The Word For Today

In March 1987, Eamon Coughlan was running in the qualifying heat at the World Indoor Track Championships in Indianapolis. He was the reigning world record holder at 1500 metres and was favoured to win the race. Unfortunately, with two and a half laps left, he tripped and fell hard. But he got up, and with great effort managed to catch the race leaders. With twenty yards to go, he was in third place, which would have been good enough to qualify for the final race. Then Coughlan made a fateful mistake - he looked over his shoulder to the inside. Seeing no one there, he relaxed his effort slightly. What he hadn't noticed was that a runner was charging hard on the outside. This runner passed him just a yard before the finish line, eliminating him from the finals. Coughlan's great comeback effort ended up being worthless for only one reason: he momentarily took his eyes off the finish line and focused on the would-be competitors behind him.

The Bible says, 'Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us' (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV). A 'weight' refers to things that are legitimate but can slow you down. A 'sin' is something illegitimate that you know to be wrong, that can cost you the race. Lay them both aside and 'run with endurance the race that is set before [you], looking unto Jesus' (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV).

Prayer Pastor Heidi Scanlon said: 'God has blessings for us in categories we don't even know exist.' That means God can create something out of nothing. He can seemingly come out of nowhere, and just when you need him most, give you something you don't even have a category for. God says: '"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts"' (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV).

You may say, 'If God has blessings that I don't even have categories for, how can I ask for them?' That's where the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you, comes to your aid: 'We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us...in accordance with the will of God' (Romans 8:26-27 NIV). And because the Holy Spirit prays in accordance with the will of God, you are blessed with wisdom beyond your knowledge, power beyond your strength, and favour beyond your ability. Paul put it this way: 'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen' (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV).

Now you still must do your due diligence, for God cannot bless negligence. But when you know you've faithfully done your part and obeyed God, you can trust him for blessings beyond your imagination.

Back in the days of the great western cattle ranches in America, a little donkey would sometimes be harnessed to a wild horse and then turned loose onto the range. The wild horse would drag the donkey for kilometres, throwing him around like a bag of feed. In several days, however, they would return. The little donkey would be seen first, trotting back towards the ranch with his submissive steed in tow. Somewhere out in the wild, the horse would become exhausted and try to free itself of the donkey. At that moment, the donkey became the master of the two. The slow, patient, unimportant animal became the leader over the faster, more volatile and more prized one. What made the difference? Having a steadfast purpose! And what was the donkey's purpose? Going back home to the ranch! So no matter how many times they fought, tugged on the rope and ended up on their backs kicking and fuming, each time the donkey got back on his feet, he would take a few more steps in the direction of the ranch. It was only a matter of time until the tired and exhausted horse decided to join him.

One of the great themes of Scripture is having a steadfast purpose. Samuel told the Israelites: 'Do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver' (1 Samuel 12:21 NKJV). Isaiah wrote: 'I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed' (Isaiah 50:7 NKJV). Paul wrote: 'Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord' (1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV).

In late January 1956, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr received a threatening telephone call at his house. It was not the first foreboding message he'd received. But on this night, as his children and his wife lay sleeping, the weight of the Civil Rights Movement was too heavy. He decided that the risk was too great. He began to map out an exit strategy. At midnight he bowed over the kitchen table and began to pray, 'I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I've come to the point where I can't face it alone.'

King described what happened next. 'I experienced the presence of the Divine as I have never experienced him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: "Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever."' When facing a daunting challenge, Dr King shifted his focus and turned to God.

The Bible says: 'When Joshua was by Jericho...he lifted his eyes...and behold, a Man stood opposite him' (Joshua 5:13 NKJV). After Joshua lifted his eyes from Jericho, a divine messenger stood before him with the solution to his problem. As long as your eyes are only on your problem, you won't see your problem solver. You must look up. 'I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord' (Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV).

Here's what you need to know about the walls of Jericho: they were immense. They wrapped around the city like a suit of armour, forty feet above the ground. They were impenetrable. Here is what you need to know about Joshua: he didn't bring the walls down - God did. And God will do that for you too.

Your 'Jericho' is your fear, anger, bitterness or prejudice. It's also: your insecurity about the future; your guilt about the past; and your negativity, anxiety and proclivity to criticise, over-analyse or compartmentalise. Your Jericho is any circumstance, attitude or mindset that keeps you from joy, peace or rest. Jericho blocks your way, so its walls must fall! 'Go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess' (Joshua 1:11 NKJV). The verb translated as 'possess' means 'to occupy by driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place'. But Satan won't leave without a fight. He will resist. He will push back. But he will not win. Why? Because God has already declared that you are the victor.

The Lord said to Joshua 'See! I have given Jericho into your hand' (Joshua 6:2 NKJV). God did not say, 'Joshua, take the city.' God said, 'Joshua, receive the city I have taken.' The same can be said about you and your challenge. You may say, 'If God has done it for me, what do I have to do?' (1) Receive your victory by faith, just as you received your salvation. (2) Speak victory. Be sure your words line up with God's words. (3) Walk out your victory, one day at a time.

In ancient Jewish culture, formal education began at six years of age. Jewish boys enrolled in the local synagogue school called bet sefer, which means 'house of the book'. By the time they graduated four years later, they had memorised the entire Torah - every jot and tittle of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy was engraved on their cerebral cortex via memorisation. There goes our excuse for not being able to remember, right? According to tradition, the rabbi would cover the students' writing slates with honey on the first day of class. Then the rabbi would instruct his class to lick the honey off their slates while reciting Psalm 119:103 (NKJV): 'How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth'! That was the first and perhaps most important lesson in their entire education. The rabbi wanted his students to fall in love with the word of God. He wanted them to taste and see that the word is good (see Psalm 34:8).

Jeremiah thought so: 'Your words were found, and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart' (Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV). David said: 'The entrance of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple' (Psalm 119:130 NKJV). Solomon said: 'For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding' (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV).

When you acquire a taste for God's word, the Holy Spirit, who is the author of the word, will do two things for you. First, he will reveal it to you. Second, he will remind you of it.