Today’s devotional written by Cami King, who served as a staff at Symphony Church (Boston) and Journey Community Church (Raleigh) from 2011-2018, was first posted on November 19, 2014.  She will begin serving as a staff at Remnant Church in Manhattan in September.  

 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“What How We Handle Criticism Reveals About Ourselves”

Proverbs 10:8, 17

The wise person  accepts instructions, but the one who speaks foolishness  will come to ruin . . . 17 The one who heeds instruction is on the way to life, but the one who rejects rebuke goes astray.

I overheard a conversation at my church recently where one of our members told another about a bad day at work. I didn’t catch all the details (I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping, after all), but it seems as though he’d made a mistake on a project at work and his boss was less than pleased. As another brother tried to comfort him, this guy said something that surprised me – “It’s really OK. I realized that my boss only says something in these situations if he cares about the person and believes he has the potential to do better. There are people who mess up all the time and he doesn’t bother to waste his breath. So I’m actually really glad about it. It sucked at the time, but I’m really glad he took the time to correct me.” Wow, what maturity! 

Very few of us enjoy being corrected. But much like this brother from my church demonstrates, correction only stands to benefit the one who chooses to receive it. We are all bound to make mistakes. There’s no shame in that; no one is perfect. But how do we handle correction in response to our mistakes? Do we receive it and make needed adjustments? Or do we get defensive, wounded, and ultimately ignore the advice that could help us?

One Christian writer explained: “When we are criticized we ought to ask ourselves whether the criticism contains any truth. If it does, we should learn from it, even when it is not given with the right motivation and in the right spirit.” 

How will you handle correction today? Be it from your boss, your spouse, a parent, a friend – correction will come as we are all bound to fall short in some way and have our errors pointed out for us by someone else. As the two proverbs above explain, it behooves us to have receptive hearts, remembering that (1) God still accepts us even though we fall short and (2) He will enable us do better if we are humble enough to receive help. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, for thousands of years, You have patiently corrected Your people like a loving Father corrects a child. For that I thank You. Help me to have a humble heart and receive any correction You send my way today through the people around me. Thank you for accepting me in my imperfection, but loving me enough to perfect me. 

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 17

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Lunch Break Study 

Read Colossians 3:12-17: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Questions to Consider

1. What do you learn from verse 16 about the role of other believers in your life? 
2. Why is it important that Paul writes what he does in verses 12-14 before verse 16?
3. Is there a brother or sister you need to teach or admonish today? Is there a correction you need to receive today? 

Notes

1. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are there to help us by teaching us things we need to know and by correcting us when we are in error. No one can grow in Christ alone. And as we help one another in this way, the “message of Christ dwell[s] in us richly.” 
2. We are called to teach and admonish one another, but motivation with which and manner in which we do so is important. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing, and forgiveness should mark our interactions with one another.
3. If yes to the former, do so in Christ’s compassion and gentleness. If yes to the latter, do so knowing that God is blessing you with instruction through those around you.  

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Evening Reflection 

Proverbs 12:1: The one who loves discipline loves knowledge, but the one who hates reproof is stupid.

Do you love discipline or do you hate reproof? What are some ways God challenged you today regarding correction? Pray and ask God to grant you humility to be a teachable person and compassion to speak the truth in love.

Today’s blog is written by Pastor Ryun Chang. 

 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Can Anything Practical Come out of the Trinity? (2)

John 3:35

“The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands.”

I began talking about the book The Shack in yesterday’s blog.  My focus was on how the Trinity is presented in this novel based on a true story of a grieving father’s spiritual journey after the murder of his youngest daughter.  Today, let’s focus on the theme of unity in the book.  

God the Father, represented by an Aunt Jemima-like African-American woman (who says about herself, “I am neither male nor female but a Spirit”) told Mack the protagonist, “Don’t ever think that what the son chose to do didn’t cost us dearly.  Love always leaves a significant mark . . . We were there together.”  Confused, Mack responded, “I thought you left him—you know—‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” to which the Father explained, “Regardless of what he felt at that moment, I never left him.”  While the Father placed everything in the hands of Jesus, He never left the Son, especially when he was hung on the cross. 

