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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Develop your awareness of God’s presence
29 JULY 2024

‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’
Exodus 33:14 NKJV

When you sense God’s presence and know He is with you, you can handle whatever life brings. Try to imagine the assignment Moses had – liberating two million people from the grip of slavery: leading them through a wilderness where they were exposed to enemies and elements such as extreme heat and cold; feeding them, clothing them, settling their disputes, and keeping them moving towards their destiny. Here is what Moses prayed: ‘If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us’ (v. 15 NKJV). Moses preferred to go nowhere with God than anywhere without Him.

When his affair with Bathsheba was exposed, David didn’t pray, ‘Don’t take my crown from me, or my kingdom, or my army.’ No, he knew what mattered most: ‘Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me’ (Psalm 51:11 NKJV).

In order to grow spiritually, you must develop an increasing awareness of God’s presence in your life. How do you do that? Instead of being a rock, become a sponge. When you place a rock in the ocean, its surface gets wet but its core remains hard and dry. But when you place a sponge in the ocean, the water alters the very essence of its being.

Slow down and sense God’s presence. Begin by reading this Scripture, writing it down, repeating it over and over, and opening every pore of your soul to God’s presence: ‘The Lord your God is with you; his power gives you victory. The Lord will take delight in you, and in his love he will give you new life. He will sing and be joyful over you’ (Zephaniah 3:17 GNT).

Job 11-13, Romans 16

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

How to ease financial stress
30 JULY 2024

‘If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?’
Luke 16:11 NLT

Did you know that God’s willingness to bless you with more money depends on how well you handle what He has already given you? When it comes to money, here are some Bible principles you must live by:

1) Pay God His share first so you won’t feel ashamed of not doing so (see Malachi 3:10). 2) Pray before you buy. Ask yourself, ‘Do I need this or just want it?’ 3) Keep mindful of the amount of expenditures versus your income. 4) Be in agreement with your husband or wife regarding the household budget and your short- and long-term goals. And don’t hide or misconstrue information about your finances. 5) Commit to excellence at work – without overdoing your hours. 6) Pay off all your debt (excluding real estate). Hold on to one credit card to help you build a good credit rating. 7) Save monthly (aim for a minimum of 10 per cent of your gross pay if you are out of debt). 8) Don’t co-sign a loan for anyone, and don’t lend anyone money you can’t afford to lose. 9) Pay cash for all your ‘desires’ instead of putting them on a credit card. 10) Assign funds in your budget for fun and holidays. 11) When you get a raise, don’t adapt your lifestyle to consume all of it. Train yourself to live beneath your means. 12) Aim to set up an emergency cash supply of at least two months’ living expenses (six would be outstanding). 13) Be satisfied with what you have.

‘Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless’ (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV).

Job 14-16, 1 Corinthians 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Focus on your spouse’s best qualities
31 JULY 2024

‘He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the LORD.’
Proverbs 18:22 NKJV

The best marriages are built by couples who try to remember the qualities that initially attracted them to one another. If you want to build a happy marriage or improve a less-than-happy one, do these:

1) List your spouse’s best qualities. Write down the things you love most about him or her, and endeavour to keep those things in mind at all times. When stresses and strains surface in your relationship, as they inevitably will, go over the list in your mind, and if necessary refer to the written copy as a reminder.

2) Focus on them. Think how your spouse’s great qualities enrich your life, and how much you would miss them if he or she was not around. When you change your focus, you change your feelings. And when you change your feelings, you change your perspective, your approach, and your reactions.

3) Verbalise them. ‘Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also…praises her’ (Proverbs 31:28 NKJV). Your children learn how to build a great marriage or a miserable one by watching you. That thought alone should put the brakes on criticism and bring out the compliments!

4) Nurture them. ‘A man reaps what he sows’ (Galatians 6:7 NIV). People wither under complaints, whereas they thrive and grow through praise and encouragement. Seize any moment worth celebrating and magnify it! Paul bottom-lines it: ‘If you love someone, you will be loyal…no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him’ (1 Corinthians 13:7 TLB).

