REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on March 28, 2019, is provided by Pastor Matt Ro. Matt is currently pastoring a church in the state of New York.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“From Bitter to Made Sweet” 

Exodus 15:22-27 (ESV)

Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

The Christian life is not easy.  Rev. William Taylor, a preacher in New York City at the end of the 1800s, wrote, “We may learn that we are not done with hardship when we have left Egypt.”  It is just as Jesus said to his disciples: “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33).  He warned us in advance that we do not have an easy path to glory.

There will be Marah in your life at times.  After the Israelites had sung that great song of Moses and Miriam, rejoicing over what God had done, they marched to their first oasis, Marah.  For a large company of people driving animals, the constant search for a well, an oasis, any source of water, would’ve been difficult in the desert.  

The problem was that when they reached Marah, its water was so bitter that the people couldn’t drink it.  That’s why the oasis was called Marah, which means “bitter.”  Naomi uses the same word in the book of Ruth when she tells her daughters to call her Marah because her life had been so bitter (Ruth 1:20).

In that moment, Moses “cried out to the Lord” (v. 25), and the Lord provided a log that when thrown into the water, made the water sweet.  “I am the LORD, your healer” (v. 26) presents a new name for God:  Jehovah Rapha.  The God of deliverance is also the God of healing, and He will take care of Israel every step of the way in the wilderness.

I believe the bitter water at Marah is symbolic of what was going on inside the hearts of the Hebrews.  When freedom was not as easy as they had hoped; when circumstances were not what they desired, their hearts began to be filled with the diseases of bitterness and resentfulness.  God knew their need for healing from bitterness and He longed to bring that healing to them.

God can heal our bitterness and turn it into something sweet.  The next oasis on the journey was Elim, which had 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees.  A time of refreshing. 

Let’s apply this lesson to our hearts today.  I invite you to allow Jehovah Rapha to examine your heart.  “Are there ways that you are more like the Israelites than you care to admit?  When God doesn’t work in our lives in the way that we think He should, does it lead to bitterness?  When God’s timing is different than we had hoped, do we harbor resentment against Him?  Let Jehovah Rapha (the Lord who heals you) examine your heart and heal you of the diseases that sin inflicts upon us.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, there are deep wounds, broken hearts, and incredible pain that I want to bring to Your throne of grace.  Through the power of your Holy Spirit, don’t let my heart become a garden filled with resentment and bitterness.  Have mercy on me, Lord; grant me healing, freedom, and lots of grace.  In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 13

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Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 12:15: See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

Job 5:2: “Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.”

Ephesians 4:31-32. “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,  forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Questions to Consider

1.  What are the some of the causes of bitterness?
2.  What are some of the consequences of bitterness?
3.  What is the cure for bitterness?

Notes

1. Much of our bitterness and anger towards others is rooted in our inability to be profoundly amazed at Christ’s love for us in our sin. If you are struggling with bitterness then it may be that the Lord is letting the very sin that is flowing from your inability to see Christ as the means by which you come to see him.
2. Bitterness is like poison that infects our lives.  The author of Hebrews compares bitterness to a root that overtakes our hearts and causes trouble in many other areas of our lives (Hebrews 12:15).  Although our feelings of bitterness, anger, and resentment may seem justified, they are not.  Instead, they’re hurtful and destructive—to ourselves as well as to the person who hurt us.
3. We must forgive.  “Forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you” is an unbelievably important word from Ephesians 4:32.  Because we have been forgiven by God for things that are mortally dangerous, it should open the door for greater grace towards other people.  We need to be stunned at God’s grace in a deeper way regularly.  Out of that experience can flow grace towards others.  

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Evening Reflection

I invite you to think of a situation or person where feelings of bitterness have festered.  God’s Word teaches us to forgive and instructs us not to let the sun go down while we’re angry.  When we do, we give the devil a place to work in our hearts and relationships.  Instead of allowing the enemy room to plant relational weeds between us, choose forgiveness, extend grace, and prevent a bitter root from taking hold.  Make a commitment to “let go of any bitterness” and to “forgive those who have hurt you.”

