REPOSTToday’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on July 29, 2019, is provided by Pastor Ryun. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Two Things to Which We Have Become Numbed”

Psalm 5:4-7

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.  5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.  6 You destroy those who tell lies; blood-thirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors.  7 But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.

When Lot was warned of God’s impending judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah for “their sin so grievous” (Genesis 18:20, NIV), he urged his sons-in-law to flee: “Get out of this place!” But they “thought he was joking” (Genesis 19:14). Having lived in a sin-saturated culture for so long, they had lost the ability to take the things of God seriously. Tragically, they—along with many others—perished.

Are we any different today? We, too, live in a world saturated with sin—where laws are sometimes framed in ways that could be interpreted as permitting the death of severely ill even after birth (e.g., New York’s Reproductive Health Act of 2019). What next? We’ve grown desensitized. Sin is frequently relabeled to sound clinical or benign, as though it were merely a physiological condition—a disease or syndrome. For instance, some mental health literature refers to infidelity as “hypersexual disorder.”

It’s far easier to embrace the idea of a loving God than to confront the reality of a holy God who hates sin. Yet none of this changes who God is or the holy life He calls us to live (1 Peter 1:15). God doesn’t demand holiness and morality as a prerequisite for acceptance. Instead, He invites us to trust in the finished work of His Son on the cross, which alone redeems us from sin.

You can call sin whatever you want—but that doesn’t change its consequences. Sin wounds, separates us from God eternally, and robs us of joy and purpose. But in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are given the strength to overcome sin. So, what are you struggling with today? Don’t delay. Go to the Lord now. Confess your sins and turn from them.

Even more tragic than being numb to sin is being numb to God’s grace. Sometimes we’re so spiritually dulled that we fail to recognize the blessings we’ve received. Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve; mercy is Him withholding the punishment we do deserve.

Reflect: In what ways has the Lord shown you grace and mercy? Confess His goodness in your life—and turn toward Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I know that You are a benevolent and kind God who deeply cares about me.  I bring to You my struggles, which I am not able to overcome in my own strength. Please deliver me from them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 5

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Lunch Break Study

Read John 8:3-11 (ESV): The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Questions to Consider

1. Who said this and to whom was this said (Jn. 8:3-6)?

2. Why did Jesus say this, presumably after writing the Law on the ground (James 2:10-11)?

3. Why did Jesus get rid of the hostile leaders before speaking to the woman (Ps. 51:3-4)?

4. Was He being lenient toward sin?  Why did He let her go like this4 (Jn. 5:14; Rom 2:4)?

Notes

1. Jesus said this to the religious leaders who brought a woman caught in adultery to entrap Jesus.

2. Those accusing her acted as if they had never sinned, forgetting that it takes only one sin to make the person a sinner

3. Ultimately, it was none of their business, for she sinned against God, not against them. Also, since they were sinners themselves, they had no right to condemn her.

4. Jesus was showing the way of the New Covenant (NC), established on His perfect sacrifice, by showering her with grace and mercy. The NC is not lenient on sin, for Jesus said to her, “Leave your life of sin” and to the man healed of paralysis, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen.”  But through His kindness, Jesus was leading them to repentance.

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Evening Reflection

We began the day dealing with a difficult issue: our struggle with sin.  Were you tempted to sin today?  How did you fare?  Did you sense His presence in overcoming it?  Pray for His guidance and protection over all that will go on tomorrow. 

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on September 11, 2019.  Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Cultivating Generosity” 

Genesis 2:8-9, 15-18

And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil . . . 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” . . . 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

The single, biggest challenge to cultivating generosity in our lives is the mindset that we do not have enough. When we feel like we do not have enough, that we need more, we start clenching our fists and holding things tightly. Fear creeps in and we try to control the situation. Have you ever felt that way before? I imagine most of us have felt something like that at some point.

If that is our mindset, when someone invites us to give in some way, like how Paul invited the Corinthians to give in our passage from yesterday, we get anxious and defensive. We can quickly justify why now is not the right time. But when our mindset is “not now, later”, “later” will never come. We will always find a reason to delay generosity. A podcast I listened to recently called this a “scarcity-mindset.”

