[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Take time to reflect (1)

‘In it he saw…honey.’
Judges 14:8 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 22 April 2019

One day Samson encountered a lion and slew it. The Bible says, ‘Some time later, when he went back…he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass and in it he saw…some honey.

He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along’ (vv. 8-9 NIV 2011 Edition). There’s a lesson here for you.

When you take time to stop and reflect, you discover ‘honey’ in your experiences that you can eat and grow stronger and wiser. When you reflect, you are able to put things into perspective; you gain new appreciation for things you didn’t notice before.

Few of us have clear perspective in the heat of the moment. Most of us who have survived a traumatic experience usually avoid similar situations at all costs.

This can leave us with unresolved issues that leave us tied up in knots. Reflective thinking enables you to distance yourself from the intense emotions of an experience and see it with fresh eyes.

Indeed, this process is one of the first steps to getting rid of our emotional baggage. President George Washington observed, ‘We ought not to look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.’

Each of us has been shaped by the experiences, good and bad, that we’ve had in life. What we refuse to deal with deals with us, and often in harmful ways.

We ‘act out’ of our unresolved issues. But when we bring them into the light and ask God for the grace to face them squarely, they lose their power over us.

1 Samuel 1-3, John 9:1-23

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Take time to reflect (2)

‘In the day of adversity consider.’
Ecclesiastes 7:14 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 23April 2019

The digital age has great advantages. Through emails, texts, and tweets we can communicate quickly.

The disadvantage is that it doesn’t cultivate in us a desire to think about things deeply. You can’t microwave personal growth; it requires a slow cooker.

The Bible says, ‘In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: surely God has appointed the one as well as the other.’ By taking time to reflect:

1) You gain confidence in decision making. Ever made a snap decision and later wondered if you did the right thing?

Reflective thinking can help to defuse that doubt. It also gives you confidence for the next decision.

Once you’ve reflected on an issue, you don’t have to repeat every step of the thinking process when you’re faced with it again. You’ve got mental road markers from having been there before.

2) You clarify the big picture. Reflective thinking encourages us to go back and spend time pondering what we have done and what we have seen.

To keep from making the same mistake over and over, you must stop and examine the process that led to it. In other words, reflection helps you to see the big picture.

3) You take a good experience and make it a valuable experience. They say we learn by experience.

No, we learn from evaluated experience. An experience becomes valuable when it informs and equips us.

That’s why daily prayer and Bible reading are so essential. You’ll understand things in God’s presence that you won’t understand any other way.

1 Samuel 4-6, John 9:24-41

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Take time to reflect (3)

‘Oh…that they would consider their latter end!’
Deuteronomy 32:29 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 24 April 2019

If your goal is personal growth, then you must make time for reflective thinking. So:

1) Remove yourself from distractions. Reflection and distraction don’t mix.

Reflection requires solitude. It’s not the kind of thing you can do well near a television, while the phone’s ringing, or with children in the same room.

You say, ‘But I don’t have time to spend in reflection.’ We all have 168 hours each week. If you spend just one of them reflecting, you’ll be amazed how your life will be enriched.

2) Regularly review your calendar or diary. Most people use their calendar as a planning tool, which it is.

But few use it as a reflective thinking tool. What could be better, however, for helping you to review where you have been and what you have done – except maybe a diary?

Those two things remind you of how you’ve spent your time. They show whether your activities match your priorities.

They help you to see whether you are making progress. They also offer you an opportunity to recall activities you might not have had time to reflect on previously.

Some of your most valuable thoughts may have been lost because you didn’t give yourself the reflection time you needed.

3) Ask the right questions. The Bible says, ‘Oh, that they were wise…that they would consider their latter end!’

Ask yourself, ‘Am I growing personally and in my walk with God? Am I strengthening my relationships with the people who matter in my life?

Am I using the gifts and sharpening the skills God has given me?’ Reflecting on such questions can change your life for the better.

1 Samuel 7-9, John 10:1-21

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

God is at work in your life

‘He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.’
Job 23:10 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 25 April 2019

It’s a mistake to compare yourself to other people, because God has a plan for you that’s unique and personal. His methods may sometimes seem strange and His training laborious, but His results are always worth waiting for.