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on February 17, 2019.  Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“AMEN!”

Exodus 4:29-31

Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

 Though I did not grow up in a religious household, as a young child, I often felt an urge to pray almost every night. Usually, I would pray for trivial things like good grades or so that I won’t have nightmares. Though I had limited knowledge of prayer, I knew you had to end the prayer with the word “amen,” thinking that not ending that way would be like not saying goodbye and not hanging up the phone after a conversation – you’d be leaving the other person hanging!

So, why do we say amen after we pray? Most of us have probably heard that amen basically means “yes” or “I agree.” However, I want to dig into this word a bit more, as it’s important in our passage. In today’s passage, Moses and Aaron tell the elders of Israel about God’s rescue mission for their people: about how Moses encountered the Lord in the wilderness and how He is going to bring Israel up from Egypt to the Promised Land. After hearing this testimony, verse 31 says that “the people believed.” What does this mean?

The Hebrew word (sorry, nerding again) here for “believed” is vayyamen (ignore that vayy part, it’s just a prefix for pasttense). Basically, the people heard the testimony and they amen-ed it. We think of belief as merely cognitive, but for the ancient Hebrews, belief was about agreeing with the Lord’s plan—really, it was about trusting in God’s ways over their own. Belief is saying, “Amen, may Your will be done.” This is what Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane when He said, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Despite His fear, Jesus said amen to God’s plan. Jesus believed in God.

Today, let’s say amen to the Lord! When we pray and say “amen” at the end a prayer, let’s remember that we are saying yes to God, not just a formality to end the prayer. It’s our soul saying, “Lord, Your will and not mine be done in my life. Have Your way.” Then, when the Israelite elders had said “amen,” this resulted in worship (see the end of verse 31). May our trust in God’s way lead us to worship Him more and more, the God who is trustworthy. Let’s all say our amens to Him!

Prayer: Lord, may my soul always say amen to You. May my belief be more than just intellectual; rather, may my whole being agree with You and Your ways. Help me to trust You over myself. May Your will be done in my life, always. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 12

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was originally posted on January  12, 2019. Christine serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“What Are You Wearing Today?”

Colossians 3:12

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Winter in New York City is quite cold, and to my parents who live in Georgia, the thought of it is unbearable. Occasionally, they’ll worry: “Are you wearing a scarf?  Do you have gloves? How many hats do you own again?” Although by this point, I feel fairly confident in my own ability to dress myself, their reminders are warranted. It’s important for me to check the weather each day and run through my schedule to determine what to wear. Other considerations come to mind: Am I seeing friends? Am I going to be doing a lot of walking? I need to be sure to have an outfit conducive to these plans. I’m sure this is common for each person. Whether you care much or little about your actual appearance, there’s sure to be some passing thought on the function of your clothing when you get dressed for the day.

In speaking about who we are as new creations in Christ, Paul likens character traits to clothing. He suggests that these, in the Spirit, can be easily put on: we are to be people who visibly display virtues of God. If we take this analogy a little further, we can be reminded that—similar to how we shop for and keep clothes—these qualities also take proper care to maintain, and we need to spend time identifying and acquiring them.

And we choose what to wear not solely based on how it makes us look but also for functionality. Just as outer garments and footwear shield us, their spiritual equivalents that shield us spiritually are meant to be appropriately applied to all situations and circumstances in our lives. As Christians, we know that this world is not only full of spiritual battles but opportunities for our old, sinful selves to rear their ugly heads.  Therefore, we need the Spirit to keep us from indulging in the temptations to be selfish, greedy, and unloving. 

