UCB Word For Today

Paul takes one entire chapter in the book of Romans to name the people who helped him and to express his appreciation for them. Showing that you care about people beyond what they can do for you lets them know you truly care about them. Sincere praise can energise others and cause them to spring up like wilted flowers that have just been watered. Oh, the dividends that a husband or a wife (or anyone else) would reap from expressing appreciation for the little things. Just in case your gratitude muscle has grown weak, and you take most kindnesses and efforts for granted, read the following list of tasks and responsibilities that you should show appreciation for: Cleaning the house. Preparing meals. Paying the bills. Going to work. Spending wisely. Buying groceries. Washing and folding the clothes. Bathing the kids. Taking out the rubbish. Filling the car with fuel. Being on time. Watering the grass or plants. Sending out Christmas and special-occasion cards. Selecting family birthday presents. Supporting your career. Being accountable. Listening. The list could go on and on. Why not set a goal of appreciating at least one thing per day for a particular person in your life? If you are a man, don’t be so insecure that you fear you will appear weak if you start to notice the little things. It takes a real man to look beyond his needs and recognise the efforts of another. When you are secure in your own identity, you are able to give people more power by keeping them informed, trusting them, caring about them, and appreciating them.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Entering the Promised Land, God told Joshua: ‘Be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses.’ You must identify your core values – and live by them. Swiss philosopher Henri-Frederic Amiel said, ‘The man who has no inner life is a slave to his surroundings.’ Your core values are the governing principles you live by. They’re the light that guides you. They give stability and structure to your inner world. When that’s in order, you can navigate your way through almost anything. Have you ever wondered why God refers to His Word as ‘laws’? Because they govern your thoughts and actions, guide you in the right direction, and guard you from trouble. They bring order to your life; without that, you’re left with chaos and confusion. Imagine living in a world where 100 centimetres don’t equal a metre, and two plus two doesn’t make four. God established His laws for our good. When we disobey them, we suffer; when we honour them, we succeed. Unlike dining al a carte, you can’t pick what you want and forget the rest. God says, ‘Do everything written…Then you will be…successful’ (Joshua 1:8 NIV). Many talented people who make it into the limelight don’t stay there long. Why? Because they failed to develop strong character. Their lack of integrity toppled them because they couldn’t climb beyond the limitations of their character. Talent may take you to a higher level of success, but without character, you won’t be able to handle the pressures that accompany success. That’s why it’s so important to live by the principles of God’s Word.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

The fear of success derails many dreams. Sometimes success brings resentment from those closest to you. Being successful can also create its own anxiety; namely, you fear that you are unable to maintain your success. Then there’s the fear of attracting people who want what you’ve got but are not willing to pay the price you paid to get it. Solomon warned, ‘Wealth attracts many friends’ (Proverbs 19:4 NIV). Then there’s the fear of being bombarded by constant requests for money. What if you say no? You must follow your heart, give as God directs you, and leave your image up to Him. David said, ‘You surround them with your favour as with a shield’ (Psalm 5:12 NIVUK). The favour of God can make you a target. And while you must always try to be fair in your behaviour towards others, you cannot reject the favour God sends your way just to keep others from becoming envious. You must embrace God’s favour as part of your destiny. Perhaps growing up, you were told that you should not expect success. And now that you have it, you may feel that you don’t deserve it and that it won’t last. Indeed, you may find yourself engaging in self-sabotaging behaviour that will confirm your own worst fears and bring them to fruition. What should you do? First, thank God that you understand the root of your problem. Second, talk it out with a good listener. As you hear yourself put the problem in perspective, you may find yourself declaring the words of Solomon: ‘Common sense and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

The Bible says, ‘Joshua built an altar to the LORD…in Mount Ebal…“an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD…Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal…He read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings’ (Joshua 8:30-34 NKJV). There are two important lessons in this otherwise obscure Old Testament story. First, ‘an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool’ speaks of God’s unearned and unmerited grace towards us – no human effort involved. ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV). Second, notice where this altar was built. When Israel listened to Joshua reading the blessings and cursings recorded in the Law of Moses, half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal. Those in front of Mount Gerizim heard him read the blessings, and those in front of Mount Ebal heard him read the cursings. But the altar was not built on Gerizim, the mount of blessings, but on Ebal, the hill of cursing. The message is clear: even when you ‘blow it’, God extends His grace to you. C.S. Lewis said, ‘Obedience is the key that opens every door.’ So even when you fail and disobey God, you can return to the altar of grace at Mount Ebal. It’s built for people like you.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

