Today’s AMI QT Devotional is written by Joshua Chzen who serves as the college pastor at Kairos Christian Church (San Diego, California). Joshua, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Bethel Seminary. He and Sandra were recently married in 2017.
Devotional Thoughts for This Morning
“Where is the Lord?”
Jeremiah 2:4-8
Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord: “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? 6 They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’ 7 And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. 8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.
My love for bargain hunting was passed down from my mom. When I was in elementary school, she began taking me along on her trips to Ross and TJ Maxx. For the most part, I would stick to her like glue as she dug through rack after rack of clothing. Eventually, we would pass by clearance bins filled with movies, computer games, toys, and other junk. I dug through those like they were treasure pits— so focused that I wouldn’t even realize that my mom had moved on to other sections of the store. Not once would it occur to me to ask where my mom was. More often than not, she would circle back for me before I was done scavenging; but there were a few times I finished, only to look up and realize that my mom wasn’t there. Feelings of mild panic would quickly grow worse as I wandered off into the rest of the store with no clue where to look. Fortunately, she usually managed to find me before I started crying.
God rebukes Israel in this passage for forsaking Him. The charges He lays out against His people are of idolatry—a struggle shown consistently and prominently in the history of Israel. However, it’s interesting to note that their idol worship doesn’t seem to come from a deliberate attempt to spurn God. He points out not once, but twice their failure to look to Him—they had forgotten to ask the simple question, “Where is the Lord?” Israel had forsaken God, not out of their sheer will to leave Him, but out of their lack of will to remember Him. After all God had done, they simply forgot Him amidst everything else they had in front of them.
Today, there are a thousand different things that can command our attention at any given moment. As sinful people, we can’t overestimate our ability to stay focused on heavenly things. It’s too easy for us to assume we’re spending our time well and headed on the right track, when really we’re just pursuing distractions. We don’t want to be the one digging through the clearance bin, only to look up and realize that God is somewhere else. Like the Israelites, it’s usually through our lack of will to remember God—through our passive neglect—that we end up forsaking Him. As He guides us through every context of life, God expects us to follow Him—and this begins by willfully asking the question, “Where is the Lord?”
Prayer: Lord, I know it’s easy for me to forget You. Thank You that even through this, You never leave me nor forsake me. Give me a heart that desires to go where you go, and discerns where You are moving. Help me to go out of my way to seek You out. In Your Name. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Hebrews 3
Lunch Break Study
Read Deuteronomy 8:10-14 (NIV): When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Questions to Consider
- Under what circumstances does the author Moses caution against forgetting God?
- What kind of attitude does Moses say will precede forgetting God?
- What are some steps we can take not to forget about God?
Notes
- In vv. 12-13, Moses paints a picture of wealth, prosperity, and success. After decades of trials and suffering, the Israelites would have finally reached the Promised Land. Of course, this is the land God has given them, and these things are all attributed to the God who brought them through the trials and into the blessing.
- Moses warns against hearts of pride setting in, after experiencing God’s blessing—the implication is that the Israelites will believe that they have worked for and earned all the things that God had blessed them with. They will forget that God was the one who sustained them and blessed them.
- Failing to observe God’s commands, laws, and decrees leads to forgetting Him. By routinely spending time reading His Word and receiving through prayer and meditation, we can create a baseline for God’s commands to be present in our hearts.
Evening Reflection
Think about your day—where was God moving? How does He want you to approach tomorrow differently? Spend some time asking Him to show you where He is, and where He wants you to be.
Today’s AMI QT Devotional is provided by Charles Graham. Charles is a new intern with Kairos, who came aboard in September of 2017. He is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology to prepare himself for a life of service and ministry.
Have you ever been so sure about something, only to discover later, there was more to learn or realize than what you thought was the whole truth? When something grabs my interest, I love reading and studying about it. Whatever it is, I want to know its ins and outs, its background and everything else there is to know about it. I’m a nerd, and I enjoy obsessive study. When I found Christianity, the same instincts kicked in to the nth degree. Now, ignoring my early theological, epistemological, or other scholarly four-syllable word mistakes, in my pride, I really thought my obsessive study habits put me on the path to truly knowing God. Oh, my naivety!