However, God does not desire us to live under the impression of scarcity! In today’s passage, we see the generosity of God in action. He planted a garden for man and then gave to him many and various trees that were “pleasant to the sight” and “good for food.” (v.9) Yes, he did tell him not to eat from one of those trees, but that was probably one tree out of hundreds. God was giving these first humans so much! There was an abundance. And God even showed his generosity by creating another human, specifically Eve. God created life and community. He lavished upon humankind everything they needed. 

The contrarian in us is probably thinking, “Well, that was before the Fall; post-Fall, we do not have this abundance.” Yes, things are different after the Fall. But still, through the whole Bible, we see God promising to His people that if we trust in Him, He will provide for us; we will always have enough. Circumstances might not always be great, but we can trust that God will take care of us. Jesus taught us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). God’s desire is for us to return to that Eden mindset, where we recognize God as the generous giver who gives us all we need. In order to have that mindset, we need to trust God. 

The mindset that we do not have enough is not a mindset based on circumstances; it’s a mindset based on a lack of trust in our generous God. Our generous God is inviting us into a life of generosity where we can learn to trust him day by day, knowing that He really is the One who will take care of us. So, the next time you think to yourself, “I don’t have enough,” remind yourself that our Father has and will always give us more than enough.

Prayer: Father, thank You for being our generous God. May I never feel lacking in any way. Though circumstances may not always go the way I hope, may I know that You are always in control and You will always provide for me. Help me to trust you more, starting today.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 4

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Matthew 6:31-34:  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Questions to Consider

• According to this passage, why should we not be anxious?
• What does it mean to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness?
• How can you seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness today?

Notes

• Our “heavenly Father knows that [we] need” to be eat and to be clothed. He knows there are things we need to live. But He is good and lovingly provides them for us. The passage also says to not be anxious about tomorrow but to just focus on one day at a time, trusting that God is with us today. 
• In the immediate context, this means living out the Sermon on the Mount, which is Jesus’s teaching on what life in the kingdom is all about. At the heart of seeking the Kingdom of God is to live as though God is King. And if God is King, not to mention a good King, He can be trusted. We seek the Kingdom of God by trusting in our good King and living according to His ways.
• Take time to reflect on how you can do this today!

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Evening Reflection

Take time this evening to surrender any way you are being tight-fisted with something. In surrender, ask God for help to trust Him more so that you can live a generous life.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Christine Li, was originally posted on March 16, 2019. Christine serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Having the Ear of Heaven”

Exodus 9:29 

“Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s.”

Matthew 6:7-8 

“And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” 

During a recent trip overseas, my mom kept asking if I wanted to go into an unfamiliar store to buy some steamed buns for a snack. She suggested it so frequently that I became curious and asked why she was fixated on these buns. Did she want some herself? It was her turn to be confused: “I thought you said you wanted to try them out!” For the life of me, I could not remember saying so. But it’s likely that I did off-handedly, and my mom was so attentive that she logged it into her memory. I don’t like to admit this, but my parents are always listening, and they always remember things I forget I have said. 

While it is clear by this point that Moses and God have a close relationship, Moses’ explanation of ending this plague still seems too simple. He will ask, and the destructive hailstorm will end. Moses knows God is listening, and he knows that once he asks, God will immediately answer. 

Do you know that you also have the ear of Heaven? How our prayers and conversations with Him would change if we truly believed that His ear is always turned towards us and that He is listening! Our prayers and words do not get lost on the way to Heaven along with everyone else’s. He catches every word clearly and is keenly aware of what’s on your heart. 

Today, let’s respond in awareness that God knows all the words we speak. We can pray with simple faith that our God listens to us; we can pray without overcomplicating or making long-winded explanations and propositions. He is our loving Father, and He is listening. May we rest in this security that our Father’s attention is on us. 

Prayer: Father, thank You that You always listen to me. I sometimes come with hesitancy and reluctance, but I want to know that Your ear is always open towards me. Help me to trust and delight in knowing that I have a Father who loves listening. Help me to freely pour out my heart before You today! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 3

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Lunch Break Study

Read James 5:13-18: “This Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”

Questions to Consider

• What are the different forms that prayer can take, and what are the effects?
• Why would James say that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective?
• Why does James emphasize that Elijah was human, as we are?

