The Word For Today

When you face a crisis it's easy to lose perspective. It happened to two of Jesus' disciples on the Emmaus Road. Discouraged about Jesus' death, they 'were talking to each other about everything that had happened. While they were talking, Jesus approached them and began walking with them. Although they saw him, they didn't recognise him' (Luke 24:14-16 GWT). When you take your eyes off Jesus, you start to feel helpless about your situation.

Dr Michael Youssef says: 'Facing a major crisis, I tend to be the kind of person whose vision becomes blurred. My perceptions are shot. My contemplations are one-sided. I often shut out the very people who can deliver me, just like those two disciples...Their vision was blurred about the person who was walking with them and talking to them. The one whose death they were mourning was alive...but they didn't realise it because their focus was on the wrong thing.' But everything changed the minute they recognised Jesus. 'Within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There...the two...told...how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along...and how they had recognised him as he was breaking the bread' (Luke 24:33-35 NLT). Note the words 'within the hour'. In an instant they went from fear to courage, pain to joy and despair to hope.

Paul wrote, 'I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened' (Ephesians 1:18 NIV). When you stop focusing on the problem and fix your eyes on Jesus, you get 20/20 vision and you're filled with hope.

Satan is called 'the accuser of our brethren' (Revelation 12:10 NKJV) because he tries to remind us of everything we've done wrong. Why? So that all our emotional energy is spent on the past, and we've nothing left over to dream God-sized dreams or fulfil our God-given assignment in life. The irony of his accusations is this: he leaves our unconfessed sins alone. Why wake a sleeping dog? He'd rather you don't deal with unconfessed sin at all. His accusations pinpoint confessed sin - sins that have already been forgiven. That is why they are false accusations; the sins have already been acquitted.

Let's make a critical distinction. Condemnation is feeling guilty over confessed sin, whereas conviction is feeling guilty over unconfessed sin. Conviction is the way we get right with God and get on with our lives. Learn to tune in to the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit and tune out the condemning voice of the enemy.

The Bible says: 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (1 John 1:9 NKJV). If we plead innocent, we're guilty as charged. Even Jesus our advocate can't come to our defence. But if we plead guilty as charged, we're found innocent, and we come under God's protective custody. Our record of wrong is completely expunged. And there is no double jeopardy - you cannot be tried twice for the same sin. Once confessed, your sins are forgiven, full stop. The sinless Son of God made sure of this, once and for all (see 1 John 3:5).

When Moses sent Caleb to spy out the Promised Land, Caleb saw something that troubled him: the town of Hebron. Abraham buried his wife there. He was buried there. So were Isaac and Jacob. Hebron was a sacred site. Now it was inhabited by their enemies, and it bothered Caleb. It was more than he could take, so he asked Moses for Hebron. He didn't ask for Jerusalem, perched on Mount Moriah; or the Valley of Eschol, where grapes grew as large as plums; or Jericho, where the Jordan River flowed. He wanted Hebron, whose soil had known the visitation of angels and whose earth entombed the holiest family. 'Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb' (Joshua 14:13 NKJV). Caleb wanted to do something great for God. He lived with a higher call. Perhaps the reason your problems feel so great is that your call is too small.

Author Max Lucado tells of a doctor friend who makes regular medical trips to a remote jungle clinic to treat the disadvantaged. He's a retired surgeon with ample income. He could spend every day of his life in ease and luxury. But he focuses on supporting the health clinic for his own good: 'I need a cause that is greater than cable TV and Cadillacs,' he said. 'If I focus on my comfort, nothing can satisfy me. But when I focus on the concerns of God, I am a happy man.'

Do you have a holy cause? A faith worth preserving? A mission worth living for? Ask God to give you a 'Hebron' to claim for his glory.

There is a little phrase repeated 436 times in the Bible: 'It came to pass.' Whatever trial you are going through today, remind yourself, 'It came to pass - not stay.' If the fulfilment of the vision God has given you seems to be taking longer than you thought, remind yourself 'it will come to pass'!

In his biography, God in My Corner, two-time world heavyweight champion George Foreman tells a story of an elderly woman who was asked her favourite Scripture verse. She replied: 'And it came to pass.' She explained why: 'I know that whenever a trial comes, it doesn't come to stay; it comes - to pass.' And the Scripture on the flip side of this coin reads: 'Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion' (Philippians 1:6 NIV). In other words, he will bring it to pass! Either way, God always finishes what he starts. 'The vision is yet for an appointed time...Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come [to pass]' (Habakkuk 2:3 NKJV).

Battling an illness that threatened his life, and enemies who wanted to take his throne, David turned to the Lord for help. And God didn't disappoint him. Read these two Scriptures and stand on them: 'Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning' (Psalm 30:5 NLT). 'You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever' (Psalm 30:11-12 NLT)!

Nearly all key relationships in your life can be broken down into three broad categories: confidants, constituents and comrades. Let's look at each...

(1) Confidants. These are the people whose relationships with you are lifelong. They love you unconditionally, stand by you and have your back in good times and bad. Your best interest is their number-one priority. They never seek to use what they know about you for their own gain or throw your secrets back in your face. Paul said concerning Timothy: 'I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character' (Philippians 2:20-22 NKJV). (2) Constituents. These people share the same goals, values and principles as you, but they aren't always there for you. But having constituents in your life is important. They contribute energy, passion and enthusiasm. And you can work with them to accomplish common goals and build bridges. Just be sure not to expect constituents to have the loyalty of confidants. They are with you for a reason and a season, and then they move on. (3) Comrades. These are people who are attracted to you because of what they are against. They may not get to know you, or even like you, but on the field of battle, they join you as soldiers to defeat a common enemy. Once the fight is over, the relationship ends or at least cools. Your only bond is your common enemy.

So get to know who's in your life: confidants, constituents and comrades.

More than a hundred years ago, William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said, 'The chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, Heaven without hell.' That's as true now as it was then.

Paul exhorted the leaders of the Ephesian church to declare, 'The whole plan of God' (Acts 20:27 GWT). He said: 'Look after yourselves and everyone the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be like shepherds to God's church. It is the flock he bought with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I am gone, others will come like fierce wolves to attack you. Some of your own people will tell lies to win over the Lord's followers. Be on your guard! Remember how...I kept warning you with tears in my eyes' (Acts 20:28-31 CEV).

On the eve of Paul's execution, he passed the baton to his successor Timothy with these words: 'Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine...they will turn their ears away from the truth, and turn aside to myths...keep your head in all situations...duties of your ministry' (2 Timothy 4:2-5 NIV).