Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Spiritual War”

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

For fun, I did a little research on wartime rationing during World War II.  According to Wikipedia, in January 1942, the U.S. War Production Board (WPB) ordered a temporary ban on civilian automobile sales.  Although the WPB wanted to conserve fuel, the resource they were most interested in saving was rubber, which back then, was mainly sourced from Japanese occupied countries in Southeast Asia.  By June 1942, metal became the valued commodity, and products such as appliances, furniture, and radios were no longer being manufactured. Gasoline was eventually rationed, which meant non-essential driving was limited and people were more reliant on public transportation.  Sugar supplies were cut in half, and since German submarines were sinking Brazilian cargo ships, coffee was rationed to about 1 lb. per five weeks (about the half the average usage at the time—that would have killed me the most). By 1943, ration books and stamps were distributed to control the amount of sugar, fruit, oil, cheese, milk, and other items civilians could purchase.  

While researching I realize I’ve never lived through a war that dramatically impacted the way I have lived.  Sure, conflict in the Middle-east raised gas prices, but I’ve never been told I could only have five gallons this week.  Generally, I’ve had the privilege of being relatively unaffected by the wars and conflicts our country has been in. Our country’s military involvement hasn’t even stopped me from going on vacations.  I guess what I’m saying is that I’ve always been a civilian, and I’ve always had a civilian’s mentality.

Here’s my point.  Whether we know it or not, we are at war.  And while it seems that Paul exhorts us to take up the armor of God and take up arms, perhaps, we think we are just playing the part of a civilian.  But even civilians have responsibilities to make sure they are living in a manner that aids the war effort. Of course, the question we want to ask ourselves is this: Are we living as if we are in a spiritual war, or are we totally oblivious to the conflict around us?  The apostle Peter warns us, saying, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8b). What should we then do? The front end of that passage reads, “Be sober-minded; be watchful.” Paul, at the end of today’s passage, says, “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying.” As we turn the page into the new year, remember those warnings and let us adjust our lives accordingly.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me to put on Your full armor.  Help me to be aware of my surrounding and to spiritually alert.  Let me pray and intercede for my friends, neighbors, and especially those who don’t know Jesus.  Let me be ready to engage with Your word.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 John 1

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“No Slackers Please”

Ephesians 6:5-8

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.”

My wife used to work for a major pediatric hospital that saw over a million patients last year.  To run such a gigantic organization, this hospital employs more than 10,000 people in all their branches and associated network offices.  Of course, with over 10,000 employees, there are bound to be a few slackers here and there, which is why, according to my wife, the employee handbook specifically states that employees are not allowed to use more than 10 percent of their working hours surfing the Internet.  To put it another way, as an employee of this hospital you are allowed to use up to 10 percent of your time to goof off and check your fantasy football, or go shopping, or explore whatever the www has for you.  Now, let’s be honest: Most, if not all of us have used company time to browse the Internet; so let’s not pretend that we always work like the fabled ant (Prov. 6:6-8).  I just find it both funny and kind of sad that a major organization would admit defeat and formalize a policy that limits their losses.

I know the slave-master relationships does not perfectly parallel the employee-boss relationship (though sometimes it feels that way).  I also know that it’s Saturday and the last thing you want to be thinking about is work (unless of course you must work today), but there are some principles we can glean from today’s passage when it comes to work ethic.  When it comes to our jobs, or really anything in life—like serving in church or volunteering—do we work/serve as if we are serving Christ himself?  Can we be trusted that when the boss’ back is turned, we will do our jobs faithfully as if he is standing right behind us?  Might I go as far as to ask if we do our jobs with a certain amount of joy, because we believe we are ultimately serving our Lord Jesus.  Hopefully that is the case, though getting joy might be a goal that we are working toward in the distant future.  For now, how about this: Today, God is going to give you an opportunity to serve either your company or a person.  So make it a goal to do that well.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to approach this day with the understanding that in all things, whether I eat or drink or work, I can do it in a manner that glorifies you (1 Cor. 10:31).  Thank you for my job.  Thank you for people whom I can serve.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 30-31

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Parents and Children”

Ephesians 6:1-4

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

This is not a devotional; this is a confession.  

