August 26, Tuesday

REPOST Today’s Devotional Thought for Food, originally posted December 4, 2018, is provided by Andy Kim. Andy is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What’s God’s Will for My Life?”

Ephesians 1:11-14

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Growing up, I wanted to be so many things—a policeman, a racecar driver, and an architect. What did you want to be when you were growing up? Oh, the good days, where the sky was the limit to our wildest dreams! It’s interesting that even at a young age, there’s this underlying question driving all of us: what is the purpose of my life? And as believers, we tend to rephrase it as, What is God’s will for my life?  Yet it’s a question that brings more frustration than motivation for many of us. Every major step we take, we wrestle with the question: Is this God’s will for me? 

In today’s passage, Paul has an answer for us. Those who have been chosen by Him have been also predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. Notice that Paul writes, who works all things: not just the good things in our lives, but also the things we may consider bad. In fact in Romans 8:28 Paul assures us “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” But if we’re not careful, we may use verses like these to justify the bad decisions we make. God doesn’t necessarily justify the bad things in our lives; instead, He chooses to redeem them for a greater purpose beyond our understanding. While the specifics may be unclear in the moment, one thing we know for sure: He wills so that our lives may be for the praise of His glory. 

It is both humbling and freeing for us, and yet it also brings us the utmost confidence, for this promise is given to those who have been called by Him and love Him. Rather than being paralyzed with this question of what is God’s will in our lives, we can put our trust in Him—that in all things He is working for our good. Whatever season we may be in, know that He is doing something good. Our job is to be faithful to what He is doing now. May we continue to obey and follow after Him! 

Prayer: Father, we thank You that You see the greater picture of our lives. Though we only see a glimpse, I pray that we may be faithful and obedient to where You have called us now. Holy Spirit remind us and assure us that nothing can thwart God’s will being done in our lives. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 11

Lunch Break Study

Read Joshua 5:13-15: When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Additional Context: After this encounter, God reveals the plan to conquer Jericho. God commands them to march around the city once for six days. Then on the seventh day, they were to march around the walls seven times. On the seventh time, God commands them to shout and that the walls would fall down flat. 

Questions to Consider

  • Imagine yourself in Joshua’s position, hearing God’s plan to overtake this formidable city of Jericho: How would you respond? How did Joshua respond?
  • How does worship give Joshua the confidence to submit to His plan? 
  • When God asks you to do something, what is your response? What are the areas where you are refusing to submit? 

Notes

  • The Scriptures are filled with God revealing some of the most ridiculous and extra-ordinary plans. Yet for those who receive these plans, it is in the place of worship that enables them to submit to God’s will. In worship, Joshua is able to submit to God’s will. 
  • Joshua comes before the Lord with his face to the earth. This teaches us that worship begins with our humble submission to the Lord. God also commands Joshua to take of his sandals, since he was standing was holy ground. Worship drives us into the presence of God and His presence sets us apart. In His presence, we are able to find confidence in His plans over our own. 
  • Oftentimes, we tend to put more weight on our logic and reason. This does not mean we should make decisions rashly, but we should allow faith to always drive our decisions more than our logic. Personal reflection. 

Evening Reflection

Meditate on Psalm 16:11:“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Reflect on the passage above. The psalmist reminds us that life is a journey and not simply a destination. We are reminded that God cares more about the process than the actual destination, or as Rick Warren writes: “God cares more about who you become than what you do.” But far greater than this, the psalmist reveals that more rewarding than our plans is His presence. Spend some time reflecting on this. When you come before Him, are you restless to hear some sort of direction? Or do you find the fullness of joy just by simply being in His presence? 

August 25, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on October 29, 2018, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  David is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Listen”

Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.” 18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.  22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Listening is a critical life skill.  I had a funny interaction with my oldest daughter a few weeks ago where I thought I heard her say, “Someone is at the door.”  So when I went to the front door and found no one there, I shouted back to her that no one was there. But when I went back to her she told me, “Ruth (our youngest daughter) spilled juice on the floor!”  Obviously I was hearing but not really listening to her, and I missed the point of her message!

