Thought For Today

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 14th of July, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.
We go straight to the Book of Deuteronomy 19:21. The Lord says to us:
“… life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
Then we go straight to the Book of Matthew 5:38-39:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Yoh! That is a challenge, is it not? Because we want justice, we want people to understand that they cannot mess with us. But then we go to Luke 23:34:
“Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
We really need to exercise forgiveness, and I can imagine there are a lot of you who are saying, “No, Angus, we have got to pay back for what we get.” Well, Jesus disagrees. He says we have got to go the extra mile. He says we have got to forgive, but He says, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Sometimes people are not aware of what they have done, and those same people whom you forgive will come back later and say, “Listen, I made a terrible mistake. Please forgive me.”
I am speaking particularly to husbands and wives today. There comes a time when you say, “I am not fighting anymore. I am going to turn the other cheek, you can say what you like but I am not going to retaliate. I am not going to pay back. I am going to leave it in the hands of the Lord. You know, it takes “two to tango”, as they say, and if you say, “I am not arguing, I am not fighting any more, I am making a choice, I am going to forgive you.” And that gives the person an opportunity to realise the mistake he has made.
One person said one day, if we had to pay back everybody for everything they have done to us, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, nobody in this world would have any teeth, and we would all be blind. Today, I really want to encourage you to pray over this scripture. It is a tough one. Today, let’s do what Jesus said and let Him undertake for the results.
Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 13th of July, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.
We start in the Book of Proverbs 27:17:
”As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”
Then we go to 1 Thessalonians 5:6:
”Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”
We have a responsibility, don’t we? Now, how do we keep awake? I heard this from C H Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher. He said one way we keep vigilant and on our toes, as it were, is through Christian fellowship. Do not isolate yourself, my dear friend, if it is possible at all, but have fellowship with one another, not just in church on a Sunday morning, or in a fellowship group on a Wednesday night, but all the time, wherever you meet someone.
I had the privilege of speaking to a young man not so long ago. I met up with him. I was on a campsite right up in the northern part of South Africa, and as we started talking, he said to me, ”You know, I remember like yesterday, the big tent on your farm. It was a turning point in my life, sitting in that tent with thirty thousand men inside and another thirty thousand men outside, and how we had fellowship together and how we spoke about the things of God.” As I spoke to him, I was encouraged myself, iron sharpening iron, sparks flying, having a laugh, and maybe even a tearful moment, thinking about how the Holy Spirit moved in our lives together!
That is what keeps you on your toes. That is what keeps you from becoming slothful, becoming sleepy, and not watching and praying. So when we had finished, we greeted each other, we prayed, and he went on his way rejoicing, and I was rejoicing. Why? Because we were having fellowship. We were not sleeping as others do but we were talking about our beloved Saviour and the miracle-working power that we find when we spend time talking about Him together.
Jesus bless you and remember, if Christ is for you, there is no man that will stand against you.
Jesus bless you and goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 12th of July, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.
We go straight to the Book of Acts 28:1-6:
”Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.” A snake bit him.” So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.”
Folks, we can see again, one minute a villain, the next minute a hero! The same people, within a few moments. He didn’t die, so they started to worship him, but before that they wanted to kill him because they said that he was a murderer. What is the point of this story? The point of this story is, the only reward that you and I ever need is from God. I’ve had that experience myself many, many times. One moment, everybody thinks you’re great. You make a mistake, whatever it might be, an honest mistake and everybody is down on top of you. Don’t do that, you can’t live like that.
Let’s today, start to trust the Lord like Paul did and He, Himself, will be our Redeemer and our Rewarder.
Have a wonderful day.
Jesus bless you and goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 11th of July, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.
We start in the Book of Deuteronomy 19:7:
”Therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall separate three cities for yourself.”
Now what happened here, the Lord in His mercy said, when the Israelites went into a new country, three cities were to be separated so that people who had made an honest mistake can go and hide from those who want to avenge the mistake that he has made.
Then we go to the Book of Romans 6:23:
”For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
You know folks, I want to say to you that our Lord is such a gracious God. If you read on in that scripture just before Deuteronomy 19:7, you will see that the Lord explains that if a man, for example, is cutting down a tree with his friend and the head of the axe comes off the shaft and hits his friend on the head and kills him, it’s an accident. They make these three cities available for people to go and hide so that they are not avenged, and the Lord Himself has made a way through Jesus Christ for you and me to have our sins forgiven. That’s why He says, ”The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus died on the cross of Calvary so that you and I can live. Yes, the God of the second chance - we made a mistake, He has forgiven us and He’s given us an opportunity to continue to live!
You know I looked up that beautiful scripture, Luke 7:47:
”He who has been forgiven much, loves Me the most but to whom little is for forgiven, loves Me little.”
And I want to tell you something now, we can make mistakes, I’ve made many myself, but if we come to the Lord with a repentant heart and ask forgiveness, He will make a way for us where there seems to be no way.
I don’t know how many testimonies I’ve heard from men who have been restored by the Lord Jesus Christ after making a mistake. What about Zacchaeus, the tax collector? He was an evil man, stealing money from his own people, but Jesus came to his house, had lunch with him and said, ”Your sins are forgiven.” Zacchaeus was so overwhelmed, and the Lord said, ”Salvation has come to this house today.” Not only for Zacchaeus but all his friends, the other tax collectors as well.
Today, know one thing, that if you are genuinely repentant, God will give you another opportunity.
Jesus bless you and goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 10th of July, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.
We go to the Book of Galatians 3:27:
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
We must be seen by the world as being different, different people. They must see Jesus in us without us having to tell them. Do you remember that story? I think I told you years ago about a man who was sailing in the South Sea Islands, and he had a shipwreck. He was the only survivor, and the local inhabitants were going to kill him but they decided to leave him. They said, “We are going to see how you live, and we believe that you are one of those missionaries who are coming here. We don’t want to hear anything.” So the man never said a word, he just lived the life. He lived with them for many, many years. Eventually, he died and they buried him.
A few years later another sailing ship arrived at that island with missionaries, and when the missionaries came to the island they got the local people to sit and they were telling them about Jesus, but they noticed that these people weren’t surprised, they weren’t excited. They were nodding their heads in full agreement. When the missionaries had finished preaching they said, “Have you heard the Gospel before?” They said, “No”. “Well, we see that you are not surprised about the story of Jesus.” They said, “No, we are not surprised.” “Why?” And they said, “Come with us.” And they took these missionaries to a very special place, and there was a grave, and they said, “The man that you are speaking about used to live here with us, and he died and we buried him here.”
That man was living the life of Jesus Christ, without saying one word. They saw Jesus in him, in the way in which he acted, in the way in which he loved them, in the way in which he denied himself for their sakes. They had met Jesus through a man who lived there for many years and was not allowed to speak about the Lord.
Today, let you and I put on Jesus. Wherever we go, let people come to us and say to us, “We see there is something different about you. Can you please explain to us what it is?” Then we will be able to say to them with a nice smile, a gentle smile, humbly. “Maybe it is Jesus Christ. Would you like to meet Him as well?”
Father God,
I pray in Jesus’ name, that my dear friend who is listening to this message, will also put on Jesus Christ every single day.
I ask these things in Your precious name, amen.
God bless you and goodbye.