Notes

• Prayer appears in all contexts: in fearful situations to bring comfort and peace; in joyous occasions to sing to the Lord; in physical sickness to declare God’s power over the physical; and in spiritual sickness to witness God’s redemption and renewal. There is a prayer for every season and every circumstance.
• The person who is “righteous” – having confessed sins and shortcomings to God and taken on His new life – has been filled by the Spirit. The one who is filled with God’s Spirit prays in alignment with what God desires (and therefore is effective). However, the one filled with God’s Spirit also has greater expectation for what God is able to do; thus the prayers may be more audacious as they require a greater demonstration of who God is, and God will certainly answer requests that glorify His name.
• We often risk elevating Biblical figures as above-average men and women of faith, but they were like us and had similar sins and flaws. Knowing that Elijah was a man like us should give us confidence and joy that our prayers, too, can come with a demonstration of God’s Spirit!
  

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Evening Reflection

Did you find that your prayers changed when you reminded yourself of God’s listening ear today? I encourage you to think about how to habitually incorporate this and make it a regular aspect in how you meet with God.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Christine Li, was originally posted on February  11, 2019. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Believing Remnant”

Exodus 9:20 

“Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside.”

I have some friends at work who are Chinese natives; becoming friends with them is not just a boon to my social life in the office but helps me practice my Mandarin. Two years ago, before Good Friday (a holiday that our company keeps), one of them asked me what I would do on my day off. I replied that I would celebrate with my church. As she asked me what we would celebrate, I quickly realized that my language skills were inadequate to explain why I could celebrate that my God died on Good Friday. After an extremely flustering conversation, I walked away realizing that, despite my upbringing, I never learned the vocabulary of the Gospel in Chinese because I never thought I would talk to someone who wanted to hear it.

The reception from the Egyptians has been hostile, unbelieving, and cold. But though Pharaoh opposed Moses, some of his officials were a believing remnant that God had left for Himself among the Egyptians. There were people there who wanted to fear God. Had Moses not been faithful to appear and demonstrate the works of the Lord, these officials would have been unable to listen to God’s words and respond accordingly.

Today, there are people around us in unexpected places who would like to hear more about the Jesus we profess to love. Our witness consists not only in sharing truths but in demonstrating the love and power of the Spirit. Are we aware that we have been placed around people who desire to know and fear God? Let’s ask Him to open our eyes and our hearts so that we might see and receive them today. May He give us the wisdom and grace to speak His truths to whoever has ears to listen. If we remember that there are people seeking His truth, even in unfriendly and surprising places, then every inch of the earth we cover can be a place of worship to Him today.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You may be found when we seek You. Give me a heart that is aware that others are longing to meet You; make me an instrument who responds to that need. Bring people around me so that I might share the wonder of Your love with them and remember for myself the joy of knowing You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 2

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Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12: “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. 9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

Questions to Consider

• What are the marks of a believer’s life as Paul writes about here?
• In the passage, who teaches the believers how to live?
• Paul writes two times in this passage that the Thessalonians are living correctly, but he urges them to do so “more and more.” Why? Is this reflected in our own lives?

Notes

• Paul writes that believers are distinguished by numerous qualities: holiness, love, and peace. Holiness comes from living in obedience to God – particularly in this case Paul writes about avoiding sexual sins. Love is not just inwards (within the community) but is spread outwards: “throughout Macedonia.” He also challenges them to live quiet lives; the Thessalonians seem to have the need to grow in the area of living winsome lives towards unbelievers.
• The believers learn how to live from Paul and his friends – in fact, he reminds them that these instructions ultimately come from God. The truths had been transmitted by the authority of Christ, and the call to be holy comes from God’s Holy Spirit. The ability for the Thessalonians to love generously comes from God – God Himself and the way that He loves is where the Thessalonians take their cues from. It is interesting to us that, though people may be a model by which we are introduced to the things of God, it is still God who teaches and guides us in these aspects of our living.
• Paul seems to suggest that they should raise the bar. Perhaps there are deeper, more sustained, and greater ways to live in holiness and in love than what they have known. Or, perhaps Paul writes this so that no one can stay satisfied by the level that has been achieved but will always move towards the highest example set by Christ. He challenges them not to settle for what has been accomplished but always to yearn for more.

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Evening Reflection

Did you think about an opportunity to reflect God, His truth, and His character today? Or did someone come to mind that you can begin showing His love and truth to? Let’s pray for God to make more opportunities arise in our lives and for us to be ready to demonstrate His love and truth.

