Devotional Thoughts for Today 

“Unseen, Ugly, and Radical Beauty” 

Jeremiah 48:31-33, 36, 46-47 

Therefore I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab; for the men of Kir-hareseth I mourn. 32 More than for Jazer I weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your branches passed over the sea, reached to the Sea of Jazer; on your summer fruits and your grapes the destroyer has fallen. 33 Gladness and joy have been taken away from the fruitful land of Moab; I have made the wine cease from the winepresses;
no one treads them with shouts of joy; the shouting is not the shout of joy… 36 Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished… 46 Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are undone,
for your sons have been taken captive, and your daughters into captivity. 47 Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, declares the Lord.” Thus far is the judgment on Moab.

Have you ever been happy that your friend failed?  They missed the last shot, made mistakes in their performance, or didn’t get the promotion they wanted.  You don’t want colossal failure for them; you just don’t want them to outshine you by a mile.  Maybe you feel better about yourself because of their failure.  Or, have you ever felt bad when your friend succeeded?  You’re happy for them, but at the same time, you’re not.  It’s almost like you can’t celebrate for them because you feel sorry for yourself.  If not, good for you!  But many of us have had thoughts along these lines.  It’s not that we despise our friends, but we love ourselves so much.  It’s pretty ugly.  It comes from a selfish spirit, an envious heart, and a competitive impulse.  Maybe it’s actually a form of hatred—like Jonah, who didn’t want God to forgive Nineveh because they were the enemy of Israel.  He didn’t want mercy for them, because he thought that they didn’t deserve it—again, pretty ugly.  Even scarier is how we can hide our ugliness from everyone else—but not from God.  This should remind us all—we don’t deserve God’s mercy either.

Chapters about God’s judgment against sin and against nations like Philistia and Moab can be pretty heavy stuff.  But always traveling alongside God’s ferocious anger at sin is His audacious passion for a lost creation.  Even when Moab’s fate seems set, we see God’s compassion.  Neither God nor Jeremiah—who is known as the weeping prophet for a reason—delights in the suffering of the Moabites: “I wail for Moab; I cry out for all Moab; my heart moans for Moab like a flute.” This is not the unseen ugliness of the human heart; it’s the radical beauty of God’s compassion.  At the end of the chapter, even for Moab, is a promise of restoration: “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, declares the Lord”—which points not to nationhood or prosperity but redemption.  In fact, through the prophet Isaiah, God declares of Jesus: “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).  This means good news for all nations!  Never forget that we don’t deserve this.  And always celebrate and be glad that we have it through Jesus!

Prayer:  God, we thank You that in Jesus we have received mercy!  We don’t deserve it.  We deserve the opposite.  Expose the unseen ugliness of our hearts and lead us to the radical beauty of Your grace.  Help us today to see the beauty of Your compassions, the strength of Your victory, and make us a people who will live for Your fame and renown.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Peter 3

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Complacency is a Curse”

Jeremiah 48:10-13

“Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed. 11 “Moab has been at ease from his youth and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed. 12 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I shall send to him pourers who will pour him, and empty his vessels and break his jars in pieces. 13 Then Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

“Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness.”  It sure sounds like a message your pastor would share with ministry volunteers—but it’s not.  This whole chapter describes God’s judgment against Israel’s eastern neighbors, the Moabites; and this curse is pronounced, ironically, against Moab’s conquerors—the Babylonians.  It’s not actually a curse; rather, it’s a way of stating that God will use Babylon to accomplish His purposes and His purposes will not be undone.

You see, the Bible gives us a picture of reality very different than the perception we often hold of the world.  We see wars and insurrection; regime change and elections; politics and economics—and feel small in view of all of that.  Sometimes we don’t even want to think about it because what can you do anyway.

But the biblical picture of reality is very different.  God is not intimidated by empires, arms races or the posturing of presidents because He has never abdicated ownership of the creation He made.  And He works in ways that often surprise us but are never haphazard or capricious.  God is in control and He is working to redeem and renew creation.  And He’s a just judge and He judged Moab for her complacency—a complacency that led to contempt towards God.  Satisfied by their security and industry, they had no regard for God.