Without scams and games He accomplishes His purpose in our lives, and all He asks us to do is trust and obey. It’s that simple.

In the midst of unspeakable heartache and trouble, notice three things Job said about God:

1) ‘He knows the way that I take.’ The path you are on today is the one God chose for you, and He never makes mistakes.

And even when you don’t know where He is, God knows where you are because He never takes His eye off of you.

2) ‘When he has tested me.’ The word ‘when’ means God has established a set time for testing you, and a set time for bringing you out of the test.

Aren’t you glad He’s the One who’s testing you, and not people? Would you trust anyone other than Him to take you through this learning curve?

Of course you wouldn’t.

3) ‘I will come forth as gold.’ When God gets through refining you and removing the impurities from your life, you will shine like pure and precious gold.

The process always precedes the promise. When the dross has been discarded and the fear removed, some people may wonder how such a vessel could have been made from such poor material.

They may even ask if you’re the same person. When they do, just say ‘No!’

1 Samuel 10-12, John 10:22-42

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Spirit-led thinking

‘We have the mind of Christ.’
1 Corinthians 2:16 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 26 April 2019

The Bible says: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV).

Do you ‘love’ God? If so, He will reveal His thoughts to you.

What an advantage! Paul writes, ‘These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual’ (v. 13 NKJV).

Don’t make the mistake of limiting ‘spiritual things’ to prayer, Bible reading, and church activities. This promise applies to every area of your life including your family, your finances, your career, etc.

The Bible says, ‘We have the mind of Christ.’ That means when you face a problem, you can pray, ‘Lord, help me to see this the way You do.’

When you need to make an important decision you can pray, ‘Lord, reveal to me what I don’t know and teach me what I need to learn so that my decision is in line with Your will and what’s best for everyone concerned.’ Instead of confining God to church and so-called ‘spiritual activities’, ask for His help in every area of your life.

Psalm 46:10 says, ‘Be still and know that I am God’ (NKJV). That means you must be still long enough for Him to put His thoughts into your mind.

When it happens – and it will – you’ll never want to think any other way.

1 Samuel 13-14, John 11:1-29

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Take control of your mind

‘Whatever things are true…noble…just…pure…lovely… of good report…meditate on these things.’
Philippians 4:8 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 27 April 2019

The old saying goes: ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ The Bible says, ‘Then Satan entered Judas…So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them’ (Luke 22:3-4 NKJV).

It seems Judas was constantly preoccupied with money, and Satan exploited it to his destruction. During the three years that Judas followed Jesus, he heard Him repeatedly warn about the danger of loving money, but he failed to get the message.

Your mind never stops working and if you don’t take control of it, it will take control of you. Paul writes: ‘Whatsoever things are true…noble…just…pure…lovely…of good report…if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.’

What you become – is a direct result of what your mind dwells on. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Life consists of what a man [or woman] is thinking about all day.’

John Locke said, ‘The actions of men [or women] are the greatest interpreters of their thoughts.’ James Allen said, ‘You are today where your thoughts have brought you.

You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.’ This is why the apostle Peter warns us to ‘prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control’ (1 Peter 1:13 NLT).

It’s why the psalmist wrote: ‘Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me…Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer’ (Psalm 19:13-14 NKJV). Note the words ‘meditation of my heart’.

The word for you today is: take control of your mind.

1 Samuel 15-16, John 11:30-57

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Your best days are ahead

‘He heals the broken-hearted.’
Psalm 147:3 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 28 April 2019

If you’re trying to recover from a broken relationship, don’t rush into another one. As you become healthy you begin to make healthy choices.

Some hurts take a long time to heal, but don’t be discouraged; ‘He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.’ Give God a chance.

Take time to search His Word and find out how He feels about you, for that’s the true basis of all self-worth. If God can love and accept you with full knowledge of your imperfections, then the message is: ‘Lighten up on yourself!’

You can love, and be loved again, but only with the same wholeness with which you love yourself! (See Matthew 22:39.) Next time make sure your choices are healthy ones, and not based solely on need, or the fear of being alone.

And be careful; when you don’t value yourself, you attract people who feel the same way about you, including those who seek to control you. You deserve better, so hold out for it.

