UCB Word For Today

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• Don’t allow yourself to be distracted 21.07.2026 1分

  In March 1987, Eamon Coughlan was running in the qualifying heat at the World Indoor Track Championships in Indianapolis. He was the reigning world record holder at 1500 metres and was favoured to win the race. Unfortunately, with two and a half laps left, he tripped and fell hard. But he got up, and with great effort managed to catch the race leaders. With twenty yards to go, he was in third place, which would have been good enough to qualify for the final race. Then Coughlan made a fateful mistake – he looked over his shoulder to the inside. Seeing no one there, he relaxed his effort slightly. What he hadn’t noticed was that a runner was charging hard on the outside. This runner passed him just a yard before the finish line, eliminating him from the finals. Coughlan’s great comeback effort ended up being worthless for only one reason: he momentarily took his eyes off the finish line and focused on the would-be competitors behind him. The writer of the book of Hebrews said, ‘Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.’ A ‘weight’ refers to things that are legitimate but can slow you down. A ‘sin’ refers to something illegitimate that you know to be wrong and can cost you the race. So lay them both aside and ‘run with endurance the race that is set before [you], looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith’ (vv. 1-2 NKJV).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Blessings beyond your imagination 20.07.2026 2分

  Prayer Pastor Heidi Scanlon said: ‘God has blessings for us in categories we don’t even know exist.’ That means God can create something out of nothing. He can seemingly come out of nowhere, and just when you need Him most, give you something you don’t even have a category for. God says: ‘“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”’ (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV). You may say, ‘If God has blessings that I don’t even have categories for, how can I ask for them?’ That’s where the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you, comes to your aid: ‘We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us…in accordance with the will of God’ (Romans 8:26-27 NIV). And because the Holy Spirit prays in accordance with the will of God, you are blessed with wisdom beyond your knowledge, power beyond your strength, and favour beyond your ability. Paul put it this way: ‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen’ (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV). Now you still must do your due diligence, for God cannot bless negligence. But when you know you’ve faithfully done your part and obeyed God, you can trust Him for blessings beyond your imagination.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Be steadfast 19.07.2026 1分

  Back in the days of the great western cattle ranches in America, a little donkey would sometimes be harnessed to a wild horse and then turned loose onto the range. The wild horse would drag the donkey for miles, throwing him around like a bag of feed. In several days, however, they would return. The little donkey would be seen first, trotting back towards the ranch with his submissive steed in tow. Somewhere out in the wild, the horse would become exhausted and try to free itself of the donkey. At that moment, the donkey became the master of the two. The slow, patient, unimportant animal became the leader over the faster, more volatile, and more prized one. What made the difference? Having a steadfast purpose! And what was the donkey’s purpose? Going back home to the ranch! So no matter how many times they fought, tugged on the rope, and ended up on their backs kicking and fuming, each time the donkey got back on his feet, he would take a few more steps in the direction of the ranch. It was only a matter of time until the tired and exhausted horse decided to join him. One of the great themes of Scripture is having a steadfast purpose. Samuel told the Israelites: ‘Do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver’ (1 Samuel 12:21 NKJV). Isaiah wrote: ‘I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed’ (Isaiah 50:7 NKJV). Paul wrote: ‘Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.’© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• You will conquer your Jericho (2) 18.07.2026 1分

  In late January 1956, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr received a threatening telephone call at his house. It was not the first foreboding message he’d received. But on this night, as his children and his wife lay sleeping, the weight of the Civil Rights Movement was too heavy. He decided that the risk was too great. He began to map out an exit strategy. At midnight he bowed over the kitchen table and began to pray, ‘I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.’ King described what happened next. ‘I experienced the presence of the Divine as I have never experienced Him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.”’ When facing a daunting challenge, Dr King shifted his focus and turned to God. The Bible says: ‘When Joshua was by Jericho…he lifted his eyes…and behold, a Man stood opposite him.’ After Joshua lifted his eyes from Jericho, a divine messenger stood before him with the solution to his problem. As long as your eyes are only on your problem, you won’t see your problem solver. You must look up. ‘I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD’ (Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• You will conquer your Jericho (1) 17.07.2026 2分

