UCB Word For Today

In some of the world’s greatest success stories, you will find chapters of failure and discouragement. Dr Seuss’s first children’s book was turned down by twenty-seven different publishers. The twenty-eighth publisher sold six hundred million copies, and Dr Seuss’s perseverance resulted in helping millions of children learn to read. In their first year of business, the Coca-Cola company usually sold only nine servings of its drink a day. But they persevered, and today they are the leading soft drink seller in the world. Henry Ford went bankrupt twice in his initial three years in the car industry. But he persevered, and today Ford is the second-largest American-based motor company and the fifth biggest worldwide. In 1905 the University of Bern in Switzerland rejected a PhD dissertation by a student named Albert Einstein, describing it as ‘irrelevant and fanciful’. Was he disappointed? Of course – wouldn’t you be? Did he give up? No, he kept on writing. And consider this: as a redeemed child of God, you have a plus factor; God is on your side. ‘God is for me’ (Psalm 56:9 NKJV). That changes the equation and tilts the odds in your favour. Paul writes: ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Romans 8:35, 37 NKJV). With God, despite whatever you’re facing, it’s always too early to give up. Hold on because His grace and strength are always on their way.

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

When it comes to your life’s calling, here are two more myths that can sabotage you: 1) Making the wrong choice can somehow thwart God’s will. You don’t have to worry on this score because the Bible tells us that the God ‘Who is calling you…will…[fulfil His call by hallowing and keeping you].’ It’s always commendable to want to make the best choice you can. But the fact remains that at some point you have to go ahead and make a choice, and no choice you make is outside of God’s control. Even if you don’t know where the path you have chosen will eventually lead, you can rest assured in the knowledge that ‘all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to…those who…are called according to [His] design and purpose’ (Romans 8:28 AMPC). 2) Your calling is settled. Finding your calling isn’t necessarily what you do once or twice in a lifetime. It’s not something you check off a list and move on. The life of a Christian is a continual process of discovering your calling. And because God has called you to a specific purpose at a specific time doesn’t mean His plans for you won’t change. Who knows what the next stage of your life will bring? Everyone’s calling is going to look distinct, and every chapter of your life will bring a fresh process of discernment. The important thing to remember is that God is in control, He loves you, and His will is always to draw you closer to Him.

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

If you’re questioning your calling, author Diane Paddison identifies two thought patterns that may be sabotaging your thinking. 1) It’s all about you. Your calling isn’t about self-fulfilment; it’s about submission to God’s will for your life. Many people experience satisfaction from exercising their God-given gifts. But it’s a result of being in God’s will, not the goal. To discern God’s will, you must develop your relationship with Him through prayer and Bible study. You must also develop relationships with peers and mentors who will pray for you and speak truth into your life. 2) If it’s uncomfortable, it can’t be your calling. Knowing what you’re meant to be doing is often just the start of a long, demanding journey. Some of the most successful people in history endured overwhelming failure in pursuit of their paths. Moses’ calling didn’t seem all that wonderful to him. His response? ‘Who am I that I should go?’ He questioned God, but God responded, ‘I will be with you.’ Still, Moses continued to question: ‘But what if they don’t believe me?’ Even when God provided him with miraculous signs, they weren’t enough. He came back with, ‘But I’m slow of speech.’ Clearly Moses was called to a task God designed for him – and it didn’t feel good to him. Moses tried every way he knew to prove to God that He had the wrong man for the job. And when that didn’t work, he asked God to send someone else! (See Exodus 4.) Can you relate? If so, keep this thought in mind: discomfort doesn’t automatically mean you’re on the wrong path. The truth is discomfort usually precedes growth.