In today’s text, Jesus emphasizes the word hear six times, pointing out that how we hear and receive the Word of God matters.  I want to briefly talk about the types of hearts He addresses and how the Word can affect or does not affect our daily life. (There are different interpretations as to whether the hearts are of Christians or non-Christians.)

  • Hard heart – this is the person who is indifferent or even hostile to the gospel message.  They might find the message irrelevant and implausible, resulting in rejection of the message.
  • Shallow heart – this person is initially excited about the gospel and even has emotions of joy but when hardship and trials come, the Word no longer has affect.  It never was rooted in the person.
  • Distracted heart – this person may look like a believer, but because of the cares of the world and deceitfulness of wealth, growth takes a back seat to those other desires.
  • Receptive heart – this is the person who is radically changed and grows because the gospel message has taken root.  No matter what things may come in life, the Word had priority and bears fruit.

When I study this passage, I believe Jesus is actually warning His hearers because only the receptive heart is actually saved.  The mark of a Christian is that they bear fruit (John 15:8), and if there is no evidence of that, we must ask ourselves, “Has the gospel message landed on receptive soil that is bearing fruit?”

Take some time and examine your life.  What kind of heart do you receive the Word with?  Do you see evidence of growth through the Word?  There will be seasons in life where you will not bear as much fruit as other seasons, but the constant pattern should be that the Word is growing us. Pray that the Word would continue to bear fruit in your life.

Prayer:  Lord, may we be a people that continue to receive Your Word with receptive hearts.  I pray that You would help us identify and remove the other desires that can get in the way of growth.  Give us a deeper love for your Word.  Amen!

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 10

Lunch Break Study

Read James 1:22-25: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. [24] For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Questions to Consider

  • What does James emphasize when it comes to the Word?
  • What is the result of being a doer of the Word?
  • James uses a brilliant illustration of a mirror, showing what it is like when we are not doers of the Word.  What areas in our life are we just being listeners and not doers?

Notes

  • James points out that it is not enough simply to know Scripture or godly teaching—knowledge alone is useless. We must desire to apply and “be doers” of the Word in our daily lives.
  • The contrast here between the hearer and the doer is that the doer remembers the “law of liberty.”  The one who obeys the Word results in freedom and blessing.  
  • Think about how the Word affects your daily life.  Do we just know the Word and fail to live it out?  Ask God to point out the areas where you need to apply this.

Evening Reflection

Today, we looked at the importance of the Word, and how we receive and apply it.  Take some time and read Scripture before you close out the day.  Meditate on it and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the grace and strength to live it.  

August 24, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on September 2, 2018, is provided by Pastor Peter Yoon, who is the Lead Pastor of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Are You Free Today?”

Jeremiah 34:17

“Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine.”

I don’t know about you, but I do enjoy a bit of humorous sarcasm with friends. So whenever I discover sarcasm in the Bible, it tends to grab my attention. As you know, sarcasm is a literary device in which the speaker actually means the opposite of what is being said. 

In this verse, we see God using sarcasm to convey a solemn judgment upon the Israelites. During the time of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, those Israelites who owned slaves had proclaimed freedom for them. They had even made a covenant with God in verse 15 in setting the slaves free. (Note: Friday’s QT revealed that it was not economically advantageous for owners to care for the slaves during the siege.) However, when the siege was lifted (temporarily), these owners quickly cancelled their freedom and forced them to be slaves once again. This breach of the covenant only infuriated the Lord. 

So the Lord sends Jeremiah to let the owners know that He too will proclaim “freedom” for them. And just in case the owners did not understand the Lord’s sarcasm, He explained that this “freedom” would bring about their fall by the sword, plague, and famine. The slave owners who were “free” from the covenant would also pay a steep price and longer be protected by the other Party of the covenant, the Lord Almighty. 

