March 7, Thursday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Diligence in Seeking God”

Exodus 9:27-28, 34

“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. ‘This time I have sinned,’ he said to them. ‘The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer…’ 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.”

I have found that there is no time like the last month before a big exam. My lifestyle becomes machine-like as my diligence kicks into high gear: I sleep regular hours, I exercise regularly, I even meal prep – all so I can devote additional time before and after work to study. Something is thrilling about living in my best state during a high-stakes season. However, my off-season lifestyle is shameful. Most of these habits drop to the wayside and prove that, at my core, I am loose and undisciplined. One might say it’s normal to not have otherworldly discipline, but it is obvious to me that the urgency of my situation changes my dedication and focus.

We have just experienced a glimmer of hope when Pharaoh surveys the consequences of not letting the Israelites go – all his land is destroyed. He seems about ready to relent and is willing to let the Israelites go and have Moses intercede on his behalf. When the stakes are high, he too submits to the Lord. But once God relieves the Egyptians, instead of repentance and worship, Pharaoh loses interest in seeking God.

Does your level of comfort change whether you seek God or believe you really need Him? In times of relative ease, are you like me, forgetting that we are called to faithfulness? Today, let’s resolve to make habits in our lives so that our spiritual hunger does not wax and wane with circumstance. Big, sweeping plans seem exciting, but small habits that will pay off in the long run. Let’s make time today to dedicate ourselves to seeking God: one more chapter of the Word than usual, or 5-10 more minutes of prayer than usual. Over time, as we build these habits, may we become people who are steadfast and faithful through all circumstances.

Prayer: Father, I want to know You more, but I confess that I am often slow and lazy to seek You. Help me to encounter You and build my faithfulness so that I can gain a faithful, steady heart that is constant in every circumstance and situation. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 25

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Timothy 4:6-16: “If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Questions to Consider

Note that Paul says both physical and spiritual trainings hold value. How does Paul contrast physical and spiritual training?
What are the ways in which we can train ourselves to be godly?
What are ways in which you are training yourself to be godly? What are additional ways in which you can do so?

Notes

It is important to note that they both are valuable, and this should be an affirmation to those who pursue both physical and spiritual training. However, Paul reminds us that spiritual training brings about promise for both this life and the one to come, whereas physical training is valuable for only this life. It is the eternal return on investment in spiritual training that gives it greater worth and value.
First, Paul writes that people must forego “godless myths and old wives’ tales” – aka compelling words that are not filled with the hope and certainty of God’s promises. Myths and tales give us good ideas, but they do not nourish our souls the way that God’s teaching does. In this vein, Paul further encourages Timothy to be devoted to the reading and preaching of the Word. He is encouraged to further pursue the spiritual gifts and also to strive to be an example in all facets of his life: speech, action, love, faith, and purity. Lastly, Timothy is charged to live diligently and let others look into how his life is run – this type of spiritual accountability with his public life is meant to spur him on in godliness.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

How was your time with God today? What are steps you can take to maintain diligence in seeking God? Pray that God will give you these opportunities again tomorrow.

March 6, Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Having the Ear of Heaven”

Exodus 9:29

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

Matthew 6:7-8

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 24

Lunch Break Study

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

Questions to Consider

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

Notes

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

Evening Reflection

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

March 5, Tuesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“A Believing Remnant”

Exodus 9:20

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 23

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12: “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

Questions to Consider

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

Notes

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

Evening Reflection

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

March 4, Monday

The AMI Quiet Time Devotionals from March 4-10 are provided by Christine Li. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, works in New York City and serves at Remnant Church in Manhattan.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Speaking Truths to One Another”

Exodus 9:13

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me’”

Proverbs 27:5-6

“ Better is open rebuke than hidden love.6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”

One of my most positive relationships at work has come with a woman who managed me for some time. Several months after we started working together, she called me in the middle of the day to say, “I want you to know that I care a lot about you, and I need you to remember that as I address something…” and identified a problem at work that reflected poorly on me. As she laid it out, the words stung, but because I knew she was right, and I knew the observations came from a place of concern, it became an extremely rewarding conversation. Because of her constructive and caring feedback, I grew a lot, and I still appreciate that she is someone I trust to tell me the truth and to say it for my good.