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on February 11, 2019.  Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Lord Appears” 

Exodus 3:1-2

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.

Imagine this scene: You are at your workplace – let’s say it is a normal corporate office building—and you are sitting at your desk. You get up to pick up something you just printed. But while standing by the printer, suddenly, you hear a voice calling to you. You look and it seems the Lord has appeared to you out of the midst of a plant in your office. How would you react? What would you do? Can you imagine this even happening?

This seems comical at face value, because it’s difficult for many of us to imagine this ever happening. Even as a pastor, I have a hard time imagining God visibly appearing to me when I am at our church office. But this is what happened to Moses. He was basically in his workplace, out in the wilderness keeping his sheep, which is what he did every day. He probably had a hard time imagining the Lord appearing to him while he was out keeping the sheep. His routine seemed too ordinary.

Maybe the Lord wants to meet with you in your workplace today—perhaps your office, your classroom, or wherever you work will be holy ground. Yet oftentimes it’s in the ordinariness of our daily routine that the Lord wants to appear to us. He might not appear to you out of a plant, but He may speak to you. But are you ready? Do you have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to respond? Or are you too distracted with your work that you would not even notice God’s appearance. Henry Blackaby says in Experiencing God, “One of the greatest tragedies among God’s people is that, although they deeply long to experience God, they are encountering Him day after day but do not recognize Him.”

Today, keep your eyes and ears open to the Lord. I believe He does want to meet with us. So often we get so distracted at work that we leave the office having not even thought about Him once. Pray this morning for an attentive heart to the Lord. Even our workplaces can be places we meet God and see Him work.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for being a God who meets us where we are. We do not have to come to You to find You. There is not a temple where we need to visit to meet with You – the whole earth is Your temple and that even includes our workplaces. May we believe that You can meet us today. Give ears and eyes and hearts that are ready for You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 1

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Lunch Break Study  

Read 2 Kings 6:15-17: When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Questions to Consider

• Why was the servant of Elisha afraid? What did he see?
• What did the servant not see?
• When you think about your work, in what ways are you seeing from a worldly perspective rather than from God’s perspective? How can you see things the way God sees?

Notes

• The servant only saw an enemy army and this army was massive. In any worldly sense, Elisha and his people had no chance. They were a defenseless city against a large army. Naturally, the servant was terrified and could only see defeat.
• Though from a worldly perspective, Elisha and his people were far less than the army of Syria, there was another army present that the servant did not see. This was the army of the Lord and this army was surrounding Elisha and his people to give them protection. From God’s perspective, there was no reason to be afraid!
• Pray and reflect on this question before resuming your work for the afternoon.

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Evening Reflection

Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 10:23, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” Ask God tonight to give you eyes to see God and what He is doing. Only God can open our eyes. Pray that tomorrow would be a day that you see God and see what He is doing around you.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Miracles in the Ordinary”

Luke 1:37 

“For nothing will be impossible with God”

It was always very easy for me to drift into other thoughts or daydreams. The irritating part of this was that I could tune things out even in a room full of people or in the middle of a conversation. And while it may seem strange, embarrassing, and inconvenient, I have learned that it wasn’t that I was bored or did not care, but actually, it was in those moments that I was trying to make meaningful connections. It was much easier in my childhood to dream and to unabashedly wonder at inconspicuous details, but as an adult, I was ashamed of appearing “out of touch,” inattentive, or unrealistic. 

I don’t think it was until I felt deep pain that I found solace in pausing from what was happening and seeing a different reality intermingled there. When worries about my cancer relapsing approach or when dark thoughts try to bury me, God draws me away from that place by opening another window from which I could see hope draw near and I could, again, be immensely grateful. Friends, where is the place your heart is full and at rest? Is it in your prayer walk or the stirring hour in the word of God? Is it writing in your prayer journal or singing songs to the LORD? Go there and listen to what God speaks into life and motion. Miracles are near us, closer than you know. They are there to be seen, to be encountered, and to be invited. Jesus, when presented with five little loaves and two insignificant fish, gave thanks to the LORD. He looked on with eternal perspective, and could see the Kingdom of God even in a tiny mustard seed. Jesus also pulled Peter out of the water, Peter who trembled like a leaf but would become solid as a rock! When we open our eyes to the miracles in the ordinary, we find the extraordinary and uncover immense joy and gratitude. 