Job 17-19, 1 Corinthians 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Rely on God and stay within the boundary lines
01 AUGUST 2024

‘Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.’`
Galatians 5:16 NIV

There is just enough ego and independence in us to want to do things our own way. And they keep getting us into trouble. Paul writes: ‘Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other’ (vv. 16-17 NIV). Note the words ‘the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit’.

What’s the key to victory? First, lean more on God and less on yourself. Second, establish boundaries in your life. That’s why daily Bible reading is so important. It keeps you in God’s safety zone by telling you what you can do and what you had better not do to be safe. Roads have lines: one on each side and one in the centre. These lines provide margins for our safety while we’re driving. If we go over the line on one side, we risk going into the ditch. If we cross over the line in the middle, we risk getting hit by oncoming traffic. We appreciate those lines because they keep us safe.

And it’s like that in our personal lives too. When we have clearly marked boundary lines, we feel much better and experience God’s peace. When God says don’t, He is not being difficult to get along with, He is being protective. You have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, you are precious in His eyes, and He wants only the best for you.

Job 20-21, 1 Corinthians 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

UCB Word For Today
You can overcome the temptation (1)

02 AUGUST 2024
‘No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man.’
1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

In Scripture, Satan is called ‘the tempter’ and ‘the accuser’. First, he will tempt you, and when you fail, he will accuse you. He wants you to feel unworthy and disqualified in God’s eyes. But you’re not! ‘We do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need’ (Hebrews 4:15-16 NIVUK).

When you fail, you can go to God with confidence, knowing He will not only forgive you but provide the enabling grace to help you overcome temptation next time. We all face temptation; it’s an unavoidable part of life. Even believers who have walked with the Lord for many years deal with it. Their areas of temptation may be different from yours, but Satan doesn’t give any of us a free pass.

However, you can overcome temptation. One of the first steps to conquering it is to start saying the right thing. The Bible says, ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit’ (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV). Your words give life to what you say. So, start speaking God’s Word. Jesus said, ‘I give you the authority…over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you’ (Luke 10:19 NKJV). Claim that promise today; for what God promises, He will give you the strength to perform.

Job 22-24, 1 Corinthians 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

You can overcome the temptation (2)
03 AUGUST 2024

‘God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.’
1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition says: ‘Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin]. For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear].

'But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently’ (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 AMPC).

The words ‘means of escape’ do not promise you exemption from temptation. Satan, who is called ‘the tempter’, never lets up or takes a day off. But God’s goal is to make you strong where you have been weak, so His promise to you is ‘that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently’. Keep going! As you become stronger in the Lord, the temptations you are battling will become progressively weaker until they lose their appeal and you begin to walk in victory.

Job 25-27, 1 Corinthians 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

UCB Word For Today
You can overcome the temptation (3)
04 AUGUST 2024

‘He is able to aid those who are tempted.’
Hebrews 2:18 NKJV

If you are serious about overcoming temptation, here are five things you must do:

1) Think about the choices you are making, and the consequences, before you make them. Wisdom always looks ahead.

2) Believe that you can resist temptation – because you can. ‘You are of God…and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world’ (1 John 4:4 NKJV).

3) Recall how you felt when you gave in to temptation before. Guilt, condemnation, shame. These are some of Satan’s favourite weapons. When you give in to them, it’s hard to get back on your feet again.

4) Don’t put yourself in situations where you can easily fall. If you struggle with managing your money, don’t go to the shopping centre or shop online when you can’t afford to buy anything. If you struggle with pornography, remove the source of it from your life.

5) Celebrate each victory, but be sure to give God the credit for it.

You will never graduate from being tempted. It’s easy to think you’re beyond stumbling, and once that happens, you make yourself an easy target for the Enemy. God wants you to trust Him for victory in every area of your life. Sheep are defenceless animals; they have no fighting skills. When they stray from the fold, they are quickly devoured by the wolf. So, they have learned that their safety and protection lie in staying close to the shepherd. And the same goes for you. Here is a promise you can stand on today: ‘The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations’ (2 Peter 2:9 NKJV).