While human nature may be critical and judgmental, few of us are comfortable having hard conversations or confrontations. Yet, sometimes God challenges us to step into the lives of our brothers/sisters to kindly direct them into the truth. Without truth, we can easily deceive ourselves, and we suffer the consequences of our own blind spots. With the help of brothers and sisters who are willing and glad to help us in our weaknesses, we can find true healing, restoration, and growth.

Done well, loving confrontation will bring life and healing to us and to others. Today, let’s resolve to devote ourselves to the growth and godliness of those around us. May we not let temporary awkwardness or insecurity separate us from the lasting fruits that would result from these conversations. Let us ask God to give us the love and courage to be forthright friends and to be completely devoted to others’ growth and godliness. And let us ask Him also for humility to receive and internalize instruction when it is given to us.

Prayer: Father, I want to grow in Your grace, but You also know that I am a coward at times. Would You give my brothers and sisters the courage, love, and devotion to bring Your truth into my life? For their sakes, too, make me a faithful friend who will push them towards You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 22

Lunch Break Study

Read Ephesians 4:25-32: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Questions to Consider

What are the ways in which we should speak to one another?
The context for this passage is that Paul is giving instructions on what holy living looks like. How is our speech tied to holy living?
Paul suggests here that the purpose of our words is not self-expression but rather building each other up. What would it look like for you and me to make that our primary motivation each time we speak?

Notes

Paul instructs that our speech should be truthful to each other. However, our speech should also be free of bitterness, anger, and malicious intents. Conversations with each other must be kind, compassionate, and full of forgiveness. The goal of our words should be to bless one another and build each other up.
Speaking is also an action. Just as we must not steal, we also must not sin by the words that we say. There is a great deal of emphasis in this passage to be careful of the attitudes and words that spring from us; it seems that our words should be as carefully trained as our other actions are.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

Take some time to reflect on your conversations from today. Were they fuller of truth and the desire to bring life to others? Let’s ask Him to give us grace again for tomorrow and to be people who treasure His truth and goodness above everything else.

March 3, Sunday

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Voice of Self-Condemnation”

1 John 3:19-24 (ESV)

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

The story of the woman caught in adultery out of John 8, illustrates powerfully how Jesus frees us from condemnation. We are told that the religious leaders brought this woman into the temple courts, in the middle of a crowd having Bible study with Jesus, and demanded a verdict regarding her sin.

These religious leaders wanted to trap Jesus either by making him out to be an enemy of the Roman Empire or a false teacher. In the first case, no one could pass a sentence of death without knowledge of the Roman authorities. In the second case, if he simply let the woman go, he could be cast as a teacher without moral convictions and little regard for the Mosaic Law.

Imagine the humiliation, the isolation, and the fear of this woman as the weight of her sin was exposed to the church. As the passage unfolds, Jesus bent down to write on the ground. What did he write? The classic Christian commentaries suggest that Jesus wrote on the ground to remove attention from the condemned woman and to place the crowd’s focus onto himself. This was a way for Jesus to protect this woman’s dignity and personhood.

Then Jesus speaks the famous words that lead to this woman’s freedom: “If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” One by one, each of these men filled with anger, drop their stones, and leave until only Jesus and the woman are left alone. In that divine moment, Jesus turns to the woman and asks, “Has no one condemned you?” In response to the woman’s answer of “No one, sir,” Jesus sets her free by stating, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” To be sure, Jesus did not minimize the serious nature of her sin, even as he forgave her. In a manner that is consistent with both grace and truth, he commanded her to leave her life of sin.

