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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



How to Overcome Anxiety (1)
‘Stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life.’

Matthew 6:25
The UCB Word for Today - 14 Jan 2016



Here are some steps to overcoming your anxiety: 1) Talk to God. Don’t bemoan the collapse of an investment; ask God to help you.


Don’t pace the floor of the hospital waiting room; pray for a successful surgery. ‘Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him’ (1 Peter 5:7 AMP). 2) Slow down. ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him’ (Psalm 37:7 KJV).


Jesus’ first miracle took place at a wedding. They had run out of wine, which was a social disaster in those days.


Mary could’ve blamed the host for poor planning, or the guests for overdrinking, but instead she took the shortage to Jesus and He solved her problem.

You can do the same. Assess the problem, and then take it to the Lord in prayer. 3) Don’t let your anxieties get the best of you.


When a mosquito lands on you, you don’t say, ‘I’ll take care of it in a minute.’ No, you kill it before it can bite you. Be equally decisive with your worries. The moment they surface, deal with them.


Before you rush to diagnose that mole as a cancer, have it examined. Instead of assuming you’ll never get out of debt, consult a financial expert. Be a doer, not a stewer.


Horace Bushnell said, ‘Anxiety is a word of unbelief or unreasoning dread. We have no right to allow it.

Full faith in God puts it to rest.’ The crosses we bear over anxiety concerning the future aren’t crosses that come from God. So give your anxiety to God, and leave it with Him!


Gen 29-30, Matt 9:1-17

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



How to Overcome Anxiety (2)
‘And the peace of God…will guard your hearts.’

Philippians 4:7
The UCB Word for Today - 15 Jan 2016

Here are three more steps you can take to overcome anxiety: 1) List your worries. For one week, make a list of the things you worry about most. Children? Health? Money? Marriage? Job? These aren’t one-time worries that come and go quickly.

They’re things that make you ‘perpetually uneasy’ (Matthew 6:25 AMP), so begin to review them. Ask yourself how many of them have actually turned into reality? Charles Spurgeon said, ‘Our worst misfortunes never happen…most of our miseries lie in anticipation.’ 2) Analyse them.


You’ll detect recurring areas of preoccupation that may become obsessions: what people think of you; the fact that heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s run in your family; the fear that you won’t have enough to live on when you get old.


Identify each fear and pray specifically about it. 3) Live in today. God has promised to meet your needs daily, not weekly or annually.


He’ll give you what you need - when you need it! ‘Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need’ (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).



The old hymn goes: ‘Not so in haste my heart! Have faith in God, and wait; although He lingers long, He never comes too late.’ When the word ‘worry’ is mentioned in the Bible, it’s almost always following the words ‘do not’.


If ‘worry’ features in your vocabulary, it should be as part of God’s words to you: ‘do not worry’. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV 2011 Edition) says to you, ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer…present your requests to God.
And the peace of God…will guard your hearts.’

Gen 31-32, Matt 9:18-38

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


How to Overcome Anxiety (3)
‘Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.’

Matthew 6:32
The UCB Word for Today - 16 Jan 2016

Here are two more steps to overcoming anxiety: 1) Ask for help. Paul wrote, ‘Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.


Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus’ (2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NKJV). You’re not unique; others are facing the same fears too.


By ‘telling’ on your anxieties, they begin to lose their power. Remember: ‘Two are better than one…If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!’ (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV 1984 Version).



Share your feelings with someone you trust, and ask them to pray with you. People are more willing to help than you might imagine.


Less worry on your part often means more happiness on theirs. 2) Focus on God, not yourself.

Jesus concludes His call to calmness with this challenge: ‘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’ (Matthew 6:32-33 NLT). If you seek wealth, you’ll worry about every pound. If you seek health, you’ll fear every blemish and bump.


If you seek popularity, you’ll obsess over every conflict. If you seek safety, you’ll jump at every crack of the twig.

But if you focus each day on God’s kingdom, ‘He will give you everything you need.’ An unknown poet wrote: ‘Said the robin to the sparrow, “I should really like to know, why these anxious human beings rush around and worry so.” Said the sparrow to the robin, “Friend, I think that it must be, that they have no heavenly Father such as cares for you and me.”’


Gen 33-35, Matt 10:1-16

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Claim Your Children for Christ
‘You have taught me from my youth.’

Psalm 71:17
The UCB Word for Today - 17 Jan 2016



When a child is raised by praying parents who walk according to God’s Word, 85 per cent of the time they’ll develop a strong faith before age thirteen.