Because putting on virtues sounds nice as a general practice, my encouragement for you today (and the next several days) is to specifically anticipate how to clothe yourself before you leave your home. If you’ve planned a tough conversation with a difficult coworker, can you remind yourself to layer on an extra measure of compassion? If you anticipate heavy traffic when you drive, you might want to bring along some extra patience, just in case. Let’s ask God to help us prepare for the day ahead… and also to not forget what we have resolved to carry!

Prayer: Father, I confess that I often am more concerned with what I look like on the outside than what I look like on the inside. Please fix my sight and attention on the treasure of inward character; remind me and help me intentionally clothe myself with spiritual fruits above all. Make me someone who carries the aroma of Christ wherever I go and to radiates Your presence and character. 

Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 10-11

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on May 17, 2019, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua is the Lead Pastor of Upper Room Seattle church.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“When God Delays”

Exodus 32:11

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

My experience in ministry has mostly been with college students and young adults/singles, which often lends itself to conversations on dating. The question of “Will I find the right person?” can come off as a lighthearted, rhetorical question, cringing at “the game.” Other times, this question evokes deep seated fear and anxiety. People pray, waiting upon God. But they often wonder if they need to start taking action on their own. 

In today’s passage, we see the Israelites growing tired and even anxious about waiting for Moses’ return. Not to say that taking action, whether in dating or any situation in life, is bad, but when we begin to take things into our own control, we often find ourselves in opposition to God. 

Moses as a prophet was God’s representative to the people. The people could only understand the voice of God through Moses. So his delay from the mountain was not just a missing man, but it was the absence of God for the Israelites. Rather than waiting in this vast desert, aimlessly waiting for a man who for all they knew could be dead, they took matters into their own hands. And what resulted was an egregious act of defiance that became the iconic picture of sin. 

The Bible repeatedly calls us to wait patiently upon the Lord. But in reality, all of us can think of times where waiting feels unproductive. We justify our actions through pseudo-religious principles, choosing what we think is best. The result is an object of worship of our own making, an altar dedicated to something not worthy of our lives.

What we must understand is that this is more than what we do. It is about what we are professing through our actions. In other words, our actions reflect our understanding of God. In verse 4, after the golden calf is made, Aaron proclaims, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” We see how twisted and misrepresented God becomes in our minds. The work of our own hands receives the credit for the blessings of our lives. 

This iconic story serves as a warning to us, not just about the dangers of idolatry, but more so, concerning the times we grow impatient and act on our own accord. It is in these moments that we must remind ourselves who it is that actually delivered us from our spiritual Egypt. We must remind ourselves of the unchanging character of God—God who has loved us with an everlasting love. And when theology that we profess aligns to that of God’s true character, we are then in a place where we can hear His voice and act accordingly. 

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for taking over the direction of my life whenever I become impatient over the “deliberate speed” in which You guide my life.  Help me, once again, to trust You and Your plan for my life. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 9

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Lunch Break Study  

Read 1 Samuel 13:8-13^a: [Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you.

Questions to Consider

• Take some time to decipher what exactly is going on in the passage (you may need to skim through the rest whole section to understand the context). What exactly is happening?

• What did Saul do wrong? What does this reveal about who Saul was or what was going on through his mind? What does it reveal about his understanding of God?
  
• It’s easy for us to look at passages and in hindsight, see things very black and white. But try to understand the kind of pressures that were surrounding Saul. In what ways might you be tempted to take things into your own hands?

Notes

• This is early in Saul’s reign over Israel (2 years, [1]). Jonathan, Saul’s son, attacked the Philistines in Geba [3], and now the Philistines were coming to retaliate [5]. Seeing the approaching Philistines, Israel became afraid and started to scatter, hiding away in caves… and pits [6]. Saul was waiting for Samuel to come to intercede on behalf of Israel; however, when Samuel is delayed, Saul takes things into his own hands and offers a burnt offering himself [9]. Samuel comes as soon as Saul finishes, rebuking Saul for his actions and the pending punishment that is to come because of Saul’s disobedience.