As spring turns to summer, I invite you to inspect a garden, whether it is your friend’s vegetable garden, a community garden, a church garden, or your own garden. Go there and pay close attention. You might wonder at the strength of cucumber tendrils and the harmony of companion plants, the heartbeat of a snail, and the dance of bees that celebrates each blossom. Inspect all that is alive before you and you will find that it is stunning! We are surrounded by an abundance of the extraordinary in the everyday things. That bee you see floating from bloom to bloom has traveled over two miles on its little wings, and its delicate buzz is actually powerful vibrations of wings beating at an incredible 230 times a second. What’s more, in order to produce that jar of honey in your pantry, it could easily mean that over two million blossoms were visited. Isn’t it wonderful? And this is just a bee! Consider your own life and inspect the marvelous in what you thought was mundane before. G.K. Chesterton noted, “We are perishing for lack of wonder, not for lack of wonders.” How incredibly full your own life is, full of astounding miracles and orchestrations of God’s hands. Your life is a miracle, your heartbeat is a miracle, your joy is a miracle. Let us spend our thoughts appreciating the remarkable details we easily overlook, for miracles are never too far from those who are grateful for even the littlest of things. 

Prayer: LORD, thank You for the miracles You bring. I want to see them better throughout my day. Draw me close to You and direct my gaze to the open windows of everything possible in You. Open my eyes so that I may see You work and to be grateful for things I overlook. You are wonderful, God!  You have me awestruck by the things You do. I believe in Your miracles and yes, LORD, I believe in You! In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 25

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on January 14, 2018, is written by Tina Pham who, along with her family, is serving in E. Asia as a missionary. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Tension Within”

Jeremiah 20:14-18 

Cursed be the day when I was born; let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me! 15 Cursed be the man who brought the news, To my father, saying, “A baby boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy. 16 But let that man be like the cities, which the Lord overthrew without relenting, And let him hear an outcry in the morning and a shout of alarm at noon; 17 Because he did not kill me before birth, so that my mother would have been my grave, and her womb ever pregnant. 18 Why did I ever come forth from the womb to look on trouble and sorrow, so that my days have been spent in shame?

Jeremiah 1:4-5 

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

When I was in elementary school, I was signed up to try various sports, including badminton. After my first lesson, I wanted to quit because when I tried to hit the birdie coming towards me, it flew straight towards my forehead and got stuck in my hair. Being of low-esteem, I felt an incredible sense of humiliation in front of the people I was playing with, since they didn’t seem to have any trouble with the sport. I often wanted to quit sports and I would end up quitting very easily when I felt like it was a little bit hard.  

In contrast, Jeremiah never quit even though his complaint in this passage sounds like he wanted to just walk away from his calling. But, his confession and complaint come from a heart that was wrestling with the tension of his calling as God’s prophet to the nations. He may have been close to quitting, but he never actually quit. He could’ve excused himself from serving in this office when the distress became overwhelming. He faced opposition and loneliness and felt sorrow over Judah’s unwillingness to return to God. Nevertheless, he remained in his place because he knew that he was set apart since birth for this purpose. Even though “cursing” the day of his birth is a strong statement, I think only someone who is so committed to God’s call would wrestle and cry out to God like this. If he didn’t regard himself as God’s chosen instrument and respected it as a holy call, he wouldn’t have wrestled to this point. I admire how he faced the cost of obedience and poured out his honest and unfiltered anguish to the Lord. In a way, it was the closest way to surrender himself to God again and to be fully committed and hidden in Him. 

2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” God desires to strengthen us when we are serving Him while feeling completely helpless and weak. 

This morning ask the Lord to strengthen you and to reveal to you what He is fulfilling in you through the various situations and roles He has called you into. 

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that you rejoice over the day of my birth. Not only did You set Your heart to love me, but You also appointed me to fulfill a unique purpose in my life ever since I was in my mother’s womb. Because true obedience comes with discomforts and costs, I pray that You would strengthen me to persevere and to abide daily in You. Help me to glorify You with my life. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 23-24

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was originally posted on February 13, 2019.  A graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), Doug is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“When He sees, He moves”

Exodus 3:7-8

Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Homer Simpson—always the dispenser of great wisdom—says this in an episode of The Simpsons while running a red light: “If I don’t see it, it’s not illegal.” At face value, this seems ridiculous—just because we don’t see something does not mean we are exonerated from it. Yet, I imagine many of us subconsciously believe this. For example, we pass someone in need, pretending not to see that person. But as long as we do not see that person, we do not need to help him or her—we are exonerated. Perhaps you have even done that with hearing, too. Someone asks you to do something but you pretend not to hear, you ignore the request. For those who are married, maybe you do that with your spouse sometimes.

