‘In all things at all times, having all that you need.’ 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV

Let’s begin by saying it again: what you believe about God and your money will determine what you believe Him for. If the reason you want more is to ‘keep up with the Joneses’, or brag about what you own, don’t expect God to bless your plans.

The Bible says, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.’ (James 4:6 NIV) Humility says, ‘Lord, everything I have is a gift from You. And everything I’ll ever need comes from You.’

Before you ask God for more money, you must know that your heart motive is right. And when you know it is, you can stand on this Scripture: ‘Whoever sows sparingly will… reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will… reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.’ (2 Corinthians 9:6–11 NIV)

Who does God give seed to? Sowers—not hoarders. When does God multiply your seed? When you sow it to fulfil His purposes.

SoulFood: Heb 11:17–13:25, Mark 10:1–12, Ps 88:1–9a, Pr 11:24–26

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

‘Whoever heeds correction is honoured.’ Proverbs 13:18 NIV

When someone corrects you, be teachable and not unreachable. ‘Let every man be quick to listen but slow to use his tongue, and slow to lose his temper.’ (James 1:19 PHPS) If you do the first 2 things, the 3rd one naturally falls into place. If you are quick to listen and slow to answer back, you’re going to be slow to lose your temper.

‘Whoever heeds correction is honoured.’ So use your ears more than your mouth, and be willing to accept correction. The wisest people have a ‘teach me’ attitude and are willing to learn from others. You can learn from anyone, if you just know the right questions to ask. It is important that you never stop asking questions, because the moment you’re through learning in life, you’re through! Full stop!

Be teachable, not unreachable. Husband, can you learn from your wife, or does that threaten you? When she makes a suggestion, do you get defensive? Do you take every comment as a threat to your manhood? Wife, can you learn from your husband? Parent, can you learn from your children? If you want to end up lonely in life, never admit your mistakes, never learn from anyone, and never let anyone teach you anything. How long has it been since you admitted to your spouse, ‘Honey, I was wrong; it was my fault’? Some people haven’t said that in years.

The Bible says, ‘Humbly accept the word planted in you.’ (James 1:21 NIV) The word ‘humble’ here means ‘gentle’. When you approach God’s Word, you ought to approach it with a gentle, or humble, attitude that says, ‘Lord, I’m willing to be taught.’

SoulFood: Isa 53-57, Luke 3:21-38, Ps 84, Pro 2:16-19

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

‘My cup runs over.’ Psalm 2 3:5 NKJV

David said: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over’ (Psalm 23:4-5 NKJV). Notice God didn’t promise that you wouldn’t have to deal with death, fear, evil, or enemies. He simply said that in spite of them, and sometimes in the midst of them, your cup will still overflow with His blessing. Your God is a God of surplus. Paul writes, ‘God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others’ (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT). ‘Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ (Romans 15:13 CSB). He also provides a surplus of peace. He gives ‘the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding’ (Philippians 4:7 NKJV). So when you’re struggling to make ends meet, or you fear the future, look in the mirror and say, ‘God is my source; I have more than enough; my cup overflows.’ And don’t just do that in times of need or crisis; make it a habit you practise every day.

SoulFood: 2 Kings 1:1 – 4:17, Matt 22:15-33, Ps 106:24-48, Pro 7:3-5

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2024

‘He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others.’ 1 Corinthians 12:25 CEV

When it comes to finding a church home, you have plenty of options. Traditional, contemporary, you name it—you can probably find it! But your individual place in the Body of Christ is another matter entirely; that’s not determined by you, but by God.

The Bible says, ‘By one Spirit we are all baptised into one body.’ (1 Corinthians 12:13 NKJV) When you accept Jesus as your Saviour you become a member of His redeemed family and a ‘miracle of placement’ takes place in you. It isn’t a choice you get to make; it’s God’s choice—and it determines your spiritual identity.

Paul says: ‘By one Spirit we were all baptised into one body. Whether we are Jewish or Greek, slave or free, God gave all of us one Spirit.’ (1 Corinthians 12:13 GWT) That means anybody anywhere in the world who names Jesus as their Saviour and Lord is more connected to you than your hand is to your wrist. And you have a role to play in relation to each and every one of them. God not only placed you in His Body, He determined your unique role when He arranged ‘the parts… just as He wanted them to be.’ (1 Corinthians 12:18 NIV) He also gave you certain ‘gifts’, and He expects you to use them to fulfil His purposes (see Romans 12:6–8). When you ask God to show you your gifts, He will. And when He does, you must take every opportunity to use them for His glory.

