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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

How to set your goals (2)

‘Before you were born I set you apart.’
Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 14 DEC 2019


Ask God to tell you who you are. Book shop shelves are lined with volumes of books telling us that we can be anything we make up our minds to be.

And while there’s some truth to that, it’s not the whole truth! A dog may believe it can fly, but if it tries to, it will go ‘splat’.

A fish may believe it can bark, but it’s not going to happen. Bottom line: dogs and fish may pray, believe, claim, confess, and try all they want, but they won’t succeed.

Why? Because God will only empower you to be what He called and equipped you to be. He told Jeremiah: ‘“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, I am too young.

You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth”’ (vv. 5-9 NIV 2011 Edition). When God equips you with one talent He doesn’t give you a five-talent assignment, and vice versa (see Matthew 25:14-15).

And here’s the great thing: the one-talent person and the five-talent person will one day stand before Him and hear the commendation: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ (Matthew 25:21 NKJV).

Jonah 1-4, Revelation 7

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

How to set your goals (3)

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.’
Proverbs 3:5 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 14 DEC 2019

Trust in God more than in yourself. That doesn’t mean you should go through life doubting and second-guessing yourself, or being afraid to move in case you make a mistake.

When you recognise and embrace God’s plan for your life, you tap into the power you need to fulfil it. False humility will handicap you spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, and keep you from moving forward.

When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet, he protested, ‘I am a child’ (Jeremiah 1:6 KJV). But listen to what God told him: ‘Say not, “I am a child”’ (v. 7).

As surely as ‘the tongue can bring death or life’ (Proverbs 18:21 NLT), you must learn to speak God’s Word over the vision He has given you. Yes, it’s a mistake to think you can play God’s role or that He will play yours.

But once you understand your personal assignment and tap into His power, you can start believing for success, regardless of what obstacles may stand in your way. When you know you’re in the will of God, doing what He told you to do, you can stand confidently on these Scriptures: ‘“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts’ (Zechariah 4:6 NKJV).

‘One man…shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised’ (Joshua 23:10 NKJV). ‘In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul’ (Psalm 138:3 NKJV).

You’re not alone today – God is with you!

Micah 1-3, Revelations 8

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

How to set your goals (4)

‘I will give men for you, and people for your life.’
Isaiah 43:4 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 15 DEC 2019

Depend on God more than on others. That doesn’t mean you don’t need other people. You do.

When God calls someone to do a job, He calls others to stand alongside them. God’s promise is: ‘I will give men for you, and people for your life.’

So ask Him who belongs in your life. In Exodus chapter 17, as long as Moses held his hands up, Israel’s armies prevailed in battle, but when his hands grew tired the battle went the other way.

So Aaron and Hur stood by Moses and held up his hands until victory over the Amalekites was complete. You need people who know how to hold up your hands and strengthen you.

Paul wrote, ‘I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves…But…Timothy has proved himself’ (Philippians 2:20-22 NLT).

In fact, Paul took an entire chapter of the Bible to acknowledge and thank all those who made it possible for him to succeed in his calling. He writes about people ‘who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches’ (Romans 16:4 NKJV).

Some of us are stubborn and self-centred; we subscribe to the philosophy, ‘It’s my way or the highway.’ We burn through people, leaving wreckage in our wake.

Don’t do it! When God sends gifted people into your life, acknowledge them, respect them, train them, motivate them, and reward them.

When you do that, not only will you fulfil your goal, you will create a win/win for everybody.

Luke 23:26-56, Psalm 126-128

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

How to set your goals (5)

‘My relatives stand afar off.’
Psalm 38:11 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 16 DEC 2019

Discern who belongs in your life and who doesn’t. One of the toughest parts about reaching your goal is discovering that some of the people closest to you don’t share it or want to be part of it.

You can spend years trying to convince them. You may even be able to buy their short-term loyalty, but eventually they’ll leave you, often breaking your heart in the process.

Paul wrote, ‘All those in Asia have turned away from me’ (2 Timothy 1:15 NKJV). ‘Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world’ (2 Timothy 4:10 NKJV).

Can’t you hear the heartache and disappointment in his words? And when God gives you a great goal, you may experience the same thing.