Though we are sinful people who can pretend to be blind and deaf at times, God is not like that. God said to Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters” (v.7).  The phrase translated surely seen is a Hebrew idiom, literally saying, “I have seen seen.” The verb is repeated twice to add emphasis. God surely saw the pain and suffering of His people and when God sees something, He moves. He does not turn a blind eye and pass on by. 

And not only does God move, He comes down. The God of the universe who rules over everything is saying that He is coming down; He is getting off His throne to come and deliver His people from slavery. Further, not only does God come down to His people to rescue them, He brings them up. He did not just free His people and tell them, “Good luck out there in the desert.” He brought them up to the Promised Land, to “a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (v.8).

That is the pattern of God’s activity in our lives. He sees us in our need, He comes down to us, and He brings us up. What are you going through right now? Are there struggles or sufferings you currently face? God surely sees you. And when God sees, He moves. When you cry out to Him, He comes down to lift us up. Today, let’s cry out to God, knowing that He surely sees you and He will not pass you by.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You see me. Who am I that You would even notice me? Yet, You see me and hear my cries. May I trust in You to always be my Redeemer—the One who comes down to lift me up. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 22

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Psalm 34:15-18: The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteousand his ears toward their cry.16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,to cut off the memory of them from the earth.17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hearsand delivers them out of all their troubles.18 The Lord is near to the brokenheartedand saves the crushed in spirit.

Questions to Consider

• What does it mean that the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous?
• What is the pre-condition to the Lord delivering His people out of their troubles?
• To whom is God near and what does He do for them?

Notes

• At the surface, this verse may seem to mean that God only looks towards those who are good, that you need to earn His attention. Yet, the biblical picture of righteousness is more about being in right relationship with God. The righteous are those who depend on God. God does not forsake those who depend on Him; rather, His eyes are always upon them, to help them in their every need.
• The pre-condition is crying out to Him. This seems so straightforward, yet so often we try to do things on our own. We either don’t want God’s help or don’t think He’ll actually help us. But when we cry out to Him, He sees us and moves to deliver us. He is faithful! However, the way He helps may not be the way we want; that’s why dependence on God requires trusting that He knows what is best.
• God is near to the brokenhearted and He saves them. As Jesus said of Himself, “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench” (Matt 12:20). God is gentle to the broken and He hears the cry of those who are crushed in their spirit. Remember, the God who is all powerful is the same God who comes down to us in our need to deliver us.

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Evening Reflection

This evening, cry out to the Lord. Be honest with Him about the things that are weighing heavily on your heart. So often we bottle up the things that burden us; release them to the Lord and ask Him for His help. Allow His peace to come to you as you sleep tonight.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on February 5, 2019, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Reward of God”

Exodus 1:15–21 (ESV)

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, [16] “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” [17] But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. [18] So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” [19] The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” [20] So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. [21] And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

Fear is a powerful motivator.  Fear can drive us to work long hours.  Fear can drive us to avoid certain people.  Fear can drive us to compromise our integrity. Yet the right kind of fear can drive us to stand up against those in power.

Shiphrah and Puah are Hebrew midwives.  They are women in an ancient patriarchal culture, and they are slaves.  The most powerful person in Egypt demands that they kill every boy born to the Hebrews—this is a horrific and evil command from someone who would not think twice about killing them too.  But the midwives fear God.  They spare the newborns and as a result God gives them families.

At face value, it appears that the women do a good thing and get a good thing.  But God is not simply giving the women something highly prized in their culture (a family).  They receive something far greater: participating in the promises of God for His people.  

In Genesis 12, God promised to make a great nation from Abraham’s descendants.  The growth of the midwives’ families is part of the larger work God is doing of multiplying and growing the people of God in strength.  They are blessed to be fully included in the fulfillment of God’s promises.

