The Word For Today

Why would fishermen wash nets that hadn't been used? The answer is they were quitting because of an overnight problem. 'We have fished all night and caught nothing' (see Luke 5:5). Their expectations had been destroyed. They believed that the way things were was the way they'd be. They were beaten! That's when Jesus showed up. He came to where they were; he walked right into the middle of their disappointment with a solution. First, he asked them for their boat and used it to preach to the crowd and heal the multitudes. Child of God, turn everything over to him - all you have, all you are and all you'll ever be - and let him use you for his highest purposes.

Next, Jesus gave the fishermen a word that only faith could receive: 'Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch' (Luke 5:4 NKJV). Can you see now why he has to wait until you've done everything you know to do? Only then are you ready to listen; even though his word doesn't seem to make sense, you're ready to obey without question.

Are you discouraged today? Is it your ministry, your marriage, your job or your health? You may be washing your nets, but it's not over. Who told you God wasn't going to bless you again? Who told you he wasn't going to bring victory out of your ashes? It's not over until he says it's over. If he can fill empty nets for those discouraged disciples, then you don't have a problem he can't take care of.

It's impossible to live successfully without taking risks. Leo Buscaglia wrote: 'To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk involvement...To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk being called nave. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair, and to try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing...Only the person who risks is truly free.'

Franklin Roosevelt spent much of his life battling illness and was confined to a wheelchair. Yet he became one of America's greatest presidents. He said: 'It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.'

In The Pursuit of Excellence, Christian author Ted W. Engstrom gives this advice about the importance of trying: 'Starting today, you can begin to enjoy using and developing your gifts...If you've always wanted to write, then write something, a short article, a poem, an account of your vacation. Write it as if you were going to be published; then submit it somewhere. If you're a photographer, gather your best pictures together and submit them as entries in a contest. If you think you're a fair tennis player or golfer, enter some tournaments and see how you do. You may not win the top prize but think how much you'll learn and experience just by trying. The worst failure...is failure to try!'

God will not tolerate pride from anyone. If self-exalted people refuse to humble themselves, they leave God no other choice than to do it for them.

One day, pride got the better of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon: 'As he looked out across the city, he said, "Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendour' (Daniel 4:30 NLT). That was raw, arrogant pride. A year earlier, Daniel had told the king through the interpretation of his dream that he should change his ways. But he had ignored Daniel's warning. Now God said enough was enough and interrupted his proud moment: 'While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from Heaven, "O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer the ruler of this kingdom"' (Daniel 4:31 NLT). During the next seven years, Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity and lived unkempt in the forest. That's how low pride brought him!

Someone once said, 'A man wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package.' Only when Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself did God have mercy on him and give him back his sanity and his reign. That's when he declared God's sovereignty over all kings and kingdoms: 'Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honour the King of Heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud' (Daniel 4:37 NLT). So be humble!

The Archbishop of Canterbury was acquainted with an actor named Mr Butterton. One day he asked Butterton, 'What is the reason you actors on stage can affect your congregations with the speaking of things imaginary, as if they were real, while we in church speak of things real, which our congregations only receive as if they were imaginary?' Butterton replied, 'We actors on stage speak of things imaginary as if they were real, and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.' The world needs Christians who speak like they believe what God said in his word is true, and who live accordingly.

When Abraham was eighty, God promised him he would father a son. Twenty years later, it hadn't happened, but Abraham was standing firmly on God's word: 'He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to perform' (Romans 4:20-21 NKJV). William James, the first educator to offer a course in psychology, said, 'If you want a quality, act as if you already had it.' He also said, 'Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.'

Saint Augustine said, 'God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.' If you fully grasp the truth of this, it'll set you free from fear because that's what God's perfect love does (see 1 John 4:18). God can't love you any more or any less because he already loves you unconditionally, eternally. You just need to live like his beloved.

A fascinating experiment was conducted a half century ago. Three men tested their strength on a gripping machine, with an average measure of 101 pounds of pressure. Then the participants were hypnotised, and the experimenter told them, 'You cannot grip because you are weak.' Under the power of suggestion, their average grip strength fell to 29 pounds of pressure. Then the experimenter said, 'Now you can grip.' Their average grip increased to 145 pounds of pressure. Their strength was increased fivefold when they said, 'I can,' versus when they said, 'I can't.'

It helps to think of Scripture as a script. While the reality of your circumstances may feel as if you're off script, you must take your cues from God's word. You have to live as if you are who God says you are, you have what God says you have, and you can do what God says you can do. If you believe the enemy's lies, you're in deep trouble. But if you believe God's word, it'll get you and keep you out of trouble. When you're battling illness, you can stand on his promise: '"For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds," says the Lord' (Jeremiah 30:17 NKJV). When you're lonely, don't forget his promise, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you' (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV). When you feel like you've lost your way, remember his words: 'A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps' (Proverbs 16:9 NKJV).

The word for today is - live like you believe!

Jesus told his disciples: 'Let us go over to the other side' (Mark 4:35 NIV). Next, we read: 'A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat' (Mark 4:37 NIV). The disciples turned to Jesus and found him sound asleep! They screamed, 'Don't you care if we drown' (Mark 4:38 NIV)? Jesus woke up, commanded the storm to shut up, then said to the disciples, 'Do you still have no faith' (Mark 4:40 NIV)? The sea was raging; the water was churning. Why did Jesus scold them? Simple: they didn't take him at his word. He said they were going to the other side. He didn't say, 'We are going to the middle of the lake to drown.' Jesus had declared the outcome. But when the storms came, the disciples heard the roar of the winds and forgot his word.

Storms are coming your way too. Winds will howl, your boat will be tossed, and you will have a choice: will you hear Christ or the crisis? Will you heed the promises of Scripture or the noise of the storm? God told Joshua to 'meditate in [Scripture] day and night' (see Joshua 1:8). The word meditate means to 'mutter' over what you're reading. The image is one of a person reciting, rehearsing and reconsidering God's word over and over.

Paul says: 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another' (Colossians 3:16 NKJV). Begin by praying: 'God, speak to my heart as I read.' Then read with an open heart to receive the message.