‘Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.’ 1 Kings 3:9 NIV

‘The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream…and…said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”’ (1 Kings 3:5 NKJV) Solomon said, ‘Give to Your servant an understanding heart to… discern between good and evil.’ (1 Kings 3:9 NKJV) Next, we read, ‘The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.’ (1 Kings 3:10 NKJV) But God wasn’t finished talking to Solomon: ‘I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honour, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.’ (1 Kings 3:13 NKJV)

Discernment made Solomon one of the greatest kings ever. You have probably heard the saying ‘Go with your gut!’ Management consultant Robert Heller adds this advice: ‘Never ignore a gut feeling, but never believe that it’s enough.’ Discernment doesn’t rely on intuition alone, nor does it rely solely on intellect or experience.

The writer of Proverbs says, ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.’ (Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV) There are two kinds of discernment: natural discernment and spiritual discernment. One can fail you—the other won’t. When natural discernment can’t take you a step further, spiritual discernment enables you to keep going with faith and confidence. How will you recognise the difference? James tells us, ‘The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.’ (James 3:17 NKJV) Can you imagine such a life? The good news is—you can have it!

SoulFood: Neh 8-10, John 18:12-24, Ps 57, Pro 30:24-28

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

‘…Hallowed be Thy name.’ Matthew 6:9 KJV

At the dedication service for their baby boy a young wife told the pastor, ‘My husband wants to name him after his dad, but I want to name him after mine.’ The pastor said, ‘What’s your dad’s name?’ ‘Joseph,’ she replied. ‘What’s your husband’s father’s name?’ he asked. ‘Joseph,’ she replied again. ‘Then what’s the problem?’ The husband replied, ‘Well, her dad’s a criminal and mine’s a Christian. How will people know which one he’s named after?’ The pastor said, ‘That’s easy. Call him Joseph and see which one he turns out to be like. That way everybody will know whose name he carries.’

Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.’ (vv9–10) How do we honour God’s name? By doing His will on earth. Francis of Assisi once took a young companion with him to preach in town. But when they arrived they just chatted with vendors and talked to people on the street. Returning home, he was asked why they hadn’t preached. He replied, ‘People listened; they observed our attitude and behaviour. That was our message.’ Paul writes, ‘…Take care of… business… do your… work… then people who are not believers will respect you…’ (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 NCV) That means ensuring that your walk [what you do] matches your talk [what you say], that you truly care about others, that you’re not cheating on your spouse or your taxes, that you’re paying your bills on time, that you’re honest with your employer. Peter writes, ‘…serve one another…’ (1 Peter 5:5 GNT) It’s one thing to call yourself a Christian, it’s entirely another when those who know you best, agree!

SoulFood: Joel 1–3, Luke 7:24–35, Ps 118:19–29, Pro 15:33

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

‘His peace will guard your hearts and minds.’ Philippians 4:7 NLT

The Greek word for worry basically means ‘to divide the mind’. Worry splits you right down the middle; instead of dwelling on God’s promises, you dwell on your problems. Worry is like a rocking chair—it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere. Instead of relieving you of tomorrow’s troubles, it robs you of today’s strength—and you can’t afford to lose your strength.

So how can you stop worrying? The Bible has a two-part answer: God’s part, and our part. Our part includes prayer and gratitude: ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.’ (Philippians 4:6 NLT) In order to worry less you must pray more, and also remember to express your gratitude. You can go to God confidently for the next thing, when you’ve taken time to thank Him for the last thing.

And what’s God’s part? ‘If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:7 TLB)

Note the words: ‘You will experience God’s peace.’

Imagine having God’s peaceful state of mind! Do you think He battles anxiety? Or wrings His hands and asks the angels for advice? Your problem is no more challenging to God than a twig is to an elephant. He enjoys perfect peace because He enjoys perfect power—and He offers His peace to you. When you do your part through prayer and thanksgiving, you’ll have a peaceful state of mind.

SoulFood: Acts 3:11–5:42, Luke 6:37–49, Ps 109:16–31, Pr 15:23–26

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

‘I give them eternal life.’ John 10:28 AMPC

Your salvation isn’t guaranteed by your performance—but by Christ’s performance at the cross. Yes, you’ll have moments you’re proud of and moments you’re ashamed of. But as long as your trust is in Christ, you’re saved, and you’ll go to Heaven.

