 NKJV). Seventy times seven equals 490 times. And it’s your ‘brother’, someone you have to live or work with, whom you’re called to forgive. In essence Jesus was saying, ‘Forgive, and keep on forgiving if you want to have a relationship with this person.’

Let’s face it, we all make mistakes because we’re flawed in different ways. Perfection only exists in God. Recall Jesus’ words: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34 KJV). Truer words have never been spoken, and very few concepts are more significant to remember in a relationship. While it’s perfectly normal to feel anger, and a natural human reaction to feel mistreated, there is a big difference between healthy anger and the corrosive emotion of bitterness. Bitterness is relational cancer. As Dr Maya Angelou said, ‘[Bitterness] feeds upon the host. It does nothing to the object of the displeasure.’ In this case, the ‘host’ is your relationship, and forgiveness is the medication and the cure.

Jesus said, ‘As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise’ (Luke 6:31 KJV). Offering the degree of forgiveness you wish to receive ensures that your relationship stays healthy and free from the disease of bitterness. Is it sometimes hard to do? Yes, but if you pray, God will give you the grace to do it!

Proverbs 27-29, 2 Corinthians 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Do something!
26 AUGUST 2023

‘Let us not love in word…but in deed.’
1 John 3:18 NKJV

When a multimillionaire was asked how much money it takes to be happy, he replied, ‘Just a little more.’ Now let’s assume you’re not like that, and you care about others. Why are you not more involved in meeting their needs? ‘Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?…let us not love in word…but in deed’ (vv. 17-18 NKJV). That Scripture could be reduced to two words: Do something!

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, two different ministers walked past a dying man on the Jericho road without stopping to help. Why? Wasn’t this a great opportunity to ‘practise what you preach’? How did they become so insensitive and uncaring? Did they think, ‘The problem is too big, there is nothing I can do about it?’ Were they so focused on their church’s agenda that they didn’t want to commit the time or the resources necessary to get this man back on his feet?

Jesus said: ‘But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him’ (Luke 10:33-34 NKJV). Note the word ‘compassion’. The Good Samaritan was willing to get emotionally involved. You must too. Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, once prayed, ‘Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.’ The word for today is – do something!

Proverbs 30-31, 2 Corinthians 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Sin is bad for you
27 AUGUST 2023

‘We can come to God with bold confidence.’
1 John 3:21 NLT

When you knowingly sin, it puts your body under stress. There is actually no such thing as a ‘lie detector test’. The fact is, the test cannot determine if someone is lying. It simply measures how a person’s response to certain questions impacts their nervous system. God designed our system to glorify Him (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So when you sin, it negatively impacts your body. Even if you have never taken a polygraph test, you can agree that when you have lied, you probably experienced an increase in your heart rate. So when God tells you not to sin, He is not trying to steal your joy but preserve it. Sin robs you of three things:

1) Comfort. ‘“There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord’ (Isaiah 48:22 NLT). When you knowingly violate your values, you become uneasy in your own skin.

2) Character. Your reputation is how others see you, but your character is what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror each day. Your thoughts determine your deeds, your deeds determine your habits, your habits determine your character, and your character determines your destiny.

3) Confidence. Nothing in life is more important than to be able to approach God with confidence. ‘If we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him’ (1 John 3:21-22 NLT).

So the next time Satan tempts you to sin, stop and do the maths. By looking at the bottom-line result, you will be able to make the right choice every time.

Luke 16:1-15, Psalms 89-90