Somebody said, ‘In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends.’ How true!

When disaster blindsided Job, he said, ‘All my close friends abhor me, and those whom I love have turned against me’ (Job 19:19 NKJV). David’s experience caused him to say, ‘My relatives stand afar off.’

Solomon in his wisdom sums it all up: ‘Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth’ (Proverbs 25:19 NKJV). The truth is that people who don’t respect your goal will detract from it.

You can minister to them and try to encourage them with words that strengthen and bless, but if you insist on holding on to them, like an infected tooth, they will end up hurting you. Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet’ (Matthew 10:14 NIV 2011 Edition).

In order to reach your God-given goal, sometimes you have to do that.

Micah 4-5, Revelations 9

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

How to set your goals (6)

‘Write down the revelation and make it plain.’
Habakkuk 2:2 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 17 DEC 2019

Put your goals in writing. God told the prophet Habakkuk, ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain…so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time…Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay’ (vv. 2-3 NIV 2011 Edition).

Note the word ‘delay’, because it’s not one we particularly like. God can give you a vision overnight, but usually it won’t be fulfilled overnight.

You’ll face disappointments, discouragements, and delays. Because your vision always costs more than you estimated, and takes longer than you planned, it can become ‘blurred’ by your circumstances and emotions.

That’s why it’s so important to write it down and keep it in front of you! Why did God tell Abraham that his children would be as numerous as the stars in heaven?

Because stars are something you can physically look at and count. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish [languish and waste away]’ (Proverbs 29:18 KJV).

The word ‘perish’ suggests something that’s slowly decaying, and that’s what happens when you don’t keep your God-given vision in front of you. If you’ve dreamed of losing weight, post a picture that inspires you on your refrigerator.

If you dream of one day owning your own home, stick a picture of it on your message board. And if your goal is to give a certain amount to God’s work, write a cheque for that amount and place it where you’ll see it every day.

With a clear-cut written goal, you’ll always know where you are and remember what God has called you to do.

Micah 6-7, Revelation 10

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Challenges for the church of today

‘God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety.’
Ephesians 3:10 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 18 DEC 2019

Here are three of the challenges the church faces today:

1) We can’t experience a new move of God if we insist on clinging to an old one. ‘God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety.’

The word revival doesn’t simply mean awakening something that’s asleep. It also means resurrecting that which is dead or dying, and causing it to come to life again.

2) We fear excess, so we embrace mediocrity and call it balance. People aren’t drawn to us because of our similarities, but because of the things that make us unique.

When it comes to our faith and our testimony, we mustn’t downplay, soft-pedal, or sidestep the very things God has given us that make us distinctive. If we do, people will be disappointed and go elsewhere.

The disciples didn’t blend in with the crowd; their message and the demonstration of its power made them stand out.

3) We need to make room in the church for risk-takers and faith-walkers. In the first miracle Jesus worked, changing water into wine, Mary told the servants, ‘Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it’ (John 2:5 KJV).

Our need to be liked and to be popular can lead to a religious spirit that cripples risk-taking and faith-walking. Jesus promised: ‘Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me’ (Acts 1:8 KJV).

So when God tells us to ‘do church’ differently, let’s not be afraid to step out and obey Him.

Nahum 1-3, Revelation 11

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Great doors/great challenges

‘A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.’
1 Corinthians 16:9 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 19 DEC 2019

Nothing becomes truly great until it overcomes something that looks insurmountable. Paul writes, ‘I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me’ (vv. 8-9 NIV 2011 Edition).

Great doors of opportunity always come with great challenges, and each challenge calls for greater faith and tenacity. Think about it: if outstanding success came easily, everyone would have it.

And if everyone had it, it wouldn’t be outstanding success. How does a caterpillar become a butterfly?

By overcoming the cocoon. And the cocoon is so essential to the process that the caterpillar actually creates it.

Wouldn’t it be easier just to stay in the warmth and comfort of the cocoon? On days when the caterpillar struggles to get out of it, he probably thinks so!

But deep down, he knows the price of freedom. Flight and discovery require struggle, development, and breakthrough.

There is no other way! Why did Jesus send His disciples into a life-threatening storm?

To teach them to trust Him in all of life’s situations. Soon He’d be leaving them, and He was using every experience to prepare them for their future.

