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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Don’t strike back
26 MAY 2024

‘Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do.’
Romans 12:18 MSG

The Bible says, ‘Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you’ (Ephesians 4:32 NKJV). You say, ‘But what they did to me was unfair, unkind, and unwarranted.’ Exactly – and God feels the same way about some of the things you have done!

Any attempt to avenge a wrong is a violation of God’s Word. That includes bad-mouthing them, giving them the silent treatment, making sarcastic remarks, refusing to help them, and resorting to physical violence or verbal attacks. If you were hurt by someone at work, it includes taking company resources without authorisation, applying workplace rules more stringently to the offending employee than others, and deliberately slowing your pace to frustrate them. If you were hurt by your spouse, it includes brooding, making them walk on eggshells, and withholding your love and affection.

Paul writes: ‘Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath…Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it”’ (Romans 12:14, 17-19 MSG). Repaying evil for evil won’t bring you satisfaction.

Besides, have you considered that the person who hurt you may have genuinely changed? What if God continued to hold your transgressions over your head? Retaliation just destroys your peace of mind because you know it displeases God. Today pray: ‘Father, I release any desire to get even. I want to walk in your peace, extend your grace, and allow you to avenge all wrongs done against me. Amen.’ (So be it!)

Luke 9:37-62, Psalms 54-56

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Are you a true friend?
27 MAY 2024

‘A friend loveth at all times.’
Proverbs 17:17 KJV

Two men were travelling down the road together when a bear appeared out of nowhere. Before the bear could spot them, one guy ran for a tree at the side of the road, climbed into its branches, and hid. The other man, who wasn’t as nimble as his tree-climbing companion, threw himself on the ground and pretended to be dead.

The bear came up, sniffed all around him, and appeared to whisper something in his ear. The man had always heard that bears won’t touch a dead body, so he lay perfectly still and held his breath. Sure enough, the bear took him for a corpse and left.

When the coast was clear, the man in the tree came down. Curious, he asked his companion what the bear had whispered when it put its mouth directly to his ear. His friend replied, ‘He told me never to travel with a friend who deserts you at the first sign of danger!’

It’s easy to be friends with someone who is successful, has it all together, and is riding the crest of the wave. But what about when that person falls, or fails, or loses their connection to Christ, or deliberately disconnects and causes all kinds of ugly consequences? The Bible says, ‘A friend loveth at all times.’ When you’re ‘up’, they’re not envious, and when you’re ‘down’, they’re not condescending. They’re compassionate and considerate whether or not you are. American writer Elbert Hubbard said, ‘Your friend is the man [or woman] who knows all about you and still loves you.’ If you have a friend like that, treasure them and tell them often how much you appreciate them.

1 Kings 19-20, Acts 7:23-43

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

The right balance
28 MAY 2024

‘Full of grace and truth.’
John 1:14 NKJV

Some of us major in grace but neglect confronting people with the truth lest we offend them. Others of us major in truth but fail to show God’s grace to people. But Jesus was ‘full of grace and truth’, and that’s the balance you must strive for!

A man with little interest in spiritual matters related casually to the Christian who lived next door. They talked over the back fence, borrowed each other’s tools, and stuff like that. Then sadly the nonbeliever’s wife was stricken with cancer and died. Here is part of a letter he wrote afterwards:

‘I was in total despair. I went through the funeral preparations and the service like I was in a trance. After the service, I went to the path along the river and walked all night. But I didn’t walk alone. My neighbour – afraid for me, I guess – stayed with me all night. He didn’t speak; he didn’t even walk beside me. He just followed me. When the sun finally came up over the river, he came over and said, “Let’s go get some breakfast.” I go to church now. My neighbour’s church. A religion that can produce the kind of caring my neighbour showed me is something I want to find out more about. I want to love and be loved like that for the rest of my life.’

Any farmer will tell you that before you sow your seed, you must prepare the ground. ‘Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them’ (Romans 12:9 NLT). When you treat people with grace, they will open their hearts and minds to the truth you want to share with them.

1 Kings 21-22, Acts 7:44-60

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Are you worried about retirement?
29 MAY 2024

‘Don’t worry…he will give you everything you need.’
Matthew 6:31, 33 NLT

A survey was taken of Americans over fifty years old, and half of them had less than thirty thousand dollars in their retirement fund. Since we are all living longer, that means a) a lot of people are going to be dependent on the government for their survival, and b) a lot of people who had planned on retiring are going to have to keep working. And this is not just an American problem, it’s a worldwide problem. So, what should you do?

