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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

However small, Jesus can use it
06 November 2024

‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish.’
John 6:9 NIV

If you feel you’re not talented enough to be used by God, read the story of the feeding of the five thousand. Actually, there were five thousand men. If you add women and children, the number could be more than twenty thousand. And the boy’s lunch was more meagre than you imagine. A loaf was about the size of a mini pancake. The word for fish refers to sea creatures about the size of sardines. But what made that little lunch a big feast is what the boy did when Jesus asked him for it. He gave it willingly. He didn’t say, ‘Lord, you can have one fish, but I will keep the other one. You take three loaves, and I will keep the other two.’ He gave Jesus everything He asked for.

Now think about the results of his act of sacrificial kindness.

1) The original lunch didn’t fill up even a single basket, but the leftovers filled twelve baskets. This illustrates the harvest law taught in Scripture. When you give to God, you always get back more than you give (see Luke 6:38). And when you withhold, you rob yourself of His blessing. ‘One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want’ (Proverbs 11:24 ESV).

2) By meeting the needs of others, his own needs were met. ‘Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted’ (John 6:11 NIV). The truth is that when you give God what you have, you will be amazed what He does with it.

Ezekiel 11-13, Hebrews 9

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Wait in God’s presence
07 November 2024

‘Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.’
Psalm 33:20 AMPC

Our inner self can be trained to wait on God, even though our outer self is stressed and anxious for answers. This is not easy to do in our fast-paced society, where the spiritual discipline of waiting on the Lord is often lacking. We want everything – right now. But if we are always in a hurry, we will miss out on the close fellowship with God that takes time to develop. He will speak to our hearts if only we will be patient to listen.

After slaying the prophets of Baal, Elijah learned a valuable lesson about waiting on God. The Lord told him to go stand on a mountain. A great wind came, then an earthquake, then a fire, but the Lord was in none of these. The Bible says, ‘After the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice’ (1 Kings 19:12 AMPC). The Lord spoke in a still, small voice after the wind, the earthquake, and the fire. If Elijah had been impatient he would not have heard the Lord’s voice.

David also learned to wait on God and ‘meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple’ (Psalm 27:4 AMPC). In order for us to pray effectively, we must choose to wait patiently and listen for His word. Waiting and listening takes the focus off us and places it on Him, who is the answer to all our needs. It is often in silence that the power of God is moving most mightily. So, allow the Holy Spirit to teach you how to wait in His presence.

Ezekiel 14-15, Hebrews 10

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Catching fish and winning souls
08 November 2024

‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’
Matthew 4:19 KJV

Jesus told professional fishermen, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ These men knew three things about catching fish:

1) You must go where the fish are. You might say, ‘I thought we were supposed to separate ourselves from the world.’ Jesus didn’t avoid the culture; He engaged it in order to change it. And you must do the same. Jesus prayed: ‘I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world’ (John 17:15-18 NKJV).

2) You must be ready when the fish are biting. ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect’ (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). The saying, ‘When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear,’ is a true saying.

3) You must use the right bait to catch fish. Paul said, ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes‘ (Romans 1:16 NKJV). The word ‘gospel’ means good news. Honest sinners already feel bad about their sins and struggles; what they need is the power to change. And ‘the gospel…is the power of God to salvation’.

Keep these three principles clearly in mind, and today go fishing for souls.

Ezekiel 16-17, Hebrews 11

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Leave the judging to God
09 November 2024

‘When the grain had sprouted…then the tares also appeared.’
Matthew 13:26 NKJV

Jesus said: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner…said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants said to him, “Do you want us then to go and gather them up?” But he said, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn’”’ (vv. 24-30 NKJV).

Removing the weeds (ungodly) from the wheat (godly) is not our job. We must concentrate on cultivating wheat, and let God do the dividing. Why? Because the roots of both plants (lives) will have become so closely entwined that even if you could differentiate between the two, you would uproot the wheat with the weeds. You would also uproot the wheat that was planted and would mature later. Plus, some of the wheat that has not yet formed heads of grain you would confuse for weeds. Your job is to bear good fruit, and God’s job is to divide the wheat from the tares. So the word for today is – leave the judging to God.

