The Word For Today: Stop Complaining (2)

‘…when the people complained, it displeased the Lord…’

Numbers 11:1

If you think complaining is no big deal, read this:

‘…when the people complained…the Lord heard…and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.’

A wise man once said, ‘I complained that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.’

God has blessed you in 101 different ways, and He doesn’t want to hear you whining. What were the Israelites grumbling about anyway? ‘Adversity’ (NAS). For some of us adversity comes through illness. For others it’s a faltering career, not enough money to pay the bills, or a family situation that happened years ago and now you’re left shouldering the responsibility.

Some of us made poor decisions earlier in life, and as a result our plans fell apart. Now we’re struggling with marital problems, blended families, and the consequences of our choices. We all have to deal with some level of adversity. We each have something in our life that God doesn’t want to hear us griping about!

Understand this: it’s hard to live with adversity, but when you complain, you forego the grace that’ll get you through it.

By choosing to complain and cling to the image of a perfect life, you forfeit the grace that’s available to you and will bring you victory. So change your way of thinking. Get down on your knees and pray: ‘Lord, I want the landscape of my life to be different; to experience the joy You give to those who leave the wilderness of ingratitude and move into the Promised Land of thanksgiving.’ That’s a prayer that will change you!

Jer 30-31, 2 Tim 1

The Word For Today: Stop Complaining (1)

‘Do all things without complaining…’

Philippians 2:14

A lady who worked at the post office was approached by a customer who said, ‘I can’t write. Would you mind addressing this postcard for me?’ After addressing it for him and writing a short message, the postal clerk asked, ‘Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?’ The man thought for a moment and said, ‘Yes, could you add a P.S. at the end saying, “Please excuse the sloppy handwriting.”’ Now, there’s gratitude for you!

The Bible says, ‘Do all things without complaining’ because when you don’t, you end up hurting:

1) Yourself. Complaining leads to anger and depression. God loves you and He doesn’t want you hurting yourself.

2) God. Complaining calls into question God’s care, His character and His competence. In reality, what you’re saying is, ‘Lord, You blew it! You had a chance to fulfill my demands and You chose not to.’

 3) Others. Your words affect the people around you and nobody enjoys spending time with a member of ‘the cold-water bucket brigade’.

Complaining temporarily satisfies our selfish nature, but it changes nothing. When you complain, you explain your pain for no gain. But here’s the good news: The Bible says, ‘…the people became like those who complain of adversity…’ (Numbers 11:1 NAS).

You didn’t start out as a complainer; you ‘became’ that way, and by God’s grace you can become a thanks-giver! Once you acknowledge your habit of moaning and fault-finding, it becomes possible to choose a better one. A bad habit is like a nice soft bed; it’s easy to get into and hard to get out of. So if you’ve fallen into the habit of ‘complaining’—stop it!

Luke 20:1-26, Ps 107-109

The Word For Today: Going Out on a Limb

‘…Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed…’

Luke 19:26

As an Iowa farm boy, Robert Schuller remembers how his dad needed every particle of grain from the previous year’s crop to feed his livestock. Nevertheless, there was always a little corner of the corn bin he refused to touch. When Schuller said, ‘Dad, you still have grain in there,’ his father would reply, ‘That’s next year’s seed.’ And when spring came he planted it. Schuller writes: ‘Suppose he’d studied the odds and said, “Let’s see, I’ve a kernel of corn. I can feed it to the cattle and I know it’ll be productive; there’s no risk. Or I can bury it in the ground, but that’s infinitely more risky. Weeds could choke it, birds could eat it, it might rot, or hail and winds could destroy it…on the other hand, it just might multiply a hundredfold.”’

The Bible says, ‘If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done’ (Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB). Helen Keller said, ‘Security is mostly a superstition. It doesn’t exist in nature nor do the children of men as a whole experience it… Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.’ If you want ‘more than you ever dreamed’, you’ve got to go out on a limb. That’s where the best fruit is. Acting in faith with no ‘earthly’ guarantee what’s on the other side means attempting something you couldn’t possibly do unless God gave you the ability.

Jon Walker says: ‘Faith grows when we take risks—not just any kind of risks, but ones specifically directed by God. These God-nudges push us beyond the borders of our “independent states” into “the promised land” of life by faith.’

Jer 27-29, 1 Tim 6

The Word For Today: How’s Your Self-Talk These Days?

‘…People speak the things that are in their hearts.’

Luke 6:45

When John Roebling devised a plan to build a bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn, experts thought it was impossible. They said a bridge spanning that distance couldn’t withstand the winds and tides. But Roebling refused to concede defeat; instead, he and his son, Washington, worked to solve the problems. Then just as construction was about to start, Roebling was killed in an underwater accident that left his son brain-damaged and unable to walk or talk. The prevailing wisdom was to abandon the project, but Washington Roebling was determined to fulfil his father’s dream. He developed a system of communication by touching a finger to his wife’s arm, and she in turn conveyed his ideas to the project engineers. For thirteen years that’s how he supervised construction—and in 1883 the first car drove across the Brooklyn Bridge. The ‘impossible’ had become reality!