When we fear and obey God, He will be faithful and reward us.  This doesn’t mean we will receive whatever seems good to our culture (successful children, a more high profile job, etc.).  Our reward is to be included among His covenant people and to experience the fulfillment of God’s promise to them.  

In this stage of redemptive history, the promise of God is that He will bless all the families of the earth and make disciples of all nations through His Son.  Our reward for faith and obedience is to get to see and participate in the fulfillment of this promise.

Prayer: Father, may I fear You above all others, for what can humans do to me?  Thank You that You are almighty and worthy of my trust and obedience.  May my household be privileged to be part of Your work of saving the world! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 21

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Lunch Break Study

Read Genesis 29:31–35 (ESV): “When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. [32] And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” [33] She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. [34] Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. [35] And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah …”

Questions to Consider

• In His great love, what does the Lord do for Leah?
• What is Leah’s response?
• What significant role do her four sons (especially Judah) play in biblical history?

Notes

• He opens her womb and gives her four sons.
• Leah acknowledges that her sons are from the Lord.  With the first three, she hopes that Jacob will now love her.  With her fourth son, she simply praises God for His goodness to her.
• All four of Leah’s sons are namesakes of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Through the line of Judah, Jesus is born.

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Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day.  Were there moments you were tempted to fear man rather than God?  If so, go to the Lord in repentance and receive His grace to fear Him.  Were there moments you acted in fear of God?  If so, thank God for His strength and pray for more opportunities to seek the Kingdom.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 3, 2019, is written by Tina Pham who, along with her family, is serving in E. Asia as a missionary. 

Devotional Though for This Morning

“Speaking Strength to Your Inner Being”

1 Samuel 30:6 

“But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” 

Psalm 103:1 

“Bless the LORD, o my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”

In 1 Samuel 30, King David faced an extremely stressful and devastating situation when the Amalekites burned down the city of Ziklag with fire and took the women and children of Israel as captives. After David and his men wept until they lost strength, the latter took out their anger and sadness on David, threatening to stone him for what had happened to the city and their families. There was no physical refuge or comfort to turn to in this overwhelming situation, but the author records that David strengthened himself in the Lord his God and then inquired Him for his next plan.  Eventually, David successfully rescued the women and children, and destroyed the Amalekites. 

What did this time with God look like that caused David to regain strength? What prayers did he pray and what did he say to God? David’s psalms give us a glimpse that David often ministered to himself with songs that declared to his own soul the goodness of God. He commanded his being to bless and praise God’s name, even when his emotions did not catch up to joy and gladness yet. He spoke truths about God’s character and deeds in times of distress until his own soul would regain awareness of and thanksgiving to God. These prayers in the secret place gave him strength to carry out his public leadership. 

More often than not, we are taught to pray prayers of petition in our time with God and when we pray for others. Scripture teaches us to present our requests to God as a way of overcoming worry – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). King David displays for us another form of prayer that is just as important, and that is the prayer of declaration, or command prayer. Where strength was lost, he commanded his own being to declare praise to God, until his inner being would be strengthened and hopeful again.  

Today, what is your morning declaration over your own soul? In order to strengthen yourself in the Lord, attempt to lead your own soul to bless and praise God’s name until your awareness of God outweighs your awareness of your anxieties.

Prayer: God, You are my refuge and You are my strength. I command my soul this morning and all that is within me to bless and praise You for who You are. As I wait upon You, I pray for a renewed strength to arise from within me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 20

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Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV): For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Questions to Consider

• The apostle Paul is the writer of Ephesians. To whom is he writing?
• What is Paul’s prayer?
• Why do you think being strengthened with power in one’s inner being is directly correlated to grasping the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge?

Notes

• Paul is writing to Christians in the city of Ephesus. He also desires this prayer to be answered and to become real for “all the Lord’s holy people.”
• His prayer is for the Holy Spirit to strengthen every church member’s inner being with power to comprehend the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. He understands that a man/woman’s inner being is transformed by the love of Christ, but also needs to continuously be strengthened by the love of Christ in order to live fully as Christ’s followers. 
• Personal Response. 

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Evening Reflection

Reflect about your day and courageously mention to God what you were lacking today. Was it joy, peace, love, patience, kindness, or wisdom? Activate and practice a prayer of command/declaration over you heart and may the Holy Spirit give you an overflow of His power and strength.