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WORD FOR YOU

Care enough to confront
09 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘Warn those who are idle and disruptive.’
1 Thessalonians 5:14 NIV

The Bible says we should ‘warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.’ But often, we’d rather stay quiet and avoid confrontation than speak difficult truth into the lives of others. One Bible teacher wrote: ‘A church isn’t a group of individuals who happen to meet in the same place every week; it’s a spiritual body…a loving family. It’s far easier to comfort and encourage than to warn or exhort, but both are necessary. Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love so that the whole body may “grow up in all things”. If we don’t take the time to exhort, encourage, warn, comfort, uphold and be patient…we [all] suffer in the end. Your body doesn’t function properly when one part is hurting or performing poorly. And the church suffers when one of its members is unruly, fainthearted, weak, or falls into bad doctrine. Letting a body part fester, or not supporting a part that’s hurt, can lead to irrecoverable damage.’ As our loving Father, God loves us too much to let us get away with bad behaviour. And we should try to share this attitude. We should love and care enough about others to correct and guide them if we can see them taking the wrong path or doing something that could be harmful in the long run. But that doesn’t give us a free rein to be critical and judgmental. Paul wrote, ‘If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path’ (Galatians 6:1 NLT). We should speak only the truth, and our goal should be to speak it in love and compassion.

What Now?

Do you know someone who needs a gentle correction? Ask God for guidance in how to approach the problem, and when you’ve heard from Him, have a chat with the person and help steer them back to God’s path.

Isaiah 9-10, Galatians 2

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WORD FOR YOU

No grading
10 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘Don’t ever forget kindness and truth.’
Proverbs 3:3 NCV

During a driving test, the examiner makes a note of every fault the driver makes to determine if they should pass or fail. We might worry that God works in a similar way, keeping a record of everything we do wrong, and telling us we’ve failed if we clock up too many. But that’s not how His kingdom operates. Before the Passover meal, all the disciples forgot to wash Jesus’ feet. Fault. And after Jesus explained how the bread and wine symbolised His upcoming crucifixion, they started arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Another fault. Jesus also knew that within hours they’d fall asleep when they were supposed to be keeping watch in the Garden of Gethsemane. Another fault. And He knew Peter would deny Him. Another fault. So did Jesus give them a fail grade? No, because He doesn’t grade people. And we don’t have to either. Instead of judging people based on every mistake they’ve ever made, we should try to start loving them where they are, and support them in their journey to where they need to be. Rather than condemning the disciples, Jesus complimented, rewarded, and encouraged them. Nourished by their love, He said, ‘You have stayed with me through my struggles. Just as my Father has given me a kingdom, I also give you a kingdom so you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom’ (Luke 22:28-30 NCV). In His eyes they were all great. He didn’t grade them on their performance, but on their love that motivated them to set everything else aside and stick with Him through the bad times as well as the good.

What Now?

If you have times when you feel your relationship with Jesus is based on performance rather than love, take some time to talk to Him about how you feel, and ask Him to give you a real sense of His unconditional love for you.

Isaiah 11-13, Galatians 3

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WORD FOR YOU

Love is a verb
11 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.’
1 John 4:8 NCV

Love is both a noun and a verb. It’s not only what we think or feel; it’s also what we do. When Mother Teresa arrived in Calcutta in 1948, one of the first things she did was pick up five abandoned children and bring them to her ‘school’. Before the year ended she had forty-one students learning about hygiene in her classroom, which was in a public park. Soon her work became known as ‘The Missionaries of Charity’, and they turned their attention to the care of the dying. A beggar found dying on a rubbish heap was picked up and brought to her. Hunger and suffering had reduced him almost to a skeleton. Mother Teresa took him home and put him to bed. As she tried to clean him up and make him comfortable, he briefly woke up, and in his semi-conscious state he asked her, ‘Why do you do it?’ Mother Teresa responded with two words: ‘For love.’ It’s easy for us to see people as irritants and inconveniences who are standing in our way. But it can be hard for us to set aside our self-centred feelings and love them, especially if that means giving up our time or doing something we find difficult or unpleasant in order to help them. The Bible says, ‘Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God’s child and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love’ (v.7-8 NCV). Let’s do our best to show love in all our words, thought and actions.

What Now?

Think of someone who tends to irritate you. Ask God to help you think of them with love, and try today to say something to them and do something for them that shows you care about them.