The mention of “dregs emptied from one vessel to vessel” is an image from winemaking.  After fermentation, wine would sit to age and the impurities, the dregs, would settle to the bottom of the jar.  Usually you filtered out the dregs by slowly pouring the wine into a new container a few times.  If you didn’t, the impurities would ruin the taste.  Similarly, entertaining spiritual complacency is like leaving the dregs in the wine.  It just sits there contaminating the whole, tainting the taste profile, and ruining what remains.  Moab’s complacency came because it was secure, well-protected and prosperous.  They didn’t need the true God whom they are called to serve because they had substitutes that actually served them.  That’s the danger of complacency—it makes you blind to what you really need.  A warning from Moab’s failure . . .

A.W. Tozer wrote: “To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.”  This is the opposite of complacency and it’s ironic.  Tozer observes that the ones who are most satisfied in God are also, at the same time, the ones who want Him the most.  May we be children of the burning heart!

Prayer:  Lord, we ask that You stir our hearts to long for You!  To settle NOT for the glory days of our past; or being cynical; or waiting till we have more time.  Give us an urgency TODAY to know You, the source of living water.   Satisfy us with Your love!

Bible Reading for Today: 2 Peter 1-2

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Jeremiah 48:6-13

Flee! Save yourselves!  You will be like a juniper in the desert! 7 For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken; and Chemosh shall go into exile with his priests and his officials. 8 The destroyer shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord has spoken. 9 “Give wings to Moab, for she would fly away; her cities shall become a desolation, with no inhabitant in them. 10 “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed.

I used to live in the Ring of Fire, which sounds kind of cool but actually is terrifying.  It refers to a horseshoe shaped area in which 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur.  So, every couple of years, there would be a major earthquake somewhere nearby.  On several occasions, I participated in disaster relief in affected places.  I remember my first time when I had only been in the new country for half a year and barely spoke the language.  But still, I wanted to help so I tagged along with a group that was bringing supplies to local neighborhoods.  We had a basic training module but the main thing I remember was being told, “Just ask people whom you meet, ‘What happened here?’ and let them share.”  That was it.  It wasn’t complicated.  It was incredibly human.  And even though my language was limited, people wanted to talk. And for many, the disaster served as a wakeup call to realize how their life’s priorities had been misplaced.

Similarly, one of the greatest horrors of God’s judgment is realizing too late the consequence of our misplaced priorities.  In today’s text, God speaks to the Moabites, Israel’s neighbors, and rebukes them for trusting “in your works and your treasures.” The ultimate Authority was exposing their wrong allegiance to achievement and things rather than to God. And the Moabites paid a dear price for their misplaced priorities.

Our culture is no different, for we like to talk about the “self-made man or woman.”  The term describes someone who has earned what he or she has through hard work and determination.  Actually, the Bible celebrates such diligence (Prov. 6:6-8), but not to the point of self-satisfaction and self-sufficiency—not to the point where we think we don’t need God.  In fact, all of Scripture testifies that you cannot be happy apart from God.  The Moabites relished their sustainable industries and isolation from much of the conflicts of the region.  They were satisfied but sadly, also separated from knowing the true God.  Neither wealth nor achievement; strength nor security can give you what God, your Creator, can. Remember Psalm 20:7 that says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord, show me today the price tags I place on the things of my life: my achievements, my dreams, my stuff, my personality and my relationships.  Help me to receive them as good gifts from You, but teach me to keep You as the center and treasure of my heart!

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 5

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Lunch Break Study 

Read Ephesians 2:13-22: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Paul describes the kind of life that those who trust Jesus can enjoy.  It is the opposite of judgment—the opposite of hostility.  Notice how many times the word “peace” is used.  The effect of peace is more than a dividing wall coming down—it also brings us a new identity and access and confidence.