Today, we believe that we have been given our freedom. We correctly believe that Jesus has set us free from our sins. But some of us erroneously assume that true spiritual freedom means freedom from having to obey God’s commands. Obeying God’s commands is wrongly seen as a path of legalism. However, if we continue to live a life apart from obeying God’s word, that “freedom” would only lead to death (e.g., addictions). Paul says in Gal 5:13 – You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 

For the Israelite slave owners, their freedom led them down the path of total destruction. We, too, must not allow our freedom to lead down the path of destruction by disobeying the Lord. Instead, we are to use our freedom to serve others with humility and love. 

Prayer: Lord, may the freedom that You have proclaimed in our lives through Your Son, Jesus Christ, lead us to serve others with love and humility. Thank You for the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus. In His Name, Amen! 

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 9

August 23, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on July 7, 2018, is provided by Joshua Chzen. Joshua has been leading worship at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, California, for many years. He recently moved to Houston be part of a new church plant.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“God the Potter”

Jeremiah 18:1-6

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me. 6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.

The Japanese have a tradition called kintsugi, in which broken or flawed pottery is pieced back together with gold lacquer. This process began as a simple method of repair—taking plates that had been chipped and teapots that had been shattered, and gluing them back together. But over time, kintsugi became regarded as a desirable aesthetic, a form of art, and even a philosophy. The potters behind these repairs reasoned that the cracks and chips that most would hide as flaws should instead be highlighted as part of the unique history of each bowl, cup, and vase. In essence, kintsugi underscores the beauty to be found in the natural imperfection, brokenness, and restoration of everything. Broken pieces can be put together to create something intricate and whole. This idea translates easily into a metaphor for life in God: He highlights our brokenness, takes the pieces of our self, and restores us into something intricate and whole. It sounds beautiful—putting aside the pain of experiencing the true breaking of the self. And I don’t wish to downplay how impactful this imagery can be for us at times, but no metaphor is completely perfect.

God presents a different picture here. There is still a potter with an imperfect piece of pottery; but instead of putting the broken pieces back together, he forms it into an entirely new pot, “shaping it as seemed best to him” (v.4). The difference is slight, but significant. The old pot is not restored back into the shape of the old pot, but molded into something completely different. Again, this is not to discredit the previous metaphor. Our God is most certainly in the business of healing the sick and restoring the broken, both spiritually and physically. But we often settle for these things and forget that they are just stops alongside the road to complete transformation. We’re content with being a vase that has just been pieced back together into its original form, with some small changes along the way. We ask God for experiences and opportunities that might provide slight, incremental challenge because we’re mostly fine with the way we are; we just need to be a little bit better. We allow conviction to soak in just deep enough to change what we’re comfortable with Him changing.

God’s plan for us is so much more than that—He wants to change us into something that is unrecognizable to the old self. He wants to put our old selves to death so He can make us new. He wants to heal us and restore us, and then transform us. That’s what He wants. Let’s pray that He’d make that what we want as well.

Prayer: Lord, I know that change is difficult, and transformation is impossible without You—help me to lean on You. I know that this process of being broken and formed into something different can be so painful – help me to trust in You. I confess that there’s parts of me that I don’t even want to change—  help me to give those specific things to You. I know the plans You have for me are greater, so let not my will, but Your will be done in my life. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 7-8

August 22, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on November 29, 2018, is provided by Pastor Joshua Kim. Joshua, a graduate of Emory University, Columbia Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Talbot Theological Seminary (Th.M.), is the Lead Pastor of Upper Room Seattle church.  

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Quarreling and Fighting”

James 4.1-10 (NASB)

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

As I have been processing the death of Stan Lee, someone who shaped much of my childhood as a 90’s kid watching Saturday morning cartoons, I’m reminded again of how death causes us to reevaluate life. In death, we see what’s really important—what is the substance of man. We think of people like Anthony Bourdain or Kate Spade—people who seemingly were at the top of their careers with everything that they could ever imagine—crumble internally to the point of taking their own lives. It is a reminder that there is more to life than riches and fame. 