• Saul disobeyed God’s commands on who is to present offering that is acceptable before Him. A few things we can gather: (1) Saul thought the offering was more important than obeying God’s instructions; this is typical of someone who practices religion over relationship with God – the act of worship is more important than the heart of worship; (2) Saul was afraid because the people were scattering and needed to take control of the situation; (3) perhaps Saul looked to God as more of a “lucky charm” than One who was to be revered and worshipped. 

• Personal response. More than we realize, we might have more “Saul-like” tendencies than we’d like to think. 

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Evening Reflection

Is there anything you are waiting on the Lord? Take a moment to remind yourself who God is, especially in light of the passages that we spent time in today. Spend some time in prayer, sharing your honest struggle with waiting; yet confess your faith in who God is. 

REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional—originally posted on May 17, 2019—is provided by Mei Lan Thallman, now a friend of AMI, who served at Grace Covenant Church UC for many years.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Overcome Fretting with Trusting”

Psalm 37:1-9

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. 9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

When I was growing up, I had a traumatic experience with a dentist that literally scarred me for life; no wonder I simply dread going to dentist’s office.  So, words fail to describe the terror I felt when I was told three weeks ago that I needed a root canal or tooth implant.  I wanted neither.

As I was anxiously fretting over my treatment options, I reached out to an endodontist student from my church.  She graciously offered to give me a second opinion by looking at my cavity-infected tooth.  During my visit, she proudly showed me two of her root canal treatments done with gold crowns. Then she assured me that root canal is not as terrifying as it is perceived when it’s done right.  She won my trust when she assured me with the words, “I have done over a hundred root canal procedures.”  Today I am proudly to testify that God has used her powerfully to treat not only my tooth but helped me overcome my fear of root canal.  

Dictionary defines fretting as “to feel or express worry, annoyance, or discontent.”  All of us can relate and understand why one would react in fret when faced with unexpected need for a root canal, illness, or crisis like job loss, bullying, relational conflicts.  However, as Christians we have the hope of breaking through the oppression of fretting by turning our worries into active trust in God’s ability to bring us through.

In Psalm 37:1-9, David repeatedly exhorts himself not to fret, that is, not worry in spite of unjust circumstances surrounding him, and overwhelming feelings of fear and anger that seek to overtake him and taking matters into his own hands. Instead, David, on the one hand, encourages himself to fix his attention on who God is, His character, competency, sovereignty, loving kindness, faithfulness, and on the other hand, exercises his will, mind, heart, faith muscle to trust the Lord.  

Trusting God means to walk by faith in the reliability of His character and truth.  Truth is not relative; it remains unchanging, unbending and unflinching. Trusting God means regardless what we see or feel we keep on keeping on being like Him and doing right like Him.  Trusting God means we live for the audience of One whom we love, whom we aim to please above all else, 

Being a Christian does not shield us from facing life’s many challenges, trials and tribulations. When they come, we don’t have to face them alone.  His presence and grace will be there with us to sustain us and help us to overcome in His power.  He is able to sovereignly work through these difficult moments to grow our trust in Him and our characters to reflect Him to the world.     

Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being my good Father who always has my best interest in mind.  I thank You that You are more concerned about my wholeness than my comfort and happiness.  I thank You that You love me so much that You will use every opportunity to help me grow up in the fullness of Christ.  Help me to continuously surrender to Your love and molding instead of fighting You or abandoning You when life gets tough, painful and disappointing.  Please forgive me and save me from my selfishness and fickleness.  Thank You for Your unceasing and relenting Father’s heart for me.  In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 8

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Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 1:10-14: And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Questions to Consider

•  What does it mean to live a life worthy of the Lord?
•  According to the text, what specific ways we can please God?
• Are you making life’s choices that are worthy of the Lord?