In going through this passage, it dawned on me that not many of us will fall into public condemnation, but we leave ourselves open to a much greater threat: the voice of self-condemnation. Like this woman, we have to get to a place in our relationship with Jesus, where we are free enough to say, “There is no one left to condemn me, not even myself.” The promise of forgiveness that is found in the gospel is greater than what our fickle hearts often feel. In fact, it is impossible to be freed from our patterns of sin unless we truly receive the love of Christ, and open ourselves to share that love with others. Then and only then, are we able we come to God with the confidence that is promised us through the sacrifice of Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, I pray that I would encounter you in such a powerful way that reminds me that you are greater than my heart. Help me to overcome the temptation of self-condemnation and to fight against the accusations of the enemy. May I come to realize that whomever you set free, will be free indeed!

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 21

March 2, Saturday

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“A New Name”

John 1:35-42 (ESV)

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

We often overlook the significant actions that Jesus performs in the gospels. In this passage, Jesus changes the name of a man whom He has just met. This is clearly not an ordinary everyday event, which, to the modern reader, sounds completely random. However, the Jewish people would have understood the two-fold significance of someone changing their name. First, only God has the right to give you a new name. This makes a lot of sense. Other than your parents, no one else should have the right to change your name. Second, your new name speaks a new identity and destiny over your life. Names in the ancient Middle East meant much more than the arbitrary labels that we give our children. Changing your name meant changing who you are and the purpose of your life. When Jesus met Simon, I’m sure he knew how unstable this young man was—how impetuous, and how unreliable. But Jesus, seeing who he could be, that is, his potential in God’s hand, called him Peter—the rock on which He would build the church.

Like Peter, God has a better name for each of us but we have to be willing to receive it and live it out. There is an interesting British reality show called the Monastery that takes completely irreligious people and challenges them to spend several weeks living as monks in a monastery. In one of the shows, there was a young man who had been working in the porn industry and at the end of his time in the monastery, he realized that he didn’t want to go back to his old life. He was afraid that he would lose everything that he had gained during his time separated from the world and separated from sin. When the monk who has been his spiritual director saw this young man struggle with this decision, he told him slowly and deliberately, “You have a name given to you at birth but you also have a name that you don’t know.” The monk then described how in the book of Revelation, Jesus tells us that our true names are written down in heaven on white stones, and this name on the stone is our real name, which points to our true identity: “To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it” (Rev. 2:17).

In the final moments as this young man began to prepare to leave the monastery, the monk took one smooth white stone out of his pocket and gave it to this once hardened, insensitive English hooligan and told him, “This is a symbol of your quest to find out who you really are before God.” Needless to say, the young man left his job, began to attend church, and started to meet regularly with the spiritual director. It’s a deeply moving story that reminds us that whether you are Christian or not, we all share this quest to find our true identity, to receive the name that God has reserved for us. To receive this name, you have to overcome and conquer the pull of the world that is constantly trying to dictate to you what your identity should be instead of what it is in Christ. Perhaps, you need to start that journey today.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to see that my true name and my true identity is only revealed when I am found in you. May my life be hidden in you so that I no longer live but you live in me. Give me the eyes to see that titles like “successful,” “wealthy,” “powerful,” and “intelligent” will all fade away. Help me to reject the many different but temporary names that the world tries to label me with. Only then can I receive this glorious name that you have written down on a white stone, a name that will last into eternity.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 19-20

(Oops—The Thursday Bible reading should have been Matthew 17 instead of 16. We are now back to the correct reading plan.)

March 1, Friday

Devotional Thought for Today

“A Corresponding Justice of God”

Exodus 7:14-25 (ESV)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. 17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.” ’ ” 19 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’ ” 20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. 25 Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

Before God called upon Moses to deliver the people of Israel, we are told that God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that He saw the suffering of His people and knew their pain. This first plague is a clear sign that the injustice that the Israelites suffered at the hands of Pharaoh was not overlooked nor forgotten by God. It is no coincidence that the waters of the Nile that claimed the lives of so many innocent children, sentenced to drown by Pharaoh, was justly turned into blood. The stench of death that the Nile had come to represent now filled the conscience of every Egyptian that allowed such an atrocity to happen. I’m sure that Moses, who was saved out of the Nile, would have understood the deep significance of the life-giving waters of the Nile being turned into a lifeless cesspool of blood. God had remembered.

