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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

You must take responsibility for your life
27 SEPTEMBER 2023

‘We are each responsible for our own conduct.’
Galatians 6:5 NLT[

Being accountable for yourself, your thoughts, and your actions is a very important part of being a contributing member in a relationship. But sometimes we take things too far by assuming an unhealthy responsibility for others, then using it as an excuse for not being accountable for ourselves and our own circumstances. For example, we blame an unplanned pregnancy for our failure to go to university. Or we blame our unhappiness on the fact that we stayed married for the sake of the children.

We focus so much on other people and taking responsibility for their lives that we never take time to look for solutions to rise above our own situation. And eventually all the woe and hard times become our identity. We don’t just complain; we become chronic complainers. Let’s be honest, sometimes our tales of woe are simply excuses, made-up versions of the truth to hide the fact that we have decided to blame everyone else for our circumstances. That way we don’t have to take responsibility for our lives.

The fact is, we all make choices in life; to go or stay, to confront or ignore, to complain or look for a solution. Whether it’s your spouse, your kids, or your parents, it’s never a good idea to take responsibility for others if you’re doing it to avoid deciding what you need to do for yourself. The Bible says, ‘Pay careful attention to your own work…then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct’ (vv. 4-5 NLT).

Isaiah 45-46, Colossians 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

God is in control; trust Him
28 SEPTEMBER 2023

‘My hope is in You.’
Psalm 39:7 NKJV

Life seldom works out exactly the way we hope or think it will. When Job lost everything, he said, ‘I don’t have the strength to endure. I have nothing to live for… I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success’ (Job 6:11, 13 NLT). Yet in the end, Job got back twice as much as he had lost. But the experiences and adversities he had gone through changed his attitude towards God profoundly. ‘I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted…My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you’ (Job 42:2, 5 NIV).

What had Job discovered? That God is sovereign! He is not our servant, we are His servants. We must obey His Word in order to walk in His blessing – but the final outcome of all things rests in His hands and not ours. Many of us struggle with control. We want control not only over our circumstances, but our goals, plans, relationships, and all that concerns us. Such fear is often an indication of an unconscious desire to be independent of God; to be the master of our own destiny.

Sometimes it’s the result of growing up in a chaotic environment and resolving never to repeat the experiences of your earlier life. Perhaps you think you’re in control of your life due to your educational, financial, or other achievements. It isn’t true. God enabled you to do everything that you have done. Paul writes, ‘But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favour on me’ (1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT). Today God is in control – trust Him!

Isaiah 47-49, Colossians 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

In church – but lonely
29 SEPTEMBER 2023

‘No one cares for my soul.’
Psalm 142:4 NKJV

People come to church looking for light and warmth! They want to know we care. Good preaching and music may bring them in, but relationships that nurture will keep them coming back. You can feel lonely in a crowd, even one that preaches love and has a ‘greet your neighbour’ moment in every service. If we kept 10 per cent of those who came through our church doors we’d be in constant growth mode. You say, ‘Well, the Bible teaches that if a man would have friends, he must show himself to be friendly.’ True, but people bring with them the wounds of their past, the struggles of their present, and the unspoken anxieties of their future. What they want to know is, ‘Will you love me as I am, even if I don’t fit your mould and change as quickly as you’d like me to?’ Often our rigid structure keeps that from happening.

Pastor, if your greatest concern on Monday is ‘How many people did we have in church yesterday?’ check your heart. You may be more concerned with your own image than meeting people’s needs. Jesus told His disciples, ‘I have called you friends’ (John 15:15 KJV). Many people are shy, distrusting, or hurting. Our mandate is to make ‘friends’ out of them, not just bench warmers and financial contributors. The Scripture says, ‘Bear one another’s burdens’ (Galatians 6:2 NKJV), because a burden shared is a burden lightened. Many of those who come to church aren’t looking for profound answers, they just want to feel cared for. When that happens, they open up to God’s love, and miracles take place.

Isaiah 50-52, Colossians 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Lift up the shield of faith
30 SEPTEMBER 2023

‘Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.’
Ephesians 6:16 NLT

Pay attention to what Satan is shooting at you: ‘fiery arrows’! He knows that if he can light the fires of worry and anxiety within you, he can immobilise and defeat you. And notice what God has given you to protect yourself: ‘the shield of faith’. But you have a part to play: ‘Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.’ A shield won’t help a soldier while it’s on the ground, or even at his side. He must lift it up to cover himself from attack. The same goes for you.

