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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Ready…go!
05 JUNE 2024

‘Get ready to cross…into the land.’
Joshua 1:2 NIV
The words for you today are:

1) Get ready. For forty years, Joshua had served Moses and been mentored by him; now he was ready to lead Israel into the promised land. This raises the all-important question: are you ready for the success you seek? The frustrating thing about preparation is sometimes it takes more time than the event you’re preparing for. Are you self-disciplined? Are you up to date on your career or calling? Do you have the right relationships in place? Is your home life in order? Do you have strong character? As the old saying goes, ‘You can claim to be surprised once; after that, you’re unprepared!’ One author writes: ‘Talented people are sometimes tempted to take shortcuts. Character prevents that. Talented people may feel superior and expect special privileges. Character helps them to know better. Talented people are praised for what others see them build. Character builds what’s inside them. Talented people have the potential to be difference makers. Character makes a difference in them. Talented people are often a gift to the world. Character protects that gift.’

2) Go! God told Joshua, ‘I will give you every place where you set your foot’ (v. 3 NIV). Don’t be like Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland who asked the Cheshire-Cat, ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat. To succeed, you must do the right things, moment by moment, day by day, following through with them in a consistent way.

2 Kings 17-18, Acts 11

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Learn to listen to your marriage partner
06 JUNE 2024

‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’

Genesis 2:18 NIV
God designed your marriage partner to meet your physical needs, your emotional needs, and yes, even some of your spiritual needs. Adam enjoyed perfect health, worked at the perfect job, and lived in the perfect environment. He even went for walks with God every day. Nevertheless, he was lonely and incomplete. So God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’

Note the word ‘helper’. God intended your partner to help you grow and fulfil your destiny. There is an intimate physical, emotional, and spiritual bond between you. No one on earth will ever know you better than your God-given mate. He or she should be your closest friend, counsellor, and confidant. That calls for communication!

And good communication is based on asking the right questions and listening carefully to the answers. It calls for turning off the TV, your laptop, iPad, and mobile phone. It means asking, ‘How are things with you today?’ then listening long enough for hidden emotions to surface. Listen until you understand your spouse’s concerns, feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams. Listen accurately, so you can assess his or her real needs – needs you are best equipped to meet. Your questions reveal your level of caring, and the answers you get in return can become a foundation for a long, happy marriage.

That’s exactly what God had in mind when he said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one’ (v. 24 NASB).

2 Kings 19-21, Acts 12

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Listen more carefully
07 JUNE 2024

‘The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise.’
Proverbs 15:31 NKJV

One expert points out that leaders touch your heart before they ask for your hand. That’s the law of connection. Before a leader can touch a person’s heart, he or she has to know what’s in it. And you learn that by listening. A reluctance to listen is too typical among poor leaders. Over half of all management problems are the consequence of faulty communications. And the vast majority of communication problems stem from poor listening.

Many voices are clamouring for our attention. As you think about how to listen, keep in mind that you have two reasons for listening: a) to connect with people, and b) to learn about them. That includes your competitors. Sam Markewich quipped, ‘If you don’t agree with me, it means you haven’t been listening.’ Though of course he was joking, the sad truth is that when a leader views another organisation only as competition, he or she focuses attention on building their own case or championing their own objective and forgets to learn from the other group’s efforts. Now, you don’t necessarily want to base your actions on what the other person is doing, but you should still listen and learn how to improve yourself.

It’s a costly mistake to get so busy doing your own thing, or trying to make things happen, that you’re not paying attention to what’s going on around you. Every day you live and every experience you have, both negative and positive, can teach you valuable lessons. But you must listen!

2 Kings 22-23, Acts 13:1-25

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to have peace (1)
08 JUNE 2024

‘We have peace with God.’
Romans 5:1 NIV
God will give you three kinds of peace.

1) Spiritual peace. ‘Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ That’s the foundation, the bottom line. You must have peace with God before you can have any other kind of peace. Jesus said, ‘I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give’ (John 14:27 NLT). Why? Because His peace has the hallmark of heaven on it.