Notes

• When we claim to be a Christian, our character, relationships and lifestyle should give an authentic witness to the faith we profess.  This is not a legalistic perfection but a work in progress of Christ likeness.
• We can please God by daily drawing near to Him, feed on His truth, cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s transformation of our person and empowerment to do the good work He has entrusted to us at home, church and workplace.

• Personal response

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Evening Reflection

Take time to reflect on the day.  Are there events or worries that are weighing you down?  Can you surrender these cares one by one by naming them and surrender them to your Father’s care and love for you?  

“Lord Jesus help me to cast these cares upon you because I believe you care for me and you will help me.”

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, originally posted on February 21, 2019, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian. Shan leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“I Am the LORD ”

Exodus 6:2-4

God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 

In Exodus 5, Moses faces his first setback as the leader of Israel.  When Moses goes to Pharaoh and appeals to him to let the people of Israel go, he not only refuses but inflicts a greater burden on the Israelites by forcing them to make bricks without straw.  And Moses cries out to God, complaining that his efforts made things worse.  So Moses was distraught, and asked God why he was the one sent and why all of this was happening to Israel.

In our day, whenever we have questions about why something is the way it is, we pretty much expect to get some sort of satisfactory answer.  One of the benefits of the being in the Internet age is that we can always find answers: If you don’t understand how a computer works or need a recipe for making muffins, you can just google it.  If you’re wondering why the sky is blue, you are not resigned to pondering over this mystery without hope of finding an answer.  You only need to search online for an answer.  For any questions we have, it feels like today we can easily find the answer on Wikipedia.  In this passage though, God doesn’t give what we would consider to be a satisfactory answer to Moses.  Instead, God answers Moses’ questions with this: “I am the LORD.”  

When things go wrong in our lives or we see brokenness in the world, we question: Why has this happened?  Why is the world this way?  Why can’t we fix these problems?  These are important questions but where can we find the answers?  Google, Wikipedia, and Alexa can’t help us; we must go to God.  But, like in this passage, God doesn’t usually give us the satisfactory answers that we want or we think we need.  Instead, when we go to God with our questions and complaints, God offers Himself.  When God tells Moses, “I am the LORD,” He is first telling Moses that He is sovereign and almighty.  In his difficult circumstances, Moses needed to understand that God was in control.  Also, God wanted Moses to know that as the LORD, He was faithful, the same God who made a covenant with Abraham and the other forefathers.  

As we face setbacks, failures, and trials in our lives, let us turn to God and remember that He is the LORD.  We might not ever fully understand why things are the way they are, but no matter what, let us remember that we can trust in Him and know that He is faithful and is in control.  

Prayer: God help me to recognize that You are the LORD today.  Help me to trust and know that You are faithful and that You are sovereign over my life, no matter the circumstances.  AMEN.

Bible Reading for Today:  Joshua 7

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Lunch Break Study

Read Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Questions to Consider

• What does Ecclesiastes conclude about how we should live?
• How can this be an unsatisfactory answer for people?  How does it feel for you?  
• How do we understand fearing and following God as good news?

Notes

• In the end, we should fear God and keep His commandments.
• This can feel overly simplistic because we have a lot of ideas about how we are meant to find fulfillment and purpose through our accomplishments, family, or many other things.  Also, for many people, they may feel that the idea of fearing God and following Him makes us sound like mere servants or slaves.  
• It’s good news because it means we no longer have to live for ourselves or our world’s standards of success or joy, which leave us running dry.  When we fear God and follow His commandments, we are submitting ourselves to a life of eternal joy, hope and relationship with our heavenly Father.

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Evening Reflection

Like Moses, many of us are faced with failures and setbacks in life.  In the midst of all of them, what we must remember is that God is God, and that He is sovereign and is faithful.  As you close out your day, take a moment and remind yourself of the truth of who God is, and that He is with you no matter what.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posed on March 18, 2019, is provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Mighty Hand of God”

Exodus 13:3-10 (NIV)

Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. 4 Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. 7 Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. 10 You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.