When the devil attacks you with unpleasant circumstances and thoughts that cause you to worry and be afraid, you must immediately lift up the shield of faith. Faith in what? Yourself? No, faith in the faithfulness of God! At times your faith in God may falter, but His love and care for you will never falter. ‘Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy’ (1 Thessalonians 5:24 AMPC).

How do you lift up the shield of faith? By saying, ‘Lord, I trust you in this situation!’ Jesus talked back to Satan in the wilderness by saying, ‘It is written,’ and you must learn to talk back to Satan too. God’s Word is a protective shield that the devil’s arrows cannot penetrate. When you hold it up like a shield, it’s effective against anything he tries to do in your life. Satan’s fiery arrows can come from any direction, from both your friends and foes. So, you must lift up the shield of faith.

Isaiah 53-55, Colossians 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

S.T.R.E.S.S. (2)
02 OCTOBER 2023

‘Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you.’
2 Chronicles 20:17 NKJV

T - Trust what God tells you. ‘You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord…Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you’ (v. 17 NKJV). God’s way of resolving our problems can frequently go against our logic. Maybe that is why we are hesitant to approach Him in certain matters.

Why would God instruct Jehoshaphat’s army, which was clearly no match for three armies, to show up prepared for a battle they were not intended to fight? That didn’t make any sense! God will many times tell us to ‘position’ ourselves to deal with a demanding task or problem we feel completely inadequate to tackle. Our challenge is to obey Him and position ourselves to win. How do you do that?

1) You ‘position’ yourself when you choose to go to university, even though you may not have achieved well in secondary school.

2) You ‘position’ yourself when you resign from a job at God’s urging and start a new business, even though a long list of customers or clients isn’t waiting in the wings.

3) You ‘position’ yourself when you sit down at your computer each day to write a book you have always desired to write – without a head full of knowledge but with a heart full of faith that God will join you there with His words.

God’s instruction is to position ourselves for victory. He wants us to show up, so He can show Himself strong on our behalf (see 2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV).

Isaiah 56-58, 1 Thessalonians 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

S.T.R.E.S.S. (3)
03 OCTOBER 2023

‘I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?’
Jeremiah 32:27 NKJV

R - Remember past victories. Notice how King Jehoshaphat prayed: ‘Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?’ (2 Chronicles 20:7 NKJV). If God has ever performed a miracle for you or for anybody else, He can do it again. So, read His Word and strengthen your faith by recalling His great deeds.

E – Exalt God above the problem. ‘O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?’ (v. 6 NKJV). In his anguish, Jehoshaphat asked rhetorical questions that exposed how big his God was compared to the problem. Sometimes it’s difficult to look past the problem when the reality of it is so close. If you close one eye and put a coin over your other eye, you can blind yourself to something as big as the sun. Getting the idea?

S – Solicit the prayers and support of others. ‘Jehoshaphat…proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah…they came to seek the Lord’ (vv. 3-4 NKJV). Jehoshaphat didn’t ask the people for their opinions but for their prayers, because that’s what moves the heart of God.

S – Stand on the promises of God. When you do, you can say like the psalmist, ‘As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands’ (Psalm 119:143 NLT).

That’s God’s formula for stress – now use it.

Isaiah 59-61, 1 Thessalonians 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Always be thankful to God
04 OCTOBER 2023

‘It is good to give thanks to the LORD.’
Psalm 92:1 NKJV

Journalist Fulton Oursler tells the story of an elderly nurse called Anna. She had attended Fulton’s birth, plus that of his mother. He honours her for teaching him the best lesson he ever learned about giving thanks and finding contentment: ‘I remember her as she sat at the kitchen table in our house; the hard, old, brown hands folded across her starched apron, the glistening eyes, and the husky old whispering voice, saying, “Much obliged, Lord, for my vittles.” I asked, “Anna, what’s a vittle?” “It’s what I’ve got to eat and drink – that’s vittles,” the old nurse replied. “But you’d get your vittles whether you thanked the Lord or not,” I said. “Sure,” said Anna, “but it makes everything taste better to be thankful!”’