2) Relational peace. Paul writes, ‘As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone’ (Romans 12:18 NIV). Relational peace decreases conflict. You know from experience that relationships can be an origin of tension. For the majority of us, our greatest problems are people problems: interacting well with our boss, family, or relatives. We consistently have to deal with competition, conflict, and criticism. And these things can steal our peace.

3) Emotional peace. ‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since…you were called to peace’ (Colossians 3:15 NIV). The Greek word for ‘rule’ means ‘to umpire’. What is an umpire’s role? He maintains peace. He ensures the game is played in a smooth and disciplined way. And God will provide you with an internal umpire who will keep you at peace when everything around you appears chaotic.

Here is a great Bible promise: ‘You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!’ (Isaiah 26:3 NLT). Do you need peace today? Turn to God; you won’t be disappointed.

2 Kings 24-25, Acts 13:26-52

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to have peace (2)
09 JUNE 2024

‘I give you my own peace and my gift is nothing like the peace of this world.’
John 14:27 PHPS

Jesus said His peace is a gift. That means you don’t have to work for it and you cannot earn it. You cannot psych yourself up for it, and you cannot ‘try really hard’ to obtain it. No, it’s a gift you must accept by faith. Jesus also said that His peace is unique from what the world provides. In the last 3,500 years, the world has only been free of war for 286 of them – that’s less than 9 per cent. This world’s peace doesn’t last.

Jesus told His disciples, ‘I give you my own peace and my gift is nothing like the peace of this world. You must not be distressed and you must not be daunted’ (vv. 27-28 PHPS). He spoke those words just before He went to the cross. So, God’s peace is not regulated by circumstances – it’s an ‘inside job’.

Have you ever heard someone say, ‘I need to get away’? This is sometimes known as a geographical cure. You think if you leave where you are and go somewhere else, you will have peace. But it doesn’t work, for wherever you go, you take yourself with you. Have you ever been so tired that your body collapsed into bed but your mind wouldn’t turn off? Well, you can get away and find peace! How? Jesus gives us the solution: ‘You may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33 NLT).

Where can you find peace? Jesus said, ‘In me!’ Today, spend time with Him.

Luke 10:25-42, Psalms 60-62

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to have peace (3)
10 JUNE 2024

‘Great peace have those who love your law.’
Psalm 119:165 NIV
In order to find real peace, you must do two things:

1) Live by the principles of God’s Word. ‘Great peace have those who love your law.’ Peace arrives when you live in harmony with God. A new car comes with an owner’s manual. It tells you that for your car to perform well, you must do certain things at certain times. Likewise, the Bible is your owner’s manual for life. It contains guiding principles for finances, health, marriage, business, relationships, and considerably more. Just as your car drives more smoothly when you use it according to its design, so your life will go more smoothly when you live it according to God’s design.

2) Accept God’s pardon. Guilt is the top destroyer of peace. When we feel guilty, we feel haunted by our past. That’s why we read about people who make amends for a wrong they committed thirty years earlier. They say, ‘I was living in hell all those years and had to get it off my chest.’ The only way to have peace is to possess a clear conscience, and only God is able to give you that. ‘Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives…transgression?…You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy’ (Micah 7:18 NIV). Notice, Micah reveals God is eager – ready and waiting – to clean your slate. It’s His personality. He enjoys forgiving. He owns a big eraser. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9 NIV).

1 Chronicles 1-3, Acts 14

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to have peace (4)
11 JUNE 2024

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

To have peace you must focus on God’s presence. What you choose to focus on either fuels your fears or your faith. The Bible says, ‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you’ (Isaiah 26:3 NIV). That verse could be reduced to one sentence: ‘Get your focus in order − look at me.’ The psalmist says, ‘God is…an ever-present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1 NIV). Later in that psalm, He reminds us, ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (v. 10 NIV).

These verses were written during the time of Hezekiah. Enemy armed forces had surrounded Jerusalem and the Israelites were tense, so they prayed this prayer! And five minutes before noon, God struck the Assyrians with a plague and 185,000 of them perished. Jerusalem was saved, and everyone was joyful. This psalm helps us remember that God is our refuge. No matter how overwhelming the odds seem, He is always with you to help.

