October 9, Tuesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“In God We Trust”

Jeremiah 43:4-7

So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the Lord’s command to stay in the land of Judah. 5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. 6 They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women, the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah along with them. 7 So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.

In the Bible, Egypt is not just a place where God rescued the Israelites from—but it is a representation of the world. It is a place of slavery, idol worship, wickedness, and persecution. The Lord did not want the Israelites to go back to Egypt, nor did He want His people to create an alliance with them, because in doing so, the Israelites would once again be under Egypt’s spiritual and physical oppression. Simply put, Egypt represents sin, and God wants His people to stay far away from it.

In today’s passage, the Israelite leaders ignore the Lord’s warnings, and they decide to escape to Egypt . If you remember from chapter 41, this decision was made by Johanan, because he was afraid that the Chaldeans (Babylonians) might avenge the murder of their appointed governor for the land of Israel. Instead of trusting in the Lord for help, they put their trust in the great nation of Egypt. Angered by their decision, the Lord commands Jeremiah to tell the Israelites that they will fall under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.

Ever since moving to East Asia, many of my insecurities have surfaced as a leader. And through these insecurities, I’m starting to realize that I do not trust in the Lord as much as I thought I did. I find myself relying on my limited experiences, talking to mentors, and reading different leadership material. While these things maybe not seem like “Egypt,” I find myself relying on these things more than trusting in the Lord.

Trusting in the Lord is difficult for a variety of reasons: we cannot control the situation, we think we know better, or we don’t see the “results” right away. Because of these reasons we look for security in more tangible areas such as money, relationships, or ourselves. While all of these things are not bad, they can become our “Egypts,” because they distract us from our true security: Jesus.

One way that I’ve been training myself to trust in the Lord is by remembering His faithfulness in my life. When I have pockets of time, whether on the subway or walking to school, I can just think about how God has led me up to this point. Oftentimes, I fail to trust in the Lord because I forget what He has done for me in the past.

I want to encourage you to use those pockets of time—whether on your drive to school or work, or waiting while standing in line—to remember God’s faithfulness!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness to Your people. Lord, help me to rely on You and not on our “Egypts,” for those things are temporary fixes that are fleeting, but You are forever. Help me to remember the lyrics of the hymnist Daniel B. Towner: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Amen.

Bible Reading For Today: 1 Kings 14

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Questions to Consider

In which two ways does Matthew encourage us not to worry about our lives? (vv. 26-27)
Who does Matthew say worry about these things? Why is this important? (v. 32)
As Christians, how do we fight this worry?

Notes

Matthew reminds us that the birds do not worry about storing food, because the Lord always provides for them. He also reminds us that flowers do not worry about the “clothes” they wear, because God provides for them. He accentuates Jesus’ teaching by saying that Solomon’s splendor does not come close to a flower’s beauty.
Matthew reminds us that pagans worry about what to eat, drink and wear. As God’s people, we have full access to the Creator of the Universe who provides for our every need; therefore, we are to be different, and one way to set ourselves apart is by not worrying.
We fight this worry by seeking God. When we make God the center of our lives, then as a loving Father, He will provide everything for us.

Evening Reflection

Before you go to bed, take a moment to reflect on one time that God has been faithful. Take a moment to write it down, and give thanks to Him. May we become intentional in trusting in Him.

October 8, Monday

The AMI QT Devotionals from October 8-14 are provided by Emerson Lin. Emerson and his wife Annie (who is expecting soon) are serving as AMI missionaries in E. Asia.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“God, I think I know better than You”

Jeremiah 43:1-4

When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them— 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’ 3 But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,[a] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the Lord’s command to stay in the land of Judah.

When we were little, our parents would warn us not to touch the hot pot—but we would touch it anyway. Upon touching the hot pot, we quickly learn that touching a hot surface leads to tremendous pain. But what drives us to touch the hot surface when we were told not to? For the scientific-minded, it could be curiosity; for the rebellious, it is our arrogance trying to prove them wrong.