  Here’s what you need to know about the walls of Jericho: they were immense. They wrapped around the city like a suit of armour, forty feet above the ground. They were impenetrable. Here is what you need to know about Joshua: he didn’t bring the walls down – God did. And God will do that for you too. Your Jericho is your fear, anger, bitterness, or prejudice. It’s also your insecurity about the future; your guilt about the past; and your negativity, anxiety, and proclivity to criticise, over-analyse, or compartmentalise. Your Jericho is any circumstance, attitude, or mindset that keeps you from joy, peace, or rest. Jericho blocks your way, so its walls must fall! ‘Go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess’ (Joshua 1:11 NKJV). The verb translated as ‘possess’ means ‘to occupy by driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place’. But Satan won’t leave without a fight. He will resist. He will push back. But he will not win. Why? Because God has already declared that you are the victor. ‘The LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand.”’ God did not say, ‘Joshua, take the city.’ God said, ‘Joshua, receive the city I have taken.’ The same can be said about you and your challenge. You may say, ‘If God has done it for me, what do I have to do?’ 1) Receive your victory by faith, just as you received your salvation. 2) Speak victory. Be sure your words line up with God’s words. 3) Walk out your victory, one day at a time.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Acquire a taste for God’s Word 16.07.2026 2分

  In ancient Jewish culture, formal education began at six years of age. Jewish boys enrolled in the local synagogue school called bet sefer, which means ‘house of the book’. By the time they graduated four years later, they had memorised the entire Torah – every jot and tittle of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy was engraved on their cerebral cortex via memorisation. There goes our excuse for not being able to remember, right? According to tradition, the rabbi would cover the students’ writing slates with honey on the first day of class. Then the rabbi would instruct his class to lick the honey off their slates while reciting Psalm 119:103: ‘How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!’ (NKJV). That was the first and perhaps most important lesson in their entire education. The rabbi wanted his students to fall in love with the Word of God. He wanted them to taste and see that the Word is good (see Psalm 34:8). Jeremiah thought so: ‘Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart’ (Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV). David said: ‘The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple’ (Psalm 119:130 NKJV). Solomon said: ‘For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding’ (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV). When you acquire a taste for God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, who is the author of the Word, will do two things for you. First, He will reveal it to you. Second, He will remind you of it.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Rest in your redemption 15.07.2026 1分

  As the Jordan River swelled to a mile in width, crossing it was no small task. Especially with millions of people! God said, ‘Go over this Jordan, you and all this people’ (Joshua 1:2 NKJV). Do you think they were scared? Would you have been? ‘The feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water’ (Joshua 3:15 NKJV). It was the smallest of steps, but with God, the smallest step of faith can activate the mightiest of miracles. As they touched the water, the flow stopped as if someone had shut off the water main. Next, we read: ‘All Israel crossed over on dry ground’ (v. 17 NKJV). By performing this miracle, God wanted them to know: ‘By this you shall know that the living God is among you.’ For Joshua’s people, assurance came as they stood on dry land looking back at the Jordan. For us, assurance comes as we stand on the finished work of Christ and look back at the cross. Let the cross convince you. Be settled about God’s faithfulness. The psalmist describes a person of faith this way: ‘He is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him’ (Psalm 112:7 TLB). Life has many unanswered questions, but God’s promise to save you needn’t be one of them. ‘He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?’ (Romans 8:32 NKJV). Rest in your redemption. The past is past. Your future is bright.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• The importance of daily prayer 14.07.2026 1分

  Dr George Washington Carver overcame racial prejudice and became an educator, scientist, and inventor who was honoured by the U.S. Congress. He was also a follower of Christ. And here’s what he had to say about prayer: ‘My prayers seem to be more of an attitude than anything else. I indulge in very little lip service, but ask the Great Creator silently, daily, and often many times a day to permit me to speak to Him…I ask Him…to give me wisdom, understanding, and bodily strength to do His will; hence I am asking and receiving all the time.’ Carver gave the world many inventions and was most famous for what he could do with a peanut. He stood on the truth of these Scriptures: ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight’ (Isaiah 45:2 NKJV). ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know’ (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV). ‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand’ (Isaiah 41:10 NKJV). Pay particular attention to Carver’s words: ‘I am asking and receiving all the time.’ Prayer was not his last resort, but his first choice. To him, it was more than religious ritual; it was a means of constant communication with the God he loved, sometimes talking and sometimes listening, but at all times sensitive to and aware of the presence of God. And daily prayer should be that for you too.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Be a team player 13.07.2026 1分

