Plan for the Best, Be Prepared for the Worst
Devotion: Term 4, Week 7
Unexpected events can knock us off our feet. And while some of us get knocked down and out, others get back up and go on. They refuse to accept defeat as being permanent. They’re like the man who said, ‘I’m never down; I’m either up, or I’m getting up.’ They see everything that happens in life as a learning experience. Losing a loved one is heart breaking, but it can also be a wake-up call to live every day of your life to the fullest. Losing a job can be traumatic, but it can also bring to the surface talents and abilities you never knew you had.
Struggling to overcome a bad habit can lead to reprioritising your life and instituting healthy habits. You can prepare for the worst by saving money for emergencies, taking classes about new products and technology, keeping your relationships and contacts current so when you need to call someone for help, someone will willingly pick up the phone. Doing so is like having a spare tyre and tools in your boot for changing a flat. You hope you never need to use them, but you keep them ready to go in the event you hit a bump in the road.
Above all, keep your relationship with God in good repair! ‘The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand’ (Psalm 37:23-24 NIV).
SoulFood: Rom 3:21 – 6:23 John 10:1-10 Ps 133 Pro 29:15-18
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024
Other Devotions
Devotion – Plan for the Best, be Prepared for the Worst
Unexpected events can knock us off our feet. And while some of us get knocked down and out, others get back up and go on. They refuse to accept defeat as being permanent. They’re like the man who said, ‘I’m never down; I’m either up, or I’m getting up.’ They see everything that happens in life as a learning experience. Losing a loved one is heart breaking, but it can also be a wake-up call to live every day of your life to the fullest. Losing a job can be traumatic, but it can also bring to the surface talents and abilities you never knew you had.
Devotion – Love God with all Your Strength
What does it mean to love God with all your strength? A pastor defines it: ‘It means expending tremendous amounts of energy for Kingdom causes. It means blood, sweat, and tears. It means servanthood and sacrifice. It means good old-fashioned hard work. Energy may be the least appreciated dimension of love because it’s the least sentimental. And how we invest our energy reveals our true priorities.’ It reveals how much we love someone; in this case, God. The pastor continues: ‘Christianity was never intended to be a noun. And when we turn it into a noun, it becomes a turnoff. Christianity was always intended to be a verb. We’ve got to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We’ve got to seize opportunities to serve … At the end of the day, God isn’t going to say, ‘Well said, good and faithful servant’… but, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’
Devotion – Make God the Source of Your Self-Worth
God said, ‘Since you are precious in My sight, …’ (Isaiah 43:4 NASB20). So don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. Why is this important? Because understanding who you are as a person and genuinely believing that you merit love and attention from another person is essential to your self-worth. The capability to convey that successfully and in a considerate manner is essential for any healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. A sense of self-worth is not arrogance. It helps you to set boundaries and guarantees that no matter who you meet, those boundaries will never be compromised. Often, when we feel used in relationships, it’s because we have permitted those boundaries to be crossed. Or worse, we have never thought about where the boundaries should be. The way to prevent this situation is to be clear about who you are and what you are willing to do in a relationship.