Questions to Consider          

1. List the ways in which Jesus made peace between us and God.
2. Sometimes we struggle because we don’t feel like new men and women. We feel the same.  We even struggle with the same sins.  How does our citizenship in God’s kingdom and membership in God’s family address this insecurity?
3. How does the Holy Spirit minister peace to us?

Notes  

1. This peace that Jesus gives us is not earned; rather, it is received—“You have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Thus, the way to attain peace is by trusting in Jesus because “He himself is our peace.”  Notice: He brings us near (v.13); He breaks down what separates us from God (v.14); He makes us new people (v.15); He dies so that there is NO condemnation for believers (v.16); He takes the initiative to speak peace to us (v.17); He gives us access to the Father (v.18); He gives us a new identity (v.19); He is Himself our solid foundation for faith (v.20); He unites believers into God’s family (v.21); He gives us the Holy Spirit to build us up (v.22).  This is a complete and decisive victory that Jesus won for us.  Receive it!
2. These two identities remind us that just because you don’t “feel” different does not mean that you are still the same. When you are part of the family, you belong regardless of your failures.  In the Roman world, adoption was absolutely permanent and once adopted, you could not then be disowned.  Now, it is true that when people change their citizenship, they remain the same in some regards (same ethnicity, family, preferences), but there are also telling differences, such as having new opportunities, enjoying benefits and exercising the rights offered by the new country. So it is with saints who still continue to struggle with sin: you might feel the same, but you are not!
3. Verse 18 tells us that the Spirit enables us to access God’s presence. This doesn’t mean God is not with us.  He is, but we may be unaware of it.  The Spirit manifests God’s presence to us so that we might enjoy the benefits of Christ’s victory.  Verse 22 says the same but in a corporate context.  The Spirit unites and builds up believers so we might know that God is in our midst.

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Evening Reflection

One of the ways we express priority and value to God is worship.  How was your worship today?  It doesn’t just mean singing songs.  We worship when our hearts are devoted to God and our unseen intentions are to please Him.  Take a moment to worship the Father for His patient love; the Son for making a way for you; and the Spirit who pulls us into the place of transformation.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Point of Reference”

Jeremiah 48:1-5

Concerning Moab.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Woe to Nebo, for it is laid waste! Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken; the fortress is put to shame and broken down; 2 the renown of Moab is no more.
In Heshbon they planned disaster against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!’ You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence; the sword shall pursue you. 3 “A voice! A cry from Horonaim,
‘Desolation and great destruction!’ 4 Moab is destroyed; her little ones have made a cry. 5 For at the ascent of Luhith they go up weeping; for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distressed cry of destruction.

One of the privileges of planting an AMI church in Asia is receiving one-year interns.  We love our interns! But an inevitable rite of passage when you move half-way around the world is—getting lost.  Our interns get lost all the time. One of our first interns got on a bus and ended up in another city—now, that’s lost!  So it’s not unusual to find our interns holding their mobile devices to eye level and literally do a pirouette, trying to find their bearings using Google Maps.  In a sense, they’re doing what travellers have done all throughout the ages, which is to use a compass to orient themselves to true north (or magnetic north if you want to be picky).  Instead of relying on intuition or chance, we look to a more consistent and constant measure. We need this in life as well, which is why the most important voice you need to hear today is—the voice of the Lord your God.  And not because He always flatters or pampers—He doesn’t—but we need His voice because He cannot but bring the light of His truth to bear on our hearts. In a world that deals in shade of grey, God’s voice is our True North.  

In today’s text, we move from Israel’s Western neighbors, the Philistines, to their neighbors to the East, the Moabites.  God gives them a warning that judgment would come upon them as well as the Philistines. There used to be a time when you would cry, “Woe is me!” if you were discouraged or overwhelmed.  It’s a cry of self-pity because we usually think we deserve more or deserve better. And if we veer towards feelings of worthlessness, it’s still ME at the center. It’s not an easy cycle to break, and our perspective is often skewed, which is all the more reason why we need a surer reference point to gauge our life’s trajectory.  God says to Moab, “Woe to you”—these are words of warning because the Moabites rejoiced in their own “renown.” They took great pleasure in the recognition of others but cared very little for God’s opinion of them. They valued what is fleeting and temporary over what is true and unchanging—to their tragic demise.