Today’s passage is a poignant reminder of this reality. In a community filled with quarreling and fighting, James quickly addresses what is truly at the root of it all. Especially when it comes to our conflicts with other people, it is so easy for us to look at the other side and point out everything that the other person did wrong. We even use religious language, accusing the other person of lacking humility or being worldly. But at the core of it, God’s word teaches us that it is because of our own lustful, envious desires that we find ourselves in conflict with others.

The consequence is multi-faceted: There is conflict and drama externally around us, but there is also another layer where these desires cause chaos within ourselves. A commentator notes that the word member in verse 1is more often used to refer to a bodily organ or part of the human body; in other words, our unchecked, self-seeking desires cause a war within ourselves. The pleasures we seek actually disrupts our peace and wellbeing.

There is yet another layer. Why is there a disruption of peace? Because these lustful pleasures separate us from God. We become an enemy of God because we have befriended the world. We ask and do not receive, because we ask with wrong motives. We suffer because our prayers become ineffective. God no longer hears our prayers for they will only hurt us more, for we ask with wrong motives. We are separated from the very Source of our peace.

So what is the solution? Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you (v.10). And James lays out what this looks like. He calls for us to submit ourselves to Him because He gives us a greater grace. Confess that we need Him. Mind you, the first step isn’t to try to fight this thing on our own. It is to come back, crawling if we need, to our Father who will draw near to us if we draw near to Him. Brothers and sisters, may we always be a people who seek to draw near to Him, knowing that there is no life apart from Him.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You that You provide a greater grace to those who earnestly seek You. Thank You that Your grace is greater than our lustful desires that disrupts our peace. Help us to constantly submit ourselves to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 6

Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 3:4-10: When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—

Questions to Consider

  • What are the things that belong to our old self? What is the consequence of a life that lives in these things?
  • What should be the mindset of a person who has put on the new self?
  • What does it mean for you that in Christ who is your life, you are being renewed (v.10)?

Notes

  • These things belong to the old self: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech. The consequence of living such a life leads to the wrath of God.
  • Paul writes in verse 5, “Therefore consider…”—in other words, turn your mind to the truth that you are no longer your old self. I especially appreciate how the Amplified Version puts it:  “So put to death and deprive of power the evil longings of your earthly body [with its sensual, self-centered instincts] immorality, impurity, sinful passion, evil desire, and greed, which is [a kind of] idolatry [because it replaces your devotion to God].” We are commanded to cut off the power of these old desires because of Christ.
  • Personal response. Perhaps there is a part of your old self that you have been struggling with. What does it mean for you that Christ is your life?

Evening Reflection

Have there been moments throughout today where you felt the nearness of God? In what ways did you experience the truth of James 4:8, where you drew near to God and He drew near to you? Reflect on these moments. Cherish them in your heart. Give thanks to God for them.

August 21, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on August 30, 2018.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Placing Trust in our Faithful God”

Jeremiah 33:14-15 (The Message)

19-22 God’s Message to Jeremiah: “God says, ‘If my covenant with day and my covenant with night ever fell apart so that day and night became haphazard and you never knew which was coming and when, then and only then would my covenant with my servant David fall apart and his descendants no longer rule. The same goes for the Levitical priests who serve me. Just as you can’t number the stars in the sky nor measure the sand on the seashore, neither will you be able to account for the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who serve me.’”

I recently engaged in an interesting conversation with a seasoned missionary who had served in several Asian nations. He noted that one of the most difficult challenges he faced was creating and nurturing a united community among the local pastors and leaders. I asked for his explanation of why a united cohort was so difficult to achieve, and his answer was not only informative but quite insightful. 

I would have assumed that personality differences, feelings of jealousy, miscommunication, divergent philosophy of ministry, doctrinal variances, etc. would have been the myriad of obstacles. However, he explained that when people grow up in nations, societies, and cultures where their gods cannot be trusted due to fickleness and unpredictability, the citizens end up assuming that NOBODY can be trusted. In other words, if their best “gods” couldn’t be trusted, why would anyone trust another imperfect human being? 