Isaiah 14-16, Galatians 4

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WORD FOR YOU

Focus on the goal
12 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘They are confident and will not be afraid.’
Psalm 112:8 NCV

In order to keep focused and keep reaching towards your God-given goals, there are three obstacles you need to be aware of and overcome: 1) Weariness. Racehorses run at approximately the same speed; there often isn’t a lot of difference between the first and the last runner. Sometimes the difference between them winning and losing a race comes down to their ‘heart’ to win. So, take a look into your heart today and check if you’re truly committed to reaching your goal. ‘Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise’ (Hebrews 10:35-36 NKJV). 2) Fear. When it comes to commitment, there are basically four kinds of people. a) Those who have no goals and who don’t commit to anything. b) Those who don’t know if they can reach their goals so they’re afraid to commit to them. c) Those who start towards a goal but give up when things begin to get tough. d) Those who set goals, commit to them and are willing to pay the price to reach them. Which of the four do you think you are? Fear and faith will always be present; our success in reaching our goal depends on whether we allow our faith to overcome our fear. 3) Complacency. Don’t settle for yesterday’s success. Don’t settle for ‘good enough’ or ‘that’ll do’. Take regular times of rest to refresh yourself, renew your mind and strength, and refocus on your goal. Be like Paul: ‘I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race’ (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT).

What Now?

Do any of the obstacles in today’s reading sound or feel familiar to you? Ask God to help you look beyond that obstacle and refocus on the goal He’s given you.

Luke 17:1-19, Psalms 91-93

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WORD FOR YOU

God will never abandon you
13 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘Everyone abandoned me…But the Lord stood with me.’
2 Timothy 4:16-17 NLT

When someone we care about walks out of our life, a parent leaves, or a relationship ends, it hurts deeply. Even Paul wasn’t exempt from the pain of loss. Here are some of his last words: ‘Timothy, please come as soon as you can. Demas has deserted me…Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me…Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm…The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me…But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength…he rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom’ (vv. 9-18 NLT). The fact is, we can survive without others but we can‘t survive without God. That’s why He sometimes strips away things that make us dependent on people. He sends certain individuals into our lives to help build our faith and develop our character, and when they’re gone, to leave us with the assurance that He is still in control. When we lose someone we care about, for any reason, God can use it to: 1) develop our reliance on Him; 2) test our resilience; 3) help us discover His power. When Moses died and Joshua was left in charge, God told him, ‘As I was with Moses, so I will be with you’ (Joshua 1:5 NKJV). That’s something Joshua couldn’t have learned while Moses was still in the picture. We can’t always be looking to someone else for answers. At some point, we’ll need to turn to God and let Him speak wisdom and peace into whatever is troubling us.

What Now?

Look up some Bible verses that remind you that God will never leave you. Try memorising one or two that speak peace and calmness into your soul, and hold on to them during times of loss or loneliness.

Isaiah 17-19, Galatians 5

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WORD FOR YOU


God’s house
14 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’
Psalm 122:1 NKJV

The psalmist said, ‘I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”’ Our churches should be places that we’re happy to go to, where we feel at home, and where we’re welcomed by other believers. The Message paraphrases Paul’s words: ‘God is building a home. He’s using us all – irrespective of how we got here – in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day – a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home’ (Ephesians 2:19-22 MSG). There are times when we need to be alone with God in prayer, and there are times we’ll find the answers we’re looking for when we’re with other Christians. When we meet for worship, teaching, encouragement and service, God shows up in a powerful way. We grow spiritually as we experience His presence, hear His Word, and spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Every time we gather with other members of Christ’s body, it’s an opportunity to share how God’s working in our lives and our experiences of His goodness. It’s hard to celebrate alone; when we achieve something or have good news, it’s fun to share the joy we feel. Jesus is so excited about His victory at the cross that He calls us together to celebrate what He accomplished for us. And celebration is a group project.

What Now?

Pray for your church and for every person who is part of it.

Isaiah 20-22, Galatians 6

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WORD FOR YOU

Self-control
15 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘Do not give in to sinful desires.’
Romans 6:12 NLT

Paul wrote: ‘Consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ…Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires…[or] let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God’ (v.11-13 NLT). There are so many things that can tempt us away from what’s really good for us. They’re often very appealing, but only temporarily satisfying. Author and Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll wrote: ‘Life on earth is really nothing more than a string of moments…And I don’t want my testimony for Jesus Christ to be shattered by a single moment of indulging my flesh. I don’t want one moment of rage or pride or lust to cast a shadow over a lifetime of walking with my Lord. Frankly, I fear that possibility. And do you know what? I want to fear that possibility. When I stop fearing it – I’m in grave danger.’ So how do we deal with our temptations? The only way is to make God’s Word our code of conduct and refuse to compromise. We should make Jesus our role model when it comes to resisting temptation. He said, ‘If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want’ (Matthew 16:24 NCV). It’s hard to deny ourselves things we want, but if we practise resisting the small temptations that we face every day, we’ll be much better prepared when a big temptation comes along.

What Now?

Is there a small temptation that you tend to face regularly (such as choosing between fruit or chocolate as a snack, or spending a few spare minutes with God or on social media)? Try making a conscious effort to choose the better option, so you can reach a point where the choice feels natural.