Let’s build our lives on the firm foundation of God’s truth rather than the opinion of man or the spin of a short-term deal.  One will secure your life, the other will get you lost.

Prayer: Speak, O Lord.  I want to hear. Help me to trust in Your wise leadership today rather than live out of neediness or insecurity.  Guide me, Holy Spirit, to live a life that honors You! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 4

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Psalm 46: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Questions to Consider

1. What characteristics about God are emphasized when the psalm writer uses the images of refuge, help, and fortress?  
2. Notice that the context of the psalm writer’s confidence takes place in calamity and trouble.  What kinds of trouble does the text hint at?
3. What lessons can we learn from the psalm writer about dealing with life’s troubles?

Notes

1. All of these images represent practical aid by means of God’s strength.  In verse 1, God is described as a “refuge,” and the idea is associated with the word “strength.”  Both a refuge and a fortress offer protection from harm and give confidence to those sheltering within.  The psalm writer goes a step further by personalizing God’s help – He is “OUR refuge and strength” and His help is described as “present” rather than distant.  
2. In vv.2-3, the psalm writer lists the sounds of natural disaster to describe the trouble circumstances stir in our hearts.  We become anxious and worried, moved by a myriad of voices in our lives (the culture’s dream, the ideal look or figure, a demanding boss, a critical parent, deadlines or goals screaming out to us, etc).  In addition, vv.6 and 9 mentions social and political unrest—yet more fuel for our worry or reasons for us to withdraw.
3. We can deal with our trouble by:  (a) remembering the strength and concern of God; (b) listening for his powerful voice (v.6); and  (c) learning to turn down the noise of our world so we might hear the voice of God (Be still).  

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Evening Reflection

Since we live in such a fast-paced world, let’s take a moment to be still.  Turn off your phone; put your device to sleep; turn down the noise; and focus all of your attention on the reality that God is with you.  He always is—we’re just not always aware of His presence. Try to be silent and reject every other thought. It’s not that it’s unimportant; rather, God is more important.  Express to Him your need, and praise Him for He is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“An Honest Question”

Jeremiah 47:6-7

Ah, sword of the Lord! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!
7 How can it be quiet when the Lord has given it a charge? Against Ashkelon and against the seashore
he has appointed it.”

They say: Time flies when you’re having fun.  It really is true.  Time flies when you’re at the movies, playing video games, or spending time with someone you love.  On the flip side, time seems to slow down when the going gets tough. Ever catch yourself looking at the clock at work?  Almost miraculously the day seems to get longer as you wait for break-time, then lunchtime, and then quitting-time. It’s not real— it’s totally imagined—but we still ask, “How long is this gonna last?”  We ask the same thing when we’re sick and the dependability of our health is suddenly undermined: “How long?” We ask out of impatience and frustration. But in todays passage, Jeremiah asks, “How long?” in awestruck reverence to God, and maybe even compassionate sorrow for those who must face the judgment of God.  And because Jeremiah asks an honest question, he gets an honest reply.

Let’s be honest: judgment is unpleasant, for it reminds us of criticism—usually unfair criticism.  It’s no fun. But neither is the righteous judgment of God against sin. God’s judgment is both eye-opening and terrifying.  It exposes us for who we really are and reminds us that we have to give an account for the life we live. We’re responsible, and that’s hard.  This could be why our response is usually desperation or denial: we become nervous for ourselves and the ones we love, or we just try not to think about it.  But adopting a “fight-or-flight” approach to God’s judgment does not help, because we often strengthen false assumptions about God and miss out on true ones. God is NOT indifferent about what we do with our lives or His creation!  In fact, God is passionate and emotional and above all—holy. And the more we linger there, the greater our esteem for God will become and the weaker our fascination with the world will be. Let’s face the music. Ask some hard questions.  Be honest with God, so that in the end, we might see Him for who He really is: a passionate Creator, a righteous Judge, and a loving Savior.