But what if your kids are already grown? One of God’s titles is ‘Redeemer’, which means He can give you another chance.


Commit your life to Christ; that’s how generational cycles of failure are broken. Or what if you’re concerned about bringing a child into an evil world? The Bible says it’s the children of the light who push back the darkness (Matthew 5:14-16).


God promised, ‘My spirit and my words that I give you will never leave you or your children or your grandchildren, now and forever’ (Isaiah 59:21 NCV). You ask, ‘How can I compete with the negative influences around me?’.


Every study confirms that a parent has the greatest influence – greater than friends, school, or the media – in determining the character and direction of a child. Think of it as a relay race.


Success isn’t just based on how well you run, but on how well you pass the baton. Only when the story of future generations is told will you know whether you won or lost.


The psalmist writes, ‘You have taught me from my youth…Now also when I am old…do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come’ (Psalm 71:17-18 NKJV).


Don’t drop the baton! Make it your goal to raise children who’ll pick up your legacy of faith and carry it further than you did. When you commit to doing that, God will work with you and through you.


Gen 36-38, Matt 10:17-42

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



Don’t Resort to Manipulation
‘Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.’

Romans 12:10
The UCB Word for Today - 18 Jan 2016



Deep within each of us is a desire to run our own lives, and in some cases other people’s lives too. As a result we become experts at manipulating one another.


This desire for control brings about different behaviours. Here are six of them you must be aware of and avoid if you want good relationships: 1) Emotional blackmail. ‘Do what I want or I’ll get angry and go to pieces.’ 2)


The guilt trip. ‘How could you do this to me after I’ve done so much for you?’ 3) The eternal illness. ‘Don’t upset me. Can’t you see I’m not well?’ 4) Help from beyond the grave. ‘Your dear father would have agreed with me.’ 5) Divine revelation. ‘God told me you should do what I want.’ 6) Humiliation. ‘Do what I want or I’ll embarrass you in front of others.’ These are powerful tools we use to get others to do what we want.


And not only are adults good at using them, teenagers can be masters of manipulation too, especially if they’re not thinking straight. ‘I want this thing so badly I’ll go and do something stupid (even if it hurts myself) if I don’t get it.’


An argument that becomes a dangerous cry for help is the worst nightmare of many parents of teenagers. Manipulation is a game any number can play - right in the privacy of our own home.


But those who engage in it pay a high price in conflict, hostility, and resentment. What’s the answer? The Bible gives it to us: ‘Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.’


Luke 1:39-56, Psalms 7-9

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Give Each Other Space
‘Love cares more for others than for self.’

1 Corinthians 13:4
The UCB Word for Today - 19 Jan 2016



To be happy in a relationship, you must give each other space. And you have to be secure to do that. Someone said, ‘If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours for life.



If it doesn’t, it was never yours in the first place.’ When you constantly crave someone’s affection and try to cling to them, you create the very thing you dread – distance.



By overreaching, you drive them away. Just as a drowning person grabs anything that floats, including their rescuer, a panic-stricken lover tries to hold on to the one who’s attempting to escape.


That makes them even more frantic to get away. The story’s told of a guy who wanted to date a beautiful girl but she turned him down.


He decided that the way to her heart was through the mail, so he began writing her a love letter every day. When she didn’t respond, he increased it to three letters a day. In all, he wrote more than seven hundred letters in a single summer.


Not only did his plan not work – she married the postman! Appearing too anxious and available will drive the other person away rather than attracting them to you.


Love is like a plant; when you smother it, it dies, but when you give it air, it thrives. There’s only one person who can ‘fix’ you, and that’s God.



As you become more spiritually healthy you’ll become more emotionally healthy, and when that happens you’re more apt to find your needs being met. Paul bottom-lines it: ‘Love cares more for others than for self.’


Gen 39-40, Matt 11

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



Be Confident in Christ
‘I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency.’

Philippians 4:13
The UCB Word for Today - 20 Jan 2016

The Bible says, ‘Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him’ (Jeremiah 17:7 NIV 2011 Edition).


To succeed at whatever God calls you to do, you must learn to be confident – not self-confident, but confident in Christ.


Paul was brilliant, but he said, ‘I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency.’ Jesus said, ‘…without Me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5 NKJV).


It seems to take forever to learn this truth. Much of our frustration comes from misplaced confidence. Paul says, ‘Put no confidence in the flesh’ (Philippians 3:3 NIV 2011 Edition).



Now, he wasn’t saying you aren’t supposed to trust anyone. He was saying if you give others or yourself the trust that belongs to God alone, you won’t succeed.