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

Dr Ernest Sachs wanted to make a difference in the world. And he did. Years ago most brain tumours were fatal. Sachs heard a surgeon predict that someday a cure would be discovered that could save all those lives, and he determined to be that surgeon. At the time, the leading expert on the anatomy of the brain was Sir Victor Horsley. Sachs received permission to study under him but felt he should prepare for the experience by studying for six months under some of the most able physicians in Germany. Then he went to England, where for two years he assisted Dr Horsley in long and intricate experiments on dozens of monkeys. When Sachs returned to America, he was ridiculed by the medical establishment for requesting the opportunity to treat brain tumours. For years he fought obstacles and discouragement, driven by a desire to succeed in his quest. And succeed he did! Today, largely thanks to Dr Sachs, the majority of brain tumours can be cured. And his book Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Tumours is considered the standard authority on the subject. Just because something isn’t presently done doesn’t mean it can’t be done. And maybe you are the one to do it! And as a redeemed child of God, think of the advantage you have: ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ ‘For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding’ (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV). Use your faith, and believe God for great things.

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

Arriving at church one Christmas morning, a pastor paused to admire the nativity scene. The figures, lovingly crafted, sat on a small stage…shepherds…wise men…animals…and in the centre, the Holy Family. Then he noticed the manger was empty; the baby Jesus was missing! After searching the church he called the associate pastor and the elders, but they knew nothing. The baby had obviously been stolen. Solemnly he reported the theft to his congregation, disappointed to think one of them might be involved. ‘If the baby is returned by the end of the day there’ll be no questions asked,’ he said. But the manger remained empty all day, and that afternoon, heavy-hearted and discouraged, the pastor took a walk through the wintry streets. Ahead he noticed six-year-old Tommy, bundled up against the cold, proudly dragging a bright red wagon. Knowing Tommy’s family struggled financially, the pastor was touched by their sacrifice and sped up so he could wish Tommy a merry Christmas and admire his shiny new wagon. As he approached, however, he noticed the wagon wasn’t empty – inside, wrapped and blanketed against the cold, lay the baby Jesus! Solemnly the pastor crouched down beside Tommy. He was just a little boy, but old enough to know that stealing was wrong. The pastor made this crystal clear as the child listened; his eyes filled with what the pastor assumed were penitent tears. ‘But pastor,’ the little boy replied, ‘I didn’t steal Jesus. It wasn’t like that at all. I’ve been asking Him for a red wagon for Christmas for ages – and I promised if I got one, I’d take Him on the first ride.’

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

Here’s a great story from Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. It’s about a recovering alcoholic called Jim. It was his first Christmas alone, and when a young family sat down beside him in the pew he couldn’t handle it. As he was leaving the church he met Pastor Thomas Tedwell, who asked where he was going. ‘Out for a drink,’ he replied. Tedwell said, ‘You can’t. Where’s your sponsor?’ ‘On vacation,’ replied Jim. ‘I came here tonight looking for a word of hope and ended up sitting beside this happy family. And if I had my life together, I’d be here with mine.’ As the pastor walked to the pulpit he prayed, ‘God, give me a word of hope for Jim.’ Then after welcoming the congregation, he said, ‘I’ve an unusual request. If anyone here is a friend of Bill W.’s, and if you are – you’ll know it – please meet me in the vestry.’ (Bill Wilson, better known as Bill W., cofounded Alcoholics Anonymous). Immediately people from all over the church began to respond. As Dr Tedwell observed, ‘While I was busy preaching about the Incarnation, the Word was becoming flesh before my eyes!’ This Christmas some of the people around you are hurting; they’ve lost hope. So, ‘Let the word become flesh.’ Lift the fallen, encourage the despairing, and minister to the sick, the lonely, and the forgotten. Jesus said, ‘When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:40 TLB). Instead of keeping to yourself this year, reach out to someone. Go ahead – it’ll be your best Christmas ever!

