The Word For Today

When Martin Luther's co-worker became ill, the reformer prayed boldly for healing. 'I besought the Almighty with great vigour...quoting from Scripture all the promises I could remember...and said that he must grant my prayer, if I was henceforth to put faith in his promises.' As John Wesley was crossing the Atlantic Ocean, his ship encountered a great storm. He was reading in his cabin when he learned that the winds were knocking the ship off course, so he responded in prayer. Adam Clark, a colleague, heard the prayer and recorded it: 'Almighty God, thou hast sway everywhere, and all things serve the purpose of thy will...Command these winds and waves that they should obey thee, and take us speedily and safely to the haven whither we would go.' Wesley stood up from his knees, took up his book, and continued to read. Adam Clark went on deck where he found calm winds and the ship on course. But Wesley made no remark about the answered prayer. Clark wrote, 'So fully did he expect to be heard that he took it for granted that he was heard.'

Boldness in prayer is an uncomfortable thought for many. Pounding on the door of the Most High? Wrestling with God? Is such prayer irreverent? Presumptuous? It would be, had God not invited us to: 'Come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need' (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).

Are you in a 'time of need'? 'Come boldly to the throne of grace,' believing God to answer your prayer and move on your behalf.

Something powerful happens when we vocalise God's word: 'What you say can mean life or death' (Proverbs 18:21 NCV). Sometimes you have to say it like you believe it! Jesus literally spoke to the wind and the waves, right? He rebuked storms, demons, fevers. He even told us to tell mountains to move (see Mark 11:23)! When you verbalise faith, you give it power.

And, there are some things you should not say. When Jeremiah used his age as an excuse to say no to God's call, the Lord rebuked him: 'Don't say, "I'm too young"' (Jeremiah 1:7 NLT). In other words, don't disqualify yourself if God has called you! Instead, speak life-giving, faith-filled, grace-laced words.

Mark Batterson says: 'There are some things I refuse to say because it gives them power. I call it my "Say Not" list. What words need to go on your "Say Not" list? I'm not just talking about four-letter words. Jesus said we'd give account for every idle word. The word idle means unemployed. An idle word is a useless, worthless word - a word that doesn't accomplish anything. Jesus also said in Matthew 12:34, "For from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks," so our words are x-rays of what's on the inside. That's where the battle is won or lost. If we want our words to reflect his word, that's where we've got to drop anchor. And when we do, the mind of Christ becomes our mindset too.'

Jericho represented the greatest stronghold in Canaan, and it had to be conquered before Israel could move in and possess the land. So God told Joshua and his men to march around its walls once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. On the seventh day, 'Joshua said to the people: "Shout, for the Lord has given you the city"' (Joshua 6:16 NKJV)!

Is there a stronghold in your life? Are you discouraged, thinking you've been battling for a long time with no sign of victory? It may have seemed that way to the Hebrews too. Notice that God told Joshua the walls would fall down on the seventh day, but Joshua didn't tell the people until then. They just had to keep walking. And the Lord doesn't tell us everything either! Through the pen of Paul, he urges us to 'be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord' (1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV). So keep walking, keep praying and keep believing. For all you know, this may be the day when the walls of your Jericho come down. You may be only steps away from a moment like this: 'And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then...they took the city' (Joshua 6:20 NKJV). The very walls that kept them out became stepping stones to victory.

So keep marching and believing. Defeat your strongholds with the spiritual weapons of worship: Scripture and prayer. It's just a matter of time before your Jericho comes down.

Les Goldberg's friends thought he was crazy when he cashed in his personal investments to buy a home to lease for the homeless. A retired engineer, Les felt it was the only decision he could make. He spends a minimum of one hour each day with his homeless friends and has helped renovate several properties on their behalf. In all his efforts, Goldberg never regarded the homeless as irresponsible or unreliable; he only saw them as people. Hurting people! He figured the house he purchased could be used as both a temporary shelter and a drop-in centre - a place where homeless people might pick up post, make phone calls, follow up job leads and receive donated commodities. Four homeless men live at the house, paying minimal rent to offset expenses. House rules are strict: no alcohol, no drugs, no loitering. Goldberg has never been rich. For twenty years he ran his own small business designing and installing fire sprinklers. He simply was a man who saw an unmet need and found a way to help meet it.

Mother Teresa said: 'We cannot all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.' Jesus put it this way: 'If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded' (Matthew 10:42 NLT).

As you go through your day, keep your heart open and ask God to make you a solution to someone else's problem. When you do, 'You will surely be rewarded.'

Nothing is more gratifying than knowing one's purpose - even when opposition seems unbearable and other distractions threaten to overshadow it. Often when people say they don't have a passion for anything, they mean they don't have faith to believe they could actually do what they really desire in their hearts.

Jesus refused to let anyone pull him away from his purpose. 'Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you"' (Luke 12:13-14 NIV)? In essence, Jesus was saying, 'I'm not about to get distracted by conducting an arbitration hearing between you two. That's not part of my purpose for being here on earth.' Even up to the day that Jesus gave his life on the cross, there were many sick people needing healing and a myriad of other impossible situations that needed his attention. He knew that through the power of his death and resurrection, all could be addressed.

So, despite unresolved problems, Jesus confidently gave his heavenly Father this report on his ministry: 'I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do' (John 17:4 NLT). He refused to let his disciples, Satan, well-meaning family members, needy people or anyone else distract him from his purpose. And you must learn to do that too. This raises the question: can you state your God-given purpose in a single sentence? Are you pursuing it?

Jesus said, 'Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over' (Luke 6:38 NKJV). Notice, he didn't say, 'Only give to those who can give back to you.' John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim's Progress, said, 'You haven't lived today until you've done something for someone who can never repay you.'

In the days of Jesus, a Roman soldier could legally force a Jewish civilian to carry his heavy backpack for up to a mile. That was his right, and you refused to do so at your peril. So to walk the first mile was to do only what was required. Then Jesus came along and said, 'If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two' (Matthew 5:41 NIV). Why? Because 'extra-mile service' gives you an opportunity to impact the lives of others. A person with an extra-mile attitude is someone who cares more than others think is wise, risks more than others think is safe, dreams more than others think is practical, believes more than others think is possible, and gives more than others think is necessary.

Here's how Jesus bottom-lines it: 'If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to their friends. So you must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect' (Matthew 5:46-48 NCV). So always do more than is expected.