Britannica article writes: “Cruel and fickle, passionate and vindictive, jealous and insecure, petty and insane: the inhabitants of Mount Olympus represent an attempt by the ancient Greeks to explain the chaos of the universe through human nature.” (https://www.britannica.com/list/12-greek-gods-and-goddesses) 

A monumental difference in the God of Israel and the gods of the world is: faithfulness. His word and His promises are as certain as “day and night.” His faithfulness gave the Israelites hope, even in the middle of despair and defeat at the hands of the Babylonians. The theme of God’s faithfulness runs all throughout Scripture. He certainly wanted us to know that He can fully be trusted, as certain as day and night. 

Prayer: Lord, I confess that I’m the one who is fickle while You remain faithful. Thank You for being so patient with me. Help me to more deeply understand and appreciate Your faithfulness. My hope is in You and Your promises. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 91:1-6 (NIV): Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most Highwill rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust.”3 Surely he will save youfrom the fowler’s snareand from the deadly pestilence.4 He will cover you with his feathers,and under his wings you will find refuge;his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,nor the plague that destroys at midday.

Questions to Consider

  • According to verse 1-2, how can you grow in your confidence of the Lord’s faithfulness? 
  • What is the certainty of this psalmist in relationship to God? 
  • What do you observe about the nature of God’s faithful protection in verses 5-6? 

Notes

  • Verse 1 invites us to dwell in the shelter of God. Verse 2 encourages us to declare that God is our refuge and fortress. 
  • The psalmist is certain of his protection by God from enemies, harm, and attacks.
  • The protection is given day and night. 

Evening Reflection

How has God revealed His faithfulness in your own life? Give God praise and thanksgiving declaring that you trust His faithfulness. 

August 20, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on November 14, 2018.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The God Who Sees”

Genesis 16:1-14 (NET)

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” 6 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” 11 The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael [“God hears”], for the Lord has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” 13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” [“El Roi” or “The Seeing God” – “The God Who Sees/Is Seen”] for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

Today we’ll reflect on Jesus’ elevation of women in antiquity. But the best place to start, is to go waaay back. Long before the birth of Jesus, during a time when women were nameless, slaves were objects, and foreigners were irrelevant, God encountered an Egyptian slave girl – Hagar. And this story shows us just how much God values women. A woman whom society would have said didn’t matter, whom even God’s own people abused and objectified, was honored by God in amazing ways: Hagar is named, pursued and blessed by God; she sees God, names God, and her son is named by God; she’s given agency and God preserves her story. 

Although those around her only refer to Hagar by the title “slave,” God calls her by name. When Hagar runs from her horrifically violent and inexcusably cruel forced surrogacy, God searches for her like a precious treasure. God finds her and asks, “Where are you coming from?” making room for her story and showing care for her suffering. Then God gives her a blessing that parallels the blessing of Abraham. 

Previously forced to bear Abraham’s children as a slave, Hagar was invited by God into a new future. It might not look that different, but God’s promise assured her it was. Every time Hagar looked at her son Ishmael (“God hears”), instead of remembering only the abuse she suffered, she could now remember God. Furthermore, God points to a donkey, an animal free to roam at will, for what Ishmael will be like. “This prophecy was not an insult… Ishmael would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.” (Dr. Thomas Constable) 

This story is the first instance in Scripture where we see this phrase “The Angel of the Lord.” It can refer to a messenger (like the Angel Gabriel) or the divine (God’s very self, often understood as pre-incarnate Christ). In this text, it’s the latter. God didn’t send an angel with a message; God appeared to Hagar. In what form, we do not know. But somehow she beheld God. And there are not a lot of instances in Scripture where God is named by someone other than God Himself. But this is one of them. Hagar could name God because she had truly seen God. 

