The Word for Today is just for you

‘Nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage.’ Ecclesiastes  3:22 NKJV

Solomon writes: ‘Nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works.’ That is why we are here!

If you’re unhappy with your life you don’t get to push some magical reset butten that means you start life over.

Begin now to think about what you can do to find more joy in every experience. The present moment is all you’re guaranteed, so don’t wait until later – until you get married, retire, go on holiday, or until your children finish university – to enjoy your life. No one knows what will happen next in their lives or in the world. You’re alive now, so maximise it, embrace it, and celebrate it.

Nobody was busier than Jesus, yet He knew how to celebrate! His first miracle was performed at a wedding reception. His schedule was hectic, yet He interrupted it to enjoy time with children. The needs He faced were endless, yet He took time off to rest. If you had your life to live over, would you take more chances and more trips? Would you climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets? Would you eat more ice cream and fewer beans? Would you stop worrying about imaginary troubles? Are you one of those people who never goes anywhere without an Aspirin, a hot water bottle, a mouthwash, a raincoat, and a parachute?

You get the picture. Don’t wait; enjoy your life now.

SoulFood: Deut 1-2, Mark 6:1-6, Ps 35, Pro 11:19-21

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘In Your presence is fullness of joy.’ Psalm 1 6:11 NKJV

If you were miserable before you met Jesus, it’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that the only place His presence can be enjoyed is in church. No, you can enjoy His presence everywhere. At home, at work, at school, in business, and even in times of suffering and adversity.

Brother Lawrence, a Carmelite monk in a French monastery, wrote the best-selling book, The Practice of the Presence of God. He resented his daily routine in the kitchen. Then God showed him that everything he did each day could be done for God and with God. That truth transformed his life. You can cultivate your mind to be more productive, and you can also cultivate your spirit to be more sensitive to God. You can reach the place where you sense His presence and His pleasure in all that you do. Believing God is present with you won’t help you much if you think He is always upset with you. But when you see yourself as accepted in Christ, you realise that He is not only present with you at all times but pleased with you (see Ephesians 1:6). That will radically change your thinking about God.

There are dozens of things pertaining to everyday life, and you can enjoy them all if you just make the decision to do it – getting dressed, going to work, organising things, running errands, grocery shopping, etc. After all, these are the things life is made up of.

Joy comes not merely from being entertained but from a decision to be grateful for each moment you are given as a rare and valuable gift from God.

SoulFood: Acts 27-28, Mark 5:31-43, Ps 94:12-23, Pro 11:16-18

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘The day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.’ 2 Peter  3:10 NLT

Don’t let date-setters make you cynical about Christ’s soon return. When the founder of a major church denomination predicted in print the date of Christ’s second coming, his successors faced the embarrassment of having to publicly acknowledge that they were wrong.

Do you remember the alarmists of Y2K? Declaring a scientific certainty that the year 2000 would bring the end of the world and the return of Christ. They caused people to leave their jobs, sell their homes, stock up on food, and head for the hills. And because of such embarrassments, many preachers today have silenced or toned down the truth of Christ’s second coming. Yes, when some people hear the message, they roll their eyes and say, ‘Not again!’ But doubt about Christ’s return is one of the signs that guarantees it will happen.

The Bible says: ‘Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.” The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace,’ (2 Peter 3-4, 9-10, 14 NASB).

SoulFood: Acts 24-26, Mark 5:21-30, Ps 94:1-11, Pro 11:14-15

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.’ Colossians  3:16 KJV

Before written languages were developed, memory was the only way to learn. In our day, memorising has got a bad name as ‘rote learning’. But memorising never makes your mind a duller place, just the opposite! When we have stored wonderful words in our memory, we will have a much richer inner life than someone who doesn’t.

Eva Hermann spent two years in a Nazi prison camp. She wrote how a young cellmate happened to recite the prayer of St Teresa: ‘Let naught trouble thee; let naught frighten thee; all things pass. God alone changeth not. Patience can do all things. Whoever has God, has everything. God alone sufficeth.’ When Eva saw how much this helped the girl, she began to repeat the prayer at the end of every day. Eva later wrote of how her time in prison was transformed by the words she had memorised.