Another poignant reminder of the unity of the Trinity was when the Holy Spirit, represented by an Asian woman, said to Mack, “Remember our conversation earlier about limitation.”  This puzzled Mack because he had that conversation with the Father, not with the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Holy Spirit gently reminded him, “You can’t share with one and not share with us all.”  

I thought that was beauty-fully stated: The Three Persons are perfectly united in purpose and unity!  When you speak to One, you’re speaking to the other Two. This, then, is the relationship model that ought to inspire us to strive after, beginning with our family and church. 

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 16

Prayer: Heavenly Father, empower me to be one in purpose, in Christ, with the members of my family, both physical and spiritual.  Lord, help me to be less selfish and more caring. Inspire me to imitate the ways of the Trinity, in unity and in intimacy. Amen.

Today’s blog is written by Pastor Ryun Chang. 

 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Can Anything Practical Come out of the Trinity? (1)

Matthew 3:16-17

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

One reason for our silence on the doctrine of the Trinity is because of its apparent lack of practicality to daily living.  It is sort of like: “Just know the formula, 1-in-3 & 3-in-1, so that no one will accuse us of being heretics!”  And it’s not like we truly grasp the Trinity either. 

Someone wrote, “Even the best metaphors fail to capture the complexities of God’s being. In fact, when Christians attempt to explain the Trinity, they often stumble into metaphors that sound suspiciously like the very heresies Trinitarian theology was developed to counteract! But even if you conquer the intimidating task of explaining the meaning of the Trinity, you may face an even more momentous challenge: demonstrating why it matters”—that is, both theologically and practically. 

Well, I don’t recall reading anything practical or devotional about the Trinity until I read the novel The Shack (in 2008), which dealt with a grieving father’s spiritual journey after the murder of his youngest daughter.  Certainly, it’s not a theologically flawless book; nonetheless, it shows where we can find both the model and inspiration for unity and intimacy that we all yearn for in our relationships: from the Trinity. 

Perhaps nothing captures the unity and intimacy existing among the Three Persons in the Trinity quite like the scene depicted in the above passage: the Son rising up from the water after being baptized, the Spirit descending like a dove to honor the Son and the Father proclaiming, “This is my beloved Son . . .” So united in purpose; so intimate in fellowship. 

As I was reading this book, I was drawn to it precisely because those qualities—unity and intimacy—seem to lack in my family life (because of me).  How about you: Don’t you want the same? The inspiring model is found in the way the Three persons relate to one another—in unity and intimacy. (More on this tomorrow)

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 14-15

Prayer: Lord, help me to truly embody unity and intimacy that has existed eternally among the Three Persons in the Trinity.  Help me to become such a person in my family, work and church. Amen.

Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Charles Choe (Tapestry Church in Los Angeles), was originally posted on December 2, 2014.

 

Devotional Thought for Today

“Cause and Effect”

Proverbs 13:13

“Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.” 

When I was seventeen years old, I was persuaded of the need for God because the poor choices that I was making that often led to troubles, even with the law. Choosing to trust my own instincts and letting my heart dictate my choices led me to dissatisfaction in so many areas of my life, including with my family and friends. I felt lonely and abandoned, with very few meaningful relationships to speak of. In a word, I was miserable.  

Today’s passage is brief, but profound in its simple application. It is a classic study in the principle of “cause and effect”. Solomon warned his son that sorrow, pain and destruction are the end of a man who has contempt for God’s Law and despises the instruction of the wise. 

 One might ask, how do we despise the word of God? The world might simply mock it as a product of ancient times, but those who follow Christ, certainly, we don’t see like that.  But contempt comes in many forms. As Christians, we often show contempt for God’s Word in a subtle manner. When we disobey through our indifference to God’s Word, we show that we despise God’s Word in our hearts. Solomon warns us, it’s this lack of regard for God’s Word that will lead to our destruction. 

 The converse is true, as well. If we revere and keep his commandments in our hearts, we will find ourselves on the path that leads to rewards. There is a synergy, a mutual harmony between hearing and heeding God’s Law and the quality of one’s life. It’s when we obey and follow God’s Word we find the desires of our hearts met. Adhering to the Word of God and accepting the teachings of the wise will keep us from the snares of life. 

