The Word For Today

We often think of great artists and musicians as having 'bursts' of genius. But more often, they're models of painstaking patience and perseverance. Their greatest works tend to have been accomplished over longer periods and through extreme hardships. Beethoven is said to have rewritten each bar of his music at least a dozen times. Joseph Haydn produced more than 800 musical compositions before writing The Creation, the oratorio for which he is most famous. Michelangelo's The Last Judgement is considered one of the twelve master paintings of the ages. It took him eight years to complete, producing more than 2,000 sketches and renderings in the process. Leonardo da Vinci worked on The Last Supper for ten years, often working so diligently that he forgot to eat.

When renowned pianist Paderewski was quite elderly, an admirer asked him, 'Is it true that you still practise every day?' He replied, 'Yes, at least six hours a day.' The admirer said in awe, 'You must have a world of patience.' Paderewski said, 'I have no more patience than the next fellow. I just use mine.' It is said that in the Kentucky Derby, the winning horse effectively runs out of oxygen after the first mile and runs the rest of the way on heart. Basketball legend Michael Jordan says, 'Heart is what separates the good from the great.'

In the Bible, James wrote, 'As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about' (James 5:11 NIV). Those who are 'blessed' with success are those who keep persevering and refuse to give up.

The Bible says, 'If anyone has slipped away from God and no longer trusts the Lord and someone helps him understand the Truth again' (James 5:19-20 TLB). It is possible for a true believer to slip away. This means we must never put our convictions on the shelf. If we don't make a deliberate effort to stay close to the truth of God's word, we could wander from it. After all, we live in a world with lots of distractions. Today many people are on a quest for 'unity at all costs' and are devaluing the importance of the truth as revealed in God's word.

Knowing he would soon die as a martyr for his faith, the apostle Paul wrote to his successor Timothy: 'Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of' (2 Timothy 3:14 NIV). Then in 2 Timothy 4:2-5 (NIV), he encouraged Timothy: 'Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship...discharge all the duties of your ministry'.

So the word for today is - stay true to the truth of God's word.

As a leader, you must understand what you do well and know where you need assistance. Your strengths and weaknesses don't make you wrong or right; they just make you who you are. If you've heard the saying, 'No man is an island,' it was probably said about a great leader. Few people achieve success on their own. Consider an actor in a play. He may be the one in the spotlight - with perfect hair, make-up and costume, reciting poignant lines and getting all the applause - but he didn't do it alone. He had to rely on the costume designer for the outfit he wore, the hair and make-up artists who made him look flawless, the playwright who wrote the words, and the lighting and sound crews who set the stage, etc.

Good leaders are wise enough to surround themselves with people who have strengths that complement theirs. They are still in charge, but they have teams that help them achieve their vision. You are a leader in some area of your life - home, family, work, church - and you know leadership has its challenges. While there are certainly many benefits, a leader has to deal with conflict, controversy and naysayers who think they know better. This comes with the territory. But you can't allow others to keep you from achieving your goals. Not everyone will be your cheerleader. That's just a fact of life.

If you are going to be an effective leader, hold fast to your vision, build a great team to help you, and stand on God's promise: '"I have spoken; I have called [you]. I have brought [you], and I will make [you] successful. (Isaiah 48:15).

Within a matter of seconds, Vicky's life was shattered. A trapeze artist, she lost control of the fly bar and landed head-first in the net. She broke her neck and became paralysed with quadriplegia. Three years after the accident, she had fallen into deep despair and self-pity, and was determined to take her life. She survived a suicide attempt and was admitted to a hospital for care. On the fourth anniversary of her fall, she and her husband separated, and bitterness set in.

One day, a home-health aide, Mae Lynne, was assigned to help Vicky. A strong Christian, she introduced Vicky to Jesus and the Bible. Vicky began to learn how to stand firm in her faith and walk in obedience to God. In addition, a pastor faithfully taught her God's word for two years. Then Vicky began a ministry of encouragement by writing letters each week to prison inmates and others with disabilities. The more joy she brought to them, the more she experienced herself. She jokes, 'Quadriplegics aren't supposed to have this much joy, are they?'

Vicky still uses a wheelchair, becomes dizzy at times and has occasional respiratory problems. But she has a deep inner peace and strength because of her relationship with Jesus. And you can have it too. Job said: 'Acquaint yourself with him, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up' (Job 22:21-23 NKJV).

Paul wrote: 'Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand' (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). Jesus said: 'Don't worry about these things, saying, "What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?" These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need' (Matthew 6:31-33 NLT).

Instead of meditating on our problems, we need to meditate on how good and loving our God really is. When we keep our minds on our problems, we create anxiety. But when we keep our minds on the promises of God, we get infused with his peace. So allow the promises of God to heal your soul of worry and stress by focusing on his goodness and willingness to show himself strong on your behalf. 'The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him' (2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT).

Our heavenly Father loves us and already knows our needs. When we take hold of that truth, fear and doubt fall by the wayside. Confession: 'I don't give in to needless worry. I pray about problems rather than complain about them. God hears my prayers, and I thank him for all he's provided. I experience God's peace because I know he hears me and has already answered my prayers in Jesus.'

The remora fish has an oval sucking disc on the top of its head that allows it to attach itself to the underside of a shark. Once attached, the remora does not have to worry about food, transportation or safety. It feeds on the food that falls from the shark's mouth. Of course, it has the option of swimming on its own, but when it decides to attach to the shark, it goes where the shark goes. It does not attempt to go in a direction contrary to the shark. Protection? It's a non-issue for one that's connected to such a powerful creature. The remora is secure, and it knows the shark can take it places it could never go alone.

Doesn't this sound like the relationship God desires his children to have with him? He wants us to feed on the words that come from his mouth. He wants us to go with him where he leads and not take off on independent excursions, hoping he will tag along. He wants us to live with the assurance that he will protect not only our lives, but also our relationships and all that pertains to us.

Oh, that we would emulate the remora! We would then find ourselves securing our attachment to God on a daily basis through prayer. He is waiting to carry us to places we fear going alone. The prophet Isaiah admonished the Jewish leaders: 'Whoever calls on the Lord, do not give yourselves any rest' (Isaiah 62:6 GWT). So the word for today is this - prayer is your connection to God.