The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Great Relationships There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. - Proverbs 18:24 NIV

Building great relationships takes time and energy. And you only discover how valuable such relationships are when they're tested. One author writes: "Contouring your heart to beat with another requires extensive whittling, to trim away self-centeredness. It's like riding the bus; if you're going to have company you must be willing to scoot over to accommodate other people and the baggage they bring. Your actions in doing this express the importance of the other person. One relationship becomes more valuable than others because of its ability to survive and endure realignments."

The qualities we value most in a friend are two-fold:

1. The assurance that they won't bail out when the road gets rocky.
2. The knowledge that our imperfections and scars won't change their level of commitment.

Solomon said, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother" (Pr 18:24). It's about quality, not quantity. That's why heart connections can be so much stronger than blood connections. Don't be too quick to discount someone's good qualities because they made a mistake, disappointed you or did something without thinking. You wouldn't haul your car to the junkyard because it had a faulty battery or a flat tire!

Love means risk, but the payoffs outweigh the investment. Behind every success story you'll find people who once felt so discouraged they wanted to quit, who fell and needed lifting when someone stepped in, picked them up and helped them to keep going. Life is not built on acquisitions and accomplishments, it's built on relationships. So keep yours in good shape!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Acts 22-23, Lk 9:57-62, Ps 78:1-8, Pr 16:23-24

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Great Expectations This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down. - 1 Samuel 17:46 NIV

It's not the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog. David didn't have the rank, equipment or training, but he had the winning attitude. So great was his level of expectation that he "ran quickly toward the battle line to meet [Goliath]" (1 Sa 17:48 NIV). While Saul and his soldiers were hiding, David was running to meet the challenge. How's that for great expectations? Now we're not talking about faith in our own ability, but in "Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us" (Eph 3:20 NIV).

Martin Seligman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, did some research on a major life insurance company and found that sales people who expected to succeed sold twice as much as those who didn't. Researchers have discovered that there's a greater correlation between self-confidence and achievement than there is between IQ and achievement.

Know what? The God who lives within you is limited by one thing only: your inability or unwillingness to believe in yourself. The more you believe in yourself, the more you'll be able to accomplish. And if you keep believing and expecting, you'll someday find yourself doing what you once considered impossible. Why? Because "With God all things are possible" (Mt 19:26). It's said that if Michelangelo had consulted his doubts or his critics, he'd have painted the floor of the Sistine Chapel instead of the ceiling, and his work wouldn't be around for us to admire. The truth is, great results begin with great expectations!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Acts 27-28, Lk 10:13-24, Ps 78:17-31, Pr 16:26-30

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Tell your friends about The Word For Today e-mail service. If you've been encouraged by The Word for Today, then your friends will be too. NZ - Click here, UK - Click here.

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by: