[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

The Holy Spirit is your ‘helper’

‘The Helper…will teach you all things.’
John 14:26 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 23 NOV 2019

Jesus said, ‘The Helper, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.’ So the Holy Spirit has these two functions:

1) He teaches you how to walk with God.
2) He reminds you to do it each day.

As redeemed children of God, we constantly need to be taught how to walk with Him, and to be reminded of the blessings that await us when we do and the trouble we get into when we don’t. If you’ve raised kids, you know the routine.

They have to be taught their ABCs so they can read and write; then they have to be reminded until they master it. They have to be taught to walk, and falling down hundreds of times is just part of growing up.

The Bible says, ‘A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again’ (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV). Just as you don’t tell your child, ‘Forget it, you’re never going to learn to walk,’ your heavenly Father doesn’t give up on you either.

Your child had to be taught personal hygiene and cleanliness. Likewise, the Holy Spirit will remind you of the importance of reading God’s Word each day.

Jesus said, ‘You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you’ (John 15:3 NKJV). And the psalmist wrote, ‘How can a young man [and an older one too] cleanse his way?

By taking heed…to Your word’ (Psalm 119:9 NKJV). If you’re wise, you’ll start each day by praying, ‘Holy Spirit, teach me what I need to know, and remind me of it throughout this day.’

Ezekile 47-48, 2 Peter 1

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Seek His help today

‘The Spirit also helps our weakness.’
Romans 8:26 NASB

The UCB Word for Today - 24 NOV 2019

Paul writes: ‘The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God’ (vv. 26-27 NASB). So what is this ‘weakness’ in prayer that we are subject to?

It’s that sometimes we don’t know how to express the depth of our desires and feelings, nor do we even realise what we need. Sometimes we’re so exhausted in spirit, mind, and body, that we can hardly muster the energy to open our mouths.

There are instances when discouragement has taken such a strong hold of your heart that you can’t imagine a way out of your circumstances. That’s when you need to ask for the Holy Spirit’s help!

When you are a believer, the Holy Spirit supplies you with the two things you can’t live without:

1) The ability to know what God is saying to you. Sometimes you can’t trust your own wisdom or the advice of those closest to you.

2) How to have an intimate relationship with God. One of the most wonderful things Jesus said was, ‘I have called you friends’ (John 15:15 KJV).

But friendships aren’t built on a hit-and-run basis; they take time and communication. Jesus described His relationship with the Father like this: ‘The Father loves the Son and shows him everything’ (John 5:20 NLT).

And not only does the Holy Spirit show you what to do, He empowers you to do it. So seek His help today.

Luke 22:31-46, Psalm 119:89-176

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Understanding the stages of your vision

‘In due season he will honour you.’
Psalm 37:34 TLB

The UCB Word for Today - 25 NOV 2019

In farming, there’s a time for sowing, a time for growing, and a time for reaping. It’s the same in God’s kingdom.

One missionary tells of hearing a group of seasoned leaders discussing their shared experiences from which a fascinating five-stage process emerged.

Stage 1: The birth of the vision. Initially each of them was given a vision by the Holy Spirit, accompanied by an excitement and abiding awareness that it was from God.

Stage 2: The preparation. This is the stage where dreams are often aborted because we don’t want to do the necessary preparation.

When God gives you a vision, there must be some action on your part or it will never amount to anything more than a passing daydream.

Stage 3: The wilderness and the struggle. One of our biggest misconceptions is that if something is really from God, there’ll be no struggle involved. That’s a myth!

You can almost guarantee a significant amount of struggle will be required. This stage is the proving ground of our faithfulness, and there’s no substitute.

Stage 4: The realisation of the vision. This is where we finally get to enjoy the fruits of our diligent preparation and God’s faithfulness.

Stage 5: New beginnings and vision. These leaders all found themselves challenged again with fresh vision from the Holy Spirit. As a result, they concluded that their lives had been a continual cycle of ever-expanding vision, and as God entrusted them with more, it would take even greater amounts of preparation and the intensity of the battle would increase.

Now you understand the stages of your vision!

Daniel 1-2, 2 Peter 2

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Are you feeling overwhelmed today?

‘I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest.’
Jeremiah 45:3 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 26 NOV 2019

Some of the people we admire in Scripture experienced times when they felt ‘worn out’, yet unable to rest. Jeremiah said, ‘I am overwhelmed with trouble!