I can genuinely say in all the ways that matter, I want my son to exceed me.  I want him to be more successful and smarter than me; I wish him to be a better athlete and educated than I am; I desire that he becomes a better friend, father, husband, and most important, a better follower of our Lord.  So when I think about my desires for my son, I know in my heart that I genuinely love him, not just a little, but tremendously.

I can also genuinely say this: There is no one on earth who can infuriate me like my son can.  I can’t tell you how many times when we’re playing baseball in the backyard, he’ll give me a little bit of his attitude, and I’m so tempted to just chuck the ball at his stomach (hyperbolically speaking).  Or if I want to teach him something that will benefit him later on, and he blows me off as if Legos are more important than a life lesson.  Or after asking me how to do something that I’m more than capable of doing, he has the audacity to reject my wisdom in favor of doing it his way, only to then mess it up.  Those are times when I want to (or do) flip my lid!

I didn’t realize I had a bad temper until I had children; my son also has a temper.  In truth, we “exasperate” each other. I love my son, and I’m very confident he loves me.  I think we have a good relationship, and so those incidents that I just described, while happening almost daily, haven’t had long term damaging effects on our relationship (or at least haven’t shown up yet).  

They say that in the brain, the amygdala controls emotions like love and anger, so love and anger are physically really close together.  Through having children (all four of them), I’ve realized it’s true. However, spiritually speaking, I would say that love and anger are very far apart?  (See 1 Cor. 13:6). It makes total sense to me that Paul would instruct father’s not to exasperate their children, but rather to raise them up in the Lord.  God help all parents. Lord, give me patience—the sooner the better! Lord, thanks for teaching me patience; thanks for being patient with me.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to love my children (or future children, or any person really) as You love us.  If I struggle with anger, help me to replace it with love. Help me to know that You gave me my children as well as my parents for a reason—to be more like You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Proverbs 29

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Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 29:22-27:

An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins. 23 Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor. 24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies; they are put under oath and dare not testify. 25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. 26 Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice. 27 The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.

Questions to Consider

1. What are some of the character issues raised in this passage?
2. What do you think the Proverbs writer means when he says the fear of man will be a snare?
3. What do the righteous detest, and what do the wicked detest?

Notes

1. Anger (vs. 22) which stirs up conflict and causes sin.  Pride is also mentioned in vs. 23, but ultimately pride brings us low, not lifts us up.
2. Fear of people is like a trap or snare that either slows us down terribly or stops us altogether from doing what God has in store for us.  
3. While it stands to reason that the righteous hate dishonesty, it’s ironic, but also true that the wicked hate the upright.  People don’t like others that reveal our shortcomings.

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Evening Reflection

The latter half of many New Testament epistles are practice-driven; in other words, it addresses how faith ought to impact our everyday life.  Today’s passage asks how Christ impacts your relationship with your children and parents? This evening take some time to reflect on other relationships (work, school, church, etc.) that need the grace of God in your life.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Voila Moment”

Ephesians 5:25-27

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

During the holidays, I often feel sorry for my wife who prepares most of our meals.  The reason being is that preparing quality meals seems like such a painstaking and time-consuming process, while the actual enjoyment of eating lasts significantly less.  So a couple days ago, to prepare our Christmas dinner, my wife was probably in the kitchen for a solid 3-4 hours, but actually sitting down to eat took maybe 20 minutes. I often offer my wife the out, that we can order out, but she won’t have it.  For her, she wants to have that “Voila!” moment when her family takes that first bite, and she can see that all of efforts have culminated all of her loved ones happy and surrounded by great food. I think this “Voila” moment is what chefs live for.  