It had been twenty-five years since Fontella Bass’s rhythm and blues single ‘Rescue Me’ hit number one in the charts. She had no career to speak of, and she was penniless, tired, and cold. The only heat in her house came from a gas stove in the kitchen. She had strayed from her faith and the church where she started singing gospel songs as a child. As she prayed, Fontella asked God for ‘a sign’ to confirm that He heard her. Suddenly, she heard her hit song ‘Rescue Me’ on a television commercial! To her, it was as if ‘the Lord had stepped right into my world!’ Fontella was unaware that American Express had been using her song in a commercial and hadn’t been able to locate her to pay royalties. Not only did she receive back-royalties, but new opportunities also began to open for her to sing. Shortly after that, she released a new album. But the best news is that she renewed her relationship with the Lord. ‘For so many years I tried doing it on my own, and it didn’t work,’ she said. ‘Then I took it out of my hands and turned it over to Him, and now everything’s happening.’ The psalmist David wrote: ‘In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened, he saved me from all my troubles…Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!’ (Psalm 34:6, 8 NLT). And what God did for David and Fontella Bass, He will do for you if you’ll only turn to Him.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Isaiah said that God ‘formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant’ (Isaiah 49:5 NLT). God deliberately shaped each of us for His service. How then can we complain that we are too short, too tall, too dark, too fair, or too anything else that is unchangeable? The word ‘too’ implies something is beyond what’s desirable or more than what should be. How can anything that God formed be too anything? What we’re really saying is, ‘This feature doesn’t conform to society’s prescribed standard of beauty,’ so we allow our non-conforming attributes to cause us to become insecure and rob us of our confidence. We then feel that our only solution is to change the undesirable feature. What a slap in God’s face. ‘Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, “Stop, you’re doing it wrong!” Does the pot exclaim…“Why did you make me this way?” This is what the LORD says…“Do you question what I do?…Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?”’ (Isaiah 45:9-11 NLT). You will strengthen your emotional security when you make peace with every aspect of yourself. By God’s grace and divine enablement you must truly accept – not merely resign yourself to His sovereign design. When you do so, you stop comparing yourself to others and judging yourself as either inferior or superior. Self-consciousness and fretting over your outward appearance disappear. You have now cleared the path for your real inner beauty to shine through. It’s time to experience body peace, knowing you’re designed for your destiny, tailored for your tasks, and perfect for your purpose.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, they don’t have to define you or defeat you. Even if you cannot change them, you can overcome them. George Bernard Shaw wrote: ‘People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.’ When it comes to faith, we rely far too much on circumstantial evidence. Doubt is letting our circumstances dictate how we feel and what we believe. When we let our circumstances get between us and God, it creates a smokescreen of doubt. Faith is putting the promises of God between you and your circumstances. It doesn’t mean you deny reality. It simply means you’re in touch with a greater reality – one more real than what you can touch or taste or see or hear or feel or smell. Jesus was a realist: ‘In this world you will have trouble.’ But He was also an optimist: ‘Take heart! I have overcome the world’ (NIV). Our optimism is anchored to the empty tomb. If Jesus walked out of the tomb, and He did, you don’t have a problem that He cannot solve. And you need to start living as though you believe that is true. There are seven promises in the book of Revelation that begin with the same phrase: ‘To him who overcomes.’ And it reminds us of our true identity as overcomers. We aren’t just conquerors; we are more than conquerors!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Before the age of two, Helen Keller lost her vision and her hearing. In an instant, her world went dark and silent. Then a godsend named Anne Sullivan broke through Helen’s solitary confinement and touched her soul. As a result, Helen became the first deaf/blind person to earn a bachelor’s degree. She also authored a dozen books, including a manifesto on her philosophy of life, Optimism. ‘No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars,’ she wrote, ‘or sailed to an uncharted land.’ The last page of her book echoes the first page of Scripture: ‘Optimism is the harmony of man’s spirit and the spirit of God pronouncing His works good.’ If God’s Spirit is within you, optimism is the order of the day. Optimism isn’t at odds with the reality all around us. It simply means we’re anchored to another reality – the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ – that is deeper and stronger and longer than the reality we can perceive with our five senses. Helen Keller proved that with an optimistic spirit, even the most difficult of circumstances cannot define you. And even if you cannot change them, you can overcome them. She proved that as amazing as the human eye is, there’s something more amazing – the mind’s eye that enables us to imagine the unthinkable and believe the impossible. It’s why she said, ‘The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.’ Or as Paul put it: ‘Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise’ (Philippians 4:8 NCV). In other words, be optimistic.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Before the age of two, Helen Keller lost her vision and her hearing. In an instant, her world went dark and silent. Then a godsend named Anne Sullivan broke through Helen’s solitary confinement and touched her soul. As a result, Helen became the first deaf/blind person to earn a bachelor’s degree. She also authored a dozen books, including a manifesto on her philosophy of life, Optimism. ‘No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars,’ she wrote, ‘or sailed to an uncharted land.’ The last page of her book echoes the first page of Scripture: ‘Optimism is the harmony of man’s spirit and the spirit of God pronouncing His works good.’ If God’s Spirit is within you, optimism is the order of the day. Optimism isn’t at odds with the reality all around us. It simply means we’re anchored to another reality – the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ – that is deeper and stronger and longer than the reality we can perceive with our five senses. Helen Keller proved that with an optimistic spirit, even the most difficult of circumstances cannot define you. And even if you cannot change them, you can overcome them. She proved that as amazing as the human eye is, there’s something more amazing – the mind’s eye that enables us to imagine the unthinkable and believe the impossible. It’s why she said, ‘The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.’ Or as Paul put it: ‘Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise’ (Philippians 4:8 NCV). In other words, be optimistic.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Have you ever noticed how quick we are to accuse someone else of some of the very things we excuse in ourselves? In so doing, we practise a double standard, requiring more from others than of ourselves. Jesus said, ‘Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?’ (Matthew 7:3 NKJV). The double standard works like this: 1) When others are set in their ways, they’re obstinate – but you are firm and resolved. 2) When your neighbour doesn’t like your friend, she’s prejudiced – but when you don’t like her friend, you’re a good judge of character. 3) When she tries to treat someone especially well, she’s buttering them up – but when you do so, you’re being thoughtful. 4) When she takes time to do things well, she’s lazy – but when you do so, you’re meticulous. 5) When she spends a lot, she’s reckless and undisciplined – but when you do the same thing, you’re generous. 6) When she picks flaws in things, she’s critical – but when you do, you’re perceptive. 7) When she’s mild-mannered, you call her weak – but when you are, you’re gracious. 8) When she dresses well, she’s extravagant – but when you do, you’re tastefully in style. 9) When she says what she thinks, she’s spiteful – but when you do, you’re being honest. 10) When she takes risks, she’s foolhardy – but when you do, you’re brave. Paul wrote: ‘Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another.’ So, the word for today is: let us honour one another.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.