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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Let Him comfort you
17 October 2024

‘The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.’
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

God can make you comfortable in the most uncomfortable places. He can pull you out of situations you thought you’d be stuck in forever. He can give you peace, even in the midst of trauma. Before your life is over, you’ll live, love and experience loss. Losing some things will actually help you to appreciate the things you still have. It’s the taste of failure that makes success so sweet. How can you celebrate victory unless you’ve known defeat? You’ll live each day not knowing what tomorrow holds, but knowing that God holds all your tomorrows. They’re not in the hands of your boss, your broker, your spouse, or anybody else. Nor are they in your hands to manipulate and control. No, all your tomorrows are in God’s hands!

So whatever you do; get to know Him, because you’ll need Him. And He’ll be there for you. He’ll be there when everybody and everything else has gone. He’ll be there for you in the dark places. His promise to you is, 'Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning' (Psalm 30:5 AMPC). However long the night, morning always comes and with it His joy. Just think, no matter how dark the night, you’ve always lived to see the morning. Right? Somehow His grace has protected you, provided for you, secured you, calmed and comforted you, and brought you through. Times and seasons change, but not God. He’s always 'the God of all comfort', and He’s watching over you today!

Jeremiah 27-29, 1 Timothy 6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Be a giver (1)
18 October 2024

‘Give, and it will be given to you.’
Luke 6:38 NIV

If you want to become a giver, think of yourself as a river instead of a reservoir. Reservoirs continually take in water, but only to fill themselves up. In contrast, a river flows. Whatever water it receives, it gives away. Note what Jesus said about giving: ‘Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you’ (v. 38 NIV).

When you give your time, expertise, and resources without expecting anything in return, you’re practising what Jesus preached. And here is an interesting truth: when you focus more on the wants and needs of others, more of your own wants and needs are met. In contrast, when you choose to hoard what you have rather than give, you become the centre of your own lonely universe. And you become less content, not more. As a result, you repel both people and potential blessing.

Recalling God’s goodness to you leads to gratitude (see Psalm 103:1-5). And gratitude leads to giving. Ungrateful people aren’t givers. They seldom think about others; they just think of themselves. Their days comprise searching for others to assist them, give to them, and wait on them. And whenever others fail to meet those expectations, they wonder why. Their selfishness prevents them from sowing, and their ingratitude causes them to question why they don’t reap. In what way can you show gratitude? By taking a portion of the blessings God has poured into your life and pouring them into the lives of others. In other words, be a giver.

Jeremiah 30-31, 2 Timothy 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Be a giver (2)
19 October 2024

‘God loves a cheerful giver.’
2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV

Paul writes, ‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.’ The giving that God rewards is purposeful giving when it’s done with a cheerful attitude. Here are three ways to do that:

1) Put people before yourself. Every one of the things of this world, including fame and fortune, is temporary. Individuals are what matter. Your job, pastimes, and other interests will die with you. People live on. The true measure of success is not in the number of individuals who help you but in the number of individuals you help (see Galatians 5:13).

2) Don’t let stuff own you. No one should ever become a slave to their stuff. No one should make their life’s work about obtaining more just to have more. If you want to be in control of your heart, don’t let belongings take control of you. The question is, ‘Do you own your possessions, or do your possessions own you?’ Givers use what they own as a resource to make this world a better place to live. And they do this regardless of how much or how little they have (see Matthew 6:21).

3) Define success as sowing, not reaping. Robert Louis Stevenson said, ‘I consider the success of my day based on the seeds I sow, not the harvest I reap.’ That should be the way we judge not only our days but our entire lives (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-10). If you live life with the intention of enriching the lives of others, your life will be full, not empty.

Jeremiah 32-33, 2 Timothy 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

UCB Word For Today
When God opens the door (1)
20 October 2024

‘I have set before you an open door.’
Revelation 3:8 NKJV

In seeking to know God’s will, there are two things you should never do. First, when the door is closed, get impatient and force it open. Second, create your own door. To succeed in what God has called you to do, follow the ‘open door policy’. The Bible describes it this way: ‘To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: “These things says He who is holy, He who is true, ‘He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens’: ‘I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name’”’ (vv. 7-8 NKJV).

Who does God open doors for?

