‘Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.’ Psalm 30:5 NLT

It’s hard when you work all day then come home to an empty house and sleep with your arms wrapped around a pillow, wishing you had someone to hold. No matter how much you try to cover it up, nothing can hide that kind of loneliness. It’s the pain of having so much to share and nobody to share it with. But God knows your plight, and He cares. It’s why He made Eve for Adam, found Boaz for Ruth, and Rebekah for Isaac. It’s why His Word deals with real-life issues like sexual frustration, loneliness, failure, and lack of self-worth. Natural voids and thirsts exist within all of us, and how we fill them determines our ability to survive and find happiness. If you’re struggling on your own to face the challenges of life, you need to know that you’re not alone! ‘The God of all comfort’ is with you. (2 Corinthians 1:3 KJV)

No one understands like Jesus. His family rejected Him, His disciples abandoned Him, and the world crucified Him. That’s why the Bible says He’s ‘touched with the feeling of our infirmities’ and was ‘in all points tempted… as we are.’ (Hebrews 4:15 KJV) He knows when you feel like nothing you do is ever good enough. He knows that as well as being a parent, you’re a person. He knows, He understands, and He invites you to come to Him.

The season you’re in right now won’t last forever. A new one is coming, with new energy, new relationships, new experiences, and new joy. Until then remember: ‘Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.’ Your joy will return!

SoulFood: Lev 23:33–44, John 7:1–40, Zech 14:16–21, Heb 11:8–16

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘God, give me strength just one more time!’ Judges 16:28 GWT

In prison Sampson prayed: ‘Please strengthen me one more time… Then Samson pushed against the pillars with all his might… And the temple crashed down upon the Philistine leaders and all the people. So those he killed at the moment of his death were more than those he had killed during his entire lifetime.’ (Judges 16:28–30 TLB)

How did Samson end up in this prison? Delilah! The Bible says, ‘She nagged at him every day.’ (Judges 16:16TLB) Satan is persistent, and he waits to catch you in an unguarded moment. That’s why there are certain doors in life you should never open. If you feed the wrong appetite [desire] for a day, you can end up struggling with it for a lifetime.

Perhaps you have seen the poster that says: ‘Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.’

The good news is, Samson remembered God! And it’s a wonderful day when you remember God and reach again for Him. Notice that Samson’s greatest victory was recorded in the final chapter of his life after he’d turned back to God. In fact, he is named among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. Regardless of where you are today or what shape you’re in, turn to God. He will help you make a comeback. It’s not too late for you.

SoulFood: Exo 22-24, Luke 13:18-35, Ps 136:1-12, Pro 6:30-31

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2023

‘He went out, not knowing where he was going.’ Hebrews 11:8 NKJV

The Bible tells us, ‘By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.’ For the next few days let’s look at some things you should expect on your life’s journey.

(1) Opportunities and opposition. Paul wrote, ‘A great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’ (1 Corinthians 16:9 NKJV) Indeed, if you don’t encounter obstacles and opposition, you should pray and ask God if you’re on the right track. The size of your God-given assignment usually determines the magnitude of the attack. But here’s the good news: attack is a sign of respect. It means the enemy considers you a high-value target and a threat to his plans.

(2) Setbacks meant to derail you. ‘A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.’ (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV) Who is Solomon describing? ‘A righteous man.’ How often does he fall and get back up? ‘Seven times.’

Failing doesn’t make you a failure—but giving up does, not learning from it does, refusing to change your methods does, refusing to take advice does, refusing to try again does! If sin caused you to stumble, repent and renounce it, then get back on track. If you fell because you’re trying something new and unfamiliar, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, draw on God’s grace, resolve to do better, and keep moving forward.

To quote Dr John Maxwell: ‘Fail early, fail often—and always fail forward!’

SoulFood: 1 Sam 18:1–20:29, Luke 24:13–24, Ps 68:19–35, Pr 22:6

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ Psalm 27:1 NKJV

There’s an old saying, ‘Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.’ It exaggerates the problem, and as a result, you waste valuable energy in ways you shouldn’t. For example, sometimes you avoid things that can’t really harm you at all.

Like the man who returned to his holiday cabin from a hike, badly scratched and bruised. ‘What happened?’ his wife asked.

‘I met a snake on the trail,’ he answered.