This illustrates that the words we carry in our minds are available to transform any given moment. So when there is a verse of Scripture that speaks to you, stop and write it on a card. Put it on a mirror in your bathroom, on your smartphone or calendar, or in your car. If you’re an auditory learner, listen to the Scripture being read. If you’re a visual learner, light a candle and read these words: ‘God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all’ (1 John 1:5 NKJV).

When God’s Word is rehearsed, remembered, and repeated often, it’s like a stream of joy, peace, and strength that flows and carries your soul along with it.

SoulFood: Acts 22-23, Mark 5:11-20, Ps 144:9-15, Pro 11:12-13

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you.’ John 1 5:11 KJV

Why did Jesus say, ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full’? Because if you let it, stress will drain you of joy and consign you to a life of depression, dullness, and discontent. Let’s face it, most of us are way too serious! We make a big deal out of everything. Being five minutes late, getting stuck in traffic, somebody giving us a wrong look, waiting in line, overcooking a meal, gaining a kilo, discovering a grey hair, making an honest mistake, you name it; we lose all perspective. The real problem is we have unrealistic expectations. That’s not how God wants you to live! If you want to experience the joy Jesus promised, do these two things:

1) Concede that your uptightness is mostly because of the way you have decided life should be.

2) Acknowledge that your expectations are causing you much of your frustration. When you keep expecting things to always be a certain way, and they’re not, you will always be upset.

Here is an idea: try approaching life today without all those expectations. For example, don’t expect everybody to be friendly, then when some are, you will be delighted. Don’t expect your day to be hassle-free; when trouble comes, look up and say, ‘Thank you, Lord, for another chance to grow.’ Go ahead, try it and see how much better things are. Rather than swimming against the tide, learn to flow with it. Pretty soon, you will find you’re enjoying life more! And not just that: other people will enjoy being around you more.

SoulFood: Gal 5:22, Luke 10:25-37, Eph 4:31-32, Gen 50:15-21

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle.’ Romans  1:1 NASB

In the Bible the word minister isn’t just a noun (which denotes a person, place, or thing); it’s also a verb (an action word). It’s what you do, not what you claim to be. In Scripture, the word servant sometimes referred to a 3rd-level galley slave chained to the oar of a Roman ship. Day and night, they rowed to the beat of another, and whether in battle or in merchant service, they expected to die chained to that oar. What a picture!

Paul says, ‘Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable’ (Romans 12:1 NLT). Paul had no doubt about what God had called him to be. When he referred to himself as a bond-servant, he was describing a slave who served his master faithfully for six years. In the 7th year, the law of Moses required that the slave be set free. But if, when he was released, he came back and said, ‘Master, I’m not serving you because I have to; I’m serving you because I want to,’ his master would take him before a magistrate and pierce his ear, signifying that he belonged to him forever (see Exodus 21:6). Sometimes you need to look up and say: ‘Lord, I’m not serving you because I have to; I’m serving you because I love you. Pierce my ear. Mark me as yours. Bond me with you so I can never belong to another.’

When you think of everything Jesus has done for you, is that really too much to ask?

SoulFood: Acts 20-21, Mark 5:1-10, Ps 144:1-8, Pro 11:10-11

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain.’ Psalm 12 7:1 NIV

How would you describe your relationship with your children? Strained? Exciting? Heart-breaking? Enjoyable? If you want a real eye-opener, ask them to describe their feelings about you and their home. But be warned, what they say might not be to your liking! And having a Christian home doesn’t necessarily exempt you. The old nature in us still rears its ugly head from time to time, and habits set in concrete can lead to broken communication.

When Biblical principles are ignored, the result is pain and strain in the family. Three illustrations come to mind:

1) Rebekah loved her son Jacob more than his brother Esau, so she used him to deceive their father, Isaac, and cause division in the family (see Genesis 27).

2) Eli, the high priest, let his boys run wild, and in the end, it cost him his life (see 1 Samuel 3-4).

3) David preached one thing but practised another, and his children (as kids will do) were more influenced by what he did than by what he said. (see 2 Samuel 11, 13, 15-16; 1 Kings 11). Nobody is immune; not David, not Rebekah, not Eli, not you! But evaluation is pointless if it leads to guilt without action.

So what should you do? Take time to get close to your children. Deal with the barriers between you. You can’t change anything unless you’re willing to acknowledge it, and sometimes change must begin with you. For example, does your attitude need adjusting? How about your priorities? What about the example you have been setting lately? Before you try to deal with your children, ask God to deal with you.