This psalm informs us of two things about receiving God’s help in times of trouble. The first thing is to ‘be still’. Many of our troubles come from our inability to sit still. The second thing is to ‘know that I am God’. Did you know that in the middle of a hurricane or tornado there is a quiet centre referred to as an eye? Likewise, though everything is blowing apart around you, you can have a quiet centre. Be still and know. When you live this way, ‘the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds’ (Philippians 4:7 NIV). When you think about it, it’s the only sane way to live!

1 Chronicles 4-6, Acts 15:1-2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to have peace (5)
12 JUNE 2024

‘Trust in the LORD.’
Proverbs 3:5 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths’ (vv. 5-6 NKJV). God wants you to trust Him. As long as you’re struggling to figure things out on your own, you’re not trusting God and you won’t have peace. You must trust Him with your health, your money, your relationships, and your future. Everything!

God never makes a mistake. All that happens in your life fits into His plan for you – even the problems and miseries and troubles you bring on yourself. He fits everything flawlessly into His plan for you (see Romans 8:28). And all He expects from you is to trust Him instead of attempting to figure everything out – that you acknowledge He is in control. When you do this, He promises to ‘make your paths straight’ (Proverbs 3:6 NIV).

When we aim at directing our own lives, we follow arbitrary paths filled with indecisiveness: ‘Should I do this or that? Should I go here or over there?’ And it produces stress! But as soon as you trust in the Lord, He directs your paths and makes them successful, not stressful.

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds’ (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV). Note the order – prayer first, then peace. So if you’re not praying, you’re probably worrying. And worry is a worthless emotion – a waste! So when pressure starts accumulating, instead of panicking, start praying! Prayer is a remarkable stress reliever.

1 Chronicles 7-9, Acts 15:22-41

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

‘Strong, firm and steadfast’
14 JUNE 2024

‘The God of all grace…will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.’
1 Peter 5:10 NIV

If you want God to restore you and make you ‘strong, firm and steadfast’, meditate prayerfully on these four Scriptures, and look for ways to put them into practice each day:

1) ‘Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time’ (v. 6 NIV).

2) ‘Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you’ (v. 7 NIV).

3) ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ (v. 8 NIV).

4) ‘Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings’ (v. 9 NIV).

Now, here is the result God promises when you walk in the truth of these four Scriptures: ‘And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast’ (v. 10 NIV).

Note two important phrases here: ‘The God of all grace.’ Whatever you fear and whatever you have to face, God will give you the grace to handle it. ‘After you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong.’ If you are going through a season of stress, God has promised that it will lead to a season of strengthening. So when you pray, ‘Lord, take me out of this,’ He may answer, ‘No, I will take you through it and make you “firm and steadfast”.’

1 Chronicles 13-15, Acts 16:22-40

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Confess your sins to God
15 JUNE 2024

‘I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt…And you forgave me!’
Psalm 32:5 NLT

In Scripture, the word confession is comprised of two Greek words: homo, meaning ‘the same’, and logeo, meaning ‘to speak’. Therefore, confessing your sin to God means saying the same thing about it as He does. It means calling a spade a spade – not a gardening tool! Nowhere does the Bible refer to our sins as mistakes, bad judgements, and slips. However, it clearly says God forgives our sin: ‘I…am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins’ (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV). So let’s be clear.

1) Confessing isn’t about apologising. Saying you’re sorry is appropriate and necessary at times. But you could never be sorry enough to deserve or earn God’s forgiveness. Confessing is agreeing with God about the nature, extent, and offensiveness of your transgressions.

2) Confessing isn’t about feelings. Some of us plunge into remorse, guilt, and depression over our sins. And when such feelings lead to confession, that’s good. But even when we don’t feel these emotions, our confession is just as genuine and effective.

3) Confessing isn’t complaining. Making a laundry list of your sins and telling God how terrible you are is more akin to complaining than confessing. Coming clean with God and agreeing with His evaluation of your sin is what He wants from you. Then, like David, you can say, ‘I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt…And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.’ So, confess your sins to God – then start acting like someone who has been forgiven!

1 Chronicles 16-18, Acts 17:1-15