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WORD FOR YOU


Knowing God
09 OCTOBER 2021

‘So I could know Christ personally…and go all the way with him.’
Philippians 3:10 MSG

It’s one thing to know about God, but it’s a completely different thing to know Him closely and personally. Take a minute to examine your spiritual life. Has your walk with God slowed to a crawl? Do you feel like you’re running on empty? We can only have a full fuel tank by paying attention to our fuel gauge and making regular visits to the fuel pump. A full tank doesn’t just happen; it needs constant vigilance, commitment and action to keep the level up. Our earthly natures will try to work against us every day, and challenging circumstances will come along that discourage us. Even those close to us might misunderstand our spiritual priorities. If it was easy, anyone could do it. The prize goes to those who can say like Paul: ‘I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him’ (v.10-11 MSG). Paul didn’t just pray for intimacy with God; he pursued it with all his heart. Nothing was more important to him. Have an honest think about how committed you are to becoming closer to God. Do you sing praise and worship songs but your heart and mind aren't really in it? Have you become critical around others to the point where God's love doesn't shine through as well as it could? Have doubts and bad habits stolen some of your confidence in God? (See 1 John 3:21-22.) If any of these things sound familiar, it's important to do something about it. Starting today, resolve to become even closer with God, and refuse to let anything get in the way of your relationship with Him.

What Now?

Each time you’re at a petrol station (either filling up your own car or as a passenger), use it as a reminder to have a check in with God about your relationship with Him.

Jeremiah 9-11, 2 Thessalonians 2

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WORD FOR YOU


Money matters
08 OCTOBER 2021

‘Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.’
1 Chronicles 29:14 NIV

Money is one of the things that can cause problems. If handled well, it’s useful for us in living our lives and helping others. But when we get into debt, rely on retail therapy to feel better, feel like our value depends on our salary, or just simply love money rather than God, we can end up living in an ungodly way. God never says that we shouldn’t have money, and that we shouldn’t spend it, but the Bible does give us some guidelines to help us be godly stewards of our finances. Saving money is a great, and necessary, way to prepare for the future, and to make sure we have enough for days to come. But we shouldn’t save to the point of never relying on God to provide for us, and at the expense of being generous givers. Matthew 6 says: ‘Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. But store your treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them’ (v.19-20 NCV). We can’t take our money with us when we die, so let’s make sure that we’re sensible and godly in the way we’re saving. We also shouldn’t be spending our money all on ourselves. Throughout the Bible, we’re called to live selflessly. We need to be generous and sacrificial in our giving. When we see people in need, and we have the means to help, let’s help them out. Let’s give what we can to our churches to help them reach more people. And most importantly, let’s remember that we can’t serve both God and money. Which will you choose to serve?

What Now?

If you’re struggling with your finances, particularly debt, make today the day to ask a trusted friend or a mentor for help in managing your money wisely. You could also take a look at online resources or organisations who can help with advice.

Jeremiah 6-8, 2 Thessalonians 1

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WORD FOR YOU

Self-centredness
10 OCTOBER 2021

‘Everything connected with getting our own way…is killed off for good.’
Galatians 5:24 MSG

It’s estimated that the average person speaks about nine million words a year, and more than half are, ‘I, me, my, mine.’ But following Christ means dying to self, and self-centredness doesn’t give up without a fight. ‘Everything connected with getting our own way…is killed off for good.’ Self-interest is a daily battle, because we tend to try and cling to our own interests with a grip of steel. Jesus told His disciples, ‘Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant (Matthew 20:26 NCV). A servant had to carry out the instructions given to them, putting aside their own wants and needs and looking only to the wants and needs of the people they were serving. And we’ve been called to give up our own interests in order to serve others. If He has to, God will leave us with ‘a reminder’ of what it took to get through to us in our particular areas of stubbornness and self-centredness. For example, after his encounter with God, Jacob walked with a limp, but it was a constant reminder of his total dependence on God. The Message paraphrases the apostle Paul’s words: ‘So I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations’ (2 Corinthians 12:7 MSG). Maybe there's a habit you need to battle, a problem that keeps recurring, a person in your life who you find difficult to get along with, or even a physical condition that slows you down. God doesn't always take things away from us straight away, because He wants us to learn that we need to depend on Him and that we can trust Him to help us in our areas of weakness.

What Now?

