UCB Word For Today

In preparation for a dinner party, a woman stopped by a small butcher’s shop to buy meat for the meal. She had decided to stuff and roast a chicken as the main course. When she asked the man at the counter for the largest chicken he had, he reached into the cold-storage compartment, grabbed the last chicken he had, and placed it on the scale. ‘This one weighs four pounds, madam,’ he said. The woman thought for a moment and then said, ‘I’m not sure that will be enough. Don’t you have a bigger one?’ The attendant put the chicken back into the compartment, pretended to search through the melting ice for another bird, and then brought out the same chicken. This time when he weighed it on the scale, he discreetly applied some finger pressure to the scale. ‘Ah,’ he said with a smile, ‘this one weighs six pounds.’ The woman frowned, and making some mental calculations, brightened as she said, ‘I’m just not sure. I’ll tell you what – wrap them both up for me!’ There is no doubt about it, ‘honesty is the best policy’. And that is so in this life, and the life to come. Concerning this life, the Bible says, ‘People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.’ And here is what the Bible says about the life which is to come: ‘Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts’ (1 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV).

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

‘Lord, Your Word says, “A family splintered by feuding will fall apart.” Satan is attacking my family, and I’m turning to You for help. Your Word says, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will [be my defence and] lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19 NKJV). Touch the hearts and minds of every member of this family, and draw them closer to You. You said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9 KJV). I commit myself to be a peacemaker in this situation, and ask You for the wisdom to know what to say and do. Deliver my family from selfishness, pride, and bitterness. Give us the sort of love that covers all sins and weaknesses (see Proverbs 10:12). Help us to know when a disagreement is about to open a floodgate, and give us the grace to drop the matter before the clash gets out of control (see Proverbs 17:14). Your Word says that avoiding a fight is a mark of honour, and that only fools demand to quarrel (see Proverbs 20:3). Lord, put an end to the strife that is wreaking havoc in our family. I take authority over every contentious spirit. I ask You to help my family start to pursue things that produce peace and the things we can use to edify and build one another up (see Romans 14:19). Your Word says that there is nothing too hard for You (see Jeremiah 32:17). So, I’m praying and believing for healing and restoration in my family. In Jesus’ name. Amen.’

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

‘Father, when Adam was lonely, You made Eve and brought her to him. And just as You knew what Adam needed, I’m struggling with loneliness, and You know what I need too. You said in Your Word, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV). There is a part of me that can never be satisfied or fulfilled by any relationship other than You. But You also created me to be sociable and need interaction with other people. Help me to admit and stop any negative behaviour on my part that may cause people not to enjoy and to accept me, such as being critical, envious, hot-tempered, judgmental, or unforgiving. Please give me the tongue of the learned so that I will know how to speak appropriate words in season to others. Please open my ears to listen to them with real understanding (see Isaiah 50:4). Help me to overcome shyness and the fear of rejection and to reach out to others believing that You can speak to their heart and cause them to be open and accepting. Teach me how to accept their love, help, and generosity. Help me to understand the importance of caring for my relationships and not just paying attention to friends when it’s convenient for me. Help me to be a reliable friend (see Proverbs 18:24). You know what I need in a relationship. You put David and Jonathan together, and Ruth and Naomi together. So, I ask You to put me together with the right person or persons. In Jesus’ name. Amen.’

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

Opposites often attract, marry, and then have to deal with their differences – especially when their children become teens and they run up against boundary issues. Boundary disputes test the parents’ capacity to negotiate differences in deciding what’s right or wrong for their child. You let her do whatever she wants…You’re driving him away with your strictness…She needs more discipline…He needs space to be a kid. Both parents love their children and want only the best for them, but they disagree on how to accomplish it. In his book Boundaries with Teens, Dr John Townsend gives some helpful and practical suggestions. 1) Agree that your teen comes first. Calmly, honestly, and selflessly discuss your differences together. The winner should always be your child! Agree, even compromise, on setting limits that protect your teen and promote his or her best interests. 2) Defer to one another’s strengths. Each of you has areas you’re better equipped to handle. For example, whichever one is better at organising, listening objectively in heated moments, or calming a troubled teen should help the other one with these issues. 3) Don’t triangulate your teen. It’s easy to pull your child into conflict on your side. Typically the other parent then responds by pampering the child with gifts, privileges, and liberties in order to regain their approval. That strategy guarantees everybody loses! Agree to sort out your differences. And if you can’t, seek the help of a wise friend, pastor, or counsellor. Your child’s life and future are what matter – not which one of you wins the popularity contest!

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

Let’s begin with three short stories that spell out the challenge of building a strong and happy marriage. First story: A man was observing a couple and said to his wife, ‘Look at them, they look so happy.’ She said, ‘Don’t be so sure, they’re probably saying the same thing about us.’ Second story: A woman once said, ‘My husband and I have a very happy marriage. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for me. So we’ve gone through life doing nothing for each other.’ Third story: A husband told his friend, ‘My wife and I have decided never to go to bed angry.’ His friend asked, ‘How’s that working?’ He replied, ‘We haven’t slept in a month.’ Seriously, the biggest challenge in marriage is selfishness. When two people each put their own desires and interests first, their relationship is headed for trouble and possibly a divorce court. What’s the answer? These inspired words were written almost two thousand years ago, but they are still God’s formula for a stable and successful marriage: ‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. Love never ends…So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love’ (vv. 4-8, 13 NCV).

