The Word For Today

Job the patriarch said: 'For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night...while slumbering on their beds, then he opens the ears of men' (Job 33:14-16 NKJV). A dream can be an important message from God or an answer to your prayer.

God gave Paul a dream in which a man from Macedonia appeared to him saying, 'Come over and help us' (see Acts 16:9). And Paul went there and preached the gospel. Solomon's reign as king of Israel begins with these words: 'At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask! What shall I give you?"' (1 Kings 3:5 NKJV). Solomon asked God for great wisdom, and God gave him wisdom, honour and riches.

Would God still speak to us in dreams today? Yes. He says: 'I am the Lord, I do not change' (Malachi 3:6 NKJV). The Hebrew word for dream is 'chalom'. It has five meanings: (1) 'To bind firmly.' This pictures you being wrapped securely in God's love. (2) 'To be or make plump.' In the Bible, fatness or plumpness is a picture of health, well-being and prosperity. (3) 'A sense of dumbness.' When God gives you a dream, he is sharing with you information about things of which you are ignorant. (4) 'To be in good liking.' When God gives you a dream, he is showing favour towards you. (5) 'To recover.' When God gives you a dream, he is working on restoring what you have lost. So, ask God for a dream.

Just before he was arrested and taken to the cross, Jesus prayed: '[Father], I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them' (John 17:26 NIV).

When it comes to recognising and responding to God's presence in our lives, Christian author, John Ortberg, says he lives by these twelve truths: God is always present and active in my life, whether or not I see him. (2) Coming to recognise and experience God's presence is learned behaviour; I can cultivate it. (3) My task is to meet God in this moment. (4) I'm always tempted to live 'outside' this moment. When I do that, I lose my sense of God's presence. (5) Sometimes God seems far away for reasons I don't understand. Those moments, too, are opportunities to learn. (6) Whenever I fail, I can always start again right away. (7) No one knows the full extent to which a human being can experience God's presence. (8) My desire for God ebbs and flows, but his desire for me is constant. (9) Every thought carries a 'spiritual charge' that moves me a little closer to or a little further from God. (10) Every aspect of my life, work, relationships, hobbies, errands - is of interest to God. (11) My path to experiencing God's presence will not look quite like someone else's. (12) Straining and trying too hard do not help.

So, the word for today is - God is working in you, with you and through you!

Whatever you keep doing becomes a habit. That's why James says, 'do not complain' (James 5:9 NCV). Author Jon Gordon says, 'A complaining fast won't just make everyone around you happier...you'll experience more joy, peace, success and positive relationships.'

Instead of complaining: (1) Practise gratitude. Giving thanks for three blessings every day energises you and makes you feel happier. It's impossible to be grateful and negative at the same time. (2) Encourage others. Instead of complaining about what people do wrong, focus on what they're doing right. 'Encourage the people who are afraid. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone' (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NCV). Overbalance criticism with more praise. (3) Focus on your success. Every night, write down something great about your day. It could be an uplifting conversation...or an accomplishment you're proud of. There's an old saying, 'Nothing succeeds like success.' When you focus on success you set the stage for more to follow. (4) Learn to let go. Stop obsessing about what you can't change; focus on what you can influence. When you stop trying to control everything and place your life in God's hands, things have a way of working out. (5) Use the power of prayer. Paul says, 'Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.' (Ephesians 6:18 NIV). Prayer reduces stress, boosts positive energy and promotes health. When under pressure, instead of complaining, plug in to God's power to recharge your batteries.

She lived in Samaria, had been married five times, and was now living with a man who was not her husband. Maybe gossipers wagged their tongues about her. How else would you explain her midday appearance at the well? Other women fill their buckets at sunrise, but this woman opted for noon, preferring the heat of the sun over the heat of their scorn. Were it not for the appearance of a stranger, her story would not have changed.

Jesus entered her life with a promise of living water that would quench the thirst of her soul. He wasn't put off by her past. He told her: '"Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst"...The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came to him...And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did"' (John 4:13-15, 28-39 NKJV).

Those around this woman wrote her off, but Jesus saw her and offered her eternal satisfaction, hope and life. And what he did for her, he will do for you.

In her book A Slow and Certain Light, Elisabeth Elliott wrote: 'When I lived in the Forest of Ecuador, I usually travelled on foot...Trails often led through streams and rivers which we had to wade, but sometimes there was a log high above the water which we had to cross. I dreaded those logs and was always tempted to take the steep, hard way down into the ravine and up the other side. But the [local guides] would say, "Just walk across, senorita," and over they would go, light-footed and confident. I was barefoot as they were, but it was not enough. On the log, I couldn't keep from looking down at the river below. I feared I would slip. I had never been any good at balancing myself...so my guide would stretch out a hand, and the touch of it was all I needed. I stopped worrying about slipping. I stopped looking down at the river or even the log and looked at the guide, who held my hand with only the slightest touch. When I reached the other side, I realised that if I had slipped, he would have held me. His being there, and his touch, were all I needed.'

That's all you need too: to experience God's presence and feel his touch. Daniel wrote: 'The one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said..."Beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me"' (Daniel 10:18-19 NKJV).

One of Satan's tactics is to take us from one extreme to the other - from laziness to workaholism. Understanding the difference between being a hard worker versus a workaholic is key. Hard workers have the wisdom to set limits on how much they will do in the course of a day.

In her book 30 Days to a Stronger, More Confident You, Deborah Smith Pegues wrote: 'I was in denial about my propensity towards workaholism until I realised that I had too many of the tell-tale symptoms: I worked late the majority of the time. Most of my conversations revolved around the issues at the office. I rarely took lunch breaks. I was always multitasking; I rarely performed any task single-mindedly. If I talked on the phone, I would also use the time to tidy the house. If I watched television, I also organised papers, and on and on it went. When I tried relaxing, I would think of all the things I should be doing. My to-do list had more items on it than I could possibly achieve during a single day. I was a slave to my overcommitted calendar; I left little or no downtime. Everybody seemed to move too slowly. I was always rushing to the next appointment. I looked forward to the accolades I received for performing well. I found little time to nurture my friendships...Today, I try to engage only in those activities I feel are part of God's plan for my life.'

Jesus said to his hard-working disciples: 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest' (Mark 6:31 NIV). Is the Lord saying the same to you?