Prayer:  Jesus, we thank You that you took the “sword of God’s judgment” for us at the Cross.  Help us to trust You with our hard questions and teach us to embrace Your truth—even when it’s hard.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 3

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Romans 8:13-16: For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Questions to Consider

1. What fears are currently affecting your life?
2. How does the Holy Spirit give us freedom from our fear?
3. What difference does the Spirit’s cry (v.15) and the Spirit’s witness (v.16) make in our lives?

Notes

1. Be as honest as you can.  Some of the stress in our lives come from being in denial of our fears and disappointments.  
2. First of all, the Spirit leads us.  Jesus describes Him as a Helper, Teacher and Guide (Jn 14:16,26; 16:13).  He affirms to us the victory won for us by Jesus and our identity as God’s beloved children.   We don’t have to deny our fears; we can trust God with them. Ultimately God’s love secures us and strengthens us to face our fears.
3. The Holy Spirit makes us confident that we belong to God as His children.  He reminds us and affirms to us that this is true. The Spirit even enables us to call God “Abba, Father,” which communicates intimacy and closeness.  When you feel far from God, ask the Holy Spirit to show you that you’re not.

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Evening Reflection

Fight or flight describes how many people cope with the pressures and stresses of the contemporary life.  Did you find yourself feeling desperate or wanting to hide today? How did you respond? Invite the Holy Spirit right now to free you from fear and affirm you in the Father’s love.  

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Judgment is a Flood”

Jeremiah 47:2-5

 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, waters are rising out of the north, and shall become an overflowing torrent; they shall overflow the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. Men shall cry out, and every inhabitant of the land shall wail. 3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels, the fathers look not back to their children, so feeble are their hands, 4 because of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains. For the Lord is destroying the Philistines, the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.5 Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon has perished. O remnant of their valley, how long will you gash yourselves?”

A little about myself:  I’m a missionary who goes by the title “pastor”; and it’s been one of the greatest thrills of my life to serve God in SE Asia.  My family has made two big moves in the last 13 years: first, moving from America to Indonesia; and then moving from Indonesia to Singapore.  We came here with a dream of planting a healthy church that would serve God’s purpose among the nations.

One big event that sped up our transition was a terrible flood in our part of Indonesia.  I remember waking up to my wife’s scream, jumping out of bed to find that our bed was floating in water—literally floating.  The whole house was flooded, as well as our whole neighborhood. Water was thigh-deep everywhere in our home, and everything was drenched.  My iphone was submerged in water for three hours, so I covered it in pre-cooked rice for days and prayed for healing—and it worked! It took two days just to get the water out of the house.  When I waded through the streets, there were hundreds of dead poisonous centipedes, which makes you wonder where they were all hiding. We spent the next few days cleaning, disinfecting and salvaging what we could.  Tragically, many of my books did not survive. Nothing was unaffected, and all of this happened on the very week we were launching worship services in Singapore. I didn’t even have dry clothes. I flew to Singapore and bought clothes to wear on Sunday.  

There’s nothing impotent about a flood—irresistible and unrelenting is more like it.  This is the picture Jeremiah paints of God’s judgment. It’s like a river surging over its banks at flood season, invading places that had previously been deemed secure.  But no amount of running for higher ground would reverse God’s judgment of the Philistines.

To add to the graphic picture, Jeremiah describes not just the sights but the sounds of impending defeat.  Men will cry out; people will wail. The earth would shake and tremble as Egypt’s chariots charged near. The only silence would be the response to the Philistine’s cry for help.  Horrifying. Dreadful. Final.

This is the bad news that’s part of the good news of the gospel: It’s NOT okay to sin before our God and Maker; we will be held accountable to God for the life that was entrusted to us; and that we must respond to Jesus’ gift of grace before it’s too late.  Because either Christ will bear the unrelenting judgment of God in your place—or you will.

You don’t have to look too hard to see the bad news of the gospel at work in the world around us.  The reality and weight of sin is evident everywhere. Look at the news. Look at your fears. Look at our reasons for conflict.  Remember today how much you need the undeserved grace of Jesus, and extend that grace to someone who needs it as well.