Are you facing a seemingly impossible situation at home, on the job, with your finances, or in a relationship? If so, what you tell yourself about it is important. Your self-talk sets you up for joy or misery. You can tell where your faith is by what comes out of your mouth: ‘Good people bring good things out of the good they stored in their hearts…’ (v 45 NCV). One pastor says: ‘When the pressure’s on, what comes out of your mouth lets you know if you need to make some adjustments…

When you want something to show up in your outward man, deposit God’s Word in the inward man. Feed on it continually…once you believe it, you’ll find yourself saying it, and once you start saying it, your entire being will reflect the treasure of His Word inside.’

Jer 24-26, 1 Tim 5

The Word For Today: Called to Be a Priest (2)

‘…the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a…friend…’

Exodus 33:11

Not only do priests minister in three different levels of light, they operate on three levels of intimacy with God. The life of Moses is a great illustration of this. When God first called Moses to lead the people of Israel, He spoke to him through a burning bush. And when it happened Moses said, ‘…I will now turn aside and see this great sight…’ (Exodus 3:3 NKJV). God’s willingness to speak to us is never in doubt. The real issue is always our willingness to ‘turn aside’, interrupt our schedule and be responsive to what He has to say.

Could God speak to you during a commercial break in your favourite television show? He could—but He probably won’t. He’s a king, and He wants us to observe the protocol for approaching Him that He outlined in His Word. Next, God spoke to Moses on a mountain and gave him the Ten Commandments. And when He did, the entire mountain burned and smoked with God’s presence (Exodus 20:18 NKJV). When it happened, the people trembled and said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die’ (v 19 NKJV).

Moments like that set the man and woman of God apart from the crowd! Finally, Moses became so intimate with God that ‘the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend’ (NKJV). Imagine ‘face time’ with God! What a privilege! And it should be the desire of your heart. It’s when you’ve met with God face to face and heard from Him personally that you are equal to the task.

Jer 22-23, 1 Tim 4

The Word For Today: Called to Be a Priest (1)

‘…[You] have made us kings and priests to our God…’

Revelation 5:10

John writes, ‘For You…have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God…’ (vv 9-10 NKJV). Since you’re called to be a ‘priest’, let’s see what that involves: They ministered in three different levels of light. Picture the Old Testament tabernacle. The priests spent most of their time with the people in the outer court, which was illuminated by daylight. They spent less time in the inner court, where a seven-branched lamp stand, referred to as a menorah, illuminated the shewbread on the table. Then once a year the high priest would go into the Holiest of Holies, where the light of God’s presence was so intense, and it was referred to as the ‘Shekinah’.

So when God calls you to minister, you’ll spend most of your time in the outer court meeting people’s needs. Sometimes you’ll go into the inner court where the light of God’s Spirit illuminates His Word and gives you something to say that’s worth hearing. But in times of crisis, when human wisdom won’t solve the problem, you’ll have to go into the Holiest of Holies and receive the kind of light that only comes from God Himself. And people will know you’ve been there because, like Moses, when you come out they’ll notice something different about you.

Being a priest is a high calling. But God has called you to it, and if you’re willing to pay the price you can carry a sense of His presence with you wherever you go.

Jer 20-21, 1 Tim 3

The Word For Today: Can You Give and Receive Correction?

‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.’

Proverbs 27:6

The word ‘correction’ is not one we are always comfortable with. It sometimes recalls memories of frowning parents and painful consequences. Or we think of the risk of destroying a relationship rather than the possibilities of strengthening and enriching it. ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.’ We all need someone to tell us the truth because others have 20/20 vision where we have blind spots. Yes, someone may react defensively, but they may also be thrilled to realise you care more about their ultimate well-being than their immediate response to you. Corrections made from a loving spirit, not a self-righteous, ‘I-know-what’s-best’ attitude are usually well received. If others sense you are genuinely concerned for them and long for a better relationship, they are likely to consider what you have to say and be open to making changes.

Think of the courage Nathan the prophet showed in confronting David over his sin with Bathsheba. As king, David held the power of life and death over him. But Nathan loved David too much to allow sin to rob him of his destiny. God often uses us in each other’s lives to restore us to the narrow yet rich paths of destiny that He has preordained. Looking back, David could say, ‘Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word’ (Psalms 119:67 AKJV).

There are times when wisdom says, ‘Mind your own business and stay out of it.’ And there are other times when wisdom says, ‘Because you love them, get involved.’

Jer 18-19, 1 Tim 2