‘Don’t you remember,’ his wife responded, ‘the park ranger told us yesterday that none of the snakes up here are poisonous?’

Her husband replied, ‘They don’t have to be poisonous if they can make you jump off a seven-metre cliff!’ Clearly the man’s fear—not the snake—was the problem.

Charles Spurgeon once said, ‘Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strengths.’ As long as you allow fear to take the wheel, you’ll never go where God wants to take you, or discover and develop the talents He has placed within you. And here’s the great thing: God will help you to confront and conquer the fears that are controlling you.

David the giant slayer, author of Psalms and Israel’s beloved king, often found himself with his back to the wall. Writing about such an occasion he said, ‘Make haste to help me, O Lord.’ (Psalm 38:22 NKJV) ‘Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me.’ (Psalm 40:13 NKJV) But David knew who to turn to: ‘The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’

When God is the source of your strength, you can face your worst fears and overcome them.

SoulFood: Job 21–23, Matt 24:15–25, Ps 116:12–19, Pr 8:10–13

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Examine and see how good the Lord is. Happy is the person who trusts Him.’ Psalm 34:8 NCV

The psalmist said, ‘Examine and see how good the Lord is.’ Pay particular attention to the words ‘examine’ and ‘good’. What you believe about God manifests itself in the way you live. What does it mean to be ‘good’? It means living up to the best you know. And since God is omniscient (all-knowing), He knows what your best is!

His goodness is beyond all question. Because God is good—not nice nor tolerant, but really, practically, consistently good—your cup of well-being, security, peace, confidence and joy can be overflowing! A good God cannot break His promise, abandon His children, or fail to love and bless them. You can be sure that in every circumstance He will treat you in the best possible way. When your life seems to be falling apart, sometimes it’s difficult to see God’s goodness or feel that things will get better. That’s when you must use the faith God has already given you, and by an act of your will, trust Him (see Romans 12:3).

A wise pastor was asked by a troubled church-goer, ‘Pastor, does the world look like a wreck to you too?’

He replied, ‘Yes, like the wreck of a bursting seed!’

Without going through the ‘wreck’ stage, during which its world literally falls apart, the acorn could never give life to an oak tree. So embrace God’s will in this trial because it’s ‘good, acceptable and perfect’ (Romans 12:2 ESV), regardless of how it feels to you right now. Ultimately, you’ll ‘see how good the Lord is. Happy is the person who trusts in Him’!

SoulFood: 2 Chr 12–15, John 12:20–36, Ps 102:12–17, Pro 27:10–12

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘…they made Him a supper; Martha served…Lazarus…sat at the table with Him.’ John 12:2 NKJV

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, we read: ‘a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour.’ (John 12:2 NIV) Martha served, Mary was there too, Lazarus talked to the guests. So, there’s room at God’s table for all kinds of people. Let’s take a closer look at Martha. Marthas are generally in the background with their sleeves rolled up, making sure everybody’s fed and watered. They rarely seek the spotlight, and often we don’t appreciate them until they’re missing. The problem with Marthas is that they’re inclined to make the mission more important than the Master. They need to remember that worship is also service. Marys tend to forget there are bills to be paid and meals to be cooked. Sometimes they act so heavenly-minded, they’re no earthly use. They need to realise that service is worship too. But we need Marys; they bring passion to our worship, and you can always count on them to intercede [pray] with God on behalf of others. ‘…they flocked to see… the man Jesus had raised from the dead… because of him… many… believed in Jesus.’ (John 12:9–11 NLT) Lazarus had a story so amazing that those who heard it became instant converts. He reminds us that we each have a story to share about God’s grace and mercy. When was the last time you shared yours?

So, if you’re a Martha, God sees your labour of love. If you’re a Mary, He delights in your worship. If you’re a Lazarus, He promises to honour your testimony. There’s a place at the table for all of us!

SoulFood: Judg 4–6, Luke 15:1–10, Ps 119:97–104, Pro 18:9

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘If anyone does sin, we have an advocate.’ 1 John 2:1 NLT

The moon and stars you can see on a clear night are mere drops in the vast sea of the universe. Our sun is one of more than 100 billion stars that make up the Milky Way galaxy. And there may be as many as 100 billion other galaxies—billions of which may have hundreds of millions of planets like ours. The Hubble Space Telescope relays images of galaxies as far away as thirteen billion light years—that’s thirteen billion times nine trillion kilometres! And all this was created because God proclaimed: ‘Let there be…’ (see Genesis 1). But here’s something even more amazing: the One who created it all loves you and cares about every detail of your life. When you are weak, He is strong. When you blow it, He forgives you.