Prayer: Jesus, we thank You today for the undeserved grace that we have received at the cross— that You took the dreadful judgment we deserve, so that we might receive the wonderful embrace that You deserve from the Father.   Help us to live in light of this grace today and share its wonders with those around us. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 2

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Lunch Break Study  

Read John 16:7-11:  Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Before His death, Jesus teaches the disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit.  

Questions to Consider

1. What are we told in these verses about the work of the Holy Spirit?   
2. Why does Jesus say it’s better for Him to leave so the Holy Spirit might come?  
3. Is there a person who needs the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit in their life?  Pray for them.

Notes

1. The Holy Spirit convicts the world about our common need for forgiveness (especially the sin of not believing in Jesus) and Jesus’ identity as victorious Savior (going to the Father, the Ascension) demonstrates that He fulfilled the will of God.  That’s righteousness. And Satan’s decisive defeat and ultimate judgment demonstrates Christ’s victory. It’s the Holy Spirit who brings these truths to bear on the souls of men.
2. Because the Holy Spirit is with us and dwells within us (Jn 14:16-17).  He teaches us and impresses Jesus’ words to our hearts (Jn 14:26-27). He’s NOT silent, He speaks and declares God’s truth to us (Jn 16:13-15).
3. Personal response.

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Evening Reflection

Our cultural moment usually prioritizes the immediate over the eternal; getting results over building character; a good quarter above and beyond a good life.  In what areas of your life do you feel this tension? Do you find yourself lost in the rush to achieve short-term goals? Ask God to give you a vision for the eternal investments He is calling you to make.  

The AMI QT Devotionals from October 22-28 are provided by Pastor Paul Liu, who pastors the Grace Covenant Church Singapore.  He is a graduate of University of Illinois (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.). He and his wife Ailsa have three beautiful daughters.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“God Still Speaks”

Jeremiah 47:1

The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.

Parenting is hard work!  It’s hard because the devil is in the details—diapers, discipline, fashion, fairy tales—and almost every detail leaves a ripple that the eye cannot see.  That’s a big responsibility. It’s almost unfair. What parents do AND don’t do—all of this taking place under the weight of pressures both outside and in—matters.  Whether they realize it or not, parents are under the scrutiny of watchful eyes and listening ears. All that to say: “Parents, your words are incredibly important.”  Words spoken in frustration and anger scar; words aimed to humiliate always do; and worst of all, words left unsaid leave an indelible void in the hearts of children who look to their parents for the building blocks of their personhood.  Words are powerful indeed.

Which is why the fact that God speaks is so fundamentally life-changing.  If words-left-unsaid can leave a hole in our hearts, how great would be the void if we imagine God to be silent—indifferent to our existence, disengaged from our lives, and uncompassionate toward our pains?  We would be cosmically insecure, helpless, and feeling like a small fish in danger of being swallowed by the sharks of life—that is, if God doesn’t speak—but, He does!

The context of today’s passage is international conflict involving several nations at odds.  The old enemy of God’s people, the Philistines, are about to be attacked by the Egyptians before they themselves are engulfed by the Babylonian Empire.  Philistia was a small fish compared to these empires of sharks. God’s people could relate: Judah was a speck in the dust compared to the Babylonian hoard (who would later conquer her).  The Judeans probably felt like everything was teetering out of control. But in that moment, God saw fit to address their demise and identify His sovereignty amidst their uncertainty. What others saw as chaos, God had under control.  And the fact that God speaks affirms this to us today: You cannot be lost afloat when your God continues to call. Jeremiah tells us all men and women are accountable to the God who created them—and He is NOT indifferent towards us. He still speaks!

Before delving into the ancient conflicts of the Near East, ask yourself, “Am I making space for God to speak into my life?  When was the last time I heard from the Lord? How am I responding to His words now?”