In a time where so many went unnamed and so few women were mentioned, Hagar’s story was preserved so that we can see the heart of God who sees and loves and honors women. May we go and do likewise. 

Prayer: God, You are the God Who Sees. Thank You for who You are. Help me to see the women around me as You see them. Help me to see me as You see me. Give me the courage and freedom and fortitude of heart and mind to love and honor the women you’ve placed in my life, through the power of Your Spirit within me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 8:1-13 (NET Bible):Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” 49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Questions to Consider

  • What’s going on in this passage? Describe the bleeding woman’s situation. How has she suffered? 
  • Why do you think Jesus stops after she is healed instead of just moving on? 
  • Why might it be significant that this woman told her story before the crowd? How might this have been important, specifically to Jairus? 
  • How do we see Jesus elevating women in this story? 

Notes

  • In narratives like this, I like to imagine myself as different characters to help me understand and picture the story. If it’s helpful for you, try reading the passage again and imagine yourself as each character mentioned in this story. A twelve-year-old girl is sick and dying. Her father is desperate and Jesus is going to help. An unnamed woman has suffered immensely for 12 years. The woman is in pain—with a perpetual menstrual bleeding. She is poor and unclean—she spent all her money on doctors and her bleeding would have prohibited her from entering spaces of worship or fully participating in society.  She is desperate and full of courage and exercises great faith—she pushes through the crowd (who could have been enraged by her touching them) and touches Jesus. Jesus heals her.
  • I used to always hate this part of the story because it seemed mean. She just wanted to slip in and get her healing, but Jesus calls her out. I used to wonder if the woman was embarrassed. But after reading this passage countless times and walking with God a bit longer, and with the help of a dear friend who helped me to see this passage in a new way, I now love this part the most. I think Jesus stops to make room for this woman to testify. She is given an ear of the crowd in a world that didn’t even bother to know her name. Jesus has the eyes and the ears of the crowd and even an important official (Jairus), because they think he’s important. He turns their gaze to this woman, because He thinks she is important. And they all listen as she tells her story.  
  • There is power in testimony! The power of God is put on display in our stories, especially the stories of those we tend to ignore, overlook, or refuse to touch. And as for Jairus, this testimony may be just what he needed to hold on a little longer when he received the news that his daughter died, and Jesus asks him to have faith. 
  • Jesus gives His full attention to two women in this story—a sick woman and a dying girl. In both cases, although in unique ways, He loves and cares for them. It’s more than just the healing; it’s the way they are healed. Jesus stops in His tracks to make room for the story of the bleeding woman. And He changes the course of His whole day (with the whole crowd behind Him) to go to the home of a little girl, take her by the hand, and heal her (resurrect her!). Jesus, in the fullness of God Who Sees, saw them both and loved them.  

Evening Reflection

Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” 11“No one, Lord,” she answered. “I don’t condemn you either,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave sin behind you.” (John 8:10-11)

How have you been taught to view women (from your family of origin, culture, society, teachings in your church, examples or systems around you, etc.)? How do you treat or consider the women around you? Really think about and try to articulate your responses. How do you think your view lines up with how Jesus in the New Testament and God in the Old Testament saw and treated women? 

In light of today’s study, are there any ways God might be challenging you to honor the women in your life? If you’re a woman reading this, are there any ways God may be challenging you to honor yourself? In light of the world we live in today, what would it mean for you to truly see the women in your life, and to treat them as Jesus would? (One good place to start might be to ask them.) Spend time reflecting on these things with the Lord. 

August 19, Tuesday  

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, originally posted on October 30, 2018, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  David is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Are You Ready?”

Luke 12:35-48

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

One experience that I will never forget in college was when I was taking a computer science class my senior year.  As I walked into class—just as it started—I saw everyone put their notebooks and laptops away (I thought that was strange), and my professor came in and started handing out a packet of papers to each student.  As I got my packet, I realized that it was an exam that I had not studied or prepared for—it wasn’t out of laziness, but rather I had mistakenly thought the date of the exam was the week after!  Did you ever have an experience like this, where you were unprepared—whether it was for an exam, interview or an important event?

