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‘Do your best to improve your faith by adding goodness, understanding, self–control.’ 2 Peter 1:5–6 CEV

Ever notice how we tend to blame our circumstances for our character deficiencies? We attribute our problems to poor upbringing, financial difficulties, or other people’s shortcomings. Your circumstances may be beyond your control—but your character isn’t. You can no more blame your character flaws on circumstances than you can blame a mirror for how you look.

Integrity is always a choice, and every time you make a character–based decision, you take a step forward in your spiritual growth. Think about the times you have faced temptation and adversity. Write them down, and beside each one, note your choice: to escape, excuse, capitulate, avoid, persevere or overcome. What problem areas can you identify? How can you do better?

If the things you listed were due to circumstances beyond your control, then choose to take greater control of your life. How? ‘By adding… self–control’ to your arsenal. Our lives resemble icebergs, in that 15% is visible; that’s our reputation. The rest, our character, is hidden below the surface. Character is what we think but don’t necessarily share. It’s based on what we do when nobody’s looking, how we handle life’s little aggravations, how we handle failure—and success.

At the end of a brilliant career, Joshua challenged Israel with these words: ‘Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’ (Joshua 24:15 NIV) Character is based on self–control, and self–control is about making the right choices. And the good news is, you don’t have to do it alone: ‘God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey Him.’ (Philippians 2:13 CEV)

SoulFood:

Job 38–39 ()

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38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

2   “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3   Dress for action like a man;
    I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4   “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.
5   Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?
6   On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone,
7   when the morning stars sang together
    and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8   “Or who shut in the sea with doors
    when it burst out from the womb,
9   when I made clouds its garment
    and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10   and prescribed limits for it
    and set bars and doors,
11   and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
    and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?
12   “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
    and caused the dawn to know its place,
13   that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
    and the wicked be shaken out of it?
14   It is changed like clay under the seal,
    and its features stand out like a garment.
15   From the wicked their light is withheld,
    and their uplifted arm is broken.
16   “Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17   Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
    or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
18   Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
    Declare, if you know all this.
19   “Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
    and where is the place of darkness,
20   that you may take it to its territory
    and that you may discern the paths to its home?
21   You know, for you were born then,
    and the number of your days is great!
22   “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
    or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,
23   which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
    for the day of battle and war?
24   What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
    or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?
25   “Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain
    and a way for the thunderbolt,
26   to bring rain on a land where no man is,
    on the desert in which there is no man,
27   to satisfy the waste and desolate land,
    and to make the ground sprout with grass?
28   “Has the rain a father,
    or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29   From whose womb did the ice come forth,
    and who has given birth to the frost of heaven?
30   The waters become hard like stone,
    and the face of the deep is frozen.
31   “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
    or loose the cords of Orion?
32   Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season,
    or can you guide the Bear with its children?
33   Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
    Can you establish their rule on the earth?
34   “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
    that a flood of waters may cover you?
35   Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go
    and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36   Who has put wisdom in the inward parts
    or given understanding to the mind?
37   Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
    Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
38   when the dust runs into a mass
    and the clods stick fast together?
39   “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
    or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40   when they crouch in their dens
    or lie in wait in their thicket?
41   Who provides for the raven its prey,
    when its young ones cry to God for help,
    and wander about for lack of food?
39:1   “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
    Do you observe the calving of the does?
2   Can you number the months that they fulfill,
    and do you know the time when they give birth,
3   when they crouch, bring forth their offspring,
    and are delivered of their young?
4   Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open;
    they go out and do not return to them.
5   “Who has let the wild donkey go free?
    Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
6   to whom I have given the arid plain for his home
    and the salt land for his dwelling place?
7   He scorns the tumult of the city;
    he hears not the shouts of the driver.
8   He ranges the mountains as his pasture,
    and he searches after every green thing.
9   “Is the wild ox willing to serve you?
    Will he spend the night at your manger?
10   Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes,
    or will he harrow the valleys after you?
11   Will you depend on him because his strength is great,
    and will you leave to him your labor?
12   Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain
    and gather it to your threshing floor?
13   “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
    but are they the pinions and plumage of love?
14   For she leaves her eggs to the earth
    and lets them be warmed on the ground,
15   forgetting that a foot may crush them
    and that the wild beast may trample them.
16   She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers;
    though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
17   because God has made her forget wisdom
    and given her no share in understanding.
18   When she rouses herself to flee,
    she laughs at the horse and his rider.
19   “Do you give the horse his might?
    Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20   Do you make him leap like the locust?
    His majestic snorting is terrifying.
21   He paws in the valley and exults in his strength;
    he goes out to meet the weapons.
22   He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
    he does not turn back from the sword.
23   Upon him rattle the quiver,
    the flashing spear, and the javelin.
24   With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground;
    he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
25   When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’
    He smells the battle from afar,
    the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26   “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
    and spreads his wings toward the south?
27   Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
    and makes his nest on high?
28   On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
    on the rocky crag and stronghold.
29   From there he spies out the prey;
    his eyes behold it from far away.
30   His young ones suck up blood,
    and where the slain are, there is he.”