Thank God that He’s strong in your areas of weakness. Ask Him to help you have a humble and grateful heart that puts Him at the centre of everything.

Luke 19:1-27, Psalms 103-104

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WORD FOR YOU

Be an exhorter (1)
11 OCTOBER 2021

‘Encourage one another daily.’
Hebrews 3:13 NIV

The Greek word for ‘encourage’ or ‘exhort’ is parakalew. It comes from two words, one meaning ‘alongside of’ and the other meaning ‘to call’. This is the root of the Greek word paraclete, which is the name Jesus gave the Holy Spirit. The real ministry of the Holy Spirit is to exhort and encourage us in our walk with God. So we are never more like the Holy Spirit, and never more in tune with His ministry, than when we're exhorting and encouraging others. An exhorter can turn a loser into a winner, a shirker into a worker, and a pessimist into an optimist. They inspire others with renewed courage, spirit, and hope. They have a ministry of affirmation and appreciation. It’s important to remember the difference between appreciation and affirmation. We appreciate what a person does, but we affirm who a person is. Appreciation comes and goes because it’s usually related to someone’s achievements, but affirmation goes right to the heart of a person because it's directed at that person’s individual worth. An exhorter has the ability to make you feel good about yourself. They uplift, inspire, motivate, and make you feel better just by being around you. The Bible says that Barnabas was an exhorter. ‘Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord’ (Acts 11:22-23 NKJV). So today, be an exhorter.

What Now?

Try to say or do something to encourage everyone that you interact with today.

Jeremiah 12-14, 2 Thessalonians 3

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WORD FOR YOU

Be an exhorter (2)
12 OCTOBER 2021

‘Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith.’
Acts 14:22 NKJV

An exhorter has the ability to do three things: 1) Confirm. ‘When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God”’ (v.21-22 NKJV). An exhorter is a pillar of strength in difficult times. They know how to motivate the tough to get going, when the going gets tough. They throw a life jacket of faith to a believer who's drowning in a sea of doubt. 2) Console. ‘So when they came out of jail, they went to Lydia’s house where they saw some of the believers and encouraged them’ (Acts 16:40 NCV). Here the gift of exhortation is demonstrated in its finest form. Paul and Silas had been falsely accused, beaten with rods and thrown into a dungeon with their hands and feet locked in stocks. When word of it reached the church, the believers were really depressed. Remarkably, after they were supernaturally released from prison, instead of looking for consolation and comfort, Paul and Silas went to church and offered it to others. 3) Confront. ‘I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord…these women who laboured with me in the gospel’ (Philippians 4:2-3 NKJV). These two prominent women in the church couldn’t get along with one another, so Paul took on the role of a peacemaker and confronted them. He was friendly, he was fair, but he was firm. And we must be the same.

What Now?

Could you be the peacemaker in a situation today? If you know any people who are locked in a disagreement, ask God if you’re the right person to step in and help smooth things over.

Jeremiah 15-17, 1 Timothy 1

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WORD FOR YOU

Be an exhorter (3)
13 OCTOBER 2021

‘Your assistant, Joshua…Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit [the promised land].’
Deuteronomy 1:38 NIV

When it comes to being an exhorter, notice these two things: 1) Exhortation is a neglected gift. A ministry of encouragement is so needed in the church today. It’s so easy to find discouragement and so difficult to find encouragement, even in the church. Wherever we go, whatever we're involved in, there are people who are always ready to tell us why something won’t work and point out how something went wrong. They seem to talk louder and longer than the encouragers. Which leads to the next point: 2) Exhortation is a needed gift. No matter how well things may be going, or how well someone looks on the outside, every one of us can use some encouragement. In fact, encouragement is so important that the whole church should be involved in it. ‘Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near’ (Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT). Church is a place where people should be picked up, not knocked down. We should take every opportunity to encourage people, even when they don’t need it, instead of waiting until they do. If we wait too long, our encouragement may be too late. Don’t wait until something good happens to speak an encouraging word; make it a regular habit. If we're unsure what to say and how to say it, we can ask God for wisdom, and He'll provide it. ‘The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary’ (Isaiah 50:4 NIV).

What Now?

Pray that your church would be a source of real encouragement for anyone who needs to be lifted up.

