UPDATED Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by the then (2013) staff of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, is an updated version of their blog first posted on July 19, 2013.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“How Concerned Are You for the Church?”

Psalm 78:4-7

We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. 5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, 6 so the next generation would know them,  even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

How concerned are you for the Church, that is, for other believers?   Are you concerned for their spiritual well-being?  The psalmist knew that if the next generation wasn’t told of God’s laws and what He had done, they would be in danger of suffering the same fate as his ancestors.  

We live in an individualistic society that promotes selfishness and we’re often too consumed with our own issues that we miss out on the call to bless those around us.  The post Covid-19 world that forced us to be separated from others will worsen this situation, not better.  We’ve lost this sense of community and being responsible for it.  

But, as a church, we are one body and we need to care for one another.  One way of doing that is to tell the next generation who God is, what he has done, and what he calls us to do, so that they’d trust in God, not forgetting his deeds and keeping him commands.  Let’s remember what happened to Israel when they forgot about God; they were punished and exiled.  May this not be the fate of the next generation of believers.

Recall John 20:31 that says, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”  Let’s reflect on who God is and what He has done in our lives, and share this Good News to those around us.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, and how you continually reveal yourself to me.  Increase my heart for the body of Christ.  Help me to love the Church as you love the Church.  Fill me with your Spirit that I may be a blessing to your Body by proclaiming who you are and what you’ve done.  Amen

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 7

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Lunch Break Study

Read James 3:16-18 (NIV): For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Questions to Consider

1. What results when the members of the church are filled with envy and selfish ambitions? 
2. What are the qualities of the kind of wisdom that comes from heaven?
3. What harvest do you reap when sowing peace?
4. Look to the heaven today and ask for the kind of wisdom that James describes that God has for His children. 

Notes

1. When there is envy and selfish ambitions, there one will find disorder and evil practices of all kinds. Often, when believers strive for a “higher” or more publicly recognized position in the church, they do not realize that their actions may actually create more problems. They may think that they are the solution and that they will help the church to improve, but James declares that self-seeking attitudes invariably produce chaos and disorder within the Body of Christ.
2. The kind of wisdom from heaven is pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. True wisdom reflects moral purity and courage; it also includes many good works reflective of an even-tempered, well-balanced character. 
3. The harvest one reaps is righteousness when those who make peace sows in peace. Throughout all of Scripture, the idea of peace centers on the idea of “wholeness.” It’s an idea that is Hebraic, with a meaning that encompasses much more than a mere absence of the disquiet; rather the prime notion is positive, embracing prosperity, contentment, and security. 
4. Personal response

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Evening Reflection

In what tangible ways did you sense that you were conducting your life (business, relationships, ministry, etc.) with wisdom from heaven. Spend some time thanking the Lord for providing you with this wisdom. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I admit that I struggle deeply with selfishness and jealousy. I look to you and the example of Christ and ask for your heavenly wisdom to fill my heart. Amen.