REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Ryun Chang (AMI Teaching Pastor), was first posted on August 25, 2014.
Devotional Thought for This Morning
“Yes, God is Faithful”
2 Tim. 2:13
“If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
Dressed in a white officer’s uniform, my nephew looked great in his Navy ROTC Commissioning Service held at his university a day before the graduation. His dad flew in all the way from Hawaii to witness this proud moment. While there, my thought took me back to that moment when my 4 -year old nephew was placing a stem of flower inside the coffin of his mother. We were all so worried back then as to how he would turn out in life without his mother. As I heard my nephew briefly share with the audience during this commissioning ceremony, thanking God for giving him strength, a strong sense of gratitude to the Lord filled my heart for his faithfulness toward my nephew.
One character in the Bible who experienced God’s faithfulness in a similar life context as that of my brother was Mary, whose husband Joseph had likely died some time after Jesus had reached the age of 12: His conspicuous absence from the Gospel narratives thereafter suggests this. This meant that Mary was a single mother of at least seven children (Mk. 6:3), and that was a lot of mouths to feed. How did she manage it? Did her oldest child turn stones into bread? Well, Jesus didn’t do that when tempted by the devil (Matt. 4:4), so I don’t think he did that while growing up.
For Mary, meeting the needs of her children meant long hours of working, disciplining her children to contribute, and much time spent on her knees, desperately asking God to take care of their needs, including spiritual. And God did. For instance, James, who neither believed nor approved of his brother Jesus (Mk. 3:21), eventually changed and became a pillar of the early church. Mary certainly was grateful for the Lord’s faithfulness.
“God is faithful,” said Paul (1 Cor. 10:12). What is worrying you today? Trust him by giving your worries to him in prayer, and then have the best day today by working hard and loving people.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, as trials and difficulties inundate my life, remind me to look to your faithfulness instead of my own circumstances. Lord, help me to worry less and trust you more and in your wonderful promises. Thank you for being a faithful God who will not disown the unfaithful. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 8
Lunch Break Study
Read 1 Cor. 10:12-3 (ESV): “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Ezra 8:21-3 (regarding Ezra’s return to Jerusalem from Persia): Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.
Questions to Consider
1. According to Paul, what is one area where we can certainly expect God to be faithful? What does that mean?
2. In the case of Ezra, how did God manifest his faithfulness? Have you ever experienced anything similar?
3. What should be our response to the Lord when He continues to be faithful to us even when we are not?
Note
1. When facing temptations, expect God to provide a way out so that we don’t have to fall. This may manifest in various ways, including this: something you heard in a sermon or a Bible verse suddenly pops up in your mind, reminding you not to do what you are about to do. That’s the Holy Spirit.
2. God answered Ezra’s prayers. When we are facing a crisis and God rescues us, it certainly intensifies our sense of gratitude toward God’s faithfulness. Once, my car (with my family) stopped in the middle of nowhere in the late evening. That we were able to tow the car that night, repair it by the next day, and then be on our way to our next destination once again demonstrated God’s faithfulness toward us.
3. Romans 2:4 says, “His kindness leads us to repentance.” When we continue to be the recipients of God’s faithful provision, we really have only one response: desiring to change through the help of the Holy Spirit; that is, to be more like Jesus in our character and faith.
Evening Reflection
In what ways did you sense God’s faithfulness today? Were you too busy or distracted to notice it? Spend a moment recounting the Lord’s faithfulness in taking care of your needs. Thank Him.