When I think about what the Lord is doing for his church, I also think of this long painstaking process, which kind of seems inefficient, if you ask me.  I mean think about how difficult people are; how petty we can be—how selfish, unforgiving, childish, stubborn, sometimes even malicious. Yet, our passage tells us that what Christ is doing with us (his church) is that he is making us holy, cleansing us through his word, making us clean and perfect, so that one day he can present us and say, “Voila!”

And that voila moment is “the Marriage of Supper of Lamb,” which the apostle John describes it in the following manner: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb’” (Rev. 19:6b-8).

And the major difference between what happened at our dinner table and at the Marriage of Supper of Lamb is the “payoff”: the joy won’t last a mere 20 minutes like a holiday feast, but an eternity.  What a blessing! Thank you, Jesus!

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are patiently making me more and more into Your image.  Please allow me to submit myself to Your work and thank You for the person that I will one day be.  

Bible Reading for Today:  Proverbs 28

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Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 27:1-6:

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. 2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips. 3 Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both. 4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”

Questions to Consider

1. What can we learn about boasting from this passage?  And in what ways do we “boast”?
2. What are the dangers of anger, fury, and jealousy?
3. Taken together, vs. 5-6 give characteristics of true friends and enemies.  What are they and how do you compare as a friend?

Notes

1. Boasting, a form of pride should be avoided.  The Proverbs writer shows the folly of boasting about tomorrow, much like James reminds us in James 4:13-16, because we have no control over the next day.  Verse 2 implies that self-promotion is another form of boasting; let others compliment you.
2. In vs. 3-4, anger and jealousy are compared to something heavy that we carry around us.  Isn’t the imagery so true because anger and jealousy often feel like a weight that slows us down.  
3. Friends speak truthfully even if it is hard to hear sometimes.  Enemies are like “yes men”, they may make you feel smart and good, but their words don’t help much.  

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Evening Reflection

This morning we talking about the Lord’s patience with us and our slow transformation, and this afternoon we highlighted some potential areas of struggle, such as boasting/pride, anger, jealousy, and truthfulness.  Are any of these areas you’d like to progress in? If so, remember transformation may be slow, but Christ is in it for the long haul.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Changing”

Ephesians 5:1-8

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.  8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

For the last year or so, my wife has been a changed person.  She went from a relatively normal person into a fitness nut (maybe semi-nut is more accurate).  Whereas before she didn’t regularly workout, now she spends several hours a week in studio doing classes like cycling, bar, and body pump.  Sometimes she takes three classes back-to-back-to-back in a single day. It’s kind of humbling because I used to always be the most fit person in my house; now I have to hang my head in shame and admit that my wife is in better shape than me (unless, of course, you consider “round” a shape).  Here’s the thing that I know because I’ve been around people who exercise a lot—I can tell that my wife is genuinely changed. She’s not going to be one of those people who hits the gym hard in January only to lose the love in February. I can see that exercising is in her blood, and it would take an extraordinary set of circumstances for her to go back to an inactive lifestyle.  

In our passage, we get a picture of an even more dramatic change than even any fitness plan can put us on.  It’s what you see when darkness becomes light (vs. 8). We see that the early Christians once walked in varying degrees of immorality but were now called to walk in love because we are God’s holy people.  So this morning, let our passage remind you of who you really are in Christ and the implications of your changed identity.

Of course, like anyone who is committed to physical fitness, there are going to missed workouts and occasional snacking, you aren’t going to be perfect and you’re gonna mess up, but generally are you living like a genuinely changed son or daughter of the Holy God?  Do you represent him well? Are you becoming more like Jesus? Are you changed?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that because the Holy Spirit lives in me, I am genuinely being changed.  I am no longer darkness, but I live in Your light! Help me to live this day as a child of light. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Proverbs 27

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Lunch Break Study

Read Proverbs 26:17-22:

Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. 18 Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death 19 is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” 20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. 21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. 22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.

Questions to Consider

1. What does the Proverbs say about quarreling words?
2. What are the dangers of gossip?
3. Do any of these speech problems plague you?

