The Word For You Today
Your Daily Encouragement for July 2017
Spend Time Alone With God
July 31, 2017 • Bob Gass
God can speak to you anytime, anywhere, through anybody, by dropping a thought into your mind (see 1 Corinthians 2:16). But because that thought can be crowded out by busyness, He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” In stillness you can hear God more clearly. “Jesus used many…illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand…but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them” (Mark 4:33-34 NLT). In High Call, High Privilege, Gail MacDonald wrote, “The ancient desert fathers used to commit themselves to a disciplinary creed: silence, solitude, and inner peace. Only after adequate amounts of time listening, did they consider themselves ready to speak…Today there’s a strange logic that spiritual resource and renewal are found in constantly seeking new voices, attending more meetings…to exchange half-thought-out opinions… We fall into the trap of believing God is most pleased when we’ve maximized our information, our schedules, and our relationships. Disengagement means silence before God…a time of heavenly discussion during which we listen more than we speak. And silence demands solitude.” In waiting quietly before God, your spiritual ear is trained to know His voice. Sylvia Gunter wrote, “I understand why David had to command his soul to be still…Being quiet is difficult…almost impossible for some of us. But I’ve discovered that my soul and spirit have been starving for stillness for a long time, and now that I’ve given my soul a taste of stillness again it will not be satisfied unless it’s a regular part of my day.”
When Jesus Prayed (5)
July 30, 2017 • Bob Gass
(6) Jesus prayed before He faced the greatest crisis in His life. The Bible says, “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place…He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared…and strengthened him” (vv. 39-43 NIV). Jesus didn’t wait until the hour of His greatest crisis before He prayed. For three-and-a-half years during His earthly ministry, He had built a life of prayer. Before He raised Lazarus from the dead, “Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me…that you always hear me’” (John 11:41-42 NIV). Jesus had such an intimate relationship with His Father that in times of pressure and pain He could go to God, confident He would receive His sustaining grace. Can you do that? Until you do, you’ll be vulnerable to people and situations beyond your control. Consider this question: do you think Jesus prayed so much because He wanted to or because He thought He should? The answer is—He wanted to! And if you want to follow in His footsteps and enjoy God’s richest blessings, you need to move from “should” to “want to.” Here’s a truth that people who pray know: the less you pray, the less you want to pray. And the more you pray, the more you want to pray. The power behind Christ’s amazing success in life was the power of prayer. Starting now, commit to praying each day.
When Jesus Prayed (4)
July 29, 2017 • Bob Gass
(5) Jesus prayed when He was concerned about the people He loved. He told Peter, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you…that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And Peter did turn back. The disciple who denied his Lord in a moment of weakness eventually stood before a crowd of thousands and preached the gospel to them, and three thousand were won to Christ. Jesus not only taught His disciples, He warned them of danger. But ultimately He realized that the greatest thing He could do was pray for them. Unfortunately, that’s a truth we tend to arrive at later rather than sooner. We promise, we rescue, we threaten, and only when all our other efforts have failed do we pray. Prayer shouldn’t be your last resort, it should be your first response. Prayer takes the situation out of your hands and puts it into God’s. Do you remember the four men who carried their sick friend and laid him at the feet of Jesus? (see Mark 2:3-5). That’s what you do when you pray for someone. It’s not easy to pick up the weight of another person and carry them to God each day in prayer. But it’s the most effective thing you can do for them. The old-timers used to say, “Prayer moves the hand that moves the world.” And they were right! When a loved one disappoints or wounds you, instead of lashing out, lift them up in prayer. Invite God into the situation, then stand back and allow Him to work.
When Jesus Prayed (3)
July 28, 2017 • Bob Gass
Let’s look at another point at which Jesus prayed: (4) When the pressures and expectations of others threatened to derail God’s plan for His life. The Bible says, “While it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ So He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching” (Mark 1:35-39 NIV). The lesson here is this: unless you get God’s plan and stick with it, others will try to plan your life for you. Given the success Jesus enjoyed in every town He visited, many preachers would have stayed and built a church and enjoyed the accolades and rewards of their ministry. Not Jesus; He marched to the beat of a different drum. As you look back on some of your mistakes, you find decisions made in response to pressure instead of prayer. When you’re prayerless, you get careless. God has a plan for your life and a schedule. To stay in sync with both, you must pray regularly. Jesus realized He had only enough time to do what His Father wanted done, and that gave Him the ability to say no to other things. You’ve been called to love people—but please God. And your confidence in prayer comes from knowing you’re operating within His will (see 1 John 3:21-22 NIV).