In a world that is filled with so much injustice, it is easy to believe that God doesn’t know, doesn’t care, or has forgotten about the plight of the oppressed. This passage comforts us with the fact that He does not forget and that in due time vengeance will be His. Of the ten plagues, only this first one is given a specific duration of time, seven days. In the Scriptures, the number seven is a symbol of God’s completed work and is usually connected to the finished work of creation. However, in this case, the seven days of the bloody waters of the Nile are a promise that God’s justice would be made complete.

All injustice and oppression will one day come to an end and although we may never understand the timing of God, nevertheless, we can rest assured that His justice will be done on this earth.

Prayer: Father, help me to fight for the cause of the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. When I feel like I am losing that battle, help me to find comfort in knowing that one day Your justice will prevail. May You give me the faith to see that You know and care about the suffering of the world and the courage to wait for the day of the Lord to come. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 17

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 94:1-23: O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth 2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. 5 They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless; 7 and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” 8 Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; 15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. 16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? 17 If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. 18 When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. 19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. 20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? 21 They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. 22 But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. 23 He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.

Questions to Consider

Why do evil people persist in their sin?
What is the promise of God in the midst of our suffering?
How does God minister to the downtrodden?

Notes

Verse 7 tells us that people persist in their evil ways because they do not believe that God sees their sin—leading them to assume that they have free reign to continue their exploitation of the fatherless, widow, and sojourner.
The promise of God from verse 14-15 is that He will not forsake us or abandon His people into the hands of wicked. Instead, His justice will return to those who follow Him in righteousness.
In the last stanza of this Psalm, we see that many ways that God ministers to those who suffer injustice. God alone is our stronghold and refuge and able to bring consolation to the soul. In a world filled with people damaged by the trauma of sin, God becomes our ultimate protector and healer.

Evening Reflection

In the West, we tend to shrink back from the idea of a God of justice but Miroslav Volf, theologian at Yale, talks about the need to have a God of both justice and love, and that ultimately men cannot be freed from the cycle of vengeance and hatred unless they believe God to be just. He writes:

“My thesis that the practice of non-violence requires a belief in divine vengeance will be unpopular with many…in the West…[But] it takes the quiet of a suburban home for the birth of the thesis that human non-violence [results from the belief in] God’s refusal to judge. In a sun-scorched land, soaked in the blood of the innocent, it will invariably die…along with other pleasant captivities of the liberal mind.”

Strangely, when we allow God to be the final arbiter of justice, it frees us to forgive and love one another. Pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.

February 28, Thursday

Devotional Thought for Today

Exodus 7:8-13 (ESV)

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

Many skeptics of Christianity have tried to explain away the miracles described in the Bible as simply being natural phenomena that have been misunderstood by ancient man. Like Pharaoh, they believe that man is able to replicate the miracles of God through their own means, and in very much the same way, they harden their hearts towards Him. For modern man, we have simply replaced the secret art of Pharaoh’s sorcerers with the science of our PhDs and technologists. By no means am I saying that science is inherently evil or wrong, but simply the fact that we have to discern the difference between the practice of science and the philosophy of scientism. The first is a helpful tool to aid man, the latter is a dangerous religion that aims to negate God and his miracles.