In this passage, Jeremiah had just finished delivering God’s command to the remnant of Israel to stay in Canaan instead of running away to Egypt. Instead of the obedience that was promised by Israelite leaders, Johanan and Jezaniah, they rebelled against God’s command (Jeremiah 42:5-6).

What caused the leaders of Israel to change their attitude from obedience to rebellion? In verse 2, we see that it was the Israelite leaders’ arrogance that led to their rebellion. They had thought that for sure God would want them to go to Egypt, but when God’s word did not align with theirs, they rejected Him. As a result, their pride and disobedience led to their destruction.

We may be looking at the Israelites with some judgment, thinking, “Didn’t they say, ‘Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you…’ How can they be so prideful?” Yet sadly, we are guilty of doing the same thing.

We all struggle with pride: it may not be outspoken pride such as boasting, but it silently exists in the form of disobedience. Like the Israelite leaders, we know what God wants or calls us to do, but we choose to follow our own path—thinking we know better than God. Our pride blinds us to believe that God is not for us, but against us.

However, the truth is that God is for us and not against us! God calls us to live a life of obedience, not because He wants to control our lives, but He truly wants us to walk in His blessing. Luke 11:28 says, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Let us be followers of Christ, who through humility can walk in obedience to God’s word!

Prayer: Dear God, thank You that You want us to walk in your blessing. Forgive me for thinking that I know better than You. In those areas of my life where I want to go my own way, please remind me that “Your ways are higher than my ways.” Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 13

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 25:4-11: Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. 5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. 6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good. 8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. 10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant. 11 For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Questions to Consider

What is a blessing that comes from the goodness of God? (vv.8-9)
What ways of the Lord are loving and faithful? Why is this important to understand? (v.10)
Spend some time meditating on this passage.

Notes

Because the Lord is good and upright, He instructs sinners in His ways, He guides the humble in what is right, and He teaches them His ways.
According to the psalmist, all the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful. This is important to understand, because there are moments in our lives where His ways may not make sense or align with ours. However, we must remind ourselves that God ways are best and He is always for us and not against us.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

What are some areas in your life that you are not entrusting to God? Take some time to reflect on the reasons that prevent you from doing so. After your reflection, ask the Lord to help you remove those things from your lives, so that you can walk in a life of obedience.

October 7, Sunday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Jeremiah 42:19-20

The Lord has said to you, O remnant of Judah, “Do not go to Egypt.” Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day 20 that you have gone astray at the cost of your lives. For you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, “Pray for us to the Lord our God, and whatever the Lord our God says, declare to us and we will do it.”

In Monopoly, there is a card called “Get Out of Jail Free.” If in the course of the game you find yourself in jail, all you have to do is to play this card and you are home free—meaning, you don’t have to worry about paying a fine or penalty. For many Christians in our day, this “Get Out of Jail Free” card has become metaphorical for anything that can get you out of trouble.

In the history of Christianity—and in my own ministry and even my own walk with Jesus—there has been an attitude towards the forgiveness of sins as a “Get Out of Jail Free” card: Because Jesus died for our sins on the Cross, all of our sins are forgiven, and even if we sin again and again, our sins can be forgiven. Even if we deliberately sin, those sins can be forgiven as well. But as we can all imagine (or already see in our own lives), it’s easy to think about this forgiveness as an unlimited “Get Out of Jail Free” card. I’ve heard people say things like, “It’s okay, I can just ask Jesus for forgiveness later.” This forgiveness is an excuse for some to live a YOLO kind of life. Even in my own mind I’ve thought, “God already knows I’m a sinner, and Jesus will forgive me anyways.”

We tend to easily underestimate the effects of sin in our lives. We take sin lightly, like a red mark on a ledger or a bad thing that has to be made up. But what we don’t often consider is that sin has greater effects upon us than just a demerit. In verse 20, God tells the Israelites, “…you have gone astray at the cost of your lives.” The sin they were about to commit was to go to Egypt against the clear and expressed will of God—that is, choosing to not follow God’s will but to go in a wrong direction and going astray from where God wanted them to be. And sadly, what they didn’t realize was that this would not just cost them some red marks on a ledger or a few demerits—but this sin would cost them their lives.

Though we continue to struggle with sin and are still constantly in need of forgiveness, we shouldn’t treat the forgiveness of Jesus lightly, like a “Get Out of Jail Free” card. Deliberately going astray from God, expecting to be forgiven afterwards, can have serious effects upon our lives that we don’t consider. Jesus died on the Cross so that we could be forgiven of our sins and be brought into relationship with God, but this didn’t just wipe our ledgers clean—it changed the trajectory of our lives to be pointed to God and to the good and abundant life that He wants us to live. Let’s remember this: going astray from God leads us towards slavery, but to receive His forgiveness is experiencing freedom so that we don’t have to go astray anymore.

On this Lord’s Day, as we remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the Cross, let us not think of it as a “Get Out of Jail Free” card; but instead, let us remember it as an invitation to the good life with God Himself.

Prayer: Jesus, I remember that it is for freedom that You have set me free. I pray that today I will experience the freedom and goodness of being with You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 12

October 6, Saturday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Good Intentions”

Jeremiah 42:5-6

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us. 6 Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”

I have good intentions all the time: Several times a week, I intend to exercise; I have good intentions to eat healthy; and, as my wife can attest, I even have good intentions to do the dishes, pick up the clothes that I leave on the floor, and clear off my occasionally messy desk. Every January, we all have good intentions to get physically fit, become financially stable, and grow in our relationship with God.

In Jeremiah 42, the people of Israel come to Jeremiah with really good intentions. They proclaim to the prophet, in verse 6, “Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God.” Considering the desperate situation that the Israelites were in, this declaration sounds sincere, and it is filled with good intentions.

There’s a problem with good intentions, though. Good intentions don’t mean as much as we think they do. There is a big difference between intending to do something and actually doing what is intended. Though I may have intentions to exercise, eat better, and to clean, but if I don’t follow through, I don’t get credit (especially from my wife) or benefit from just having thought about doing them. In the end, my unfulfilled good intentions are meaningless. And unfortunately, the same went for the Israelites. They declared their good intentions in this passage, but in the next chapter, we discover that those good intentions were not followed through with obedience.

Having sincere intentions to follow Jesus is a great place to start, but in order for us to experience the full benefits and blessings, we need to trust Him with our lives and live out our faith through obedience. Following Jesus is not merely an internal decision or an intellectual agreement with doctrine, but a lifetime of discipleship: walking with Him, taking daily steps of obedience, and bearing fruit for Him. Let’s not mistake our sincere intentions for a growing relationship with God: John 14:23 says, “If any one loves me… he will obey my teaching….” And let us be a people who resolve to live our lives in obedience, with the help of the Holy Spirit, no matter the sacrifice!

Prayer: God, I pray that I will be a follower of You today. I have thoughts about who You are and what You’re calling me to do; so today, I pray that Your Spirit will help me to walk in faith, trusting You with my life. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 10-11.

October 5, Friday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“What We Need to Hear”

Jeremiah 42:4

Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and whatever the Lord answers you I will tell you. I will keep nothing back from you.”

In the well-known fable, The Emperor’s New Clothes, two weavers dupe a vain emperor by telling him that the special clothes that they made for him is made of fabric that is so special that it looks invisible to those who are not enlightened or incompetent. And so the proud emperor puts on these “special” clothes and marches through the town. The emperor’s advisors didn’t dare say anything and neither would any of the townsfolk, except for one young child who shouted during the procession, “The emperor is not wearing any clothes!” So, of all of the people surrounding the emperor, it was a young child, who, by being honest about what he saw, turned out to be the king’s best advisor and friend. All other people, including the emperor’s advisors, either didn’t say a word or told the emperor what he wanted to hear.