 How much do you consider the Word of God each day? Or when you make a decision about the future? Or when you engage a person in the conversation, how much of what you say is being filtered with your honor for God’s Word? 

Prayer: Dear God, help me not to depart far from your Word this day. May your Holy Spirit remind and elucidate truth of God’s Word to me throughout this day. I want to cherish your words. May it show in the way I think, talk and go about this day.  

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 13

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Lunch Break Study

Read Galatians 6:6-8: Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. [7] Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. [8] For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. [9] And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. [10] So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Questions to Consider 

1. The law of cause and effect is clearly seen in verse 7. How do we reconcile it with the Gospel of grace? 
2. Why are we encouraged not to grow weary in doing good? 
3. What is something that you are sowing now, during this particular season?  

Notes 

1. The ultimate consequence of sin-death—is removed by the grace of God through His Son Jesus Christ. But the effects of sin can have visible and immediate ramifications. 
2. In due season, we will reap from our good works. 
3. We can either sow seeds that lead to good or bad fruit. Consider perhaps an “innocent sin” that you are toying with. Or perhaps, you should be encouraged that the good work that goes unnoticed today will reap a great reward. 

 

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Evening Reflection

Like the birds of the air avoiding the power lines, which of the above “Red Flags” do you need to see? Pick one and spend time in prayer right now asking God for the wisdom to avoid it.

Devotional Thought for Today

“Please, Don’t Put God in a Box that You Designed”

1 John 4:1-6 (ESV) 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 

In teaching us to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, the apostle John is clearly inferring that there is an intermingling of both good and evil spirits at work in the life of the church.  In other words, there are both angelic and demonic influences, as well as true versus counterfeit spiritual effects. This passage lays out clearly the biblical marks on which we can definitively say that something is a genuine work of the Spirit of God.  However, during seasons of revival, you have to wade through a lot of impurity to get to the gold that must be refined. In my experience with conservative evangelical Christians, they don’t often have the patience to get through the impurity, so instead of testing the spirits, they make premature judgments.  

Perhaps, the most popular criticism is that the effects seen during revivals are unusual and seemingly outside of clear biblical norms; therefore, they must not be from God.  The problem is, there are some of us who don’t like things that happen outside of the normal routine: We want church to be a constant. And so when something extraordinary happens in the church, the first trumpet that is often sounded is that it is unbiblical.  It’s here that we need to understand the difference between unbiblical and biblical silence.   

Let’s take the example of people falling, weeping, trembling, and experiencing other physical effects.  Is this unbiblical or is the Bible simply silent? Most of us would agree that the Bible is more or less silent in regards to these things, and that it is possible for God to move in these ways.  Strangely, the greatest defender of revival was Jonathan Edwards, who was an ardent believer that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit had ceased. But after seeing the Holy Spirit move through his congregation, he wrote:  “What the church has been used to, is not a rule by which we are to judge; because there may be new and extraordinary works of God…We ought not to limit God where He has not limited Himself.”  

The Scriptures are filled with God working in surprising ways, and I believe that He is preparing to move in new ways in our churches.  Let’s prepare ourselves in both heart and mind to discern and receive the works of the Spirit.  

Prayer: Holy Spirit, we invite You to fill our churches and our lives.  Help us to discern Your voice daily and to obey You without delay.   We pray that You would silence the voice of the enemy that often confuses us, so that we can follow Your leading with an undivided heart.   Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 12

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Acts 2:1-13: “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested[a] on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Questions to Consider

1. What was the occasion for this extraordinary event in the book of Acts?  
2. How did the crowd react?
3. How did Peter explain this phenomenon?  

Note

1. The occasion for this event was the day of Pentecost, which in Judaism traditionally commemorates the giving of the Mosaic Law. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost signifies many new things, including the start of the New Testament church and a new way of looking at the Old Testament through the illumination of the Spirit.      
2. The crowd reacted in various ways.  Some were amazed because they heard the gift of tongues in their own languages, while others were skeptical, accusing the disciples of being drunk.        
3. Peter was able to wade through all the confusion and excitement of the morning and show that this was consistent with what was written in the Scriptures.  