SoulFood: Ezek 46–48, Luke 21:25–38, Ps 78:40–55, Pr 20:22–24

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

‘Pray for those who spitefully use you.’ Luke 6:28 NKJV

Night after night, Mary was beaten by her father when he came home from the pub in a drunken rage. So the first chance she got, she left home. Given time, most physical scars begin to heal, but emotional scars can last a lifetime. They can keep you stuck in the pain of the past and cost you valuable relationships. Even the people who love you can grow weary and despair that you’ll ever get better despite their efforts to help you. Do you know someone like that? Are you that someone? Do you want to move towards healing and find joy? You can.

Mary found it when she decided to forgive her dad and start praying for him. That’s when she started to become spiritually and emotionally whole. And she kept on forgiving him and praying for him until her old memories no longer held her prisoner. Jesus said, ‘Pray for those who spitefully use you.’ The word ‘spiteful’ implies you did nothing to cause or deserve it, that your offender hurt you for reasons you may never understand. That’s why Jesus prayed on the cross, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ (Luke 23:34 NKJV) That doesn’t let your offender off the hook. They will live with the guilt of what they did, and unless they turn to God for forgiveness they’ll have no peace.

But you will have peace! When you decide to forgive someone and pray for them, you take back your power and reclaim your life.

SoulFood: 1 Chron 6:1–7:19, John 8:21–30, Ps 86, Pr 25:8–12

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

‘Ill-gotten gains do not benefit.’ Proverbs 10:2 NASB

In order to be blessed on the job, you must practise this: honesty. It’s unwise to steal, even if you’re never caught. ‘Ill-gotten gains do not benefit.’ You may steal and get away with it, but you won’t benefit by it. ‘Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles.’ (Proverbs 13:11 NASB) You can’t do the wrong thing and finish up with the right result. Not only will you have trouble, you will bring trouble on those who love you and depend on you. ‘He who profits illicitly troubles his own house.’ (Proverbs 15:27 NASB)

Think about it: you could lose your job, damage your reputation, be humiliated, face costs and legal consequences your whole family pays for, and end up in shame, all of which will negatively affect your children. Your spouse deserves an honest partner. Your children deserve an honest role model, confident that the path you walk is safe for them to follow. Australian journalist Caroline James says that workplace theft costs Australian businesses about $1.5 billion a year and many people said they feel justified in doing so.

They rationalised it by saying: ‘Everybody’s doing it, why shouldn’t I… The boss can afford it, they won’t miss it… It’s only small stuff, it won’t make any difference… The company owes me, and I’m just taking what’s mine… I deserve it, I’ve worked hard and never been acknowledged.’ What does God have to say about this? ‘The wicked earns deceptive wages.’ (Proverbs 11:18 NASB) When you deceive your employer, the Bible says you are ‘wicked’. Of all people, employers and customers should be able to trust a follower of Christ to be honest, earn their wages, and provide quality service.

SoulFood: Judg 9:34 – 11:40, Mark 7:14-23, Ps 119:113-120, Pro 20:25, Ecc 5:4-6

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

‘For you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ Galatians 3:28 NLT

If you limit yourself only to people who think exactly like you, you’ll never grow personally or accomplish what God has in mind for you. You need people who have 20/20 vision where you have blind spots. The way to offset your weak areas is by being able to work with people who are strong in those areas. Instead of looking for those who conform to your opinions, you need someone who loves you enough to challenge your opinions from time to time. Why? Because you still have a lot of learning and growing to do!

Think of the people Jesus picked. Luke was a doctor, and Peter and John were fishermen. If you prided yourself on your image, which would you have picked? But Jesus needed them all to accomplish His mission. He knew we need people who complement us, not duplicate us. It is estimated that even if you had the genius of Einstein, you’d still know less than one per cent of all there is to know. And if you were mega-talented, you’d only be able to achieve less than 1% of what can be achieved. Yes, we need harmony, but there’s a difference between harmony and unison. In harmony, different notes are sung or played together to form a rich, full sound, unison is just different people singing or playing the same note at the same time. Harmony is far more appealing to the ear. So your relationships should be harmonious without being in clone-like unison. Think about it: you are uniquely different from anyone else. So if you want others to love and accept you, start loving and accepting them. The greatest wisdom is found in diversity, not conformity.

