UCB Word For Today

[Matthew 7:21-29]

The Bible says: ‘Saul clothed David with his armour…and David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook…and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine”’ (vv. 38-40 NKJV). David had to make a choice; one that would determine his destiny. He could go into battle as Saul – wearing Saul’s armour, flaunting Saul’s sword, clutching Saul’s shield. Or he could engage in battle as David – a shepherd with a slingshot. David chose not to wear Saul’s armour or wield Saul’s sword for one excellent reason: he wasn’t Saul. David decided to be himself – the David God called, anointed, and equipped for the task. There comes a time in all our lives when we need to be brave enough to remove Saul’s armour. And it takes the most uncommon form of courage, the courage to be yourself. We all begin as originals, but too many of us finish up as imitators of someone else. Instead of honouring our uniqueness, and the uniqueness of others, we are too frequently intimidated by it. We abandon our uniqueness because we want to fit in. In one of his best-known essays, ‘Self-Reliance’, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, ‘There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that…imitation is suicide. He must take himself for better, for worse.’ That is what David did, and God gave him great victory. And that is what God wants you to do.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

The Bible says: ‘The people…stood around him from morning till evening…Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone”’ (vv. 13, 17-18 NIV). You may have noticed on the back of tractor-trailer rigs a sign that communicates their load limit. Roads have weigh stations to make sure these lorries aren’t carrying too much weight. If a tractor-trailer with a huge engine has load limits, then it makes sense that we do too. Moses had exceeded his load limit. Eating on the run, running from one end of the camp of Israel to the other, scheduling meetings, hitting deadlines, and seeing everyone who asked was too much. On the inside he was dying. He had two options: collapse, or share the load. Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, told him to evaluate what only he could do, and delegate the rest. Anytime you are staring at a job that looks larger than you can handle alone, understand that God is telling you, ‘Don’t try it alone.’ But Jethro didn’t tell Moses to ditch the work and throw it on just anybody. That’s a formula for disaster. To delegate successfully, you have to do these three things: 1) Get the right people. 2) Give them the right task. 3) Trust them to do it right; don’t micromanage them. So, the word for today is – do what only you can do, delegate the rest to others, and trust God for success!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

After his violation of Bathsheba, King David finally got honest and confessed his sin to Nathan the prophet. ‘Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However…by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme”’ (2 Samuel 12:13-14 KJV). Later, David would write in the Psalms: ‘Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the foolish.’ Let’s take a moment and consider the ‘downside’ of immorality when it is found out: 1) Your partner experiences shame, rejection, betrayal, and heartache. No amount of repentance or asking forgiveness can soften the blow. Suspicion replaces trust. 2) The innocence and trust of your children are dealt a devastating blow. Their healthy outlook on life is likely to be severely damaged. 3) The heartache experienced by your parents, family, and peers is indescribable. And you are likely to be embarrassed in facing other Christians, especially those who have openly appreciated, respected, and trusted you. 4) Your fall may be perceived by others as a licence for them to do the same. 5) Your inner peace will be gone. 6) Your confidence before God will be forfeited. 7) Your enemies will have further reason to jeer and sneer, and the cause you represent will suffer harm. What a high price to pay. What’s the answer? Be filled and stay filled with the Holy Spirit. Here’s why: ‘The fruit of the Spirit is…self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Because of the connection we have with those we love, when they hurt, we hurt. One of the greatest things we can do is intercede in prayer for those who need healing. God can use us as an agent of healing: ‘Pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]’ (AMPC). We see this principle throughout the Bible. A Roman centurion went to Jesus for the healing of his servant, and Christ did not disappoint him (see Matthew 8:5-7). Four people tore the roof off a house to get their sick friend into the presence of Jesus so he could be healed of palsy. And Jesus said to him, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’ (see Mark 2:1-11). A concerned father went to Jesus when his daughter was at the point of death. Because Jesus was delayed, the little girl died anyway. Jesus walked to her bedside and said: ‘“Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked…And they were overcome with great amazement’ (Mark 5:41-42 NKJV). One of the last promises Jesus gave us before leaving this earth was: ‘These signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will…lay hands on the sick, and they will recover’ (Mark 16:17-18 NKJV). Confession: ‘As a believer in Christ, I have the authority to pray, to lay hands on the sick, and see them recover because the Spirit of God lives in me.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.