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Evening Reflection

How is your spiritual state?  If you are in a dry period, pray that God would refresh you and bring you into a new season of intimacy and worship!  If you are doing well, pray against becoming complacent, but that you would seek to grow all the more.

Today’s devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on May 7, 2014.  She continues to serve the Lord faithfully in E. Asia.

 

Devotional Thought for Today

“You Would Be Like the Cretans If You Lived There”

Titus 1:12-14

“One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.’ 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth.” 

The island of Crete.  After looking at some photos, all I can say is that if I lived there, I could see myself becoming, if not a liar or evil brute, perhaps at least a lazy glutton.  The photos remind me of a tropical island I once lived on for a year. It was said that throughout history, foreigners who had tried to colonize this island had had the hardest time getting the people to work, reason being that the people had never needed to work to survive.  The soil on the land was so fertile that it didn’t need to be worked. Fruit trees grew on it, and when the fruit ripened and fell to the ground, the seeds would get embedded in the soil, rain would fall, and a new tree would sprout in that place.

Interestingly enough, though, this island also had one of the highest suicide rates in the world.  The weather on the island was also beautiful, but each day was the same as the day before, which would be the same as the day after.  It sounds like paradise, but it was almost as if they were literally dying of boredom. In having nothing to work for, the people had no purpose in living.

Liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.  “So stay as far away from them as possible,” or, “So don’t expect too much from them.”  These are some things Paul could have said. Yet when Paul was able to see what the Cretans were like, agreeing with their prophet, saying, “Yes, this is true,” instead of using his discernment to judge, criticize or put them down, he uses it to advise Titus as to the best way to help them.  Paul knows that because of their natures, they will need to be rebuked sharply, but he has hope for and believes that they can change. He desires for them to be firmly grounded in their faith. Perhaps he was also able to see something more to their story that he doesn’t mention here, seeing them through God’s eyes, with a heart of compassion.

Prayer: Lord, how great is your love.  You see the people of this world, with all their flaws, and you respond in love.  If I see the weaknesses of others today, would you help me not to judge but rather have your heart of compassion?  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 11

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Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 12:7-31, 13:2,8: “[12:7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit . . . 10 . . . to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits . . . 31 . . . And yet I will show you the most excellent way . . . [13:2] If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing . . . 8 Love never fails.”

Questions to Consider

1. What do the following spiritual gifts have in common: message of wisdom / knowledge, prophecy, discernment (vv. 7-8, 10)?
2. In what manner were the people to exercise their gifts (v. 31, v. 13:2, 8)? Why do you think this would have been particularly important for people who exercised the gifts mentioned above?  
3. What should we be careful about when God reveals things to us?

Notes

1. They all have to do with revelation; something that was hidden that is revealed to someone supernaturally by God.
2. In love.  When hidden things are revealed, sometimes those things that were hidden were hidden for a reason – whether because the topic is sensitive, embarrassing or could be misunderstood.  Because of this, love is required to handle these kinds of revelations in the way God intended.
3. Having insight into situations or the characters of people, including weaknesses, is a gift.  Knowing what to do with one’s insights requires incredible wisdom and love. The good news is, the wisdom and love of God himself are available to all who ask him (James 1:5).  So let us ask and receive.

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Evening Reflection

Did God reveal anything today to me about others and the situations they may be in?  Do I need to intercede in prayer? Any action I need to take? Let’s ask the Lord for wisdom and love to handle such revelations well.

This AMI Devotional QT, prepared by the staff at Remnant Church Westside (NYC), was originally posted on September 15, 2013. 

 

Devotional Thought for Today

“Clinging to the Lord”

Psalm 88:8-18

You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; 9 my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. 10 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah 11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? 12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 13 But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. 14 O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? 15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. 16 Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me. 17 They surround me like a flood all day long;    they close in on me together.18 You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.