Prayer: Dear Lord, increase the longing in my soul for Your voice.  Remind me that You are neither distant or disinterested—but rather passionate and persistent in Your purposes for me.   Speak O Lord, I want to hear…

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Peter 1

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Isaiah 32:14-18: For the palace is forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks; 15 until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. 16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. 17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust[a] forever. 18 My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

This passage describes the blessing that the Holy Spirit brings to God’s people – literally described as order out of chaos.  

Questions to Consider

1. What do forsaken castles and deserted cities represent to you?
2. What difference does the Spirit being ‘poured upon us’ bring?
3. How does the Spirit’s presence change our relationships?

Notes

1. Castles represented protection and leadership, while cities represent prosperity and opportunity.  The absence of authority in a castle and people in a city is a picture of chaos. It’s life out of order.  Life outside of God’s presence is similar.
2. In contrast to a life in chaos, the Spirit bring life (fruitful field) and vitality (forest).  This is consistent with the Holy Spirit’s activity throughout history – active in creation & the agent of God’s new creation through Jesus (Titus 3:4-5).  
3. Surprisingly the effects mentioned here are not merely personal.  The Spirit being ‘poured upon us’ results in justice and righteousness – literally fairness and uprightness.  It changes how we live and especially how we treat those around us. If you say you have the Spirit, how are you treating the person in front of you?  

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Evening Reflection

One of the realities of living in a media-saturated world is that we automatically filter out ton of stimuli.  We cannot physically process every image and soundbite. It would drive us crazy! This makes it all the more important to prioritize the right voices.  Did you tune-into God’s frequency today? What words from God did you receive? How are you responding?

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Jeremiah 46:27-28

“But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. 28 Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord,
for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”

Sociologists have suggested that 2007 changed the course of history. It was the year that Steve Jobs released the first iPhone and Facebook opened up its platform to anyone who wanted to connect to the new digital age. With the advent of these technological advances, we have seen the world progress in ways we could have never imagined—accomplishing things at a much faster pace. However, it does not come without its downfalls. Nonstop connection to our smartphones and social media has made this the age of anxiety. There are many reasons for this. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others through Facebook or Instagram, always feeling as if our lives are not as fun or meaningful as the ones we see on our screens. Furthermore, the smartphone has allowed us to take our work home and we have become a generation of workaholics. Devices that were supposed to save us time has only increased our work. Due to these things, our souls are tired and restless—weighed down by the pressure to succeed, produce, and live a life worth posting on social media.

In today’s passage we see a word of hope given to Israel. Even with their exile inevitably coming to them, there will come a time when “Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease.” In other words, there will be rest from their enemies and they would no longer have to fight for their promised land. The Jews called this Sabbath rest, where all threats to their existence would be dissipated because of God’s deliverance and love for them. They would no longer have to be restless, always on guard to make sure their enemies don’t destroy them.

And in the same way, this is the hope given to us through Jesus Christ. We live in a restless world where we are constantly fighting to embrace our identity in Christ—different factors perpetually trying to lure us away from God’s truth and tempting us to measure who we are with the standard of the world. And this is a tiring fight. However, there will come a day when Jesus comes back, where these temptations will no longer fight for our identity. We will find true rest in who we are in Christ when the world is renewed for all eternity. Let us continue to fight the good fight of faith knowing that we will find the rest our hearts are looking for when Christ comes back!

Prayer: Father, I confess that my soul is tired from the pressures of this world. I pray that You would give rest for my soul as I find my worth and identity in who You are. Help me to continue to fight the good fight as I find hope and strength from the promise of Your return!

Bible Reading for Today: Ruth 4

 

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Surprised by His Grace”

Jeremiah 46: 25-26

The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: “Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, declares the Lord.”

In today’s passage, we find a strange and unexpected plot twist. The whole chapter was committed to detailing the sure destruction of Egypt—that God was going to hand over their nation to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. The scary part was that there was nothing they could do about it. No amount of preparation was going to change their fate, not only because the Babylonians were more powerful, but because it was the inevitable judgment of God that would come to pass. However, we see a sign of grace from God towards the Egyptians in verse 26. Jeremiah proclaims on behalf of God that they will not be completely decimated and their land will be “inhabited as in the days of old.” In light of their sin, God had every right to make them disappear from the face of the earth—but He preserves them in a surprising show of mercy.