Luke 14:25-35, Psalms 79-80

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

UCB Word For Today
You can overcome the temptation (3)
04 AUGUST 2024

‘He is able to aid those who are tempted.’
Hebrews 2:18 NKJV

If you are serious about overcoming temptation, here are five things you must do:

1) Think about the choices you are making, and the consequences, before you make them. Wisdom always looks ahead.

2) Believe that you can resist temptation – because you can. ‘You are of God…and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world’ (1 John 4:4 NKJV).

3) Recall how you felt when you gave in to temptation before. Guilt, condemnation, shame. These are some of Satan’s favourite weapons. When you give in to them, it’s hard to get back on your feet again.

4) Don’t put yourself in situations where you can easily fall. If you struggle with managing your money, don’t go to the shopping centre or shop online when you can’t afford to buy anything. If you struggle with pornography, remove the source of it from your life.

5) Celebrate each victory, but be sure to give God the credit for it.

You will never graduate from being tempted. It’s easy to think you’re beyond stumbling, and once that happens, you make yourself an easy target for the Enemy. God wants you to trust Him for victory in every area of your life. Sheep are defenceless animals; they have no fighting skills. When they stray from the fold, they are quickly devoured by the wolf. So, they have learned that their safety and protection lie in staying close to the shepherd. And the same goes for you. Here is a promise you can stand on today: ‘The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations’ (2 Peter 2:9 NKJV).

Luke 14:25-35, Psalms 79-80

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

God’s goodness leads to godliness
05 AUGUST 2024

‘The goodness of God leads you to repentance.’
Romans 2:4 NKJV

Do you remember the woman who took an alabaster box of fragrant oil and anointed Jesus with it? The Bible says: ‘Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner”’ (Luke 7:39 NKJV). Man-made religion condemned this woman because of her past, but Jesus cleansed her and made her whole. ‘Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little’ (v. 47 NKJV). Jesus knew what this woman had done, but He also knew what she could become when His grace touched her life.

The more you realise that you have been forgiven much, actually, of all your sins, the more you will love the Lord. God’s forgiveness does not lead to a sinful lifestyle; it leads to a life of glorifying the Lord Jesus. ‘The goodness of God leads you to repentance.’ The word ‘repentance’ means to turn around and do the opposite. Condemnation does not produce righteous living, but the knowledge of God’s grace and goodness towards us does. Simon the Pharisee thought that his acceptance by God was based on his performance; hence he became self-righteous. But Jesus set him straight: ‘To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’ When you realise how much and how often God has forgiven you, you fall in love with Him and desire to please Him in all you do.

Job 28-29, 1 Corinthians 6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

They will ‘lay hands’
06 AUGUST 2024

‘In My name they will…lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’
Mark 16:17-18 NKJV

Here is an often overlooked part of the Great Commission Jesus gave us: ‘In My name they will…lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ A comforting, caring touch can reduce stress, enhance sleep, and assist us in recovering more quickly from injury. One study found that a thirty-minute massage three times a week lowers stress by 34 per cent. The power of touch, even on a human level, is an astonishing thing. But when you add the power of God, it opens the way for something supernatural.

‘And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him’ (Acts 28:8 NKJV). Laying hands on the sick or on those called to ministry was a regular practice in the New Testament church. And you don’t have to be an ordained minister to do it. Jesus said, ‘These signs will follow those who believe’ (Mark 16:17 NKJV). If you are a believer who has placed your trust in Christ, you’re qualified.

Could God do it without us? Of course. But He has given us the privilege of being conduits for His power. By laying hands on someone, you do two things: you identify, and you impart. Who knows how many miraculous moments we have sacrificed because we haven’t acted in a bold biblical way by praying for someone who is sick, commissioning someone who is called, or encouraging someone who simply needs a hand on their shoulder?

Job 30-31, 1 Corinthians 7:1-19