The excitement that comes from getting something new, or even something you have worked hard for, is often short lived and quickly replaced by your desire for the next thing. Solomon put it this way: ‘The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing’ (Ecclesiastes 1:8 KJV). So, what’s the solution? Having an attitude of gratitude! Stopping regularly to remember the goodness of God that makes it possible for you to enjoy every blessing you have, and remembering to say, ‘Thank you, Lord.’

The psalmist had a heart of gratitude. He wrote, ‘It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night’ (Psalm 92:1-2 NKJV). So, always be thankful to God.

Isaiah 62-64, 1 Thessalonians 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Downscale in order to upscale
05 OCTOBER 2023

‘One thing I have desired…that will I seek.’
Psalm 27:4 NKJV

You may have to downscale materially to upscale spiritually. If owning things, maintaining them, and worrying about losing them is robbing you of the things that matter most like peace, joy, and fulfilment, consider simplifying your life. Downscale on the things that don’t matter, so you can upscale on the things that do.

During her successful career as an opera singer, Jenny Lind, known as the ‘Swedish Nightingale’, became one of the wealthiest artists of all time. Yet she gave up her career at a time when she was singing her best. And she never returned to it. People speculated about the reason and wondered how she could give up applause, fame, and money. But Jenny seemed satisfied to live in privacy in a home by the ocean.

One day a friend found her sitting on the sand with her Bible on her knees, looking out at a glorious sunset. As they conversed, the friend asked, ‘Madame Goldschmidt [Lind’s married name], how is it that you came to abandon the stage at the height of your success?’ She answered quietly, ‘When every day made me think less of this (laying a finger on her Bible), and nothing at all of that (pointing to the sunset), what else could I do?’

King David owned all the stuff we dream about, yet he wrote: ‘One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple’ (v. 4 NKJV). Now, there is a man with right priorities!

Isaiah 65-66, 1 Thessalonians 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Putting the other guy first
06 OCTOBER 2023

‘Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.’
Romans 12:10 NIVUK

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.’ Most people know about Isaac Newton’s famed encounter with a falling apple; how he introduced the law of universal gravitation and revolutionised astronomical studies. But few people know that had it not been for a man called Edmond Halley, the world may never have heard of Newton. Halley was the one who urged Newton to think through his original theories, corrected his mathematical mistakes, and formulated geometrical figures to support his discoveries. It was Halley who persuaded a hesitant Newton to write his great work The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. And it was Halley who edited and supervised its publication and financed its printing, even though Newton was wealthier and could better have afforded the cost.

Historians have called Halley’s affiliation with Newton one of the most selfless cases in science. Newton began almost immediately to reap the rewards of prominence, but Halley received little credit. He did use the principles Newton established to forecast the orbit and return of a comet that would later bear his name. But since Halley’s Comet returns only every seventy-six years, relatively few people still hear his name. However, Halley didn’t care who got the credit as long as the cause of science was advanced. He personified what it means to live by this scriptural principle: ‘Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.’ Anytime God gives you an opportunity to put others first and yourself second, grab it and run with it.

Jeremiah 1-2, 1 Thessalonians 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Learn to disagree, agreeably
07 OCTOBER 2023

‘Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.’
Colossians 3:12 NLT

John Gray wrote the best-selling book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. His underlying thesis is this: in order to get along with someone, you have to try and see life from their perspective. And that’s not easy. Paul writes: ‘Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts’ (vv. 12-15 NLT).

Those who need others to think and act exactly the way they do are often masking insecurities. They have a deep-seated need to have their views and actions confirmed in the behaviour and thoughts of others. But that’s not how life works. Disagreements happen in any relationship where more than one person is involved. We are all unique, and we are not likely to agree on everything. But the way we approach our disagreements can determine whether our relationship makes it to the finish line. Fighting fair, opening yourself to the ideas of others and to new ways of doing things, is how you grow. And who knows, in the end you may even ‘agree to disagree’. The important thing is to respect the other person’s ideas and seek to create an environment where the two of you can feel free to express your feelings and be who you really are without fear of being judged.

Jeremiah 3-5, 2 Thessalonians 1