  Solomon wrote: ‘One standing alone can be…defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.’ What Solomon is saying is this: ‘Be a team player.’ Deuteronomy 32 speaks of one person chasing 1,000 and two putting 10,000 to flight (v. 30). The lesson is that two working together will be ten times more effective than one going solo. Teams create synergy. The best explanation of synergy is that a hand is more effective than five fingers working independently of each other. When the press interviewed Edmund Hillary regarding the key to his success in being the first to reach the top of Mount Everest, his response was inspiring: ‘Our greatest strength on Everest in 1953 was our very strong team spirit. Individually, as mountaineers, we were not particularly expert people. We were competent climbers, but we worked together, and we were determined that someone should get to the top. All of us, of course, wanted to be that one, but it was even more important that someone in the group reached the summit. In modern-day climbing, this team spirit is not quite so common. There are many more prima donnas in the modern climbing fraternity, people who have great skills and great individualism but who may not work together as enthusiastically as we did.’ The truth is that no individual is as smart and strong as all of us are as a group. Or to put it in the words of Dr John Maxwell: ‘Teamwork makes the dream work.’ So be willing to sacrifice your personal agenda for the greater good that can be accomplished only by a team.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Start your day with God 12.07.2026 1分

  How do you start your day with God? If you’re not a ‘morning person’, don’t put pressure on yourself to have an extended time of reading Scripture and praying first thing in the morning. Frank Laubach, a modern-day master of practising the presence of God, said, ‘If you are weary of some sleepy form of devotion, probably God is as weary of it as you are.’ Instead of forcing yourself in the morning, try to arrange – as early as you can after you wake up – to have just a few minutes alone with God. Do three things: First, acknowledge your dependence on God. Second, tell Him about your concerns for the day. Third, invite God to spend the day with you. The psalmist said, ‘My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord…I will direct it to You, and I will look up.’ Then he added, ‘I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word’ (Psalm 119:147 NKJV). So how can you start your day with God? Don’t attempt to do a lot of new or heroic things. Just do the things you normally do – only do them with God. In our culture, we often talk about embracing the moment and seizing the day. But we are not meant to embrace moments; we are meant to embrace God. Moments are not always good; God is never anything but good. ‘Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!’ (Psalm 118:1 NKJV). Remind yourself that today God is with you, and that He will be good to you and for you.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Look back and be encouraged 11.07.2026 2分

  James wrote: ‘My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful’ (James 5:10-11 NKJV). Here we are reminded to look back and be challenged and encouraged by those who went before us as we await the Lord’s coming. Look back at Hosea: his wife deserted him, but he faithfully hung in there and God restored their marriage (see Hosea 3:1-3). Look back at Daniel: he was thrown into a lions’ den for standing firm in his faith, but God delivered and promoted him (see Daniel 6:1-28). Look back at Jeremiah: he was arrested, accused of being a traitor, and thrown into a well to die (see Jeremiah 37-38). But he looked up, and God delivered him. Then there’s the roll call of the faithful listed in Hebrews eleven! Those of us who have been rejected by family members can look back to Abel (v. 4). Those who are misunderstood can look back to Noah (v. 7). Those battling a crisis of faith and who seem to be up against the impossible can look back to Abraham (vv. 8-10). If you’ve been used or abused, look back to Joseph (v. 22). Those confronted by seemingly insurmountable obstacles in life can look back to Joshua (v. 30). Those seeking to move beyond a sinful past can look back to Rahab (v. 31). So, this is the word for today: look back and be encouraged.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Holy Communion 10.07.2026 2分

  Here are three reasons you need to partake of Holy Communion: 1) To make you grace-minded. No one will ever stand in heaven and say, ‘Look what Jesus and I have accomplished.’ If you had to pay one penny of your debt of sin, it would make you a co-redeemer with Christ. What an offence to the cross! (See Ephesians 2:8-9.) Hymnist Horatio Spafford wrote: ‘My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!’ 2) To keep you sensitive to sin. ‘Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself’ (1 Corinthians 11:28-29 NKJV). You may say, ‘If I sin and take communion, does that mean I’m drinking liquid damnation?’ No, it’s the ‘manner’ in which you approach God that counts. You don’t have to avoid the communion cup; you need only confess your sin, then drink deeply with gratitude. 3) To keep you focused on Christ’s return. ‘I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God’ (Mark 14:25 NKJV). Every communion service brings you one step closer to the greatest communion service of all: the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven (see Revelation 19:7). Are you planning on being there? © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Reprogramme and renew your mind 09.07.2026 2分

  Neuroscientists tell us that every sound, every experience, every conscious thought, and every subconscious dream is recorded and literally engraved on our external hard drive, the cerebral cortex. Now juxtapose that with this: ‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 2:5 NKJV). Simply put: the mind of Christ is the Word of God. After all, Jesus is ‘the Word’ (John 1:1). When you pray, or meditate, or memorise Scripture, you are engraving Jesus on your brain. Neurologically speaking, you are recruiting new neuro connections and rerouting old ones. Slowly but surely, your brain is being rewired and renewed. Think of it as mind sync. You are downloading the very words, the very thoughts of God. And over time, those downloads are upgrades that form the mind of Christ in us. Note what author Mark Batterson says about how he reads the Bible, ‘I continue until I come to any verse that may suggest pausing. It’s often something I need to think about or pray about. Sometimes it’s the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and I need to have a conversation with God before I continue…When I come to one of those verses, I do three things: First, I underline it or circle it in my Bible. Second, I write it out in longhand in my journal. Third, I journal thoughts, confessions, and ideas associated with it. Then, when I feel like the Holy Spirit brings closure, I go on to the next verse.’ Those are three great ideas that will work for you too.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• God loves and accepts you 08.07.2026 1分