If we were to list all the qualities and attributes of an ideal friend, at the top of our lists would be things like fun, loyal, and supportive. One quality that probably wouldn’t be on the lists is brutal honesty. We all want our friends to be supportive of us, but we don’t really look forward to our friends telling us things that we don’t want to hear. But the truth is that sometimes the best thing our friends can do is to tell us the difficult and uncomfortable truth about ourselves.

Jeremiah the prophet tells the people of Israel that, “I will keep nothing back from you” with regards to what the Lord had to say to them. Jeremiah was being a good friend and shepherd to the Israelites because he loved them enough to tell them not what they wanted to hear, but what they needed to hear—the truth from God Himself.

We all need Jeremiahs and people like that young child in our lives. Like the emperor in the story, we are prone to vanity and pride. Like the emperor, we’d rather surround ourselves with people who flatter us or tell us what we want to hear. Unlike the emperor though, we ought to know that we need to ground ourselves into community and seek to hear even the hard truth about ourselves from our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us pray that we will be surrounded by people who love us enough to tell us not what we want to hear, but what we need to hear from the Lord.

Prayer: God, I pray that You will surround me with brothers and sisters who will care for me and love me and point me to You. Help me to be humble and to hear what You have to say to me through them. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 9

Lunch Bread Study

Read Galatians 2:11-14: But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Questions to Consider

What was Cephas (Peter) doing wrong in this passage?
How were Paul’s actions out of love for Peter and for the church?
Would you be willing to do what Paul did? Are there people in your life who can speak to you like Paul spoke to Peter?

Notes

Peter was separating himself from the Gentiles at the church in Antioch when some Jews came to visit him. Peter, out of fear of what these Jews would think, decided to act just like what these Jews would expect by essentially discriminating and distancing himself from the Gentiles who were his brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul speaks bluntly to Peter and points out his sin, telling us that Peter and the Jews’ conduct was “not in step with the truth of the gospel.” We should also note that Paul publicly put Peter on the spot by writing about this in this book of Galatians and making an example of him to the whole church and Christians for all time. While what Paul says and does may seem harsh, it was an act of love for Peter because he was pointing Peter back to the truth of the gospel. Also, it was important to Paul to make an example of this because he loved the church and the unity of the church was at stake.
Personal response

Evening Reflection

Think about the people in your life. Are there people who can speak into your life? And is there someone whose life you should be speaking into? Pray that God will start or deepen friendships that point you to the truth.

October 4, Thursday

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Daddy, again!”

Jeremiah 42:1-3

Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near 2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— 3 that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.”

Two of my son’s favorite words to say to me are “more” and “again.” Like most toddlers, I’m sure, my son will eat something, read something, watch something, see me do something, and he’ll come back to me and say, “Daddy, more!” or “Daddy, again!” It is pretty adorable, but I have a confession to make to all of you… I get pretty tired of it eventually. After reading the same book 20 times or after listening to Baby Shark for the 50th time in a row, I get really sick of it and I try to find a way to move on to something else. As much as I love my son, I don’t want to hear “Daddy, again!” after a while.

In Jeremiah 42, all of the people of Israel come together, approach Jeremiah, and ask him to appeal to the Lord for mercy and direction. If we look through the Old Testament, we’ll notice this pattern: The Israelites would grumble or complain to God, or neglect and turn away from God, but then they would face adversity; so they would go to God and appeal for mercy—and the process would repeat. This was their version of “Daddy, again!” I know that I (and likely all of us) would’ve been tired of hearing it from the Israelites over and over again. We would’ve been tired of answering and forgiving, tired of showing mercy, and tired of having to do it all over again. But God being so rich in mercy and having immeasurable patience with His people, listens and answers them—again and again.

When I think about God’s patience for me—and for all of us—I am so amazed at our Father’s heart. No matter how many times we say to Him, “Daddy, again!” how many times we fail, how many times we neglect him, how many times we have to turn back to Him, our Father will never grow tired or weary of us. Praise God for His enduring patience and love for us!