1) Cut back where you can and start saving more. ‘There is desirable treasure…in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it’ (Proverbs 21:20 NKJV).

2) Find a financial planner to help you assess where you stand, and the level of income and expenses you’re likely to have during retirement. That way, you can customise a plan suited to your financial goals. ‘In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble’ (Proverbs 15:6 NKJV).

3) Honour God with your finances. ‘Honour the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty’ (Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV). Tithing brings God’s blessing!

4) Trust God to take care of you. ‘Don’t worry about these things, saying, “What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?” These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow’ (Matthew 6:31-34 NLT).

2 Kings 1-3, Acts 8:1-25

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Gideon’s God is your God
30 MAY 2024

‘Go in the strength you have.’
Judges 6:14 NIV

The Bible says: ‘When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?”…The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive”’ (vv. 12-16 NIV).

Do you feel fearful and inadequate? Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress (v. 11), afraid of the Midianites. Yet God called him a ‘mighty warrior’. God sees things in you that others don’t, that even you yourself don’t! Read these words carefully: ‘I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure”’ (Isaiah 46:9-10 NKJV). God sees things in their completed state – including your ultimate victory. And today He is saying to you, ‘Go in the strength you have…Am I not sending you?’

When God sends you, your success is guaranteed in spite of all the obstacles, the enemies, and all the limitations you are so aware of. If you’re unwilling to move until things ‘look better’, you won’t win. Start where you are and use what you have, then God will give you more.

2 Kings 4-6, Acts 8:26-40

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

To grow we must keep asking questions
31 MAY 2024

‘Jesus answered…”I also will ask you one thing.”’
Matthew 21:24 NKJV

Jesus often answered a question with a question. When asked about paying taxes, He took a coin and said, ‘“Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus answered…”Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marvelled at Him’ (Mark 12:16-17 NKJV).

It seems we’re afraid of asking questions, and afraid of answering them. But God would much rather receive a genuine question born of humility than a disingenuous prayer born out of pride. We have to keep it real with God, and with one another. If we aren’t talking about real problems people are facing, we are going to lose our prophetic voice. When people ask us, ‘Who is God? Who am I? What is the true purpose of my life?' they won’t be satisfied with easy answers or clichés we have picked up along the way.

God isn’t intimidated by those questions. He loves them. Like the parent of a curious toddler, God occasionally laughs at our questions. But He always welcomes them. The church ought to be a safe place where people can ask dangerous questions. But all too often we’re guilty of answering questions no one is even asking. We ought to be challenging the status quo, but all too often we’re guilty of defending it.

But what if? What if we stopped force-feeding answers and learned to unleash the primal curiosity in our churches? It’s our curiosity regarding God that fuels an insatiable desire to know Him. So, let’s keep asking questions, and encourage others to do the same.

2 Kings 7-9, Acts 9:1-22

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When you go through difficulties (1)
01 JUNE 2024

‘But the LORD was with Joseph.’
Genesis 39:21 KJV

To reach his destiny, Joseph went through betrayal, temptation, slander, and wrongful imprisonment. But he came out on top. Here is what Joseph recognised that you need to recognise too:

1) God knows what you’re going through, and He cares. There is a key phrase found five different times in the story of Joseph: ‘But the Lord was with Joseph.’ Even when everything was going wrong, Joseph never doubted that God was with him.

2) You have been given freedom of choice. God gives you freedom to choose how you will react to your circumstances: faith or doubt, joy or despair, patience or impatience, etc. When you choose to ignore what’s right, God won’t force His will on you. Sometimes we bring problems on ourselves and then blame God. We say, ‘It must be God’s will,’ as if God gets pleasure out of planning our mistakes and miseries! The truth of the matter is that God’s will isn’t always carried out. Yes, He has a plan for our lives, but He has also given us free will. And because He has also given others free will, their mistakes and decisions can hurt us as well.

3) God is in control of the final outcome. He can take every negative circumstance in your life today and turn it around for your good. In the end, Joseph could say, ‘You meant it for harm, but God meant it for good’ (see Genesis 50:20). And while God was working to bring good out of his situation, Joseph had to keep trusting Him, even though at the time he did not understand what was happening – and you must do that too.