  Jimmy Wayne never knew his father, and his mother spent more time in prison than out. When Jimmy was twelve, his mother was released from jail and took up with a troublemaker. They loaded him into the back seat of their car, and for a year that was his home. Then one day, they dumped him at a Pensacola, Florida, bus station and drove off. He had no home, no future, and no provision. While wandering through a neighbourhood, he spotted an older man at work in a garage wood shop. He approached the elderly gentleman and asked if he had any work. Not only did he give Jimmy Wayne a job, but he also took him in to live with him and his wife. Having a home to live in was like heaven to Jimmy. Still, in spite of their kindness, he refused to unpack his bag. For four days, his plastic bag sat on the floor, full of clothes, ready if the husband and wife changed their minds. It took several days, a dozen or so meals, and more than one heart-to-heart conversation. But they finally persuaded Jimmy to trust them to care for him. Perhaps you question your place in God’s family or His love for you. What if He changes His mind? God answered that question at the cross. When Jesus died, the heavenly vote was forever cast in your favour. ‘He has rescued [you] from the kingdom of darkness and transferred [you] into the Kingdom of his dear Son.’ P.S.: What happened to Jimmy Wayne? He took his place in the family, got an education, and became a country music singer and songwriter.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• More responsibility calls for more prayer 07.07.2026 2分

  In the early days of America, a stranger asked how he might identify George Washington among those present at Congress. He was told, ‘You can easily distinguish him when Congress goes to prayer. Washington is the gentleman who kneels down.’ Washington was known as a man who prayed. When the fate of the new nation hung in the balance at Valley Forge, he frequently found rest and relief in prayer. One day, a farmer approaching Washington’s military camp heard an earnest voice. When he drew nearer, he saw Washington on his knees, his cheeks wet with tears. The farmer returned home and told his wife: ‘George Washington will succeed, and the Americans will secure their independence.’ His wife said, ‘Isaac, what makes you think so?’ He replied, ‘I heard him pray out in the woods today, and the Lord will surely hear his prayer. He will, Hannah, rest assured, He will!’ When we have less, we’re more aware of our need and pray more. But as we acquire and achieve more, we become more self-sufficient and pray less. That’s a mistake. The more God entrusts to you, the more you need His strength, His wisdom, His guidance, and His grace. David sat on a throne and ruled Israel. Was he proud or arrogant? No. ‘When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me…In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid’ (vv. 9, 11 NKJV). So this is the word for today: more responsibility calls for more prayer.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Have you prayed about it? 06.07.2026 1分

  From the beginning of the Bible to its conclusion we see absolute evidence that God answers prayer. Things that we think are impossible, God does when people pray! When we pray, we align ourselves with the purposes of God and tap into the power of the Almighty. Because we pray, God works through us in ways He wouldn’t otherwise. God has made certain things dependent upon prayer, things that will never be done unless we pray. Could God do whatever He chooses without our prayer? Of course. But God has determined that He will use the prayers of His people to accomplish His purposes. When we do not pray, we limit what God will do in our lives. Some may not like the sound of this, but if it were not true, what could James mean when he writes: ‘You do not have because you do not ask?’ Why would Paul ask some friends to, ‘Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured…that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people’ (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 NIVUK), if he did not believe their prayers had the power to change his circumstances? Both James and Paul believed that God might well withhold His hand of blessing from them if they neglected to pray. Since they wanted all the blessing available to them, they not only prayed themselves, they recruited others to pray for them. They never wanted to limit what God might be pleased to do in and through them by failing to pray. And if you want all the blessing God has available, you too must pray.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• How to have a good day 05.07.2026 2分