Luke 22:24–38 ()

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24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Psalm 6 ()

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To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

6:1   O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath.
2   Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;
    heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.
3   My soul also is greatly troubled.
    But you, O LORD—how long?
4   Turn, O LORD, deliver my life;
    save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5   For in death there is no remembrance of you;
    in Sheol who will give you praise?
6   I am weary with my moaning;
    every night I flood my bed with tears;
    I drench my couch with my weeping.
7   My eye wastes away because of grief;
    it grows weak because of all my foes.
8   Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
    for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
9   The LORD has heard my plea;
    the LORD accepts my prayer.
10   All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
    they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

Proverbs 8:32–33 ()

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32   “And now, O sons, listen to me:
    blessed are those who keep my ways.
33   Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.

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

‘And that is what some of you were.’ 1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV

After listing some of the worst sins imaginable, Paul told the Corinthians, ‘And that is what some of you were. But you were… justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.’ (1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV) So, before you pass sentence on someone else, remember what God has lifted you out of! Many of us think a ‘good’ sermon is one that goes over our head and hits our neighbour squarely between the eyes!

In Scripture, the word restore has two shades of meaning. One is to remove a cancer. Cancer can kill you, and it needs to be removed. Paul writes, ‘If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently… in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.’ (Galatians 6:1–2 NIV) Make no mistake, sharing someone’s shame and humiliation can be a burden. Nevertheless, ‘we should… give special attention to those who are in the family of believers.’ (Galatians 6:10 NCV) If you tend to be quick to condemn others—something we have all done from time to time—ask yourself this question: if people don’t find grace among the people who preach it, where can they find it?

The other means to reset a broken bone. Scripture tells us, ‘Christ makes us one body… connected to each other.’ (Romans 12:5 GWT) In fact, your spiritual family is more important than your earthly family because it will last forever. By lifting a fallen family member, you help heal their pain and enable them to become a vital, functioning part of Christ’s body again. So, the word for today is—be a restorer.

SoulFood: Job 35-37, Luke 22:1-23, Ps 69:19-36, Pro 8:30-31

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

‘You who live by the Spirit should restore.’ Galatians 6:1 NIV

Sometimes when we fall we can get up by ourselves; other times we need someone to help us. And sadly, not all Christians are willing to help. Sometimes they feel that by extending grace to someone they are condoning their sin. But Paul knocked that argument down when he wrote, ‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ (Ephesians 4:32 NIV) Why should we be restorers?

(1) Because God tells us to. ‘If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves… you also may be tempted.’ (Galatians 6:1 NIV) It’s pride that causes us to point an accusing finger instead of extending a helping hand to those who fall. It makes us think we’re better than someone else; incapable of falling like they did. You would be surprised what you would do in certain circumstances! Paul writes, ‘These things happened to them as examples for us… If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.’ (1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT)

(2) Because Jesus is our example. Jesus had no time for the Pharisees who hid their sins behind a religious mask. But not one time did He condemn someone who was caught in sin and overtaken by temptation and failure. The minute they reached for Him, He willingly restored them. Someone has said the church is the only army that shoots its wounded. Today, others are watching us to see if the grace we preach to others is the same grace we extend to one another. Let’s make sure it is.

SoulFood: Job 32-34, Luke 21:25-38, Ps 69:1-18, Pro 8:27-29

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

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes.’ Matthew 21:42 NIV

Sometimes the rejection of others, turns out to be ‘the Lord’s doing.’ After Joseph had been betrayed by his brothers and slandered by Potiphar’s wife, he said, ‘You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.’ (Genesis 50:20 NKJV)

How often has something happened in your life, that you later realised was necessary? If you hadn’t sustained this, or walked through that, you wouldn’t be ready for the blessings you’re enjoying right now. It’s when you see the hand of God in it that you begin to understand what the enemy meant for your destruction, God used for your development.

Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone, was continually rejected. And His example shows us the way forward. To be more than a conqueror means to stand up and say, ‘Here’s how I see it. It took all I’ve been through to make me who I am today, and to teach me what I know. I choose to be better, not bitter. I trust the faithfulness of God more than ever. If faith doesn’t move the mountain, it will give me strength to endure until tomorrow. And if it’s not gone by tomorrow, I’ll still believe that God is able and trust Him to come through.’

Rejoice! Your steps, and your stops, are being arranged by God. They’re also being observed by Him. When you get through this, you’ll realise that ‘the worst thing that could have happened’ is, in reality, ‘the Lord's doing’ and it’ll become marvellous in your eyes.

SoulFood: Job 29-31, Luke 21:12-24, Ps 38:13-22, Pro 8:24-26

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

‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Revelation 21:5 NIV

John the Revelator wrote: ‘I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is… among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”’ (Revelation 21:2–5 NIV)

When an atheist died and his friends filed by his casket, one of them remarked, ‘How sad—all dressed up and nowhere to go!’ Not so for the believer! As a redeemed child of God, you’re assured of a home in Heaven and citizenship in ‘the new Jerusalem’.

John continues, ‘The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city.’ (Revelation 21:15 NIV) The city is an exact square of about 2200 km (Revelation 21:16). It would be equivalent to a square from Auckland (NZ) to Luganville (Vanuatu) to Townsville (QLD, Aus) to Melbourne (VIC Aus) and back to Auckland! And that’s just the ground floor! It’s as tall as it is wide; 600,000 storeys high—more than enough room for billions of people to come and go. So here is the question: when you die, will you go to Heaven? To be sure, see page 200

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SoulFood: 1 Kings 17:1-24, 1 Cor 12

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