Notes

1. Quarrelsome words can get you or others hurt or bit (vs. 17), and they are the fuel for long-term feuds (vs. 21).
2. We often forget how harmful gossip is as it also prolongs and fuels quarrels (vs. 20).  But we also see that gossip, if we are honest, is kind of tasty (in a bad way – vs. 22).  
3. Application question for children of light.

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Evening Reflection

Today’s theme was being a child of light and living like we are truly transformed.  In the afternoon, we talked about speech patterns that we may still struggle with. Are there other areas in your life that you feel like the Lord wants to refine in you?

Merry Christmas

 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The Perfect Gift”

Matthew 2:9-11

“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”

As a kid, I went to a church that gave away practical gifts and prizes.  So at church picnics, we’d play your garden variety relay race games, but instead of being awarded a ribbon or a trophy, winners would get a three pack of paper towels, or an eight pack of Lever 2000, and during those years when the budget was particularly strong, a family sized bottle of laundry detergent.  As teenager, I thought those were the strangest prizes and figured that’s just what immigrants do. Now that I’ve become the person who has to pony up the money to make sure that our house is stocked up with supplies like paper towels, soap, and laundry detergent, I see the brilliance of practical gifts and prizes.  When it comes to presents, I’m very much into practical. So I’m very fine with socks, underwear, and Amazon gift cards. Now on the flip side, I understand that there are people who love to give and receive fun gifts. The thinking behind fun gifts is, I want to give something that this person wouldn’t or couldn’t buy on his own.  FYI, when practical gift people receive fun gifts, they often think, “Can I return them?”

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope you have a wonderful day today as we celebrate the birth of our Lord.  If you haven’t done so already, my guess is that today you will either give a gift to someone or receive one.  Did you give fun gifts or practical ones? Hopefully, a lot of the former and enough of the later. When I think about the gift that our Heavenly Father gave humanity some 2,000 years ago by sending His one and only Son into the world, I realize that the Son was the ultimate combination of a fun and practical gift.  Perhaps “fun” is the wrong word, but the idea that I’m trying to get across is that the righteousness of Christ is something we could never get on our own. You throw in the idea that God came in the form of an infant, and you realize that this gift is more lavish and extravagant than a string of pearls or a luxury car.  Practically speaking, how else could the sin of humanity be forgiven? Only by the life of a perfect God-man. So, in that sense, Christ’s life was more necessary and more “practical” than anything we could ever need.

Today, I hope you spend some time with loved ones.  I hope you have a lot of fun. Dads—don’t get frustrated if you feel like you’re building toys all day.  Moms—don’t stress out if Christmas dinner doesn’t go as planned. Readers, don’t get angry that I stereotyped your gender roles☺.  But most of all spend a few minutes and thank the Lord for the wonderful gift of the Incarnate Son, a gift that we couldn’t get on our own but desperately needed.   

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for your Son.  Thank You that today we celebrate the gift of his life, without which we would all be dead in our sins.  

Bible Reading for Today:  Matthew 2

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Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 4:14-16:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Questions to Consider

1. In general, why is the Incarnation such an important doctrine to the Christian faith (not found in this passage)?
2. From this passage, why was the Incarnation such an act of kindness?
3. How should the Incarnation impact us?

Notes

1. The Incarnation is critically important because for many reasons.  First, the idea of substitutionary atonement.  As a human, Christ’s sacrifice atones for the sins of humanity. Second, the idea of imputed righteousness.  Christ’s obedience as a human can be transferred to us as righteousness (sorry for the super brief explanations).

2. In vs. 15, we see that because Christ came in the flesh, he understood first hand our weaknesses, yet was able to overcome temptation.

3. Therefore, we can draw near to a God who is not distant but wants to be with us so much that he would take on the limitations of having a human body.  God loves us and wants to be with us, so let’s draw near to him!

