UCB Word For Today UCB

To have peace you must focus on God’s presence. What you choose to focus on either fuels your fears or your faith. The Bible says, ‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you’ (Isaiah 26:3 NIV). That verse could be reduced to one sentence: ‘Get your focus in order − look at me.’ The psalmist says, ‘God is…an ever-present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1 NIV). Later in that psalm, He reminds us, ‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (v. 10 NIV). These verses were written during the time of Hezekiah. Enemy armed forces had surrounded Jerusalem and the Israelites were tense, so they prayed this prayer! And five minutes before noon, God struck the Assyrians with a plague and 185,000 of them perished. Jerusalem was saved, and everyone was joyful. This psalm helps us remember that God is our refuge. No matter how overwhelming the odds seem, He is always with you to help. This psalm informs us of two things about receiving God’s help in times of trouble. The first thing is to ‘be still’. Many of our troubles come from our inability to sit still. The second thing is to ‘know that I am God’. Did you know that in the middle of a hurricane or tornado there is a quiet centre referred to as an eye? Likewise, though everything is blowing apart around you, you can have a quiet centre. Be still and know. When you live this way, ‘the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds’ (Philippians 4:7 NIV). When you think about it, it’s the only sane way to live!

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

In order to find real peace, you must do two things: 1) Live by the principles of God’s Word. ‘Great peace have those who love your law.’ Peace arrives when you live in harmony with God. A new car comes with an owner’s manual. It tells you that for your car to perform well, you must do certain things at certain times. Likewise, the Bible is your owner’s manual for life. It contains guiding principles for finances, health, marriage, business, relationships, and considerably more. Just as your car drives more smoothly when you use it according to its design, so your life will go more smoothly when you live it according to God’s design. 2) Accept God’s pardon. Guilt is the top destroyer of peace. When we feel guilty, we feel haunted by our past. That’s why we read about people who make amends for a wrong they committed thirty years earlier. They say, ‘I was living in hell all those years and had to get it off my chest.’ The only way to have peace is to possess a clear conscience, and only God is able to give you that. ‘Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives…transgression?…You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy’ (Micah 7:18 NIV). Notice, Micah reveals God is eager – ready and waiting – to clean your slate. It’s His personality. He enjoys forgiving. He owns a big eraser. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9 NIV).

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

Jesus said His peace is a gift. That means you don’t have to work for it and you cannot earn it. You cannot psych yourself up for it, and you cannot ‘try really hard’ to obtain it. No, it’s a gift you must accept by faith. Jesus also said that His peace is unique from what the world provides. In the last 3,500 years, the world has only been free of war for 286 of them – that’s less than 9 per cent. This world’s peace doesn’t last. Jesus told His disciples, ‘I give you my own peace and my gift is nothing like the peace of this world. You must not be distressed and you must not be daunted’ (vv. 27-28 PHPS). He spoke those words just before He went to the cross. So, God’s peace is not regulated by circumstances – it’s an ‘inside job’. Have you ever heard someone say, ‘I need to get away’? This is sometimes known as a geographical cure. You think if you leave where you are and go somewhere else, you will have peace. But it doesn’t work, for wherever you go, you take yourself with you. Have you ever been so tired that your body collapsed into bed but your mind wouldn’t turn off? Well, you can get away and find peace! How? Jesus gives us the solution: ‘You may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33 NLT). Where can you find peace? Jesus said, ‘In me!’ Today, spend time with Him.

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

God will give you three kinds of peace. 1) Spiritual peace. ‘Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ That’s the foundation, the bottom line. You must have peace with God before you can have any other kind of peace. Jesus said, ‘I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give’ (John 14:27 NLT). Why? Because His peace has the hallmark of heaven on it. 2) Relational peace. Paul writes, ‘As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone’ (Romans 12:18 NIV). Relational peace decreases conflict. You know from experience that relationships can be an origin of tension. For the majority of us, our greatest problems are people problems: interacting well with our boss, family, or relatives. We consistently have to deal with competition, conflict, and criticism. And these things can steal our peace. 3) Emotional peace. ‘Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since…you were called to peace’ (Colossians 3:15 NIV). The Greek word for ‘rule’ means ‘to umpire’. What is an umpire’s role? He maintains peace. He ensures the game is played in a smooth and disciplined way. And God will provide you with an internal umpire who will keep you at peace when everything around you appears chaotic. Here is a great Bible promise: ‘You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!’ (Isaiah 26:3 NLT). Do you need peace today? Turn to God; you won’t be disappointed.

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

One expert points out that leaders touch your heart before they ask for your hand. That’s the law of connection. Before a leader can touch a person’s heart, he or she has to know what’s in it. And you learn that by listening. A reluctance to listen is too typical among poor leaders. Over half of all management problems are the consequence of faulty communications. And the vast majority of communication problems stem from poor listening. Many voices are clamouring for our attention. As you think about how to listen, keep in mind that you have two reasons for listening: a) to connect with people, and b) to learn about them. That includes your competitors. Sam Markewich quipped, ‘If you don’t agree with me, it means you haven’t been listening.’ Though of course he was joking, the sad truth is that when a leader views another organisation only as competition, he or she focuses attention on building their own case or championing their own objective and forgets to learn from the other group’s efforts. Now, you don’t necessarily want to base your actions on what the other person is doing, but you should still listen and learn how to improve yourself. It’s a costly mistake to get so busy doing your own thing, or trying to make things happen, that you’re not paying attention to what’s going on around you. Every day you live and every experience you have, both negative and positive, can teach you valuable lessons. But you must listen!

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

God designed your marriage partner to meet your physical needs, your emotional needs, and yes, even some of your spiritual needs. Adam enjoyed perfect health, worked at the perfect job, and lived in the perfect environment. He even went for walks with God every day. Nevertheless, he was lonely and incomplete. So God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ Note the word ‘helper’. God intended your partner to help you grow and fulfil your destiny. There is an intimate physical, emotional, and spiritual bond between you. No one on earth will ever know you better than your God-given mate. He or she should be your closest friend, counsellor, and confidant. That calls for communication! And good communication is based on asking the right questions and listening carefully to the answers. It calls for turning off the TV, your laptop, iPad, and mobile phone. It means asking, ‘How are things with you today?’ then listening long enough for hidden emotions to surface. Listen until you understand your spouse’s concerns, feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams. Listen accurately, so you can assess his or her real needs – needs you are best equipped to meet. Your questions reveal your level of caring, and the answers you get in return can become a foundation for a long, happy marriage. That’s exactly what God had in mind when he said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one’ (v. 24 NASB).

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