I was born in Korea and immigrated to the U.S. when I was 8 years old.  Because I was so young then, I only have a few vague memories of my childhood years there. One of them resurfaced some years ago, during my visit to Korea, when I decided to eat something I hadn’t eaten since I left my motherland: “Beondegi” (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beondegi). 

As an adult, the thought of eating boiled silkworm disgusted me; however, upon coming across a street vendor selling this “delicacy,” I just had to relive my childhood days. As my mouth chomped on my first scoop of boiled silkworm, so many childhood memories rushed back into my mind. I enjoyed reminiscing, but a scoop was all I could handle that day. 

Food has a natural way of bringing back memories, doesn’t it?  Perhaps, that’s why the Lord used food to help the Israelites remember. Here, Moses is giving instructions on how the Israelites were to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days, they would eat bread without yeast, and on the 7^th day they would hold a festival before the Lord. This celebration was not only to be observed by the people listening to Moses, but eventually it would be passed along to their children as well. Through this festival, as they ate unleavened bread, the Israelites would remember—they would remember how the Lord delivered their nation from slavery with “His mighty hand” (vs 3, 10). It was this “mighty hand” that delivered a nation of helpless slaves into becoming free people and eventually a blessed nation. At least once a year, the Israelites would eat and remember once again the incredible might of God’s hand. 

By now, you may have realized that our own faith journey is also made of many ordinary days: no supernatural healings; no audible voice of God; no miraculous provisions falling from heaven. We are simply trekking along a slow and gradual progression of incremental sanctification that’s difficult to even quantify. In these seasons, it is easy for us to forget the “mighty hand” of our Lord. But our forgetfulness does not define God’s might and power. 

Perhaps the next time communion is served at your church, you may want to pause and remember the might of God’s hand that delivered you from your own sinfulness and meaninglessness, thereby giving you a new life and purpose for the present age as well as in the age to come. 

Prayer: Lord, thank You that Your Spirit is always with me and always at work within me. Help me to remember Your might even in my ordinary moments of my own faith. In Your name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 6

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Lunch Break Study

Read Luke 8:22-25: One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out.23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Questions to Consider

• How does Luke accentuate the difference between Jesus and the disciples? 
• What do you learn from Jesus’ ability to rebuke the wind and the raging waters? 

Notes

• Luke tells his readers that Jesus actually falls asleep and remains sleeping until he was awakened by the frightened disciples. 
• The “rebuke” does not mean that the wind and the sea are represented as demonic forces, but rather that Jesus is able to command even the forces of nature. God is described in the Old Testament as “rebuking” the sea, a demonstration of His sovereign control over all of nature. (Strauss, Mark. Luke: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary) 

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Evening Reflection

Open up to Psalm 68:28 and pray these words from your own words to the Lord: Summon your power, God; show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Charles Graham, a former intern at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was originally posted on June 11, 2019.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The High Priest’s New Clothes: The Robe and the Golden Plate”

Exodus 28:31-35

“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,[c] so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.

In my previous blog, I recounted coming across John 5:39 where Jesus asserts that the Old Testament bears witness to Him. Charmed by the notion, I was excited to be assigned to an OT passage so I could spend time learning how the Old Testament does just that. Previously, I discussed a bit of Exodus 28 and the specifications for Aaron’s garments. My conjecture is that the particularity with which the high priest clothes are made hold some significance that point to Jesus Christ. It seemed that way in Part 1—let’s see if it holds while diving into the rest of the priestly garments.

Exodus 28 also details the build of the ceremonial robe and an engraved golden plate that the high priest is to wear when performing his duties (Exod. 28:31-35; 36-38). It is in these descriptions that the idea of bearing guilt is introduced, and repeated in verse 43. The robe, for example, is fitted with a golden bell and a pomegranate. Verse 35 reads, “And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die,” (Exod. 21:35 ESV). The golden plate has the words “Holy to the LORD” engraved on it, and is worn over the turban on Aaron’s forehead because Aaron is to bear the guilt of the holy things that Israel consecrated to God (Exod. 21:38). 