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

Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica and says, ‘Now, brothers and sisters, we ask you to appreciate those who work hard among you, who lead you in the Lord and teach you. Respect them with a very special love because of the work they do’ (vv. 12-13 NCV). Consider these twenty-first-century statistics: 1) Fifty per cent of pastors feel so disheartened that they would exit the ministry if they could, but they don’t know any other way to make a living. 2) Fifty per cent of ministers starting out won’t continue five years in the ministry. 3) Only one out of every ten ministers will retire as ministers in some capacity. 4) In America more than seventeen hundred pastors exited the ministry every month of 2011. There are many reasons why pastors leave the ministry. One reason is inadequate financial support and stress on the family. Paul addresses this: ‘Let the elders [pastors] who rule well be counted worthy of double honour [financial remuneration], especially those who labour in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The labourer is worthy of his wages”’ (1 Timothy 5:17-18 NKJV). Some pastors leave the ministry because they are the target of frequent criticism. Paul addresses this: ‘Do not receive an accusation against an elder [pastor] except from two or three witnesses’ (v. 19 NKJV). So, pray for your pastor, and make it a point to show them your appreciation. God will bless you for it.

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

Jesus, who was known in the Bible as ‘the Great Physician’, spent much of His ministry healing the sick. Read these four Scriptures: 1) ‘Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching…preaching the gospel… and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments…and He healed them’ (Matthew 4:23-25 NKJV). 2) ‘When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them…And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease’ (Matthew 9:36; 10:1 NKJV). 3) ‘When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognised Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well’ (Matthew 14:34-36 NKJV). 4) ‘A great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon… came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases…And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all’ (Luke 6:17-19 NKJV). Since Jesus Christ is ‘the same yesterday, today, and forever,’ that means you can pray with faith and confidence, believing God to heal you and your loved ones.

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

The Bible says: ‘The Philistines went and made a raid on the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of God, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” The LORD said to him, “Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand.” So they went up to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there. Then David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water”’ (vv. 9-11 NKJV). Notice how David likened God’s power to the bursting forth of waters. He is saying that when God shows up and releases His power, it will be like a flood of His goodness, His power, His favour, His healing, His wisdom, His resources, and whatever else you need. Think about how powerful water is: only a few feet of water can lift a huge car weighing thousands of pounds and push it all around. On the news we have seen entire houses and buildings carried downstream in torrents of water. Nothing can stop it. Nothing is allowed to stand in its way. And that’s what happens when God gives you a breakthrough and releases a flood of His power on your behalf. And God has not changed. His power has not diminished. ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You’ (Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV). God is able to move on your behalf. And He is willing – so ask Him for a breakthrough.

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

The Bible says: ‘While he was preaching…four men arrived carrying a paralysed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof…Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralysed man…“Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”’ (vv. 2-5, 11-12 NLT). Notice the words ‘when Jesus saw their faith’ (NKJV). Do you have faith God can see? What are you doing to show God you truly believe Him and are taking Him at His Word? It’s important to pray and believe, but you must also do something to demonstrate your faith. For the four men who carried their sick friend to Jesus, demonstrating their faith meant refusing to let the crowd get in their way, or the roof stop them from getting to Jesus. Sometimes you are closest to your victory when you face your greatest obstacles or opposition. A lot of people give up too easily. You say, ‘I’ve tried, but nothing I have done has worked.’ You must be more determined than that. If you can’t get through the crowd, climb up and come down through the roof. Be relentless. That’s what these men did, and Jesus rewarded them with a miracle. And when you are willing to demonstrate a determined faith, He can do the same for you too.

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

When Corrie ten Boom travelled the world sharing her experiences, she would often speak with her head down. She appeared to be reading notes, but she was actually stitching a needlepoint design. When she would finish telling her story of the atrocities she suffered from the Nazis, she would reveal the needlepoint she had been working on. She would first show the back side, which was just a tangle of coloured threads with no distinct pattern. And she would say, ‘That’s how we see our lives. Sometimes it makes no sense.’ Then she would flip the needlepoint over to unveil the finished side. And she would say, ‘This is how God views your life, and someday we will have the privilege of seeing it from His point of view.’ Then she would end her talk with this poem written by Grant Colfax Tullar, a minister: ‘My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me; I cannot choose the colours, He worketh steadily. Oft times He weaveth sorrow and I, in foolish pride, forget He sees the upper, and I the underside. Not til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly, will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver’s skilful hand, as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.’ Paul writes, ‘Now we see a dim reflection, as if we were looking into a mirror, but then we shall see clearly. Now I know only a part, but then I will know fully, as God has known me.’

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