So what are you struggling to overcome right now? Instead of complaining and asking God to take it away, see it for what it is – preparation.

Remember, your level of preparation indicates the level of blessing that awaits you on the other side of it. So if God is opening doors of opportunity for you, be prepared for challenges, because you can’t have one without the other.

Habakkuk 1-3, Revelation 12

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Distributors of God’s blessing

‘I will bless you…make your name great, and you will be a blessing.’
Genesis 12:2 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 20 DEC 2019

God promised to bless Abraham and make his name ‘great’ for one reason – so he would be a blessing to others. Jesus taught His disciples to be distributors of blessing and first responders to those in need.

That’s why He often involved them in the miracle process; He was training them. In feeding the five thousand, the miracle of multiplication took place after the bread and fish left the disciples’ hands.

Jesus was the source, they were the distributors (see Matthew 14:13-21). And God is calling you to be a distributor too.

Sometimes we don’t recognise our blessing because it’s in seed form, so we conclude we don’t have what it takes. Not so.

Jesus said: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.

Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.

As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come’ (Mark 4:26-29 NIV 2011 Edition). Note the words: ‘The seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.’

Instead of saying, ‘How could God possibly use me?’ become aware and alert to people’s needs.

You have something God can use, and when He blesses it, you’ll be amazed at your potential. The miracle of the loaves and fishes began when someone said, ‘These people need to be fed.’

That’s when the disciples discovered Jesus could use what they had, even though it seemed inadequate.

Zephaniah 1-3, Revelation 13

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

The law of location

‘God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it.’
Genesis 2:15 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 21 DEC 2019

God created the Garden of Eden, placed Adam in it, and told him to ‘work it’. God said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply’ (Genesis 1:22 NKJV).

In other words, ‘Be successful.’ But notice, there’s a definite sequence.

First: God prepares a place for you. Second: He puts you in it.
Third: He tells you to ‘work it’.
Fourth: He says, ‘I want you to succeed.’

This is called ‘the law of location’. You only flourish in the place where you belong, doing what God has called and equipped you to do.

And you’ll have to work at it, so don’t expect it to be quick and easy. The law of location is evident throughout the Scriptures.

After his life-changing encounter with God, we read, ‘Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared”’ (Genesis 32:30 NIV 2011 Edition). That’s when God changed his name from Jacob, which means ‘deceiver’, to Israel, which means ‘a prince with God’.

God spoke to the prophet Elijah in the middle of a famine and said, ‘Go at once to Zarephath…I have directed a widow there to supply you with food’ (1 Kings 17:9 NIV 2011 Edition). Eden was the place of fruitfulness.

Peniel was the place of radical change. Zarephath was the place of divine supply.

Question: are you in the place God wants you to be? If you’re not sure, talk to Him today.

‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go’ (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV).

Haggai 1-2, Revelation 14

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Undercover boss

‘I…sat among them for seven days.’
Ezekiel 3:15 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 22 DEC 2019

There’s a popular reality show on television called Undercover Boss. In it, the company owner goes undercover disguised as a regular staff member, and works alongside the other employees.

He or she gets to experience their daily pressures and problems, becomes familiar with their strengths and weaknesses, and finds out what is and isn’t working. Some of the discoveries are truly eye-opening, and lead to major changes that end up making the organisation a more efficient, more profitable, and a more enjoyable place for everyone to work.

A good definition of the word understand is ‘to stand in another person’s shoes’. That’s what happened to the prophet Ezekiel.

He writes: ‘Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles…I was overwhelmed and sat among them for seven days. After seven days the Lord gave me a message.

He said, “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman”’ (vv. 15-17 NLT). When did God give Ezekiel a message for others?

After he’d spent seven days and nights sitting with people who had lost everything, people in deep despair and in need of answers. Referring to Jesus, the Bible tells us, ‘This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do’ (Hebrews 4:15 NLT).

Your most effective ministry to others can come out of some of the experiences you’re going through right now, especially the painful ones you’d like to escape and don’t even feel comfortable talking about. The truth is, your greatest mess can turn out to be your greatest message.

So let God work on you until He gets you to where you need to be.

Luke 24:1-35, Psalm 129-139