1) People who ‘have a little strength’. So, your mistakes don’t disqualify you, as long as you’re willing to learn from them. And your inadequacies don’t limit God if you allow them to make you more dependent on Him.

2) People who ‘have kept My word’. The people God opens doors for are governed by this guiding principle: ‘Whatever God’s Word says about it, that’s what I’m going to think, believe, and do.’ If it’s not on God’s blueprint, don’t build it. If it’s not in God’s recipe book, don’t mix it in.

3) People who ‘have not denied My name’. Regardless of rejection or ridicule, these people speak boldly about the things they value most in life, including their relationship with Jesus. If you want God to open doors for you, live by these principles each day.

Luke 20:1-26, Psalms 107-109

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™


When God opens the door (2)
21 October 2024

‘A great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’
1 Corinthians 16:9 NKJV

The New Living Translation states Paul’s words this way: ‘There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.’ In doing the will of God, you should anticipate opposition from those who are not privy to what God has shared with you or instructed you to do. Indeed, if you are accepted and applauded wherever you go, you should re-examine either the assignment you believe God has given you or the way in which you are carrying it out.

You say, ‘But didn’t Jesus say that His yoke was “easy”?’ Yes, and He was talking about a comfortable-fitting yoke around the neck of a hardworking ox that ploughed from morning until night. The work was hard, but the yoke was comfortable. That means when God calls you to do something difficult, He will provide you with the grace and resources to do it.

You say, ‘But Satan is attacking me.’ Attack is a sign of respect; it means you represent a threat to the kingdom of darkness. And as you get closer to your God-given goal, expect Satan’s attack to intensify. But there is good news. The intensity of the attack is an indicator of the blessing God has for you on the other side of the attack.

And one more thought. Your greatest rewards will not come in this life but in the life to come. And that’s good because they won’t just be temporal, they will be eternal. The hymnist wrote: ‘To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; He with the King of glory shall reign eternally.’

Jeremiah 34-36, 2 Timothy 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

UCB Word For Today
When someone lets you down

22 October 2024
‘Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.’
Psalm 141:3 NLT

When William Gladstone was Chancellor of the Exchequer in Britain, he requested that the Treasury send him certain statistics upon which he might base his budget proposals. Unfortunately, the statistician made a mistake, and Gladstone was so certain of this man’s reputation for accuracy that he didn’t take the time to verify his figures. As a result, Gladstone went before the House of Commons and gave a speech based on the incorrect information given to him. His speech was no sooner published than the inaccuracies were exposed, and he became the brunt of terrible public ridicule.

When the chancellor sent for the statistician who had given him the inaccurate information, the man arrived full of fear and shame, certain he was going to be fired. Instead, Gladstone said, ‘I know how much you must be disturbed over what has happened, so I have sent for you to put you at ease. For a long time, you have been engaged in handling the intricacies of the national accounts, and this is the first mistake that you have made. I want to congratulate you and express to you my keen appreciation.’

Can you imagine the sense of relief, gratitude, and hope the man felt that day as he walked out of Gladstone’s office? It takes a Christlike person to extend mercy, to listen as well as talk, and to think before jumping into action. So instead of retaliating in anger today, pray, ‘Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.’ When you begin to pray that way – and really mean it – it indicates that you’re growing in grace.

Jeremiah 37-39, 2 Timothy 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Knowing when to be quiet
23 October 2024

‘A time to be quiet and a time to speak.’
Ecclesiastes 3:7 NLT

Calvin Coolidge, the thirtieth US president, was known as a reserved man who spoke very little. One day when a reporter attempted to interview him, the conversation went like this: Reporter: ‘Do you wish to say anything about the war threat in Europe?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ Reporter: ‘Do you have anything to say about the strike in the clothing factories?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ Reporter: ‘Do you have anything to say about the League of Nations?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ Reporter: ‘Would you care to comment on the farm production problem?’ Coolidge: ‘No.’ As the reporter was leaving the room, Coolidge unexpectedly called him back and said with a smile, ‘Don’t quote me!’

The Bible says, ‘For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven…A time to be quiet and a time to speak’ (vv. 1, 7 NLT). Never allow yourself to be pressured into saying something you don’t want to say or get drawn in when you don’t feel like talking. Silence isn’t a lack of communication; it’s a form of communication and can be a very effective one! Proverbs 29:11 says, ‘A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards’ (KJV). One thing is for sure, what you don’t say today, you won’t have to explain or apologise for tomorrow.