Haven’t I had enough pain already? And now the Lord has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest’ (v. 3 NLT).

The psalmist put it this way: ‘I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living’ (Psalm 27:13 NKJV). Then he goes on to say: ‘I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed.

Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!’ (Psalm 61:2-4 NLT).

If you’re feeling overwhelmed today, take a minute to pray this prayer: ‘Lord, it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders and I know this isn’t Your will.

Teach me to cast my worries and concerns on You, knowing that You have promised to take care of me (see 1 Peter 5:7). Give me courage to change the things I can, grace to accept the things I can’t, and wisdom to know the difference.

Never let me become so busy that I forsake my quiet time with You. Teach me to be still and know that You’re my God (see Psalm 46:10).

Thank You for being my refuge; a very present help in this time of trouble (see Psalm 46:1). In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.’

Daniel 3-4, 2 Peter 3

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

It’s a necessary part of the process

‘I will instruct you.’
Psalm 32:8 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 27 NOV 2019

Why are you still here? When Jesus saved you, why didn’t He simply take you to heaven to be with Him?

Because He’s not only interested in your final destination; He wants to do a work in you and through you on the way to it. We get impatient when it comes to God’s will for our lives.

We just want to get there! But a great deal of time usually elapses between when God calls us and when we’ve fulfilled His will for our lives.

And until we accept that, we’re not ready to go anywhere! We need to understand that the journey is an important process.

It matters to God what you become on the way to where you’re going. And following Him in obedience through many unknowns, trials, and difficulties is an integral and indispensable part of your preparation.

God uses the journey to teach you faith, refine your character, and equip you for greater challenges that lie ahead. In fact, if you’re in the process of seeking God’s will right now, you’re already fulfilling part of it in your life.

God said, ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.’ Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you don’t know all you’d like to, you’re not making progress.

Something is happening right now. Your faith is being stretched, your patience is being developed, your doubts are being confronted and conquered, and your relationship with God is growing deeper.

He always prepares us in advance for what He has planned ahead for us. Yes, the struggle is uncomfortable – but it’s a necessary part of the process.

Daniel 5-7, 1 John 1

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Taking responsibility and risks (1)

‘The vision is yet for an appointed time…Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come.’
Habakkuk 2:3 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 28 NOV 2019

One missionary evangelist writes: ‘There are times and seasons in God’s will. And we can easily become frustrated if we don’t understand that just as there are times and seasons in nature, there are also times and seasons in the process of fulfilling God’s will for our lives.

Years ago a group of senior missionaries came together to discuss life principles they’d discovered…their purpose was to share this wealth of experience with succeeding generations…

They’d all encountered common stages of transition in their ministries, and collectively they identified a five-step cyclical process God had taken them through.’ Bottom line: timing is all-important!

When executives at Decca Records told the Beatles, ‘Groups with guitars are on the way out,’ they signed up with EMI – and the rest is history! Don’t miss the lesson here.

Each of us has been placed on earth as a caretaker of God’s business. And that’s true whether you are a judge or a cleaner You’ve been given an allotment of life and charged with the responsibility of taking care of it, investing it, increasing it, and presenting it back to God.

Simply saying, ‘I was afraid of failing,’ or ‘I was worried about being criticised,’ or ‘I didn’t think I was good enough,’ won’t work. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Excuses always replace progress.’

God will accept your trials and errors, but He won’t accept your excuses for not having tried. So pray, accept responsibility, and step out in faith.

You may fail many times on your way to success, but if you keep trying and trusting God, you’ll eventually succeed.

Daniel 8-10, 1 John 2

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Taking responsibility and risks (2)

‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’
Matthew 25:23 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 29 NOV 2019

In 1975 a low-level Hewlett Packard engineer called Steve Wozniak, whom nobody had ever heard of, shared a dream with his pal, Steve Jobs. It was about building and selling an easy-to-use personal computer to the masses around the world.

The pair worked round the clock to create their compact PC. But when they offered it to Hewlett Packard, one of the world’s great companies, the powers-that-be failed to see its incredible potential and gave it the thumbs down.

So Wozniak and Jobs went off on their own and founded a little company called Apple Computers – and revolutionised the computer industry! There’s no shortage of people who will tell you, ‘It can’t be done’ or ‘It won’t work.’