Now, what’s going on here? Does God need to hear bells on Aaron’s robes to know he is coming to refrain from smiting him? Certainly not. Verse 43 injects the idea that these garments are to be worn by Aaron (and his sons), to prevent him from personally bearing guilt. In fact, if Aaron attempts to enter the tabernacle to minister without them, he will surely die. So what’s happening? The priestly garments are bearing the guilt for Aaron. It’s not so much that Aaron is awarded this beautiful uniform because he’s good enough to enter the Holy of Holies, rather, Aaron is given the priestly clothes because he is not good enough on his own. Aaron has his own sin to bear, and so the garments are put over him because they represent someone who is: Jesus.

The priestly garments are a physical picture of the coming Jesus. The all-white pieces boast of His purity, the extravagant pieces boast of His beauty and glory, the function of the garments tell of the function of the Son who bears the guilt of creation and the necessity of the garments speak to every person’s need for Jesus to cover their sins. Jesus did it, but despite this many people hurt deeply from constantly dwelling on their shortcomings. Can we rest and rejoice in what Jesus has done for us, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us?

Prayer: Father, we thank You daily for what You have done for us and continue to do. I pray that Your Spirit would minister to us and heal us, not only of the propensity to sin, but of the guilt and shame attached to it. Holy Spirit, it is promised that You would remind us of Jesus’ teachings and work. Please do so constantly, so we may find joy and rest in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 5

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Lunch Break Study

Read 1 John 1:10: He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him; 

1 John 2:1-2: My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Questions to Consider

• What makes John’s statement in 1 John 1:10 particularly challenging?
• Discuss John’s teaching about Jesus in 1 John 2:1.

Notes

• While most people are more than happy to acknowledge they’re a sinner, the full weight of that status sometimes escapes them. Many people have a sort of “moral scale” in their minds, placing themselves somewhere between the best and worst people in human history (morally). Since they are somewhere in the middle, they conclude they are a good person. However even IF it’s true, the standard by which we are judged is of whether we have sinned, a test we all admittedly fail. Thus, the necessity and graciousness of Jesus’ work increase to infinitude.
• John establishes Jesus as our Advocate to the Father. It could be argued just as the high priest cannot enter God’s presence in the tabernacle without wearing the garments, neither can a person enter God’s presence without Jesus pleading to the Father on his or her behalf.

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Evening Reflection 

Searching for Jesus in the Old Testament is proving to be an enjoyable pastime for me, though I admit I’m a bit of a nerd. I realize while some will share in my newfound interest, others may not and that’s alright. We can all agree where we really need to find Jesus is in our personal lives. Maybe it means waking up a little earlier for prayer, or maybe it means setting aside the phone for a bit and picking up that Bible. Let’s challenge each other as a family in Christ to fix our gaze on Him. 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on December 30, 2018, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee.  He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Spiritual War”

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

For fun, I did a little research on wartime rationing during World War II.  According to Wikipedia, in January 1942, the U.S. War Production Board (WPB) ordered a temporary ban on civilian automobile sales.  Although the WPB wanted to conserve fuel, the resource they were most interested in saving was rubber, which back then, was mainly sourced from Japanese occupied countries in Southeast Asia.  By June 1942, metal became the valued commodity, and products such as appliances, furniture, and radios were no longer being manufactured.  Gasoline was eventually rationed, which meant non-essential driving was limited and people were more reliant on public transportation.  Sugar supplies were cut in half, and since German submarines were sinking Brazilian cargo ships, coffee was rationed to about 1 lb. per five weeks (about the half the average usage at the time—that would have killed me the most).  By 1943, ration books and stamps were distributed to control the amount of sugar, fruit, oil, cheese, milk, and other items civilians could purchase.  