C.S. Lewis, in his thoughtful essay The Magician’s Twin, argues poignantly against the potential dangers of scientism that is unchecked. He reminds us that the atrocities of Nazi Germany were carried out using the concepts and language of science to justify its evils. Like the sorcerers of old, scientism can function like a religion that demands absolute obedience, and ironically it promotes a type of groupthink that negates healthy skepticism. Sadly, it comes to dominate our worldview so that we cannot see the miracles of God even as they are happening right before our very eyes. Like Pharaoh, the modern world calls in their magicians to refute the works of God, but even as His staff devours the staff made by man, the world remains unconvinced and unmoved. This is precisely the reason why those of us who call ourselves Christians must continue to see the world through the eyes of faith.

Prayer: Lord, would You help me to have faith like a child, to be able to see the world with eyes of wonder and awe, to behold the beauty of Your creation and the miracles that You have wrought with Your hand. Keep me protected from the deception of the enemy so that I would not become cold and callused towards all that You are doing in my life. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 16

Lunch Break Study

2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Questions to Consider:

Describe Timothy’s relationship to the Holy Scriptures.
What is the purpose of Scripture?
Why is faithfulness to the Scriptures important, especially today?

Notes:

It’s clear that Timothy has a rich history with the word of God. He was acquainted with it from an early age, familiar with its teaching from childhood, and it was taught to him accurately. Paul now exhorts Timothy to continue in what he has learned and come to firmly believe.
Verse 16 and 17 are great reminders of the purpose of the Scriptures. Too many times, we reduce the word of God to bite-sized slogans of inspiration, but they are so much more than that. It is the basis for reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. As we diligently study and apply the word to our lives, it creates spiritual growth and provides the tools that are necessary to live out the Christian faith. Without them, we have no hope of growing into spiritual maturity and being equipped to face the challenges of life.
In our post-modern and post-Christian world, truth has become more and more arbitrary. We want to hear what we want to hear and are driven solely by our feelings. This is the type of spiritual climate that leads to people listening to only what they want to hear, as opposed to what they need to hear. Paul warns against surrounding ourselves with pastors and teachers who cater only to people’s desires, knowing that our emotions can be a poor measure of what is true.

Evening Reflection

Have you spent time allowing God’s word to permeate your mind and thoughts? There is no better way to combat the lies of the world than to meditate and study the truth of God, and to allow that to guide your way of thinking. Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you to a particular book of the Bible to read, study, and even memorize. Ask for God to protect your every thought with the helmet of His salvation.

February 27, Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Be Careful What You Wish for from God”

1 Samuel 9:1-27

There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” 4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them. 15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.”

One of the questions that have always come to my mind in reading 1 Samuel 9 is: “Why did God direct Samuel the prophet to choose Saul as the first king of Israel?” For those who know the story, Saul was a horrible king who rejected God’s commands and was self-serving, murderous, and insane towards the end of his life. God certainly could have kept this man from the throne, yet not only does He permit Saul to become king, but He is the active agent in the process of bringing Saul to power. Was this simply a case of not reading Saul’s resume carefully and making an unfortunate hiring blunder?

Actually, God hired exactly who the people of Israel wanted. They wanted a king just like the kings of the surrounding nations, and so they received the desires of their heart. In the text, we are told that Saul was a head taller than any of the people. From a human perspective, it would seem good for a king to, at least, look the part, but the problem is that in the Old Testament, descriptions of stature are only given to the villains (remember Goliath?). In fact, the good guys are identified primarily by their ability to tend their flocks, like a good shepherd. We read in the story that Saul falls woefully short in his capacity to find the animals in his care. This is all a foreshadowing of the type of king that Saul would eventually become.

It is so easy to judge everything by its exterior appearance and forget about what truly matters. Like the people of Israel, we too can become consumed by our desire to achieve the world’s standards of prestige, fame, good looks, and fortune. A sobering thought is that God sometimes gives into our illegitimate demands in order to teach us the hard lesson of humility and to point us towards Christ. Unlike Saul, Jesus, the true King, was lowly in stature and despised in the eyes of men. Yet for those of us who believe, He is our Good Shepherd, who has come from heaven to earth to find us and to care for us.