Today’s AMI QT Devotional is written by Esther Chailim. Esther, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently serving as the Director of Ministries at Kairos Christian Church (San Diego) and pursuing a Masters in Christian Ministry and Leadership at Talbot School of Theology.
Three years ago, after sending off our college pastor to serve as a missionary, my role on staff changed from Church Administrator to College Pastor/Director. On paper, this was a step forward, so naturally, I should have felt excitement for this new opportunity; instead, I couldn’t help but feel hesitant about the changes that would soon come my way. I quickly transitioned from a role that I was fairly comfortable and confident with, to one that I felt extremely ill-equipped and unprepared for. As I reluctantly took on the new role, I was quickly met with a great sense of fear, inadequacy and pride. And when I say pride, I don’t mean the boasting kind, but the kind that says, “I don’t measure up” or “I’ll look like a failure.” Like Jeremiah, I felt insecure in my capacity to lead others, let alone a college ministry, and found every excuse to convince myself and others that I was not the right person for the job. My insecurity crippled me from fully embracing my calling and stepping into the role which God had appointed to me in that season.
In yesterday’s devotional on Mark 16:9-14, I wrote about the disciples’ lack of faith and how we ourselves may have unbelief. While trusting in Jesus is a lifelong process, a simple way to exhibit our trust is to obey what Christ has called us, the church, to do.
As someone who has primarily attended non-denominational churches, I am more familiar with contemporary worship songs than classic hymns. However, the few hymns I have sung always resonate with me due to the weightiness of their lyrics. Most recently, I heard “Trust and Obey” for the first time during commencement and was struck by the simple yet straightforward truth in the chorus: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
There are certain times when an individual or organization senses that a monumental change is at hand. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, such a moment came when they rehired Tom Coughlin to be their executive vice president of football operations. Before the hire, Jacksonville had just finished a 3-13 season and missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season. But when Coughlin came on board, his personnel decisions and leadership brought a heightened sense of excellence. As a result, the Jaguars finished 10-6 the season after and were one quarter away from their first Super Bowl appearance.
A word I often heard when I first began serving in church was investment, as in “who or what ministry should I invest in?” I initially felt uncomfortable with the concept (even as a finance major), but over time, I began to understand how applicable it was. Simply put, ministry done well requires investment: whether its discipling someone, preparing for a Bible study or organizing an event, intentional time and effort is required, along with God’s presence and blessing, for fruit to be produced.
In Where is God When It Hurts? (1997), Philip Yancey describes pain as the “gift nobody wants.” To prove his point, Yancey describes a world without physical pain through the eyes of lepers. As leprosy numbs the extremities, lepers are unaware of any accidental cuts or burns, eventually leading to loss of their limbs. Indeed, our body contains “a remarkable network of pain sensors” that keep us from injury. But what if you are exposed to pain and cannot do anything to change your situation? What if pain was not a warning signal but a reminder of your helplessness?
After having worked for a financial corporation in New York City for several years, I have learned that a common theme running through today’s corporate culture is branding. Whether it’s the status of our company or our personal reputation, managing our standing is given high priority. Thus, we meticulously display our best selves on our resumes and social media, and minimize our weaknesses by terming them “areas of improvement.” And if any false accusations are leveled against us—whether through gossip or hearsay—we act quickly to dispel those rumors to maintain our reputation.
The AMI QT Devotionals from April 30-May 6 are provided by Jabez Yeo. Jabez, an alumnus of University of Pennsylvania, just graduated from Columbia International University with a M.A. in Muslim Studies. He is currently working in NYC and serving at Remnant Church-E. He hopes to become a missionary.
One of the strongest ethos of Western society is the self-made person. We are trained to think that if we just work hard, educate ourselves and persevere, we will overcome any obstacles and achieve success. I, of course, am no exception. Yet, many of us live unaware of how our decisions are undoubtedly influenced by others. The explicit or subliminal messages you received from those who have gone before you in your family, church, school or workplace affect the “big-picture” decisions in your relationships, ministries, education and career. Even the most trivial of choices, such as where to eat or what movie to watch, can be made through consulting reviewers on Yelp or Rotten Tomatoes. As human beings, we innately trust someone who has been where we want to go.