In today’s parable, Jesus addresses the idea of readiness in light of the Second Coming of Christ.  We may not think too much about the Second Coming, but we need to remember that it will come unexpectedly and suddenly (v. 40).  Jesus tells His followers to make sure that when He comes back, we are to be found faithful and awake.  So what does it look like to live a life of readiness?  I want to give three practical suggestions:

  • Radical Generosity – Where do we see this in the passage?  We need to understand that this teaching comes right after the parable of the rich fool, where Jesus challenges a rich man not to store up earthly treasures but to invest into eternal treasures.  It should be the same for us as well.  We are called to be generous with our money, resources and possessions, as we await His return.
  • Mission Urgency – If we knew Jesus was returning next week, wouldn’t we change our priorities?  Being ready means that we are living with a mission, and we make our lives about Him; meaning, no matter where God has called us professionally, we are called to live out the mission of God in our lives by making disciples, building up the Body, and sharing our faith with others.  
  • Spiritual Intensity – Knowing that Jesus will someday return means that we live in spiritual fervency.  We should not be passive when it comes to things like prayer, being in the Word, being involved in the community, and serving, because one of the marks of being ready (or awake) is that we do not become lazy when it comes to spiritual disciplines.  

Are you living in readiness?  How would Jesus find you if He returned today?  C.S. Lewis says this:

“Precisely because we cannot predict the moment, we must be ready at all times. The soldier does not know at what time the enemy may attack, or what time an officer might inspect his post. So he must be awake at all times.  Not that we should always be running around in fear that the end might happen at any moment. We should be like an 80-year-old man, who needs, on the one hand, not to be always thinking about his approaching death. But, at 80, he should always be taking it into account. It would be criminally foolish not to have made his will and so on.”  

Prayer:  Lord, help us to be found ready when You return.  I pray that this will be a wake-up call to some who may be living just for temporary treasures.  May we invest our lives wisely for Your kingdom and Your glory.  Amen!

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 3

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Peter 3:8-10: But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Questions to Consider

  • What do we learn about the timing of God?  What does this mean for you?
  • What is our hope, according to Peter?
  • What do you feel you are called to do in light of these verses?

Notes

  • We need to be reminded that God’s timing is not our timing.  He is sovereign over time, and we need to be reminded of that truth daily.  
  • Our hope is that the Lord fulfills His promises.  He is faithful to His Word and we are commanded to trust.
  • The Lord is patient because He does not want anyone to perish.  It means we are called to be witnesses for Him and to share the Good News to all who hear.  

Evening Reflection

Today, we looked at the Second Coming of Jesus, and what that should mean in our lives.  Take some time in self-reflection and prayer.  Ask the Holy Spirit to convict and reveal areas that you need to surrender to the Lord.  

August 18, Monday

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, originally posted on November 19, 2018, is provided by Jennifer Kim. Jennifer served as a staff in multiple AMI churches in the past.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Finding Joy in Affliction”

James 1:1-11

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance .4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. 9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

Hiking is one activity I dislike. It requires days of planning, heavy lifting, profuse amount of sweating, bugs, lack of water, etc. I have tried to be understanding by asking countless hikers what makes hiking so enjoyable for them. Nine out of 10 times they will say it’s about the accomplishment of getting to the top of the mountain, seeing the beautiful scenery, and knowing you made it after a long, gruesome process. Now I recognize that my lack of understanding for hiking comes from my inability to reconcile the seeming paradox of how something so arduous can be so enjoyable.  I also recognize that this struggle is one that many Christians face when they read today’s passage. 