SoulFood: Num 34–36, Mark 5:21–30, Ps 57, Pro 11:14

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

‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.’ Philippians  2:13 NKJ

Remember the childhood game Pin the Tail on the Donkey? Winning in that game was a stab-in-the-dark process. And for many of God’s children, determining His will and purpose for their lives amounts to a similar method. But it doesn’t have to. Here are some Scriptural steps that take the guesswork out of it. 1) Commit yourself to obeying God’s will. Understanding God’s will is impossible until you commit yourself unreservedly to doing it. Any desire to retain your own will blinds you to His. You don’t need a detailed map; it’s a journey of faith. Be confident that God loves you and wants only the best for you, and that when you submit yourself to Him, ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Romans 12:2 KJV). 2) Listen for the Shepherd’s voice and trust it. Jesus doesn’t leave you alone to figure out His will for your life. He is our Good Shepherd, and His ‘And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.’ (John 10:3-4 NKJV). Note the words, recognise his voice. With time and experience, you will learn to know when God is speaking to you. Like Abraham, who submitted to God’s will without knowing where he would be led, you’re called to surrender your will without knowing where He will lead you. God promises wisdom, insight, and understanding not just to the spiritually smart, but to any person who lacks wisdom (see James 1:5-6). So believe that His wisdom is yours!

SoulFood: 1 Kings 21-22, Matt 20:1-16, Ps 66:13-20, Pro 6:23-25

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2024

‘Their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.’ Acts  6:1 NIV

Since the government didn’t care for widows and orphans back in New Testament times, the church took on that responsibility. Unfortunately, bias raised its ugly head, and Jewish widows and orphans were given preferential treatment over Gentile widows and orphans. How did the church leaders respond? They could easily have dismissed it like we so often do. They could have said, ‘We’re called to feed souls, not stomachs. We deal in matters of sin and salvation, not sandals and soup.’ Instead, here is what they did.

First, they called a meeting to resolve the problem (see Acts 6:2). They let every member know that their church took poverty seriously, and they were each personally responsible before God to do something about it. The Scripture doesn’t endorse forced communism, but it clearly teaches Spirit-led volunteerism.

Second, they assigned the problem to their brightest and best. They selected seven men, well respected, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and gave them this responsibility (see Acts 6:3 NLT). Instead of grooming our children for important fields like medicine, law, politics, or government, let’s teach them that caring for the needy is one of God’s highest callings. Why do 10% of the world’s population go to bed hungry each night? Or, 17,000 plus children die every single day (one every five seconds) from malnutrition and preventable diseases when we can do something about it? No one can do everything, but God has called each of us to do something! ‘Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.’ (James 1:27 CSB).

SoulFood: Joel 1-3, Mark 3:1-6, Ps 56, Pro 10:14-16

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2024

‘To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things.’ 1 Corinthians 9:25 TLB

Responsibility requires us to make a living and support our family. But deep down, do you feel you’ve been ‘called’ to do something different? It was when Jesus told His disciples to leave the security of the shore and launch out into the deep, that they landed their greatest catch of fish.

Here’s a modern-day story to encourage you. Jerry Richardson faced an important decision in 1961. In those days he played American football for the Baltimore Colts, a job that was considered glamorous and secure. But when he was turned down for the raise he requested, he felt it was time to take a risk and do what he’d always wanted to do—start his own business. He and his family moved back to South Carolina, where an old college friend invited him to buy into a hamburger stand.

Richardson took the plunge and bought Hardees’ first franchise. He went from catching footballs to flipping hamburgers twelve hours a day. He scrubbed stoves and mopped floors for a lowly student wage. But tired and frustrated as he was, he refused to give up. He employed the same discipline he’d used on the football field to focus on making his restaurant more efficient, his employees the friendliest in town, and his prices affordable. Before long his business boomed. Eventually he went on to head up one of the largest food service companies in the United States, with $5.3 billion a year in sales.

Oh, and one more thing. He also became an owner in the National Football League and established the Carolina Panthers franchise, which he owned for 23 years.

SoulFood: Judges 9:34–11:40, Luke 14:1–14, Ps 119:73–80, Pr 20:25, Ecc 5:4–6

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