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Evening Reflection

How are you doing with the Lord?  Do you desire to draw near to him in an intimate relationship?  One of the reasons he came to the earth in the flesh some 2,000 years ago was to let mankind know that God is near.  Is He near to you now?

The AMI QT Devotionals from December 24 to 30 are provided by Pastor Yohan Lee of Remnant Church, New York City. Yohan graduated from University of Pennsylvania and Cairn University, where he studied theology.  He is married to Mandie, and they have four adorable children.

 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Blessed?”

Luke 1:46-48

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”

Whether it through personal experience or—as silly as it sounds—through TV and movies, I think we all have at least some idea of how scary and “inconvenient” an unplanned pregnancy can be for a woman.  I know that some in our reading audience are actively trying to have kids now, but for the rest of us, imagine how much an unexpected pregnancy would flip your life around. For students, what would a child mean for your studies and your future?  For you singles, how would a child impact your career and personal life? For you DINKs, are you ready for your cool vacations and trendy restaurants to turn into theme parks and Red Robin? On the other end of the spectrum, maybe your children are grown up or are teenagers: how would a baby change your life now?  Money set aside for retirement quickly converts to college tuition? I just moved my last two kids from car seats to boosters, and that felt like a game-changer. You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to a world of strollers, bottle warmers, and diapers.

As “inconvenient” as it would be to have a child now, think about how utterly terrifying it must have been for Mary.  What must have gone on in her head after the angel Gabriel left her that night? How would Joseph react? There’s no way he’s staying, right?  No one’s gonna believe that this is God’s Son; everyone’s gonna think that I had an affair. Are my parents gonna kick me out? Who’s gonna help us?  Am I gonna have to raise this baby alone? How will I support myself and a child? Given all these overwhelming thoughts, would you have felt “blessed” as Mary says she was in v. 48?  My guess is that many of us would have felt the exact opposite. In reality, Mary was blessed and was given an opportunity no one in the history of the world will ever have again. However, in order to see this, she had to overcome her overwhelming circumstances by faith.  

Here’s the truth for us today: Oftentimes, God’s biggest blessings will feel overwhelming at first, and if we aren’t careful, we’ll mistake them for a burden instead of the blessings they were meant to be.  Think about some of the hard things you’ve gone through. Looking back on them, did you grow through them? Did God become more real to you afterwards? Can you use those experiences to encourage others? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, my guess is that you’ve seen how difficulties can become blessings.  What are you going through now? I’m sure they feel overwhelming, but can you, like Mary, see the blessing on the other side?

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the example of Mary, who showed that even in difficult circumstances You are still with us and we are still blessed.  Give us faith to trust You through all times. Thank You also for sending Your Son into the world to save us! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Luke 2

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Lunch Break Study

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Questions to Consider

1.  What are the imperatives that Paul gives us?
2.  Instead of being anxious, what should we do?
3.  What are the benefits of God’s peace, and are you experiencing them in your life now?

Notes

1.  Paul commands us to rejoice; he also says not to be anxious, but to pray and give thanks to God.  
2.  Pray and ask God.  Also give thanks. This is a reminder that while we are often powerless in our circumstances, we can ask the One who is powerful for help.  Giving thanks reminds us of His goodness and faithfulness.
3.  God’s peace is transcendent—meaning, it goes beyond human reasoning.  In other words, when we have no reason to hope, God’s peace can help us to see past our circumstances.  Of course, the second part of the question is an introspective one.

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Evening Reflection

In John 14:27, Jesus tells His disciples that He is giving them his peace, which is a peace that is not of the world, a peace that can only come from the Lord.  This Christmas Eve, as we celebrate when God’s peace offering entered the world, let me ask you this: Do you live in this peace, or are you anxious and worried? Take some time to reflect on what the Lord wants to do in your heart.

Today’s AMI QT Devotional is written by Joshua Chzen who serves at Kairos Christian Church, San Diego.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Imperfect Love”

Ephesians 5:28-33

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.