  In Western culture, we think of a day beginning when the sun comes up. But the creation account says: ‘The evening and the morning were the first day’ (Genesis 1:5 NKJV). Each day began with evening. Author Eugene Peterson noted that in this way, the biblical writers help us to remember: ‘Everything doesn’t depend on me. I go to sleep; God goes to work. It’s His day. The world keeps spinning, tides ebb and flow, lives begin and end even though I am not there to superintend any of it. God is present when I sleep.’ So, the psalmist wrote: ‘In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for he grants sleep to those he loves’ (Psalm 127:2 NIV). It’s estimated that sleep deprivation and driver fatigue is a contributing factor in up to one fifth of road incidents. Lack of sleep causes people to argue with spouses and friends, do subpar work, be less loving and more irritable with children and friends, and generally feel miserable. So, here’s how to ‘have a good day’. Before you go to sleep, take a few minutes to review your day with God. Seek to resolve any household conflicts before bedtime. Paul wrote: ‘Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil’ (Ephesians 4:26-27 NLT). Confess any sin that comes to mind and ask for forgiveness. Where you were blessed today, take time to savour it and say thanks. In other words, give God the last word in your day.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Exercise patience 04.07.2026 2分

  Patience, from the biblical perspective, embodies these four things: 1) Confidence in God’s unfailing love and faithfulness to us: ‘His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness’ (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV). 2) Confidence that He will keep His promises to us: ‘There has not failed one word…which He promised’ (1 Kings 8:56 NKJV). 3) Confidence that He has everything that concerns us under control: ‘The LORD will vindicate me’ (Psalm 138:8 NIV). 4) Confidence that even in the most difficult of circumstances, He is working for our good. ‘We know that all things work together for good to those who love God’ (Romans 8:28 NKJV). Confidence in God enables us to live by the Word: ‘He that believeth shall not make haste’ (Isaiah 28:16 KJV). Impatience is at the root of so many of our failures. Hence the apostle James wrote: ‘Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.’ Look at Simon Peter: he came close to committing murder in the garden of Gethsemane in a vain attempt to protect Jesus (see John 18:10). Look at Moses: his impatience caused him to strike the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded; hence he forfeited the Promised Land (see Numbers 20:1-13). Look at Abraham: his impatience while waiting for God’s promise of a son to be fulfilled led to the birth of Ishmael and serious complications in the family (see Genesis 16:1-16). Hence Paul wrote: ‘Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope’ (Romans 15:4 NKJV). So, the word for today is – exercise patience!© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Before you get married 03.07.2026 2分

  Here are three things you should be clear about before you commit to a lifetime relationship in marriage (if you’re not in this situation yourself, perhaps you could use these points to guide your prayers for others): 1) Does your partner have a strong relationship with Christ? ‘Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?’ (Amos 3:3 NLT). To stay together, you must walk in step and in the same direction. 2) Is your partner growing spiritually? ‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3:18 NIV). If you are not growing together, you will eventually grow apart. Looks may bring you together, but a shared faith and values will keep you together for the long haul. 3) What kind of family background does your partner have? God can help us overcome our obstacles caused by family dysfunction. But you need to know what you are dealing with before you vow to love one another ‘for better or for worse’. Paul wrote: ‘Carry each other’s burdens…this way you will fulfil the law of Christ’ (Galatians 6:2 NIV). But you need to know upfront what those burdens are before committing to a lifetime of helping to share them. Do you know about your partner’s past relationships? ‘If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV). But that doesn’t mean you can cover up the past or lie about it. Mutual transparency is the name of the game! When you know the whole truth about one another, the past loses its power to sabotage your present and your future. No spouse is perfect, but don’t settle for less than God’s best.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• With God’s help, you’ll succeed 02.07.2026 2分

  Some of the world’s greatest achievers went through life with physical disabilities and overcame incredible adversities. Sir Walter Scott was disabled. John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, was imprisoned. George Washington, America’s first president, almost froze and starved to death in the snows of Valley Forge. Abraham Lincoln played a critical part in ending the scourge of slavery in America, yet he was raised in abject poverty and died prematurely from an assassin’s bullet. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli was subject to bitter religious prejudice. Franklin D. Roosevelt was struck down with infantile paralysis. Ludwig van Beethoven became deaf. Glen Cunningham, an Olympic runner holding many world records, had his legs badly burned in a school fire. Booker T. Washington, Harriet Tubman, Marian Anderson, and George Washington Carver were born into a society filled with racial discrimination. Enrico Caruso was from a large, poor Italian family where only a few children survived past infancy. Itzhak Perlman, concert violinist, lost the function of his legs at age four. In the eyes of his father and family, biblical David wasn’t considered worthy to be Israel’s next king in the place of Saul. Moralists and legalists would surely have disqualified him because of his violation of Bathsheba. Yet God referred to him as ‘a man after my own heart’ (Acts 13:22 NIV). And here’s what David said about God: ‘My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…I have put my trust in the Lord GOD’ (vv. 26, 28 NKJV). The word for today is: with God’s help, you’ll succeed.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.