Prayer: God, we thank You for allowing us to come to You again and again. You have shown us so much mercy and grace. Thank You for never giving up on us and being so good to us. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 8

Lunch Break Study

Read Timothy 1:15-17: The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Questions to Consider

What is the main statement that Paul is making about Jesus?
How would you describe Paul’s attitude towards the grace that has been shown him?
Think about your own sin. How do you understand the patience that Jesus has shown you?

Notes

Paul is pointing out that Jesus shows amazing grace and patience to him and to all who believe and trust in Him.
In calling himself the “foremost” of sinners, Paul’s attitude is one of humility and awe of the grace that Jesus has shown him. I think Paul really understood the depth and darkness of his own sin, which led him to truly be thankful and awed by the perfect patience that Jesus had shown him.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

God’s repeated patience towards us is something that we should be amazed by all of the time. No matter what happens in our lives, or how far we may fall, God wants to hear us call out to Him again and again. Pray and reach out to your Father in heaven again, and thank Him for His patience and love for you.

October 3, Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Lifeline”

Jeremiah 41:16-18

Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Johanan brought back from Gibeon. 17 And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt 18 because of the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

In the once popular game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the contestants were challenged to answer fifteen trivia questions; and if successful, they would win one million dollars. The questions would increase in difficulty as the game went on, so one of the gimmicks of the show was that each contestant would have three “lifelines” that they could use to help them if they faced a question they were unsure about.

Throughout the history of Israel, every time they faced difficulty, one of the first “lifelines” that would immediately come to mind was to go back to Egypt. When Israel was in the wilderness, heading to the Promised Land, they would talk about going to Egypt any time they faced difficulties or setbacks. And here again, in Jeremiah, as Israel was falling apart the people speak of going to Egypt—it was their first lifeline. Egypt represented survival and security for Israel.

When it comes to facing difficulties or setbacks in your life, what is your lifeline? For some of us, it is a resolution to work harder or to turn to friends or family for help; while for others, it is to escape with media or videogames. Whatever they are, it is our means of coping and dealing with our struggles; but the lifeline that God offered Israel—and that He offers us—is His presence. The primary reason that Israel was facing trouble in the first place was that she had neglected to turn to God as their lifeline. God wanted to give life and joy to His people in the Promised Land, but again and again they turned to other things or sought to escape to Egypt.

Let us not follow the example of the Israelites, but instead let us strive to seek God’s presence as our source of life!

Prayer: God, today I seek Your presence and the life that You offer me. I pray that I will not turn to anyone else or anything else for joy but that I will turn to You first. Fill me with Your presence. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 7

Lunch Break Study

Read Isaiah 55:1-3: 1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Questions to Consider

This passages talks about spending and laboring on “that which is not bread.” What are some examples of this kind of “bread”? What is the result of laboring for this “bread”?
What is the good and rich food that God offers us? What makes is so good?
How have you experienced the “rich food” of God in your life? Reflect on how God’s love has been good and satisfying in your life.

Notes

Spending money and laboring for “that which is not bread” is essentially putting faith or trust in anything or anyone that is not God. It leaves people thirsty, hungry, and weary, when they pursue or “eat” anything but what God offers.
What God offers us is His covenantal love (v. 3)—and He offers it to us for free! The appeal in this passage is to come, buy and eat “without money and without price” (v. 1). Not only are we satisfied by this food, but it brings life to us.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

Tonight, think about how things of this earth have left you feeling thirsty and hungry; on the other hand, think upon the goodness of God in your life. God freely and lavishly offers us His life-giving presence and love. Let us receive Him tonight.

October 2, Tuesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Sin’s Vicious Cycle”

Jeremiah 41:4-8

On the day after the murder of Gedaliah, before anyone knew of it,5 eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Samaria, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the Lord. 6 And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah came out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, “Come in to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.” 7 When they came into the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and cast them into a cistern.

If there was any doubt about what kind of man Ishmael was, it becomes really clear in this passage that Ishmael was not a hero. In yesterday’s passage, we saw that Ishmael murdered Gedaliah and massacred everyone else around him—including the Babylonian soldiers— perhaps with a sense of heroism, but definitely he was in rebellion against God. Here, we see that Ishmael’s actions take him to a darker place as he murders these men who come to Jerusalem for no other purpose than to worship the Lord.