Ezekiel 18-19, Hebrews 12

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Forgiveness comes first, feelings afterward
10 November 2024

‘Cease from anger.’
Psalm 37:8 AMPC

Small offences can be forgiven easily. But when someone hurts us badly and seems to be getting away with it, forgiveness is a real challenge. Until you forgive the offence and let it go, you will constantly feel the weight of it weighing you down. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to forgiving is thinking that if your feelings don’t immediately change towards someone, you haven’t really forgiven them. No, forgiveness is a decision. It’s an act of your will. You may continue to struggle with feelings of hurt and resentment. That doesn’t invalidate your decision to forgive; it just means healing takes time. And your healing begins the moment you decide to forgive.

The Bible says, ‘Let all bitterness…be put away from you…And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you’ (Ephesians 4:31-32 NKJV). Once you have done your part, which is to forgive, trust God to do His part, which is to heal your emotions and restore your peace and joy. You have the power to make the decision to forgive, but only God has the power to change your feelings towards the person who hurt you.

So, trust God to change your heart. Eventually, your feelings will follow and line up with your decisions. In the meantime: ‘Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not yourself – it tends only to evildoing’ (Psalm 37:7-8 AMPC).

Luke 21:20-38, Psalms 116-118

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

UCB Word For Today
Strive for wholehearted devotion to God

11 November 2024
‘He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.’
2 Chronicles 25:2 NIV

The Bible says, ‘Amaziah…did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly’ (vv. 1-2 NIV). Contrast that with what God said about David: ‘I have found David…a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do’ (Acts 13:22 NIV).

This can be a little bewildering because when you read about David’s life, you find chapters of adultery, murder, and cover-up. He’s a disaster as a husband and inferior as a dad. But his heart is devoted to God. How do we know? Because when he makes mistakes and sins, he repents and desires to get right with God again.

When David guided the return of the ark of the covenant to Israel, he danced before the Lord ‘with all his might’ (2 Samuel 6:14 KJV). He put his whole self into it. If you wonder how that dance looked, the text reveals it involved King David ‘leaping and dancing before the Lord’ (v. 16 KJV). The heart, in early history, was the core of a person. It meant not only feelings, as we many times think of the heart, but the centre of a person’s being, especially the will. So, wholehearted devotion to God reveals what you choose to embrace with all your energies.

Amaziah lived twenty-nine years of his life finessing his commitment to God. He did what was right, but his heart was elsewhere. David, in spite of his flaws, pursued God with all his heart. So the word for today is – strive for wholehearted devotion to God.

Ezekiel 20-21, Hebrews 13

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

A spiritual ECG
12 November 2024

‘Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.’
Romans 12:11 NIVUK

Just as an ECG can measure the health of our physical heart and blockages that can threaten it, it’s helpful to have an instrument that can measure the level of our zeal, commitment, and wholeheartedness when it comes to serving the Lord. The following six questions will do just that:

1) Do I talk openly and frequently about my commitment to Christ in order to create a kind of public accountability for my actions?

2) Do I accept the responsibility to grow? Do I read books and practise skills and get together with those farther down the road who can help me improve?

3) Do I complain about problems in a way that cleverly rationalises a half-hearted involvement?

4) Do I handle discouragements by talking with God and requesting strength to persevere?

5) Do I acknowledge and celebrate even my small steps in the right direction?

6) The apostle Paul writes, ‘Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.’ Zeal describes passion, persistence, and power. And these are things I am able to track and guard. Am I honest about my level of zeal these days? When my zeal is flagging, do I take steps to renew it?

Think about each of these questions carefully and prayerfully. Be honest with God and with yourself. And if you don’t like the answers, decide today to take action. Spend more time alone with God in prayer and reading His Word. Having a burning zeal for God is like tending a fire; it requires constant fuelling and maintenance. And no one else can do that for you.