If your tendency is to speak without thinking, or when you have nothing constructive to add, weigh the situation carefully and ask God for wisdom before deciding if you should speak or be quiet. Remember: ‘Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut’ (Proverbs 17:28 MSG).

Jeremiah 40-42, Titus 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Don’t rush to judgement
24 October 2024

‘Judge not, that you be not judged.’
Matthew 7:1 NKJV

This happened when Chuck Swindoll was speaking in California: ‘A gentleman came to him and said, “I have waited so long for this week, I am going to eat up everything you have to say.” Swindoll thanked him. Sunday night…the man started nodding [off]. Swindoll figured that he’d had a long drive and was probably tired. It happened each night until the conference ended. As a preacher…it didn’t feel good to see someone sleeping on him.

'On Friday morning, the lady who was sitting next to him came to Swindoll and said, “I want to thank you for the ministry this week. Oh, and by the way, I am sorry about my husband sleeping on you…He has terminal cancer and the doctors have just given him a couple of weeks to live. When we talked about what he wanted to do before he died, he said, ‘I want to go hear Chuck Swindoll.’ But you see, Dr Swindoll, the doctors gave him medicine to keep away the pain, and the medicine makes him sleep. I wanted to apologise to you that he has been sleeping, but I wanted you to know you made this the best week of the last part of his life.” Swindoll later said he could have crawled under a rock, because he had made a judgement and without any investigation he reacted.’

Why did Jesus say, ‘Judge not, that you be not judged’? Because there may be circumstances and factors at work in a person’s life that you don’t understand. So instead of judging them, extend to them the same grace God has extended to you.

Jeremiah 43-44, Titus 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

UCB Word For Today
Not justice, but grace

25 October 2024
‘If anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father.’
1 John 2:1 AMPC

There is a story about a man who had his picture taken. When he saw it, he said to the photographer, ‘This picture doesn’t do me justice!’ The photographer looked at him, smiled, and said, ‘With a face like yours, you don’t need justice; you need mercy and grace!’

Seriously, that’s the situation we are all in. And the reason God extends mercy and grace to us is because Jesus fulfilled all the demands of God’s justice for us at the cross. Some people think that God’s grace (unmerited favour) atones for all your sins up until the moment you make Christ your Saviour. But from then on, you have to earn it and prove yourself worthy of it by your performance, like a joint effort. So instead of trusting alone in Christ’s performance on the cross, they trust also in their own performance.

Here is the problem: there are three ways to sin – commission, omission, and disposition. If you commit one of these sins every day, that’s over one thousand sins a year. And if going to heaven depends on your remembering and repenting of each of them, what if you forget? Don’t worry; God has you covered! ‘If anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father – [it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who conforms to the Father’s will in every purpose, thought, and action]’ (v. 1 AMPC). Only one person measures up to God’s standards: Jesus! And when you place your trust in Him, you are unconditionally loved and accepted by God.

Jeremiah 45-46, Titus 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Jesus is the way
26 October 2024

‘I am the way…No one comes to the Father except through Me.’
John 14:6 NKJV

A minister writes: ‘Between the human race and God stands a barrier called sin. If we are going to be reconciled with a perfect God, that barrier has to be dealt with. We cannot go around it or over it. Sin demands a payment. Jesus came specifically to make that payment. He lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death to pay for everything we’ve ever done in the past, present, and future. If your home is on fire, you had better call a firefighter and not a policeman. If you break a leg, you had better call a doctor and not a firefighter. If your home is broken into, you had better call a policeman and not a doctor. If you are drowning, you had better call a lifeguard, not a plumber. If, as a sinful human being, you want to come to a righteous God, you had better get in touch with the Saviour, because He is the only one who can help.’

Jesus didn’t merely say, ‘Come to me, and I’ll show you the way.’ He said, ‘I am the way.’ He is the way to forgiveness. He is the way to peace and joy. He is the way to fulfilment in life. And He is as close to you today as a prayer. Here it is: ‘Lord Jesus, I believe that you died for me on the cross and paid for my sins and that through faith in you, I am made righteous and reconciled to God. I accept you today as my Lord and Saviour and receive from you the gift of everlasting life. Amen.’

Jeremiah 47-48, Philemon