Devotional Thoughts for Today
Luke 23: 22-25
“Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.” But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.”
It was exactly three times that Pontius Pilate made known to the people that Jesus was an innocent man. “I have found no reason for death in Him,” (v.22) he shouted. “But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.” (v.23). It was a somber and grim day when an innocent man was condemned to die by the very people for whom Jesus spent years loving and ministering.
How could this be? How could the same crowd that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem with exuberant joys now be urging for his crucifixion? It is confounding. Why would anyone with even a slightly sound mind demand the release of a murderer (“notorious prisoner”—Matt 27:16) over a peaceful man whose crime they could not account?
The explanation is God. They would have had no power over Him unless it was given from above (John 19:11). Isaiah 53:10 say, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief.” It was only by the designation of our incredibly good God that such an unexplainable turn of events could occur without reason. This is the sovereignty of God. What appeared to be a confusing moment in history was the process through which God was establishing salvation. All of mankind would benefit from what will come out of this one confusing moment in history. To see God in everyday life, through all of the challenges and trials, it is important for us not to lose sight of God’s sovereign power that is always at work for us.
As for us, we need not complain in our moments of discomfort and lack of understanding. Instead, when we recognize the mighty hand of God that prevails over all things, we shall choose to worship and offer up thanksgiving. As we do this, we will be anchored in peace no matter how difficult it may be at times to see the goodness of God. As we wait on Him in this way, we will see that the Lord will certainly bring us out of any grim days with an experience of His goodness and promise to work all things for the great good of those who love Him! (Rom 8:28)
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, how great thou art! I worship You this day and lift up praises to You because You are Lord over all. Forgive me for times that I make You small in my thinking and lose sight of Your intention to work all things out for my good. Help me Lord to hold onto the truths of who You are and find strength to wait upon You in all things. Thank you! Amen.
Lunch Break Study
Read Psalm 103:1-5: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Questions to consider
- What is one thing in your life right now that may seem “grim”?
- What are some ways that you can process this “grimness” in light of God’s truth for you? Search some verses in God’s Word that give you perspective from the mind of Christ in you. Hold onto His promise.
- Take a writing pad and write a song or psalm unto the Lord that gives Him praise for who He is and all that He is doing in your life (despite how hard it has been).
Notes
- We often process life from a moment to moment perspective, thereby becoming overwhelmed and hopeless. However, God is confidently working out goodness in our lives. He has a perspective of a wider scope. His perspective is eternal, not momentary. Hence it says in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…” So we have every reason to hold onto hope during our dark and difficult days. God will certainly bring us out from them!
- Nahum 1:7; Ps 34:8; Ps. 31:19; 1 Timothy 4:4; Exodus 34:6; Jeremiah 29:11
- Thanksgiving and praise lift off the dark cloud that can loom over our minds and empower us to strength and peace.
Bible Reading for today: Galatians 4
Evening Reflection
In light of our reflection this morning on the sovereign goodness of God at work in our lives, how were you able to process difficulties today in the light of this truth?
There is a Chinese video I ran across several years ago that profoundly remained with me. Perhaps you have seen it. It is about a mother who lives remotely in the mountains, many miles away from her daughter. Upon finding out that her grown and married child was tired, the aged mother, who is ill with cataracts, rummages into the mountains to pick some vegetable so that she can make her daughter some soup. She then begins her long journey to visit her child in the city by buying a bus ticket with the little money she has. She faces many challenges on the way due to her poor eyesight and her lack of familiarity with the city. Fortunately, despite all the obstacles, the mother manages to arrive at the daughter’s apartment; and finally, fumbles her way to making the soup she had set her heart to make.
God created the human body to be a miraculous mechanism, possessing the ability to self-regulate. One of its most important processes in self-regulation is its extraordinary ability to cleanse and detox itself. Without detoxing, the toxins in the body will get absorbed into the bloodstream, on setting pollution and damage. This would ultimately lead to death, if it is left unaddressed. Therefore, cleansing is a vital function for the body, which also is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). It keeps us whole and able to have a vibrant, healthy life. This concept of cleansing is even more important when it comes to our spiritual state.
The AMI QT Devotionals from March 26-April 1 are provided by Hee Jung Lee. Hee Jung, a graduate of Biblical Theological Seminary, serves at Catalyst Agape Church (New Jersey) along with her husband Pastor Sam Lee. They have four beautiful daughters.
“It feels like I’m always chasing you, Lord,” I recently said to God in my prayer time, retrospectively recollecting on my constant pursuit to experience more of His power and presence. It’s not as if He has ever been farther than the breath on my lips, but without question, I have sought Him; and I continue to invest my heart to seeking after the Lord. I have relentlessly pursued Him in the private, and I have sought to encounter Him in the public.
I imagine that it was a bright, sunny, and glorious day. One of those picture perfect days when Jesus was mounted upon a donkey, riding into Jerusalem with a massive crowd exalting Him. Yet it would be this very week that He would be betrayed by the same people and face an agonizing crucifixion. The King of Kings entered into His fate and purpose for which He came into the world with great meekness and mercy. His entering into the world also was of the same manner: born to ordinary citizens in a place unfamiliar to the glamorous and powerful. Yet as Jesus enters into Jerusalem, the crowd rejoices greatly, with an unrestrainable acknowledgment of His majesty. It was as Prophet Zechariah spoke: “… Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Are you a young parent? Let me share a tip on how to have a great family time—without spending hardly anything. Not interested? Oh, money is not the issue? Okay, I get it, but don’t you know by now that money cannot buy happiness, and costly family vacations do not guarantee pleasant memories? Well, let me share a lesson I learned as a young father 18 years ago, when my kids were nine, six, and three years old—at the time were living in Southern California.
Trevor Hoffman, who played in the Major League Baseball for 18 years, mostly with San Diego Padres, was an incredible relief pitcher who saved more than 600 games! In 1998, Hoffman was at his best as his success ratio of saving games was nearly perfect—98 percent. So it was long over-due that Hoffman was finally elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year. Ironically, it was that year—the 1998 World Series—that the whole world witnessed his imperfection. Pitching to a Yankee player named Scott Brosius, who hit about .200 that year (very pathetic), Hoffman gave up a home run that won the game for the Yankees.
Gloucester, Massachusetts was historically known for being an important shipbuilding center. More than 100,000 Gloucestermen died at sea due to severe storms from 1663-1923. In 1925, the town designed and built a sculpture famously known as the Man at the Wheel. On a small plaque it reads, “Memorial To The Gloucester Fisherman, August 23, 1923.” On the front plaque there is an inscription taken from Psalm 107:23: “They that go down to the sea in ships”. In 2000, there was a movie titled The Perfect Storm that was based on a true story dedicated to the Gloucestermen lost at sea.
The AMI QT Devotionals for March 22-23 are provided by Pastor David Yoon. David, a graduate of California Baptist University and Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), is serving at Tapestry LA Church as the college pastor.
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior at a summer youth retreat in seventh grade. I still remember the tent that was used as the chapel, and where I was standing when I first experienced God’s overwhelming love and grace. During praise and response, I would lift my hands up to worship God; and at times, I would get on my knees to pray as my eyes filled with tears—my heart was filled with the Holy Spirit. Looking back, this was when my love relationship with God began and a spiritual marker in my life.
If I came to you and claimed I can throw a baseball over 150 mph, you might say, “Nice try, but that’s not funny.” If I can back to you the next day and made the same claim, you might think, there is something seriously wrong with me. If I followed up next day with the same statement without a hint of humor, you will have to conclude I am flat out lying, or there is something mentally wrong with me, or quite unlikely, I might be the god of baseball.