Out of all the Psalms written in the Bible, this particular psalm seems to end on a low note. The psalmist seems to point his finger toward God and declares that God is the source of all his troubles and iniquities: his friends have deserted him; he feels no escape from his circumstances; he feels cast away from God, and helpless. Yet, with the overwhelming frustration and hopelessness, we find that he consistently and daily cries out to God. The psalmist pours out all that is within him, hopeful as well as bitter emotions unto the Lord and reminds God that all His works are seen in the light of His people. 

As Job once spoke in 2:10, “Shall we receive good from God and not trouble?” we see that the psalmist is wrestling with what seems as though God Himself is working troubles and difficulties in his life. Instead of turning away from the Lord, giving into despair, or turning to other for answers, the psalmist clings to what he knows of God. He clings in hope, as seen in his prayers and cries to the Lord. He declares that God works wonders and establishes praises among the living, and they experience His steadfast love and faithfulness. Even when all his situations tell him otherwise, the psalmist clings to the truth of who God is and what He does.                                                                                        

Do you find yourself easily turning away from God and clinging to other “saviors” in the midst of difficulties?  Remember who God is and what He has done. Cling to the Lord during those times; learn to wrestle in prayer (Col. 4:12).

Prayer: Lord, remind me to cling to You every step of the way. Help me to cling tightly specially when storms of my life turn into a hurricane and wind waves become tsunami waves.  May You continue to be the anchor for my “soul, firm and secure” (Heb. 6:19). Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 10

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Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians 2:14-18: Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Background tidbit: The main offering in both Roman and Jewish sacrifices was the killing of an animal. The drink offering would be a cup of wine poured over the sacrifice (c.f., Numbers 28:6-7).

Questions to ponder

1. What tarnishes our light before the world? Are there things that you are currently “grumbling” about? What are some of the disputes that you are involved in? Is repentance in order?
2. What does the expression “the day of Christ” (vs. 16) mean?
3. How is your joy today? Are you feeling “poured out”? That’s a natural feeling for those who strive to the serve the Lord. Ask God for strength and for the filling of the Holy Spirit, that your worship of Him may be filled with joyful adoration!

Note

1. It is interesting that the apostle Paul focuses on complaints and disunity as a means of tarnishing our light. It gives us a glimpse into God’s perspective regarding “drama” in our relationships and in our church.
2. “The day of Christ”—The eternal state is prominently on the apostle Paul’s mind and serves as a matter-of-fact motivation for the Christian life. He was so heavenly-minded that nothing on earth could shake him.
3. Verses 17-18 have a lot to say to the “sour-faced servants”—people who serve with a scowl on their faces.  Surely, Paul’s joy wasn’t rooted in his current circumstances, for he was in prison at this time, but it was a God-given inner attitude unmoved by his circumstances.

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Evening Reflection

2 Corinthians 7: 6-7: “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.”

Prayer: “Lord, you will always be my Comforter.  I trust that no matter what condition I’m in, whether I’m troubled, confused, fearful, or just tired, you will come to me as my Comforter. Your comfort may come through another person, and I will receive those you send to minister to me.”  

Tonight, ask God to show you how you can comfort others with your thoughts and actions and take the focus off yourself.

Today’s blog, written by Pastor David Kwon of Journey Community Church in Raleigh, was originally posted on November 1, 2013.

 

Devotional Thought for Today

“We Stand in Awe of You”

Psalm 93

The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 2 Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. 4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty! 5 Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.

Have you ever experienced a time when you were in awe of something?  Maybe it was seeing the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls for the first time.  These moments cannot often be put into words because of how glorious and breathtaking they are.  

Psalm 93 was written to show the greatness and majesty of our God.  It is the Psalm of Omnipotent Sovereignty declaring that our God reigns supreme.  The writer of this Psalm continues to exalt the works of the Lord by mentioning that he has established the earth (v.1) and all of creation declare his reign.  He identifies and declares that Yahweh is mightier than the floods and the waves of the sea (v. 3-4).  His works reveal the nature of the Great King: his glory and strength. 