When Jesus Prayed (2)
July 27, 2017 • Bob Gass
By failing to pray—you set yourself up to fail. The reason Jesus never failed is because He never failed to pray. Note the times when He prayed: (3) When His heart was heavy. During His ministry on earth, His cousin John the Baptist was arrested and publicly beheaded for confronting a king about his sin. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew…privately to a solitary place” (Matthew 14:13 NIV). Disappointment, desertion, divorce, and death will write their chapters in the book of our lives. Thank God for therapists and doctors, but ultimately there’s no one who can heal a broken heart like God. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power” (Psalm 147:3-5 NIV). Whether placing stars or healing scars, no situation is too big or too small to get the attention of our loving God. To understand God’s healing expertise, look at the life of Job. No one in history lost more than Job did, yet God brought him through it all. In Job chapter eleven, we read: “You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away. Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Even darkness will be as bright as morning. Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help” (vv. 16-19 NLT). Are you sad and heavy hearted today? Do what Jesus did. Take time to pray about it.
When Jesus Prayed (1)
July 26, 2017 • Bob Gass
If you want to know about prayer, examine the life of Jesus: (1) He prayed when the pressures of life increased. “News about him spread…so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed…But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (vv.15-16 NIV). It’s when you think you don’t have time to pray that you need to pray most. Spending time with God is the secret to having power with Him. (2) He prayed when important decisions had to be made. When it came to picking His closest friends, Jesus sought His Father’s guidance. He “went out to a mountainside…and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve…[as] apostles” (Luke 6:12-13 NIV). When you really think about it, the truth hits you up the side of the head! We can spend a year, not to mention a small fortune, planning a wedding. Yet amazingly we won’t seek God’s guidance when it comes to choosing a mate to spend the rest of our life with. God is not just the creator of the universe; He’s the CEO who runs it. Can you imagine what He knows about operating a successful business? His résumé reads: “I am the Lord…who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go” (Isaiah 48:17 NKJV). Before you hire an employee, form a partnership, formulate a plan, or invest a penny, God invites you to discuss it with Him and get His input. “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do…he’s the one who will keep you on track” (Proverbs 3:6 TM).
What Will You Be Remembered For?
July 25, 2017 • Bob Gass
Dr. James Kennedy wrote: “Consider the great pyramid of Giza, one of the world’s most massive structures. Someone built it as a memorial to himself…King Khufu, not exactly a household name! The Shah of India built the Taj Mahal as a tribute to his wife, yet he too built in vain; after all, who knows the name Arjumand? And how about the Great Wall of China? Astronauts can see it from space, yet no one remembers Qin Shihuang, who was initially responsible for the largest manmade structure in the world. While these people are all forgotten, you can make a permanent imprint on the world. How? By leading others to Christ!” The Bible says, “Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.” Louis Pasteur, the pioneer of immunology, lived at a time when thousands of people died every year from rabies. He had worked for years on a vaccine, and just as he was about to experiment on himself, a nine-year-old boy named Joseph Meister was bitten by a rabid dog. The boy’s mother begged him to try the vaccine on her son. So Pasteur injected him for ten days—and he lived. Decades later, out of all the epitaphs Pasteur could have chosen, he asked for three words to be etched on his tombstone: Joseph Meister Lived! Your greatest legacy can be those who live eternally because you shared Christ with them. Jesus said, “The words…I speak to you are spirit, and…life” (John 6:63 NKJV). What moves hearts? What changes lives? The words of Jesus!