How can any person consider it, not just joy, but PURE joy, when they face trials of, not just one kind, but MANY kinds? The answer is seemingly quite simple for James – by recognizing that trials produce a perseverance that matures our faith to be made complete, lacking absolutely nothing. Wow, a faith that lacks nothing! Imagine with me what a faith that lacks nothing looks like – no doubts, no fears, no bitterness, and no obstacles between you and God. This faith is not fleeting nor is it a momentary revelation, but it changes us completely to begin living in complete trust and faith in our God. As paradoxical as it may seem to be joyful when we are struggling, when we look at it in light of the fruit that trials can produce in our lives, we are able to see that every difficulty is worth the struggle in order that our faith may be made complete. 

Ultimately, I may not be able to understand hiking because I cannot see the joy and glory of making it to the top of the mountain; but, I can certainly say that a faith that lacks nothing is worth every battle. If you are going through a difficult time, I pray that you would find peace and rest in your circumstances. I recognize that the call to be joyful in all trials is easier said than done. But can I encourage you to reframe your perspective to see that it is God’s love for you to grow in intimacy with Him that you may be facing trials. You are not alone as God’s hand is in your trials. May your faith be made complete through your circumstances.

Prayer: God I thank You that You love me too much to let me stay the same. I pray that you would grant me wisdom to see You in all circumstances that I may persevere in my trials and find true joy. Refine me oh God that I may be made complete in Your sight. In Jesus name. Amen

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Kings 2

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Peter 4:12-19:Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Questions to Consider: 

  • What does Peter tell his readers to do when they are persecuted?
  • Why does Peter say we are blessed when we are face trials?
  • What trial are you facing in which you are having difficulty rejoicing in? Write them down and ask God to reveal how He is growing you in those trials.

Notes:

  • To rejoice as participants in the sufferings of Christ. (v.13)
  • We are blessed because the Spirit of glory and God rests on us. (v.14)
  • Personal.

Evening Reflection

Today we reflected on God’s call for us to be joyful in trials because it’s in trials that our faith is made complete. Take some time to be honest with God about your struggles. It’s ok to be filled with emotions, even if it is not joy, but bring it to the Lord and ask Him to reveal His plan in perfecting your faith through this trial. Wisdom is being able to recognize that amidst our pains and struggles God has a plan greater than we can imagine. 

August 16, Sunday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 10, 2018, is provided by Andy Kim who is the Lead Pastor of Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco. Andy is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.S.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Desperation”

Mark 9:17-27

And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

Desperation is usually seen as a bad thing. Whether in an interview, or on a first date, it’s often looked down upon as a repulsive quality. It can cause a person to act outside of their normal character and even take extreme measures. For this reason, the world teaches us to never show our desperation as it can reek of pity and weakness. Yet, here in this passage, we see how the desperate faith of a father leads him to Jesus. And from this account, we are reminded an important aspect about faith.

In our passage, the father has tried everything in his power for his son. He’s even turned to the disciples of Jesus who have done such miracles in the past. Yet, all have failed and it’s now just him and Jesus. In his utter hopelessness and despair, he musters up this desperate cry, “I believe; help my unbelief!” This simple prayer captures the perfect combination of faith and confession: It was faith in that he knew Jesus had the power to heal; yet, it was a confession of his own weakness for the unbelief that still existed in his heart. Though his desperation began in the acceptance of his weakness, it became the assurance of his faith in Christ. When we direct our desperation toward Him, it produces faith—the faith that God seeks and responds to. This in turn leads us to cry out to Him with some of the most raw prayers like that of the father. And to this Jesus responds, “Bring them to me, no matter how impossible the situation may be, bring them to me”. 

Spend some time reflecting on this. When was the last time you were desperate for the Lord? Like the heart of this father, may we be honest before Jesus, asking that He would help the areas of unbelief in our lives. When we think about the greatest revivals or even greatest movements in history, all of these were driven by a desperate desire for change. 

Prayer: Whatever it takes, Lord, decrease my proneness to wander from You by keeping me desperate for You (adapted from Jon Bloom). I confess of my own apathy and lack of zeal  towards you. Revive me once again; may I be desperate for You once again. Amen. 

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 1