Prayer: Father, help us to remember that You do not judge by the outward appearance, but by what is in the heart. May we clothes ourselves in the humility of Christ and help us to reflect this attitude in the things that we desire and pray for. Above everything else, purify our motives and give us pure hearts that yearn to do Your will.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 16

Lunch Break Study

Read James 4:1-6 (ESV): What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet 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 wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Questions to Consider

What is the main cause of fighting and quarrels among believers according to James?
Why are prayers not being answered by God?
What is the solution that is given for these problems that we find in the church?

Notes

The primary reason for quarreling among Christians is the spiritual war that is within each of us. All of us are a mixture of good and evil, and simultaneously both saint and sinner. Much of our conflict with others is simply an overflow of the uncontrolled conflict that resides inside our own hearts.
The main cause of unanswered prayer is asking with the wrong motives. Even the most legitimate prayer request can be corrupted by our selfishness and desire to satisfy our own passions.
Simply put, we need more of the grace of God. If we continue to depend on our sense of self-sufficiency and pride, we compound the problem by facing the opposition of God. Humility releases the grace of God into all of the relational issues that we face in the church.

Evening Reflection

Is there someone that you have been fighting with recently, perhaps your wife/husband, children, friend, etc? How did your pride make the problem worse? How can humility bring reconciliation? Pray to the Lord for more grace in the midst of conflict in your life.

February 26, Tuesday

Devotional Thought for Today

“A Great Mystery of God”

Exodus 7:1-7 (ESV)

And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” 6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

When I first became a Christian, this passage gave me a lot of trouble because it seemed on the surface as if God took away Pharaoh’s freedom of choice by hardening his heart. How was it possible to blame Pharaoh for his wrongdoing if God was actively making him resistant to making the right choice? I looked into classic Calvinism which taught that God predestined both who would be saved and those that would reject Him. Clearly, Pharaoh had not been elected to salvation. Initially, that seemed to solve this problem but it also seemed to paint a very stark view of God. Cognitively this made sense but my heart was still unsettled.

In the end, I came to the conclusion that the intersection of man’s freedom and God’s sovereignty is one of life’s great mysteries. It is hard to avoid the theological truth that God creates individuals with the foreknowledge that some will be saved and others will harden their hearts towards him. However, to say that God does not love those who will ultimately reject him is contrary to the witness of Scripture. On the way to the cross, Jesus pleaded for the Father to forgive the ignorance of those who were rejecting Him. I can’t imagine this being an empty gesture by the Son of God.

Over the years, what has given me comfort in accepting difficult passages like this is knowing the heart and character of our God who does not want any to perish but all to have everlasting life. Knowing that this is God’s desire is sufficient enough for me.

Prayer: Lord, I confess that there are certain things that are too weighty for me to understand. Indeed, the secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things that are revealed belong to us forever. Help me to trust in your goodness and love and to share that with both believer and non-believers. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 15

Lunch Break Study

Romans 9:14-24 (ESV): What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

Questions to Consider

For what purpose was Pharaoh created?
What gives God the right to create people for different purposes?
What is God’s attitude towards the objects of His wrath?

Notes

We are told that the purpose of Pharaoh’s life was to display God’s power in the life of Moses so that His name would be proclaimed throughout the world. God took the wickedness of Pharaoh and turned it into an opportunity for his glory to be revealed.
God is likened to a potter who has the right to shape clay into whatever he chooses. There will be some vessels that are used for common things while other vessels that will be used for noble purposes. As believers, we are encouraged by the fact that we have been for a noble reason.
We read that God endures with great patience the objects of wrath. This is clearly because of his grace and compassion towards them. As we read in Ezekiel 33:11 – “As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live, turn back, turn back from you evil ways; for why will you die.

Evening Reflection

A positive spin on the doctrine of election is that we can be sure that people can be saved because God has already chosen them. This should give us the confidence to share our faith with the lost because we know that God is already working for their salvation. Pray for the unbelievers around you so that God would give you an opportunity to share the gospel.