The Bible says, ‘If anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One who is truly righteous. He Himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins.’ (1 John 2:1–2 NLT) God’s grace is truly amazing, and you don’t have to do anything to deserve it. Because God is your Father, you can call home anytime and find a welcome. You’re ‘connected’ to the One who ‘understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.’ (Hebrews 4:15–16 NLT) You’re connected to unending mercy and grace—how awesome is that?

SoulFood: Dan 3–4, Mark 2:18–22, Ps 130, Pr 10:12

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts.’ 2 Timothy 2:22 NLT

The Bible sets the scene for us: ‘“You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are! My bed is spread with… coloured sheets of Egyptian linen… Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses, for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip… and won’t return until later this month”… He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter… like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart… like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.’ (Proverbs 7:15–23 NLT)

In some societies today they call such liaisons ‘friends with benefits’. But this Scripture shows sexual temptation isn’t new or unique to our generation. There has always been the strong temptation to try and have all the benefits of sexual intimacy without a shred of commitment or concern for the other person’s well-being. But experts can document a growing mountain of evidence that this always ends the same way: with guilt, depression, and devastated lives.

Solomon pleads: ‘Listen to me… pay attention to my words. Don’t let your hearts stray away towards her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.’ (Proverbs 7:24–27 NLT)

In other words: remove yourself from harm’s way before you get in over your head!

SoulFood: Lam 3:40–5:22, Luke 17:1–10, Ps 119:129–136, Pr 18:21

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.’ James 5:16 NKJV

The Bible says: ‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.’ (James 5:16–17 NKJV) There are two words in this portion of Scripture that you need to pay particular attention to:

(1) ‘Fervent’. This describes the intense heat you get from a blazing fire. The Amplified Bible puts it like this: ‘The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].’ If you’re not careful, you can fall into the trap of thinking you have to ‘work up’ strong emotions before you pray or while you’re praying, in order for your prayers to be heard and answered. Not so! Your feelings may move you, but only your faith will move God. The Bible says, ‘Anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.’ (Hebrews 11:6 NIV) Just because you felt God’s presence in a special way yesterday when you prayed, and you don’t today, doesn’t mean your prayers aren’t being heard and won’t be answered.

(2) ‘Righteous’. Elijah was a righteous man, but he certainly wasn’t a perfect man. Yes, his prayers were effective. But he was also given to bouts of fear and deep depression. Here’s the key: because you are clothed in Christ’s righteousness you’re always worthy and acceptable before God, therefore you can be confident your prayers will be heard and answered (see Romans 5:17). Knowing that, you can pray effectively.

SoulFood: 2 Tim 1–4, John 21:15–25, Ps 47, Pro 31:6–9

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©

‘Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…’ Zechariah 4:10 NLT

Have you heard about the butterfly effect? In physics, it describes how tiny changes in initial conditions (such as the presence of a small cloud) can affect weather thousands of kilometres away. Imagine—one cloud can alter weather patterns on another island! What can you learn from this? You may feel insignificant at times, fragile and all alone. It may seem like you’re the only one standing alone for truth and honesty in your workplace or in your home. You say, ‘What can I do in the face of a problem this big?’ More than you think! Your faith, your words, your deeds, your prayers, your example, your kindness and persistence can release the power of God and activate the forces of Heaven to go to work in that situation. God loves to use things that we consider to be insignificant, like Moses’ rod which parted the Red Sea, or David’s slingshot that brought down a giant, or a boy’s lunch that fed a multitude. You can start something that will influence lives around you for all eternity. Jesus said, ‘If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’ (Matthew 17:20 NKJV) It’s not about the size of the seed you sow, but about the God Who can make it grow. It’s not about the prayer you pray but about the greatness of One Who answers prayer.

SoulFood: 1 Chr 17:1–20, Heb 11:4–12:3, Ps 18:20–29, Pro 4:18

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©