There’s a name for those people: ‘dream killers’ – and if you listen to them you’ll give up before you even begin. Behind every major accomplishment you’ll find ordinary people with dreams, who are willing to take responsibility and risks.

They are the people who enjoy the rewards! Jesus wrapped up one of His parables with these words: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!

You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

In spite of your failures, your struggles, and your limitations, if you’re willing to disregard the naysayers, step out in faith, and use the gifts God has given you, He will see to it that you succeed.

Daniel 11-12, 1 John 3

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Taking responsibility and risks (3)

‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received.’
1 Peter 4:10 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 30 NOV 2019

Guess which big company felt like ‘choking on its own chocolate’ after it elected not to feature one of its products in the 1982 blockbuster film E.T.? If you said M&M’s, you’d be right!

How did it happen? Turns out the Mars chocolate bar company executives decided nothing could be gained from allowing their M&M’s sweets to be used in what some of them considered ‘a silly movie’.

Consequently, the little boy Elliott ended up luring the loveable alien E.T. with Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces.

That one scene drew millions of customers worldwide into sweet shops in quest of Reese’s Pieces! Thanks to this movie mega-hit, Hershey’s sales shot up 65 per cent!

It’s interesting that the Mars executives who said ‘No’ probably lived in big houses, drove big cars, and earned big salaries! Yep, doubt and fear stalk the rich as well as the poor; you’ll find naysayers at the top and bottom of the corporate ladder.

Do you recall these words from the famous poem by John Greenleaf Whittier: ‘For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, “It might have been”’? Think of all the times opportunity knocked and nobody answered.

Are you standing before a door of opportunity today? Are you afraid to walk through it? Don’t be. God is with you.

His Word says, ‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.’ When God gives you a gift He gives you the grace and grit to use it.

So step out in faith, ‘commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed’ (Proverbs 16:3 NLT).

Hosea 1-4, 1 John 4

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Keep praying and believing God

‘Many are saying, “God will never rescue him!”’
Psalm 3:2 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 01 DEC 2019

Have you been praying for years that God will save your husband, your wife, your children, or your friends? Does your heart long to see the people you love serving Him?

Are you getting discouraged? Has someone told you, ‘You’re wasting your time they’ll never change’?

If so, read what the psalmist wrote: ‘Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.

I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill’ (vv. 2-4 NKJV). Pay particular attention to the phrase, ‘many are they who say’.

Everybody has an opinion, but until God speaks on the matter, the jury is still out! As long as He’s still on the throne and His promises are still true, keep praying and believing God for a miracle.

‘But they’re so far from God right now!’ you say. They may be, but read this and rejoice: ‘The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear’ (Isaiah 59:1 NKJV).

Your loved one is not too far gone for God. They may be messed up on drugs and alcohol, having an affair, or even be in prison. Wherever they are today, the long arm of God’s grace can reach out and save them.

Satan knows that and he wants you to get discouraged and give up. Don’t do it!

Just as power flows through electric wire, God’s power flows through your prayers. So keep praying and believing God!

Luke 22:47-71, Psalm 120-122

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Discovering God’s will (1)

‘Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’
Romans 12:2 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 02 DEC 2019

The story is told of a man who lived on a beautiful farm. When he died, the property, which had been in the family for over 200 years, was sold to one of the neighbours.

One day, the new owner was walking in a field when he noticed an odd-looking rock sticking out of the dirt. He took it home, washed it, and took it to a jewellery store.

The jeweller confirmed what the owner already suspected. The old stone, which had been in the field for thousands of years, was a large, uncut emerald, and proved to be worth several million pounds.

This gemstone had been in the field all along, waiting for someone to come along and discover it. Over the years, people had walked past it thousands of times and overlooked it, because it looked like nothing more than a common or garden rock.

When we ‘discover’ something, in actuality, we’re finding something that already exists even though we were unaware of it. Here’s the point: while many of us are seeking God’s will for our lives, often what we’re looking for is right under our nose but we keep searching because we don’t recognise it.

To recognise a precious stone, you need to be familiar with its characteristics and know what to look for. Likewise, to recognise God’s will you must live by this Scripture: ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’

That calls for quality time reading your Bible, and talking with and listening to the Author.

Hosea 5-6, 1 John 5