When was the last time you stood in awe of the Lord?  As we take a step back from our busy lives and remember that our God reigns over the universe, it should give us a humbling perspective about our own lives.  It should help us not to worry or be anxious, realizing that we are in “good hands”; subsequently, it should result in worship and praise to our glorious King.  

Take some time this morning to stand in awe of our King who reigns over all and ascribe worship unto Him.

Prayer: Almighty God, we stand in awe of You, for we are enthralled by Your unfathomable goodness expressed through Your unlimited patience over our continuous rebellions and transgressions.  May we finally “get it”—repent and choose to walk in Your grace. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 9

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Lunch Study Break

Read Matthew 6:25-33: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 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.

Questions to Consider

1. What do we learn about God’s sovereignty in this passage?
2. Why does Jesus point to creation when dealing with the issue of anxiety?
3. What are some areas in your life where you need greater faith?  What are some worries you can lay down at his feet as you worship our glorious King?  Take some time to lift up some of your anxieties and ask the Lord for greater faith and right perspective in your life.  

Note

1. One of the main themes of this passage is that Jesus is the Lord over creation.  He is the one who sovereignly controls all things.
2. Notice that in verse 30, Jesus points out that the reason for our fears and anxieties is because we live not by faith, but by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).  It is a reminder that we should not worry because He reigns over all.
3. Personal response

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Evening Reflection

As we close with Joshua 4 this evening, we see that Joshua commanded Israel to take stones and use them as a memorial to remember what the Lord had done for them as they miraculously passed through the Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant.  Spend some time reflecting and meditating on the greatness and goodness of our Lord. Remember that he is sovereign and nothing is out of his control.

Today’s blog, written by Pastor Young Kim of Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia, was originally posted on June 27, 2013.

 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Two More Wise Thoughts from Proverbs”

Proverbs 27:2 (NIV 84)

“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.”

One question that is on everyone’s mind: How should we live?  Ultimately, we need to live a life that will bless Jesus and bless others.  If you live this way, many will bless you with their lips. But, of course, the greatest blessing will be when the lips of our Father in Heaven declare that we were good and faithful servants. 

Proverbs 27:17 

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

This proverb implies that we are to be our brothers’ keepers (Gn. 4:9).  It speaks of our responsibility toward one another to make that person better (i.e., to conform to the likeness of Christ).  So, how are you doing with this responsibility and accountability?  

Now, don’t it alone, for it is much better to sharpen one another as a team than as a lone “iron”.  Another Proverb says that “plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (15:22).  I think the same principle applies to sharpening each other in the Lord: Contributions made by several people, who may see different things about us, may be more helpful than just listening to one person. 

So, how is your friendships?  Have you let friendships slip by?  List the people you hold yourself accountable to and pray for them. If you have not talked with them in a while, make an appointment to meet and catch up.  

Prayer: Jesus, may we live our lives in a way that pleases You.  We want to hear “Well done!” from You and You alone. 

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 8

Today’s blog, written by Pastor Young Kim of Grace Covenant Church in Philadelphia, was originally posted on June 26, 2013.

 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Two Wise Thoughts from Proverbs”

Proverbs 26:13, 14 (NIV 84)

“The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!’ As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.”

Proverbs regularly visits this theme of being a sluggard.  Basically, you don’t want to live like this—being lazy and making excuses as to why you didn’t what you were supposed to do. You don’t want to be a sluggard who turns on his bed like a door turns on its hinges.  

Wake up and ask Jesus for His strength to move through the obstacles in order to avoid living like a sluggard.  Remember that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power . . . and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7). Therefore, ask Jesus to make you realize your true identity as one who is more than a conqueror through “God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).

Proverbs 26:18-19 

“Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, ‘I was only joking!’”

There is too much sarcasm, I believe, in the American culture. How do you use humor? Do you use it to say hurtful things?  Things that you say can be funny, but it can also be unwise and even hurtful. Examine the type of humor you like. Ask yourself, “Is God pleased in how I joke around?”

Prayer: Wake me up Jesus. I don’t want to live a life of constantly making excuses. Keep me diligent in seeking you. Teach me to be a hard-working person and stop being lazy; give me strength to press on!!!

Bible Reading for Today: Acts 6-7