Jesus said: ‘I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand.’ Even more, God stakes His claim to us. ‘He has put His seal of ownership on us and has given us the Spirit as His guarantee.’ (2 Corinthians 1:22 GWT)

You’ve probably done something similar: engraved your name on a valued ring, scratched your identity on a tool or your phone. Stamping declares ownership. Through His Spirit, God stamps us. Would-be takers are repelled by the presence of His name. Satan is driven back by the declaration: Hands off. This redeemed child is Mine! Where there’s no assurance of salvation, there’s no peace. No peace means no joy. And no joy results in fear-based lives.

Grace creates a confident soul who declares, ‘I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.’ (2 Timothy 1:12 NIV) Your boarding pass for the flight to Heaven is secure: ‘These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.’ (1 John 5:13 NKJV)

It’s not about your hold on God—but His hold on you!

SoulFood: Job 38–39, Matt 25:22–30, Ps 38:13–22, Pr 8:24–26

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

‘And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds.”’ Genesis 1:24 ESV

God said in creation, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds.’ And ‘when God created mankind, He made them in the likeness of God… When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness.’ (Genesis 5:1,3 NIV) In other words, man isn’t just another animal in the evolutionary chain.

‘Microevolution’ teaches variations or adaptations within species. For example, there are different types of dogs, etc. But there is no scientific evidence to support ‘macroevolution’—one species evolving into another species.

In reference to creation, Dr Derek Prince wrote: ‘I am simple-minded enough to believe that it happened the way the Bible described it. I have been a professor at Britain’s largest university [Cambridge] for nine years. I hold various degrees and academic distinctions, and I feel in many ways I am quite sophisticated intellectually, but I don’t feel in any way intellectually inferior when I say that I believe the Bible record of creation. Prior to believing the Bible I have studied many other attempts to explain man’s origin and found them all unsatisfying and in many cases self-contradictory. I turned to study the Bible as a professional philosopher—not as a believer—and I commented to myself, “At least it can’t be any sillier than some of the other things I’ve heard,” and to my astonishment, I discovered it had the answer.’

Are you looking for answers to your life’s problems? Or direction for your future? Read your Bible and live by its precepts!

SoulFood: Ecc 9–12, Matt 15:1–14, Ps 5, Pr 5:1–2

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

‘There is hope for a tree: if it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.’ Job 14:7 NIV

It takes God’s wisdom to find a mate who can fit where you are and go where you’re going. If you choose using only your own wisdom, you might not make the best choice. And when a family shatters, the wounds can last a lifetime even though the war is over. Please hear this: never use your children as ammunition to hurt one another! Ammunition doesn’t just destroy the target, it also gets destroyed in the process. Your bitter words may be true, but they can also destroy your child’s ability to build healthy relationships of their own. After all, if they can’t trust their parent, who can they trust? Even if you can’t save the relationship, save them.

Job says, ‘There is hope for a tree: if it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.’ How wonderful—new shoots born out of a dead tree! That’s our message; there is life after death! He’s the God of second chances and new beginnings. Just because your dreams didn’t come true doesn’t mean your pikinini’s dreams won’t. If the only thing that comes from your relationship is a healthy, well-adjusted child, you’re still a winner!

Solomon says without a vision we perish (see Proverbs 29:18). And your children are your vision. They speak of your future, so give them extra love and stability. Teach them what God says about life. Work at it for their sakes. If the ‘new shoots’ are lost along with the tree, all those years are wasted. So protect the ‘new shoots’.

SoulFood: Eze 37:1–14, Matt 27:50–53, 1 Thes 4:13–18

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

‘Jacob wrestled with an angel.’ Hosea 12:4 CEV

Some of your toughest battles in life will be with God. That’s because there’s a ‘Jacob nature’ in each of us that resists the will of God, and wants to wrestle with Him. That nature has to be dealt with. The same God who asked Jacob, ‘What is your name?’ will ask you to identify yourself too. And until you’re willing to do an honest evaluation and answer truthfully, your life can’t change for the better. God had to break Jacob by dislocating his hip, the thing he depended on. Jacob got his blessing at the same time he got his limp. Ask yourself, ‘Do I really want the blessing of God on my life?’ Before you answer, stop and ask yourself these questions:

(1) Am I willing to let go of what I want if it’s not God’s will for me?

(2) Do I long for what others have instead of waiting for God’s provision for me?

(3) Do I keep talking about my rights because I haven’t fully surrendered to the Lord?

(4) Do I truly love others and think of them first?

(5) Am I practising the daily disciplines of prayer and Bible reading?

(6) Am I allowing God to handle my public relations instead of promoting myself?