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

For many years Dr Donald Grey Barnhouse pastored Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church. One Sunday morning a twelve-year-old boy in the balcony was transfixed after hearing him speak about the length and breadth and depth of God’s amazing grace. Barnhouse closed his sermon by summarising many of the great promises from Scripture in one impressive sentence: ‘Our sins are forgiven, forgotten, cleansed, pardoned…covered…blotted out as a thick cloud, removed as far as the east is from the west…cast behind God’s back.’ At the end of the service when Barnhouse went to the back to greet people, the boy approached him, tugged at his sleeve, and said, ‘Good sermon, Doc! We’re sure sittin’ pretty, aren’t we?’ That glorious phrase ‘in Christ’ speaks to the redemptive miracle God performed for us through his Son (see Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:6-13). The word ‘in’ assures us that just as our natural birth positioned us in Adam, our forefather, at the new birth God deliberately and precisely positions us in Jesus, our Redeemer. Think about it: ‘God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses…raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ (Ephesians 2:4-6 NKJV). Note that we’re seated together in heavenly places in Christ, not beside Him. And it gets even better! We’re seated there so closely identified with Jesus that we’re inseparably and eternally one with Him! Now if that’s not sitting pretty, tell us what is!

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

Psychologists say our self-worth is based upon what we believe the most important people in our lives think of us. For children, that would likely be their parents. For adults, that could be a spouse, a boss, a friend, or mentor. The problem is that people disappoint us. They can do things that bring us heartache and pain. The key to really knowing and sustaining a true sense of self-worth is to let your heavenly Father be the most important person in your life. Form your sense of value on what He says about you. When you make mistakes, some people may criticise and make you feel overcome with guilt. But God says, ‘I have mercy for every mistake. Get up and go again. Your future is brighter than your past’ (see vv. 4-10 NLT). The Bible says that you are ‘God’s masterpiece’. A masterpiece is not mass-produced or created on an assembly line. It’s not average. It’s unique. It’s original. It’s custom made. It’s one of a kind. That’s how God sees you. And that’s how He wants you to begin seeing yourself. The psalmist put it this way: ‘You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!’ (Psalm 139:16-18 NLT).

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

Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding reception. There were six water pots, each capable of holding thirty gallons. First, He said, ‘Fill those pots with water.’ Next, He said, ‘Take some out and bring it to the host of the party.’ When the host tasted it, he told the groom, ‘This is amazing. Everyone serves the best wine first, and after people have had a lot to drink, they bring out the less expensive wine. But you have saved the best wine for last’ (see vv. 7-10 NLT). Do you know how long it takes to make wine? It begins with planting seeds, then takes several years for the vines to grow mature grapes. Then they have to be picked and processed to produce the wine. It often takes three to five years before the first wine is ready to be bottled. The better-quality wine takes five to seven years to make. And people consider the best wine to be twenty to thirty years old. Jesus produced in a moment in time what normally takes decades to produce. So if you’re concerned that you don’t have enough time to achieve your goals, remember that Jesus can do in a moment what might usually take years. Maybe it would typically take you twenty years to pay off your mortgage, or ten years to build your business. But God’s favour can thrust you years down the road. He still turns water into wine. Be encouraged, the God we serve knows how to accelerate natural laws. He can take you further, quicker than you can ever imagine.

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

A college professor once took a group of students to China for a field trip. Several days into the journey, the professor experienced unimaginable stomach pain and was rushed by ambulance to a local clinic. It was a tiny town and the medical staffer in charge of the clinic observed that the professor’s appendix had ruptured. Poison was spreading all through his body, but since there were no surgeons around, there wasn’t much that could be done for him. The professor went into convulsions and in and out of consciousness. Back home in America during a church service, the professor’s father, a pastor, began to feel an extraordinary burden for his son. He said to the congregation, ‘We must stop and pray for my son. Something is wrong.’ In China it was two o’clock in the morning when suddenly one of the country’s most famous surgeons walked into the clinic – the very surgeon who travels with the US president when he visits China. The staff was amazed to see him. ‘I’m here to take care of the American,’ the surgeon said, and he operated and saved the professor’s life. The next day, the surgeon said to the professor, ‘Who were those two men you sent into my office yesterday?’ The professor replied, ‘I didn’t send anybody to you. I don’t know anybody here in China.’ The surgeon said, ‘That’s odd, because they said you were a very important person and that I needed to be here and operate on you.’ God’s Word says, ‘He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.’

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