Jeremiah 18-19, 1 Timothy 2

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WORD FOR YOU

Practise humility
14 OCTOBER 2021

‘Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’
Matthew 23:12 NLT

Paul had one of the greatest ministries the world has ever known, but he said of himself, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I am the worst of them’ (1 Timothy 1:15 GNT). When people told Paul how great he was, he stayed humble by remembering what he used to be. If we believe God has called us, our response should be to bow down in humility before Him. When the Angel of the Lord told an ageing Zacharias he would father a son named John the Baptist, Zacharias hit the floor and didn’t move, to the point where people wondered if he was dead. Ezekiel had a book in the Bible named after him, but when God called him, he collapsed on the floor and God had to tell him to get up, saying, ‘Stand up, son of man…I want to speak to you’ (Ezekiel 2:1 NLT). When John the Revelator saw Jesus standing in the midst of the seven churches, he wrote, ‘When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man’ (Revelation 1:17 NCV). Paul wrote, ‘Walk…with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering’ (Ephesians 4:1-2 NKJV). Think about the phrase ‘walking with God’. There’s no higher calling than that, and the higher our calling, the lower we must become in our own estimation. Humility doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself; it means thinking of yourself less. Jesus summed it up like this: ‘Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’ So today, practise humility.

What Now?

Whenever you do something successfully today, whether it’s big or small, say a prayer thanking God for your success.

Jeremiah 20-21, 1 Timothy 3

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WORD FOR YOU

Recognising God’s voice
15 OCTOBER 2021

‘Speak, LORD. I am your servant and I am listening.’
1 Samuel 3:9 NCV

When Samuel was a boy and was working in the temple, he didn’t recognise God’s voice when He spoke to him. But later, as a prophet, God spoke to an entire nation through him. Learning to recognise God’s voice isn’t a skill that we develop overnight, because He speaks to us at different times, in different ways, and in different settings. Recognising God’s voice: 1) Calls for spiritual maturity. Jesus said, ‘The sheep follow him, for they know his voice’ (John 10:4 NKJV). Notice that He said His sheep know His voice, not His lambs. Lambs follow adult sheep until their senses are trained and they've learned what to listen for. That means there’s grace for young people, immature people, and those who are His new followers. If our spiritual ears aren’t developed yet, God will work with us until they are. 2) Means not being limited by your previous experiences. When God spoke to Moses, a mountain shook, whereas He spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice. Don’t limit God, and don’t try to figure Him out. He can speak to us through the Bible, through pastors and those who teach His Word, through a song, through a painful situation, and through our thoughts and desires when we’re submitted to Him. The key is to stay close to God and keep focused and listening. 3) Means being obedient: David said, ‘I take joy in doing your will’ (Psalm 40:8 NLT). When it comes to recognising God’s voice, our response shouldn't be 'When I get around to it,' ‘If I can fit it in,' or ‘I’ll think about it.’ ‘If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures’ (Job 36:11 NKJV).

What Now?

Every time you think you’ve heard from God, make a quick note of what you think He’s said. Next time you pray, ask Him to confirm whether the things you’ve heard are definitely from Him or definitely not.

Jeremiah 22-23, 1 Timothy 4

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WORD FOR YOU


Spiritual appetite (1)
16 OCTOBER 2021

‘He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.’
Psalm 107:9 NKJV

When our appetite changes, it can be an indication that something isn't quite right. We need food to survive, so if we lose our appetite, we need to pay attention and seek help. And the same principle applies to our spiritual health. One of the characteristics of the great men and women in Scripture is that they hungered for God in prayer and disciplined themselves to study and understand His Word. What made evangelist George Müller so successful? During his lifetime he read through the Bible some two hundred times – and more than half of those were on his knees, praying over Scripture while studying it. When we know God that well, we’ll pray specifically and get specific answers. The truth is that we were all born with a God-shaped blank inside us, and nobody but God can fill it. Greater success won’t. More money won’t. Another relationship won’t. Living in a palace and being a king won’t. That’s why King David wrote: ‘Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word…Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law…My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times…Your statutes are my delight; they are my counsellors’ (Psalm 119:12-24 NIVUK). The Word of God is ‘soul food’, so if we’ve been neglecting our souls, we need to rethink our priorities and start feeding them again.

What Now?

How much time do you spend reading the Bible each day? See if you can increase that time. Even if you can only manage 5 minutes more to begin with, give thanks for the extra opportunities to be fed by God’s Word.

Jeremiah 24-26, 1 Timothy 5