He won’t let you! To succeed at anything you must have confidence, but it must be confidence in God. You must believe that He wants you to succeed.


You may fail on your way to success, but if you trust God, He will take your mistakes and cause them to work out for your good (See Romans 8:28).


Sometimes our confidence is shaken when trials come, especially if they’re lengthy. When this happens you must do what David did: He ‘encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord’ (1 Samuel 30:6 AMP).


When David had no one else to believe in him, he believed in himself. He also believed in God’s ability to work through him.


One Bible teacher says, ‘The Lord told me that if I didn’t believe in myself, I really didn’t believe in Him. He said, “I am in you, but I can only do through you, what you believe Me for.”’ Think about it.

Gen 41-42, Matt 12:1-21

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



Take Your Family with You
‘When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were around me.’

Job 29:5
The UCB Word for Today - 21 Jan 2016


Vince Foster served as deputy counsel to President Bill Clinton. He allegedly committed suicide in a Washington DC park.


A few months before his death, Foster was asked to speak to the graduating class of the University of Arkansas School of Law.


This is what he told the students: ‘A word about family. You have amply demonstrated that you are achievers willing to work hard, long hours and set aside your personal lives.


But it reminds me of the observation that no one was ever heard to say on a deathbed: “I wish I had spent more time at the office.” Balance wisely your professional and your family life.


If you are fortunate to have children, your parents will warn you that your children will grow up and be gone before you know it.


I can testify that it is true. God only allows us so many opportunities with our children to read a story, go fishing, play catch, and say our prayers together. Try not to miss one of them.’ Job’s seven sons and three daughters died tragically in a single day.



Looking back on it, he said, ‘Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God watched over me…when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were around me’ (vv. 2, 5 NKJV). If you sacrifice your children for your career, or for material things, you’ll live to regret it. Don’t let that happen to you.

On your journey to success, be sure to take your family with you.


Gen 43-45, Matt 12:22-50

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Look for Things to be Grateful For
‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits.’

Psalm 68:19
The UCB Word for Today - 22 Jan 2016

The story is told of a twelve-year-old boy who had never spoken a word in his life.
As a result, his parents thought he couldn’t speak. Then one day his mother placed a bowl of soup in front of him and he took a spoonful.



He pushed it away and said, ‘This is awful; I won’t eat it!’. The family was ecstatic. His father said, ‘Why haven’t you ever talked to us before?’.


The boy replied, ‘Because up until now everything’s been okay.’ The only time some of us speak is to complain! You say, ‘But I’ve got nothing to be grateful for.’ Really? If you slept eight hours last night, there are millions of insomniacs who would gladly switch places with you.


If you have a job, a roof over your head, and three square meals a day, there are millions of unemployed people who would like to have your problem.


If you were able to get out of bed this morning and move through the day pain free, you’re blessed with the gift of health. Without it you would truly have something to complain about!

And what about your salvation? What price would you put on that? Your sins have been forgiven, you have peace with God, and when you die you have a home in heaven. Sure, we all have trials and tough days.

But don’t insult God and belittle His blessings by saying you don’t have anything to be grateful for.

It’s time you started talking to yourself, as David the psalmist did: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits’ (Psalm 103:2 KJV).

Gen 46-48, Matt 13:1-30

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Conscience, Your Sin Detector
‘I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.’

Acts 24:16
The UCB Word for Today - 23 Jan 2016

When you go through a metal detector in an airport you are required by law to take everything out of your pockets.


If you don’t, you set off a beeper. And if you try to hide a gun or a knife, you will probably end up in prison.


Your conscience works the same way. When you knowingly do wrong, the Holy Spirit who lives within you will trigger your conscience and an alarm will go off inside you.


If you’re wise, you’ll repent of your sin and make things right. Why? Because your alternatives aren’t good! ‘Having faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck’ (1 Timothy 1:19 NKJV).


Think of the word ‘shipwreck’, then picture the word ‘Titanic’. Getting the picture? When God says no, He’s not trying to be hard to get along with; He’s trying to protect you from the iceberg you’re sailing towards.


Many of us have security systems in our homes. When we open the door we have thirty seconds before the alarm goes off and the police are called.


God has given you an alarm system that works the same way; it’s called your conscience. And there are three things you can do with it: 1) Turn if off. 2) Tune it out. 3) Allow it to guide you and walk in the blessing of God.


The writer to the Hebrews said, ‘Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do’ (Hebrews 13:18 NLT). That should be your prayer today, and every day!


Gen 49-50, Matt 13:31-58