Ezekiel 22-23, James 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Plan for the best, be prepared for the worst
13 November 2024

‘Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.’
Proverbs 27:1 NLT

Unexpected events can knock us off our feet. And while some of us get knocked down and out, others get back up and go on. They refuse to accept defeat as being permanent. They’re like the man who said, ‘I’m never down; I’m either up, or I’m getting up.’ They see everything that happens in life as a learning experience.

Losing a loved one is heart breaking, but it can also be a wake-up call to live every day of your life to the fullest. Losing a job can be traumatic, but it can also bring to the surface talents and abilities you never knew you had. Struggling to overcome a bad habit can lead to reprioritising your life and instituting healthy habits.

You can prepare for the worst by saving money for emergencies, taking classes about new products and technology, keeping your relationships and contacts current so when you need to call someone for help, someone will willingly pick up the phone. Doing so is like having a spare tyre and tools in your boot for changing a flat. You hope you never need to use them, but you keep them ready to go in the event you hit a bump in the road.

Above all, keep your relationship with God in good repair! ‘The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand’ (Psalm 37:23-24 NIV).

Ezekiel 24-26, James 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Quitters don’t win. Winners don’t quit.
14 November 2024

‘Whose weakness was turned to strength.’
Hebrews 11:34 NIV

Persistence and a refusal to abandon your vision kept you coming back and back and back again until you finally succeeded. Try to imagine what life would be like without the light bulb or the polio vaccine. Yet Thomas Edison and Jonas Salk lived through endless chapters of trial and failure before they succeeded. Successful people take note of their failures and learn from them. They examine them carefully, work out what went wrong, and use them to correct their errors going forwards.

So often, we begin new projects with excitement and enthusiasm. The newness of what we are doing compels us to keep moving forwards. Then something goes wrong, and we stop. The project looked easier than it turned out to be, and we are not prepared to work at it and stay at it, so we give up. But quitters don’t win, and winners don’t quit. And as a redeemed child of God, you have a big plus: ‘My help comes from the Lord’ (Psalm 121:2 NKJV). Think about that!

With the Lord of every situation and circumstance helping you, you will eventually prevail. You have a source of unfailing strength and guidance to draw on. Moses lived through criticism, betrayal, and constant complaining, yet he led the greatest migration of people in the history of mankind. How did he do it? The Bible gives us the answer in two phrases: ‘He was looking ahead to his reward…he persevered because he saw him who is invisible’ (Hebrews 11:26-27 NIV). So keep your eyes on the Lord, keep looking ahead to your promised reward, and you will win.

Ezekiel 27-29, James 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™


UCB Word For Today
Transformed from rubbish into treasure

15 November 2024
‘He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.’

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV
A Christian leader writes: ‘The Italian violin maker Antonio Stradivari was a poor man. And yet his violins are now the most prized violins ever made because of the rich and resonant sound they produce. The unique sound of a Stradivarius cannot be duplicated. What may surprise you is that these precious instruments were not made from treasured pieces of wood; they were carved from discarded lumber. Because Stradivari couldn’t afford fine materials, he got most of his wood from the dirty harbours where he lived. He would take those waterlogged pieces of wood to his shop, clean them up, and dry them out. Then, from those trashed pieces of lumber, he would create instruments of rare beauty. It has since been discovered that while the wood floated in those dirty harbours, microbes infiltrated the wood and ate out the centres of those cells. This left just a fibrous infrastructure of wood that created resonating chambers for the music. From wood that nobody wanted, Stradivari produced violins that now everybody wants.’

You say, ‘How does any of this relate to me?’ Just as this violin maker transformed rubbish into treasure, God can transform you into what you were actually meant to be. You might say, ‘But you don’t know how low I have fallen or the things I’ve done. I doubt that Jesus could save and transform someone like me!’ Give Him a try. Put Him to the test. You won’t be disappointed. The Bible says, ‘He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.’

Ezekiel 30-32, James 4