Remember, you train others how to treat you by how you treat yourself. As you become whole, you’ll start to see how unwholesome some of your relationship choices have been.

If some people walk away, ‘so be it’. Sometimes you’ve got to give up less so that God can give you more.

He has new relationships in store for you, but He’s waiting until your values, perceptions, and self-worth line up with His Word. So take it step by step, one day at a time.

And rejoice – your best days are ahead!

Luke 8:1-25, Psalm 43-45

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Sitting or serving?

‘Who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?’
Luke 22:27 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 29 April 2019

The world reveres wealth, power, talent, and fame. And sometimes it regards service as demeaning.

But Jesus used a different yardstick when He asked His disciples, ‘Who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?’ Then He answered the question by saying, ‘I am among you as the One who serves.’

Paul said that Jesus ‘emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant’ (Philippians 2:7 GWT). To be a servant you must first be emptied of self-centredness, and that calls for dying to self.

As Christians we like to call ourselves servants, but how do you react when you’re treated like one? In the upper room the disciples all looked for a prominent place to sit, but Jesus looked for a place to serve!

And as they waited to be served, He took a basin and washed their dirty, calloused feet. Can you imagine how they felt?

The world bases importance on the number of people serving you, but God is much more interested in the number of people you are serving. He honours those who minister selflessly without complaining or seeking recognition.

The truth is, it takes more character to serve others than to sit around waiting to be served. So here’s the question: are you doing more ‘sitting’ than ‘serving’ these days?

If so, it’s time to ask God for a selfless spirit and a servant’s heart, and start looking for opportunities to serve wherever He places you. Why?

Because Jesus lived to serve and His Word to you is, ‘A servant is not greater than his master’ (John 15:20 NKJV).

1 Samuel 17-18, John 12:1-26

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Think unselfishly. Give anonymously.

‘Be interested in others.’
Philippians 2:4 TLB

The UCB Word for Today - 30 April 2019

Paul writes: ‘Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.

Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus’ (vv. 3-5 TLB).

Becoming more unselfish begins with the decision to stop thinking about yourself so much and start looking for ways to help others. If you want to become more Christlike and unselfish, start doing these two things:

1) Put yourself in situations where people have needs. Is that risky? Sure.

You risk rejection. You risk being misunderstood. You risk making mistakes.

But becoming unselfish requires putting yourself in a position where you can see a person’s need and do something about it. In other words, get involved!

2) Give quietly or anonymously. Jesus said: ‘Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired…for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven…Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you’ (Matthew 6:1-4 NLT).

It’s easier to give when you receive recognition than when no one knows about it. But those who give for recognition and applause have already received any reward they will get (see Matthew 6:2).

There are spiritual, mental, and emotional benefits that come to those who give anonymously. Try it.

The fulfilment you’ll receive will encourage you to make it a lifestyle.

1 Samuel 19-21, John 12:27-50

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

How to get back up (1)

‘Though I have fallen, I will rise.’
Micah 7:8 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 01 May 2019

We all get despondent from time to time. It can happen on the heels of a great success or victory.

Counsellors say that for every high there is a corresponding low. Or it can be caused by disappointment in people; someone we trusted lets us down and we experience anger and resentment.

When we lose a job, we don’t just lose our financial security; sometimes we lose our identity and sense of worth as a person. The cause of our despondency is often physical.

When we don’t get enough rest, proper food, and exercise, we get run down. Sometimes the cause is chemical.

When the brain’s chemical messengers that are called neurotransmitters are healthy, we are too. But when some of those transmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, are absent, low, or imbalanced, we struggle and feel depleted.

In this case medication may be needed to correct the chemical imbalance. And the cause can also be spiritual.

Jesus said that Satan comes to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’ (John 10:10 GNT). That’s why the Bible says, ‘Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against…spiritual forces of evil’ (Ephesians 6:10-12 NIVUK).

Often spiritual warfare is either at the root of our problems or is exacerbating them. So each morning when you get dressed, be sure to put on your spiritual armour and draw on ‘His mighty power’ throughout the day.

When you’re down, that’s how you get back up.

1 Samuel 22-24, John 13:1-20