While researching I realize I’ve never lived through a war that dramatically impacted the way I have lived.  Sure, conflict in the Middle-east raised gas prices, but I’ve never been told I could only have five gallons this week.  Generally, I’ve had the privilege of being relatively unaffected by the wars and conflicts our country has been in.  Our country’s military involvement hasn’t even stopped me from going on vacations.  I guess what I’m saying is that I’ve always been a civilian, and I’ve always had a civilian’s mentality.  

Here’s my point.  Whether we know it or not, we are at war.  And while it seems that Paul exhorts us to take up the armor of God and take up arms, perhaps, we think we are just playing the part of a civilian.  But even civilians have responsibilities to make sure they are living in a manner that aids the war effort.  Of course, the question we want to ask ourselves is this: Are we living as if we are in a spiritual war, or are we totally oblivious to the conflict around us?  The apostle Peter warns us, saying, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8^b). What should we then do? The front end of that passage reads, “Be sober-minded; be watchful.” Paul, at the end of today’s passage, says, “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying.” As we turn the page into the new year, remember those warnings and let us adjust our lives accordingly. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me to put on Your full armor.  Help me to be aware of my surrounding and to spiritually alert.  Let me pray and intercede for my friends, neighbors, and especially those who don’t know Jesus.  Let me be ready to engage with Your word. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 4

REPOST Today’s AMI Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on January 26, 2019, is provided Jasmin Izumikawa.  Jasmin, a member of the Church of Southland, is currently a high school teacher. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Vinedresser”

John 15:1-2

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” 

Failures in work and conflicts in relationships have a way of humbling us and showing us our seasons of growth. When it seems as though there is nothing good left and nothing to look forward, we are reminded of our limits and weakness, which, then, helps us to grow in the right attitude.  Truth be told, even as we express our desires to make room for God to intervene in our lives, there are some things we have trouble letting go, because they exist as remnants of past successes, spiritual highs, “honeymoon” phases and easier times. But, dwelling on these transient seasons can easily stunt our spiritual growth. So, when things become difficult, as they eventually do in life, do you grumble and reminisce of better days or are you moved to pray and cry out to God? Do you pause to worship the LORD in the most inconvenient times? 

Be encouraged and remember the words of our loving God: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2). When was the last time you made room for God to prune the useless branches weighing you down? Branches of unfruitful faith, shallow faith, legalistic faith. Or perhaps branches of victim mentality, jealousy, regret, unforgiveness, bitterness, insecurity, pride. These branches distract us away from the real fruit of faith and victory in our relationship with God. 

When Scripture refers to the vinedresser, the writer speaks of an expert gardener. The vinedresser watches and cares for the garden year-round. This keeper of the garden makes sure that pests are removed and warded off, monitors adequate watering of the plants, hand-picks grapes at just the right times; and most importantly he prunes the plant to make room for new growth again. Without the vinedresser, the plant cannot survive for long. It’s incredible to see that from the blunt cuts on the hardened branches emerge new, tender shoots and fruit shortly thereafter. 

In the same way that a gardener strengthens and prepares a plant for harvest, we find that humility and weakness, brought to the hands of our vinedresser, produces lasting fruits. Henri Nouwen writes, “Fruits, however, come from weakness and vulnerability. And fruits are unique. A child is the fruit conceived in vulnerability, community is the fruit born through shared brokenness, and intimacy is the fruit that grows through touching one another’s wounds.” 

Just as new fruit is grown from a tender branch, we must live in humility—trusting that God is our source of joy and fruitful life. Where the LORD prunes, we can trust that it will be filled with new joy and life again.

Prayer: Father, thank You for being my vinedresser—for watching over me so carefully and lovingly. You see where I need to be strengthened and humbled. I trust You and place my life into Your hands. Prepare me for worship, prepare me to live a life of change, surround me in a community that grows in sharing our brokenness, and LORD, ready me for a harvest of joy and life in You in every season. I will abide in You, God. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 2-3