I am always surprised by the grace of God. Even as I continue to mature as a believer, there are so many areas of my life that need the sanctifying work of God so that I would be conformed into His image. And yet, in spite of my shortcomings, His grace continues to flow and take me by surprise. Even in my failure, His favor and provisions are so evident in my life. It seems as if His grace and mercy know no end. I know that many of us struggle with the shame of sin and thus distance ourselves from God thinking that we’ve lost His favor. We have a hard time believing that God can still love us because of how far we’ve fallen. But we see in this passage that even a pagan nation like Egypt can be recipients of God’s mercy. Let us not doubt the extent and persistence of His grace in our lives, and as the writer of Hebrews says, let us approach the throne of God boldly today!

Prayer:  Father, I am astounded by Your constant love and grace in my life. I fall so short in so many areas of my life and yet, You shower me with Your favor. Thank You for Your persistent love and care! Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ruth 2-3

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Jeremiah 46:18-19

“As I live, declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea, shall one come. 19 Prepare yourselves baggage for exile, O inhabitants of Egypt! For Memphis shall become a waste, a ruin, without inhabitant.”

In today’s passage, we continue in Jeremiah’s pronouncement of Egypt’s impending doom. It seems that throughout the history of Egypt, the Egyptians had always seen themselves as the super power of the world—towering over other nations as they showed their might in various ways. This was their national identity. However, Jeremiah declares that another empire will come and tower over them, eventually bringing them into exile—this nation we come to know as Babylonia that took the place of Egypt as the most powerful empire in the world. It seems that no matter how powerful you are, it is only a matter of time before someone bigger towers over you.

Many of us build our identity on being the best (or simply really good) at something, whether it’s career success, the amount of money we have, or the skills we possess. For this reason, our sense of value and worth is directly tied to these things. And this leads to two destructive paths. If, on the one hand, we really are the wealthiest or the most skilled, it will likely lead to pride. We will see ourselves as better than others who are not as successful or wealthy. But, on the other hand, if we fail or if someone is more successful than we are (and there will always be someone who is better or more successful than you), our self-worth is crushed. We no longer feel significant and this is very fragile ground to stand on. Our sense of identity will fluctuate depending on these unstable factors.

The gospel provides the firm foundation upon which we must build our identity. We find value not in what we’ve accomplished or the skills we possess but in what Christ Jesus has done for us on the cross. And this is unshakable ground. When we succeed, we are not puffed up with conceit but rather humbled knowing that we are sinners who have been saved by grace—that even the skills and circumstances necessary for success were not due to our own doing but simply a manifestation of God’s mercy in our lives. And even when we fail, we know that we are still loved and valued by the Father because of Christ’s righteousness imputed on us and not our own. Let us build our identity on the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is our firm foundation!

Prayer: Father, it is so easy to find my identity and value in my performance and success. Instead, help me to build my identity on the firm foundation of the gospel. Help me to not only know the gospel in my mind, but for my heart to fully embrace the truths of the gospel into the depths of my identity.

Bible Reading for Today: Ruth 1

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Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 3:1-3: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Questions to Consider

1. What is Paul’s main command in this passage?
2. What do you think it means to “set your minds on things that are above?”
3. In what ways have you set your mind on things below?

Notes

1. Paul wants them to seek and set their minds on the things above. This is because anyone who truly believes the gospel has died to their own self, and has been raised with Christ into a new identity, a new self.
2. Since we have been saved and raised with Christ, we ought to deliberately commit ourselves to the values of the kingdom of God and then live out those values, including how we see ourselves. We have been called to put off our own (i.e., old) self, where our identity was built on things of this world leading to much sin. We are to put on our new self by living out our newly given identity we have found in the gospel.
3. Personal response

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Evening Reflection

Take some time before going to bed reflecting on the base upon which you have built your identity. How do you find value, significance and worth? Ask God to help you to find your identity in Christ alone!