(7) Am I expressing joy in the midst of adversity (trouble) and trusting God to reproduce the character of Jesus in me?

(8) Am I taking risks in obedience to Christ instead of giving in to fear and playing it safe? Not only will your answers to these questions determine your discipleship, your direction, and your destiny—they will also determine your level of blessing.

SoulFood: Ezek 10–13, Matt 21:18–32, Ps 84, Pro 19:11

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

‘But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted.’ Luke 10:40 AMPC

One of the great buzzwords of this generation is multi-tasking. Used properly, it can make you more productive. Used wrongly, such as trying to text someone while you’re driving, it can kill you. You will not enjoy today, or the gifts it contains, if you don’t have a balanced attitude towards work.

One day Jesus visited the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. What a contrast! Martha was ‘overly occupied and too busy’, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and soaked up everything He had to say. She was determined not to miss this precious moment. And Jesus said Mary made a better choice than Martha did. Now, He didn’t tell Martha not to work; He told her to stop getting frustrated and having a bad attitude while she worked.

Jesus wants you to work hard, but He also wants you to be wise enough to realise when you should stop all activity and not miss the miracle of His presence in the moment. The Bible says, ‘Give your mind to what you are doing.’ (Ecclesiastes 5:1 AMPC). In other words, train yourself to focus your full attention on what you are involved in at any given time. Then finish it before starting something else. This kind of concentration requires discipline, but it’s worth it because being able to focus helps you enjoy the ‘right now’ moment.

Breaking the bad habit of excessive multi-tasking may sound easy, but it’s actually quite difficult. So be determined to form new, balanced habits in this area. When you do, the quality of your life will improve.

SoulFood: 1 Ki 16:1–18:15, Mark 9:30–37, Ps 108, Pro 12:14

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

‘The name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord [Yahweh Shammah] Is There.’ Ezekiel 48:35 NIV

During Israel’s 25th year in captivity in Babylon Ezekiel received from God the name Yahweh-Shammah: the Lord is there. He described their future home, Jerusalem, saying, ‘The name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord Is There.’

It applies not only to the Lord of the old covenant, but equally to Jesus, the Lord of the new covenant whose name, ‘Immanuel’, means ‘God is with us.’ (Matthew 1:23 NLT) It means that at all times, in all places, under all circumstances, for all of us, He’s available and present!

David discovered: ‘I can never escape from Your Spirit! I can never get away from Your presence! If I go up to Heaven, You are there; if I go down to the grave, You are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me.’ (Psalm 139:7–10 NLT) The name Yahweh-Shammah is a sign that God’s presence is all we need.

Remember when just the presence of your mother or father was enough to comfort and bring confidence to you? Fear, loneliness and helplessness disappeared when they were there. In Israel’s worst moments God’s response was always the same: ‘I am with you.’ Those words guaranteed their needs would be abundantly met! And today God’s saying to you, ‘I’m with you, and neither death, life, angels, spirit-powers, present or future fears, height, depth, nor anything else in all creation will separate you from My love’ (see Romans 8:38–39).

That’s promise enough for anybody. Take it and run with it today!

SoulFood: Song of Sol 5–8, Luke 22:63–71, Ps 39, Pr 21:9–13

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

‘I want to know Christ.’ Philippians 3:10 NLT

Paul said, ‘I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death.’

Let’s take an in-depth look at this verse.

(1) ‘I want to know Christ.’ In Scripture, the word ‘know’ indicates physical intimacy between two people who love one another. For example, ‘Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.’ (Genesis 4:1 NKJV)

(2) ‘And experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead.’ What’s dead in your life that needs to be raised? There is no problem that Christ’s resurrection power can’t handle. And how do you access it? When you make intimacy with Christ your top priority, you tap into His power.

Some of us would be more comfortable if the verse ended after the words, ‘the mighty power that raised Him from the dead.’ But the truth is, if you want intimacy with Christ, you must be willing to ‘suffer with Him.’ Here, the word ‘suffer’ isn’t referring to catching a cold or getting a pay cut. For Paul, it meant being beaten, betrayed, and bullied. But it brought a level of intimacy with Jesus that can’t be experienced any other way. If you have ever suffered deeply with another person, you understand this principle. You will never experience true intimacy with somebody by telling them, ‘I only want to share the good times with you.’ Often, the strongest relationship bonds come from the suffering we go through together; trials that cause us to know, love, and trust each another in a newer, deeper dimension.

SoulFood: John 5:1-15, Isa 54:9-17

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