SoulFood: Acts 18-19, Mark 4:35-41, Ps 7:10-17, Pro 11:7-9

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ Romans 1 2:2 NASB

Long before William James, the Father of American psychology, was attributed with saying, ‘The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes,’ God said, ‘As a man thinks in his heart, so is he’ (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). Often it’s our thoughts, not our circumstances, that determine our happiness. We keep thinking we will be happy when certain things happen.

For example, a parent might say, ‘When little Tommy starts primary school, I will be happy.’ And they are, for a while. Next, ‘When Tommy leaves secondary school, I will be happy.’ And they are, at least for the summer. Next, Tommy’s graduation from university brings the same promise; so does his marriage and the birth of the first grandchild. But the problem is, the parent hasn’t learned how to be happy between happenings. When your happiness is controlled by something outside yourself, you will always be hostage to people, places, and things. That’s not how God wants you to live – a victim of circumstances beyond your control. The psalmist said, ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth’ (Psalm 34:1 KJV). David chose the right attitude, and you have to do the same! You also must maintain it. That’s the hard part. It’s like the old farmer who said, ‘The hardest thing about milking cows is – they don’t stay milked!’

And it’s the same with attitudes; they don’t stay changed. You have to work on them every day; it’s called renewing your mind. And the way you do it is by getting into God’s Word and getting His Word into you. Are you doing that regularly?

SoulFood: Acts 16-17, Mark 4:30-34, Ps 7:1-9, Pro 11:3-6

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.’ 1 Corinthians 1 0:24 NIV

Self-pity can be deadly. It tells the wife and mother who works hard, ‘You’re not appreciated.’ It says to the office worker, ‘Look how valuable you are, yet you’re never recognised or rewarded.’ It says to the unemployed, ‘No chance!’ To the divorced, ‘No place!’ To the bereaved, ‘No hope!’ And to the struggling, ‘No way!’ Look at the prophet Elijah. 24 hours after his greatest victory, he is deeply depressed and wallowing in self-pity. ‘I have had enough…Take my life…I have zealously served…But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed…your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too’ (1 Kings 19:4, 10 NLT).

There it is – self-pity in the raw! Generally speaking, there are two reasons behind self-pity. The first is emotional manipulation. We use self-pity as a weapon to guilt-trip others and get our own way. That’s immaturity and you have to deal with it, whether it’s in yourself or somebody else. On the other hand, self-pity can also stem from sheer exhaustion. Recorded in the Old Testament, God showed Elijah four things that were necessary to get himself back on track:

1) He needed more rest.

2) He hadn’t been eating properly.

3) He had taken his eyes off God and was trying to do everything in his own strength.

4) He was isolated and needed a friend. So, God gave him Elisha. That did the job, and the next time we see Elijah, he is back on top.

Take a moment today and think about how these four truths apply to your life.

SoulFood: Acts 14-15, Mark 4:21-29, Ps 16, Pro 11:1-2

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Jacob set up a memorial stone in the place where He had spoken with him,’ Genesis 3 5:14 NASB

There are events in all our lives that, looking back, had to be the hand of God at work. Maybe you bumped into somebody who introduced you to your spouse, or a co-worker resigned and suddenly you were promoted, or a stranger said something that spoke to your heart. These are all signs of God’s favour, and when you’re tempted to get down, you need to remember how God opened the door for you, how he made a way, or spared your life, or healed your child. There is no such thing as coincidence. When something good happens, recognise that it’s God, and recall it often.

In the Old Testament, ‘Jacob set up a memorial stone in the place where He had spoken with him.’ Have you established any memorial stones lately? A sure way to build your faith is to remember all the times God made a way when every door was locked and barred against you. Days when you were lonely and God brought the right person into your life. Nights when you felt so bad you didn’t think you would make it until the next morning. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, God turned things around and gave you the oil of joy for mourning, lifted you out of the pit, gave you a new beginning and today, you’re happy, healthy, and whole.

And best of all: if He did it before, He will do it again! He is the same today as He was yesterday, and when you take time to remember His goodness and faithfulness, it strengthens you to keep fighting the good fight of faith.

SoulFood: Acts 12-13, Mark 4:10-20, Ps 103:13-22, Pro 10:30-32

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©