After a few months into my marriage, my wife pointed out a bad habit of mine that I hadn’t really paid attention to before: I love eating junk food, and I love eating it late at night. (In reality, there were quite a few more things to be pointed out.)  When we moved to our new apartment, there were two Jack-in-the-Box restaurants within a mile of us. So after a long day of work or a late meeting, I didn’t think it was harmful to treat myself to something satisfying—it was my way of “loving myself,” even if a little bit indulgent. Of course, this sort of habit would be detrimental to my health, both in the short and long term, which is why my wife took issue with it in the first place.

In reality, my imperfect way of loving myself affects not only myself, but my wife as well. Paul directs husbands to love their wives as their own bodies, and he’s talking about complete selflessness in love and attitude. But even as I look at how my heart is shaped through something like indulging myself, I can see that same heart reflected in how I love and care for my wife—that is, if my desire is to grow in and prioritize holiness, then I will love and care for my wife in a way that reflects that for her. The way I “feed and care for my body” will be the same as how I “feed and care for” my wife.

This makes it all the more important to pursue a life of love in Christ. We understand how Jesus “feeds and cares for” His body, the Church: He sacrifices Himself for it, builds it up and equips it, casts out its fears and covers its weaknesses, and brings it to holiness, righteousness, and purity. As members of His body, we can personally experience this perfect love. And we understand that as Jesus calls us to love others as we love ourselves, He’s not referring to an imperfect love that’s been shaped and affected by worldly understanding or fleshly desire; rather, He’s calling on all of us to reflect that same perfect love that we experience as Christ Himself loves His Body.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving me and caring for me as part of Your Body. Show me how to love like You do—and if it seems unnatural, difficult, or in conflict with where I am, I pray that You would reorient my heart back to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 26

Today’s AMI Quiet Time Devotional is written by Claudia Robbie who serves at Journey Church of Atlanta.

 

Devotional Thought for Today

“Humility”

Luke 1:48

For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.

This Christmas season, I have been drawn to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and I wonder at the kind of relationship she had with God. There must have been anxiety and fear when she received the news that she was going to be pregnant with the Son of God, but she aligned her life to what God had laid out as His plan.

Mary risked being stoned (Old Testament punishment for adultery), and being misunderstood and ostracized by those around her. This woman walked in obedience, her soul glorified the Lord, and her spirit rejoiced in God her Savior. When I am misunderstood for even the smallest of things, I am thrown into emotional and spiritual turmoil.  So how did Mary do this? It hinges on her humility. “For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant” (Lk. 1:48).

Humility, as it is defined by Andrew Murray, is the place of entire dependence on God. When I think of humility, my thoughts are usually filled with surrendering my pride or beating back my own desires; but Mary’s humility reminds me that it is about cultivating a heart/place that is completely dependent on God.

It reminds me that it is a daily encounter with the greatness of God that allows me to lay down my fears, anxieties, and thoughts of myself to put on His person and His confidence. It is trusting on Him to go before and behind me as I listen for His leading, obey and align my life to what He wants so that my soul will glorify the Lord. This kind of cultivated heart happens with intentionality and over a period of time. It is also God’s grace to us. God chose Mary, not because she was deserved, but He was mindful of the humble state of His servant.

It is a commitment to keep cultivating a heart of dependence, even in the face of adversity, even when we are faced with our own sin, and even when the odds seem insurmountable, because we are loved by a great God who has called us to live a life that will glorify Him.

So today I will not be shocked by my own shortcomings or the ways in which I can improve. Instead, I choose to trust God who knows my thoughts, my attempts to serve, my intentions, my sins—and loves me still. I choose to cultivate a heart of dependence on the One who has a plan for me, and who is now restoring and refining me for that purpose.

Prayer: Lord, cultivate in me a humble heart like Mary, who could let go of all her fears and risk even her life in order to glorify You. May Your greatness far outweigh anything else in this world. May I bring glory to You in this Christmas season and rejoice in the gift of Your Son/my King. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Proverbs 24-25