Isaiah 23-25, Ephesians 1

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WORD FOR YOU

God’s names (1)
16 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘They will know that you are the LORD, that only you are God Most High.’
Psalm 83:18 NCV

The Israelites called God Jehovah, a name they thought of as inexpressible and inexplicable. The name means the ‘self-existing one’; the ‘I am’. He existed before all things, He is the creator of all things. He was perceived as an awesome but seemingly impersonal, unknowable being. But God wanted us to know Him in a personal way, so in Scripture He added five revealing titles to the name Jehovah, five word-portraits to help us understand and relate to Him. The Israelites usually discovered the truth of these word-portraits during times of crisis and distress. And they can encourage us too. The first one we’re going to look at is Jehovah-Jireh: the Lord will see, the Lord will provide. Abraham was about to sacrifice his son when God provided a lamb as an offering in Isaac’s place. And in response Abraham called God Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord who sees and provides. But it doesn’t just apply to Abraham. Jesus said, ‘Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things’ (Matthew 6:32 NKJV). Like a caring, responsive parent, God sees His children’s needs before they do, and provides the solution. We don’t have to beg, bargain and plead to get what we need. That might make us wonder why we don’t always get what we ask for. It’s because God knows what we really need, and He’ll provide it at exactly the right time. Often the things we think we need turn out to be things we want. God knows the difference. Remember Jehovah-Jireh sees our needs, and because He sees them He will provide for them!

What Now?

Thank God for being your Jehovah-Jireh, who knows and sees your needs and makes sure they’re met in His perfect timing.

Isaiah 26-27, Ephesians 2

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WORD FOR YOU


God’s names (2)
17 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed…for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’
2 Chronicles 20:15 NKJV


When Israel was threatened by the armies of Amalek, God gave them a glorious victory. Moses realised that God was fighting the battle for them, so he built an altar to Jehovah-Nissi: the Lord my banner. Fighting our own battles was never God’s idea. The Bible says, ‘The Lord is a warrior (Exodus 15:3 NCV). ‘You only need to remain calm; the Lord will fight for you’ (Exodus 14:14 NCV). ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’ As human beings we get exhausted and discouraged because we keep trying to fight in our own strength. We go through fruitless cycles of repentance, resolution, struggle, defeat, discouragement, and repenting all over again. The only spiritual conflict that’s ever successfully won is the one God fights for us. He doesn’t expect us to win the battle, but to let Him win it on our behalf. We need to ‘fight the good fight of faith’ (1 Timothy 6:12 KJV). Our battle isn’t one of exhausting effort, it’s the battle of believing and trusting in God. When Jacob wrestled with an angel, his victory came in surrendering to God. He didn’t win by wrestling, he won by acknowledging he was too weak to carry on wrestling and needed God. When we’re at that point – when we’re worn out by struggles and battles in life – we need to let go and trust Jehovah-Nissi to fight for us, because ‘the battle is not yours, but God’s’! Then we can declare with Paul, ‘When I am weak, then am I strong’ (2 Corinthians 12:10 KJV).

What Now?

Thank God for being your Jehovah-Nissi, who fights for you. Ask Him to help you realise that you can’t do things in your own strength, and to help you trust Him to fight on your behalf.

Isaiah 28-29, Ephesians 3

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WORD FOR YOU

What’s in a name? Everything! (3)
18 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring.’
Exodus 14:13 NIV

Let’s look again at Jehovah-Nissi: the Lord my banner. It isn’t easy to hand our battles over and let God fight for us. We feel like we’re copping out or being irresponsible. Popular thinking says, ‘Don’t just sit there, do something!’ We’re like the drowning man who can’t stop grasping at his rescuer. We imagine they need our help, and as a result we end up making their job almost impossible. The truth is – we become their worst nightmare! But just because God fights for us doesn’t mean we’re not involved. The hardest part about the order – ‘stand still and watch the deliverance of the Lord’ – is we mistake standing still for doing nothing, or being derelict in our duty. Fear says, ‘Just do something!’ Faith says, ‘Stand in faith. Let God do it!’ That’s about as far from doing nothing as you can get. It’s faith at its highest. So how come we need spiritual armour if we don’t do the fighting? Good question! Paul said, ‘Put on the full armour of God, so…you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes’ (Ephesians 6:11 NIVUK). Notice: you wear His armour – not yours. You’re to stand – not fight. ‘The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh’ (2 Corinthians 10:4 NASB). Human methods get in God’s way; natural abilities are useless against spiritual forces. The grub of the dragonfly at the bottom of the pond may be a well-developed, vigorous grub. But once it becomes a dragonfly, the strengths of its grub-life won’t help it to live an airborne life. Whereas we once trusted in our own human effort, now we trust only in Jehovah-Nissi.

Isaiah 30-31, Ephesians 4