Ishmael probably had no intention of murdering more people when he had resolved to kill Gedaliah, but the path he was on determined his destination and his actions. The nature of sin and rebellion is like that: once we go down that path, it’s not easy to stop, repent and go in a different direction; rather, sin and rebellion begets more sin and rebellion. There have been times in my life—and all of our lives, I’m sure—where everything started with just one white lie, that was followed by another lie to cover up the first one, then our sin went deeper and deeper, and its effect got wider and wider. Ishmael shows us a clear example of the vicious cycle of sin—something we all have experienced.

There may be times when it feels like we are stuck in a vicious cycle of sin with no way out—but thankfully, we have hope in Jesus Christ. As Romans 5:6 says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” At the right time, Jesus came into our lives to not just stop us from going deeper into sin, but to free us completely from the vicious cycle of sin. Let us go to the Cross of Jesus by repenting and confessing of our sins so that we could receive this freedom. And let’s be thankful to Jesus for setting us free!

Prayer: Jesus, I pray for freedom from my sin. Thank You for coming into my life in the depth of my weakness and sin. I pray that I can fully take hold of the freedom You have given me this day. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 6

Lunch Break Study

Read Galatians 5:16-23: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Questions to Consider

What are the competing desires that are within us?
What does it mean to walk by the Spirit?
How are you seeing the fruits of the Spirit in your life? What steps can you take to bear more fruit?

Notes

Paul tells us that the desires of the flesh and desires of the Spirit are in direct opposition with one another. In verses 19-21, we see what the desires of the flesh look like and then in verses 22-23, we see where the desires of the Spirit lead us.
Walking by the Spirit means taking every step, living each day by faith, and following the desires of the Holy Spirit within us. Notice that the desires of the flesh by nature are centered on the self and when we are led by ourselves and thus by the flesh, it leads to all that we see in verses 19-21.
Personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

Do you feel stuck in a cycle of sin? If so, remember that Jesus wants to set you free! Confess and repent of your sins, and pray for a deeper experience of freedom in Him. If not, spend some time thanking Jesus for the freedom and victory He has given you.

October 1, Monday

The AMI QT Devotionals from October 1-7 are provided by Pastor Shan Gian, who serves as the Fenway site pastor of Symphony Church in Boston. Shan, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), is married to Jenny; and they are the proud parents of Tyler.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Rebels”

Jeremiah 41:1-3 (We return to our study of Jeremiah to chapter 41.)

In the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, one of the chief officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. As they ate bread together there at Mizpah, 2 Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him rose up and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor in the land. 3 Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean soldiers who happened to be there.

The rebel is glorified in our culture today. Maybe it’s because of America’s revolutionary history or because we’re so enamored with stories like Star Wars or Robin Hood, but someone who takes on established authority and radically fights or protests against the status quo is a hero in our day. On the other hand, people who follow orders and do what they’re told to do seem to be boring and uninspiring. Our culture’s heroes are the rebels.

Perhaps this is how Ishmael thought of himself. In this passage, Ishmael takes on the established authority and murders Gedaliah—the governor of Israel appointed by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon—and also massacres all the people and Babylonian soldiers who were with him. Ishmael may have felt like a hero after this, since he was taking on the big, bad guys and wasn’t just accepting a life in subjugation to Babylon. But the reality, though, is that he wasn’t just rebelling against Babylon but he was in rebellion against God’s will, since God had told His people through Jeremiah that His will was that His people be subject to Babylon. Ishmael’s rebellion leads to tragic consequences, not just because he rebelled against Babylon—but he rebelled against God.