Complaining Doesn’t Help
July 24, 2017 • Bob Gass
The Bible has basically one thing to say about complaining—don’t do it! You say, “If you had my problems, you would complain too.” If that’s how you feel, read on: “Do all things without complaining” (Philippians 2:14 NKJV). Here’s why: (1) Complaining usually makes things worse. The cycle goes like this. You have a problem, so you complain and stay stuck. You feel bad, so you complain even more and end up with stress, but not a solution. (2) Complaining won’t get you where you need to go. Instead of committing the situation to God, you’re doubting His wisdom and provision. Thousands of Israelites died in the wilderness for doing that. Paul wrote, “Do not grumble, as some…did—and were killed…These things…were written down as warnings for us” (1 Corinthians 10:10-11 NIV). When you overlook your blessings and dwell on your problems, you lose your joy. (3) Complaining can lead to stress-related illness. “A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body” (Proverbs 14:30 AMPC). Be honest; how many “calm and undisturbed” complainers do you know? Instead of complaining, start counting your blessings. Author Barbara Johnson gave us this tongue-in-cheek example. “A hand-lettered sign nailed to a telephone pole read: ‘LOST…three-legged dog, blind in left eye, missing top of right ear, recently castrated…answers to the name of Lucky.’” As a redeemed child of God, luck has nothing to do with it—you’re blessed! So the word for you today is: “In everything [not necessarily for everything, but in everything] give thanks; for this is the will of God…for you.”
Break Out Of The Box!
July 23, 2017 • Bob Gass
When others saw giants in the Promised Land and wanted to return to Egypt, Caleb said, “The Lord…will bring us safely into that land and give it to us.” At that point two things happened. “The whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle” (v.10 NLT). When the people around Caleb said no, God said yes—and all you need is His approval! When you have that, you can disregard the nay-sayers and move forward. If you wait for everyone to approve, agree with you, and applaud you, you’ll get nowhere. There was a time when people thought the earth was flat and that man would never walk on the moon. In 1899, the US Patent Office almost closed because the commissioner, Charles H. Duell, said, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” In retrospect, this statement is ridiculous, but some of us have this same mindset. We stop learning because we think we’re too old. We’re afraid to change careers in case we jeopardize our pension. We don’t pursue our dreams in case we fail or get ridiculed. We’re so used to self-imposed limitations and telling ourselves, “I can’t do that,” that we think we can’t do anything. In essence, we’ve built a box, crawled inside, and now we’re looking for something or someone to blame for our lack of faith. God didn’t box you in—you did, and you need to take the initiative for breaking out. Today decide to do it, and God will bless your endeavours.
Rock Your Box
July 22, 2017 • Bob Gass
A little boy was crippled and the doctors said there was nothing they could do to help him. So his mother took an orange crate, put him in it, tied a rope around it, tied the rope to her waist, and pulled him around with her. After a while the boy developed a habit his mother didn’t like: he began to rock his box. Sometimes he rocked it to the point that it tipped over and he fell out. No matter how many times she put him back in, he kept doing the same thing. Eventually he rocked his box until he was finally able to get out of it. Then to everyone’s amazement, he learned how to walk and ended up with a great life. That little boy did something the doctors and not even his mother believed could happen. He refused to settle for life inside a box someone had put him in. Has someone put you in a box today? If so, keep rocking your box until you’re free! Other people are self-appointed “experts” at telling us what we can and cannot do. They don’t always celebrate anything “out of the box,” which is something out of the ordinary. One of the great promises in the Bible is this: “He…increases the power of the weak.” Start reading “rock your box” Scriptures. Here’s one: “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord” (Micah 3:8 NIV). Here’s another: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 NIV). Today declare, “Lord you promised it, I believe it, and that settles it!”
Know Your Calling (2)
July 21, 2017 • Bob Gass
Your calling will always be connected to an unmet need or an opportunity to do good. It was in listening to the cries of an enslaved people that Moses discovered his calling. So did William Wilberforce. He devoted his life to seeing slavery eradicated in England. Nelson Mandela was a lawyer with the potential to make money. But he chose a different path—one that involved years of imprisonment. And when he was finally set free, he didn’t seek vengeance, he sought justice and equality for his people and changed his country. Ezekiel wrote, “I came to the exiles…And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—overwhelmed. At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me” (Ezekiel 3:15-16 NIV). If you want to discover your calling, start praying about situations that trouble you deeply. Usually we try to avoid discomfort, but if you sense that your calling involves helping the poor, spend time around those in poverty. Allow your heart to be moved; carry within you the conviction that things must change and keep praying, “Lord, make me a change agent.” When Jesus called His disciples, He chose people from different backgrounds: a doctor, a government worker, a group of fishermen. In essence He told them, “I believe in you. What I know I’ll teach you” and promised them that “he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also.” Bottom line: Jesus empowered His followers to go out and live like He did. And today that’s what He’s calling you to do.