2 Kings 10-12, Acts 9:23-43

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

When you go through difficulties (2)
02 JUNE 2024

‘In God I have put my trust; I will not fear.’
Psalm 56:4 NKJV

Here are two more things Joseph understood that you need to understand as well:

1) You can’t afford to give in to self-pity. Perhaps you’re going through a trial right now and you’re an innocent party – the victim of a situation you didn’t cause. Consider Joseph’s reaction when he was in a similar position. The first thing he didn’t do was succumb to self-pity. Why? Because it’s a major contributor to depression. Often when we experience a serious problem and our self-esteem is already at its lowest ebb, we start blaming ourselves and putting ourselves down. Joseph didn’t do that. He understood that the crisis he was in wasn’t of his own making, and he tried to look at it realistically. When you’re in a storm and you allow your boat to turn sideways, the storm will capsize you. Similarly, when storms come into your life, the best way to overcome them is to trust God and face them head-on, like Joseph did.

2) Never make a major decision when you’re depressed. Many times when we’re discouraged, we’re tempted to say, ‘I’m going to give up,’ or ‘I’m going to switch jobs,’ or ‘I’m going to move away,’ or ‘I’m going to file for divorce.’ Please don’t do that! When you’re downcast and despondent, your feelings are unreliable, your focus becomes blurred, and you lose your perspective when it comes to exercising good judgement. So what should you do? Trust God to bring you through it! Say with the psalmist, ‘In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?’

Luke 10:1-24, Psalms 57-59

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™



When you go through difficulties (3)
03 JUNE 2024

‘Let all bitterness…be put away from you.’
Ephesians 4:31 NKJV

Here is something else Joseph knew that you need to know too. You can’t afford the excess baggage of bitterness. After many years, Joseph met his brothers again when they came to Egypt for grain. As they entered Joseph’s presence and bowed before him, Egypt’s second-in-command, they were unable to recognise him. And when Joseph tried to tell them who he was, they were stunned and horrified. Here was the brother they had tried to kill years earlier, and now he was in a position to do whatever he wished with them. But instead, he forgave them. Why? Because Joseph knew he couldn’t afford the excess baggage of bitterness.

So what should you do when you’re tempted to harbour bitterness? Do what Joseph did: he sustained his faith and hope in God, believed that things would ultimately work out well, and continued his spiritual life. When things go wrong, we often turn our back on the one person we need most – the Lord. When difficulties come our way, we say, ‘God, why did you allow this to happen?’ We start blaming God as if it’s His fault, instead of saying, ‘Lord, please handle this problem.’ God can take circumstances that are completely bad and turn them around.

When people attempt to use situations to destroy you, God can use them to develop you. He delights in turning crucifixions into resurrections. The Bible says, ‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you’ (James 4:8 NKJV). God comes by invitation, and as long as you keep talking to Him and trusting Him, He will work things out for you.

2 Kings 13-14, Acts 10:1-23

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Storm-proofed for life
04 JUNE 2024

‘Why do you call me, “Lord…” and do not do what I say?’
Luke 6:46 NIV

Remember the words of the old Sunday school song, ‘The wise man built his house upon the Rock…The foolish man built his house upon the sand’? The storm hit both houses leaving only the wise man’s house standing. Jesus wasn’t simply recommending the virtues of wisdom over foolishness. The truth is, we’re all wise at times and foolish at others. And He wasn’t saying the house that survived the storm was a believer’s house while the house that perished belonged to an unbeliever. Neither was He implying that the church attender’s house withstood the storm while the non-attender’s house collapsed. His point was simpler – and more compelling.

When things are at their worst and we are pushed to the wall, when we doubt our chances of survival, when we have used up our last ounce of resistance, it’s not our wisdom, salvation, or church attendance that gets us through the storm. While these are crucially important aspects of Christian life for which we praise God, many wise, faithful believers go under in life’s storms: an abusive relationship, a financial collapse, an unfaithful partner, the loss or illness of a child, a mental or physical disability. Jesus’ point wasn’t even a plea for increased knowledge of His Word. Both homeowners understood His Word, but simply saying, ‘Lord, I totally agree with you,’ won’t get you through the storm.

The point Jesus was making here is that doing what you hear Him say is what will get you through the storm! God has bound Himself to honour His Word, and your obedience aligns you with it and activates His power on your behalf.

2 Kings 15-16, Acts 10:24-48