There is still something to be said about being a rebel. We’re not to just follow along with what the culture dictates. Christians should at times go against the established authority and against the status quo, but instead of focusing on the excitement and glory of rebellion, the heart of a Christian is to follow Jesus, follow His will, and seek His glory—this is why we call ourselves “followers of Jesus.” And even if we feel it to be boring or unfair, we, as we follow God’s will, are called “to be subject to every human institution” because “this is the will of God” (1 Peter 2:13-14). This doesn’t mean we should never rebel or protest against established authority, but even when we feel the need to do so, the heart behind it should be that we are being subject to God’s will and authority.

Let us submit ourselves to Jesus this day and be followers of Him!

Prayer: God, I pray for a heart of humility and submission to You and to Your will for me. Help me to not just respect and submit to the authorities You have placed over me but to pray and bless them. Help me to follow You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Matt. 22:15-22: Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Questions to Consider

How were the Pharisees trying to “entangle” Jesus with their question?
What was Jesus’ attitude towards Caesar and the Roman authority?
What does it mean for us to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and give to God the things that are God’s?

Notes

If Jesus said that it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, then the Jewish people would feel like He was pro-Caesar/pro-Rome, but if He said, it was unlawful to pay taxes to Caesar, then Jesus could be accused of insurrection and rebellion against Rome.
In saying, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” Jesus was displaying an attitude of submission to Rome. Submitting to Caesar was not antithetical to submitting to God. Rather, by submitting to Caesar, Jesus was submitting to God’s authority through Caesar. Jesus was not concerned with competing with Caesar’s rule, because Jesus’ kingdom was not to be one of the political realm.
As people submitting to the kingship of Jesus, we are called to submit to the human and political authorities. We should pay our taxes, obey the laws, and also pray for and bless those with authority over us. Being subject to human authorities is part of our submission and obedience to God.

Evening Reflection

There are most certainly people in our lives whom we find it difficult to submit to. The solution is not rebellion but submission to the authority of Jesus. Pray for a heart of humility and love towards all of the human authorities above you.

September 30, Sunday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Forgiven to Forgive”

Matthew 18:21-35

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.[h] 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Forgiveness is one of those topics easier talked about than actually done. That’s why C.S. Lewis once said; “Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.” In today’s passage, Jesus talks about the nature of forgiveness and that we should extend forgiveness to those who have hurt us.

Peter starts by asking the question, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Peter thought he was being so generous, as it was taught by rabbis in those days that they should forgive up to three times. So Peter doubles it and adds one for good measure. But Jesus responds in a typical fashion: “not seven times but seventy-seven times.” His point: If you are counting, you are not really forgiving.

Jesus is showing us a new kind of forgiveness that should be radical in nature. It’s a kind of forgiveness that takes away grudges and all kinds of record keeping of those who have offended us. He then tells a parable of what forgiveness should look like: The king cancels a debt of a servant worth 10,000 talents; if you add up that amount, it would be about 200,000 years of accumulated debt. This servant turns around and demands money from a fellow servant owing about 100 denariis, which is worth about three months wage. Just think about that comparison! It is absurd to think about the small amount of debt this servant is asking for when he had been forgiven of an unpayable debt.

The point is this: our forgiveness of others has to start by recognizing how much our King – Jesus Christ – has forgiven us of our own sin and debt. We could never repay Him with our good works or our own righteousness. It was our disobedience and rebellion that sent Him to the Cross so that He could freely forgive us. If we do not recognize our own need for forgiveness, it makes forgiving others nearly impossible.

Is there anyone you need for forgive? Jesus knows and understands the wrongs that have been done to us, but He asks us to choose to forgive, regardless of our emotions. We need to understand that forgiveness starts with a choice, not with an emotion.

We need to experience the power of the gospel to forgive in this way. I want to challenge us to take the courageous step of forgiving those who have hurt us—out of obedience to Him. May He show you His grace to enable us to show that grace towards others.

Prayer: Lord, give me the strength to forgive people in my life who have hurt me. Help me to walk in obedience in taking the necessary steps to do that. I ask for Your guidance in this area of my life. Amen!

Bible Reading for Today: 1 Kings 4 (If you haven’t read chapter 3 yet, read it today 😊.)