Know Your Calling (1)
July 20, 2017 • Bob Gass
When God called Moses, one of the first questions He asked him was, “What is that in your hand?” Moses was holding his shepherd’s staff—the one he used each day to lead and protect his sheep. But God had a different plan for it—a greater one! He used it to part the Red Sea and lead Israel into the Promised Land. When God asks you, “What is that in your hand?” He wants you to think about your talents, experiences, relationships, education, and resources, as well as your mind and your temperament. Dr. Martin Seligman talks about our “signature strengths.” They fall into six categories: (1) Wisdom and knowledge. These include things like curiosity, love of learning, sound judgment, and social intelligence. (2) Courage. This includes perseverance and integrity. (3) Humanity. This is the capacity for kindness and the ability to express mercy. (4) Justice. This includes the ability to bring about fairness and leadership. (5) Temperance. This refers to qualities like self-control, prudence, and humility. (6) Transcendence. This word indicates an appreciation for beauty, the expression of gratitude, the ability to hope, and the capacity for joy. We all have the capacity for each of these strengths, but the ones that resonate most deeply within you are your “signature strengths.” Once you identify these, you begin to understand your calling. But be careful; the enemy wants to convince you that God can’t use you because of your weaknesses, when in fact the opposite is true. Who can speak to those who are grieving better than those who have suffered loss? Chuck Colson was the chief White House lawyer until Watergate. But only when he became a convict was he equipped to begin his ministry, Prison Fellowship. So, know your calling.
Having The Right Attitude
July 19, 2017 • Bob Gass
How many jobs do people lose every day because of poor attitudes? How many are passed over for promotion because of the way they approach their work and the people around them? How many marriages fall apart? It would be impossible to calculate. No one should ever lose a job, miss a promotion, or destroy a marriage because of a poor attitude. Why? Because a person’s attitude isn’t set; it’s a choice. Chuck Swindoll wrote, “Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It’s more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I’m convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you…We are in charge of our attitudes.” Paul wrote, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” He always approached people with love, grace, acceptance, and a heart to serve rather than be served. So if your attitude hasn’t been as good as it could be, make this your starting point. Pray, “Father, give me a Christlike attitude toward everyone I meet.”
Understanding How God Works
July 18, 2017 • Bob Gass
The Bible says, “When he [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will’… When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break…When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees…For he and all his companions were astonished…Then Jesus said…‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’ So they…left everything and followed him” (vv. 4-11 NIV). The real test of your faith comes when nothing you’ve tried has worked, and God tells you to do something that stretches your faith to its limit. At that point you have the choice: give in to your doubts, or say with Peter, “Because You say so, I will.” This story teaches us God works in three ways: (1) He uses the common to do the uncommon. In their workplace where nothing special ever seemed to happen, Jesus showed up, called them, and changed their lives. So look for God in your daily routine, and don’t be surprised when He surprises you. (2) He moves you out from the security of the shallow to the risks of the deep. The great catches and the great storms are both in the same sea. If you want one, you have to contend with the other. No risk, no reward. (3) He involves you in one thing to teach you another. Christ’s plan for these men was to involve them in an even greater miracle: fishing for souls. Today that’s His plan for you too. And it begins when you say, “Lord, because You say so, I will.”
What’s Slowing You Down?
July 17, 2017 • Bob Gass
The Bible says, “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” What’s slowing you down or tripping you up? In life you only get to run once, so run to win. To avoid stumbling and losing your place in the race, don’t look back. You can’t change the past, but you can learn from it. Don’t be anxious about the next lap, just focus on the next step. If you miss that, you may fall and not get up again. Keep going, and before you know it, you’ll have more laps behind you than ahead of you. Make every one count. Many of us carry the weight and worry of burdens. But older and wiser people have come to understand their burdens are of no real importance. We waste our strength extinguishing fires that if left alone would burn out on their own. Time is your most valuable resource. Save it, and you’ve increased your assets and decreased your liabilities. Travel light. Ditch the baggage of self-sabotaging habits and pointless fears. There are enough painful trials in life; why endure the ones you can “strip off”? When blind Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was within reach, he threw off his coat so it wouldn’t trip him up, and he ran toward Him. And his faith paid off: “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus” (Mark 10:52 NKJV). You’ll never know how successful you can be until you get rid of the things that slow you down and trip you up.