Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Living By Faith”
Genesis 48:1-4
After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’
Often, when people of faith come to confront death, they see life with a greater clarity. Poet Edmund Waller writes:
“The soul’s dark cottage, battered and decayed
Lets in new light through chinks that time has made…”
We see this in an old barn whose roof and siding have begun to bow and sag, so that shafts of light beam come through like searchlights. This was certainly true in the life of Jacob. His believing eyes afforded him a clear vision of the future for both himself and his sons. As death approached, Jacob was able to exercise faith so extraordinary that the New Testament’s “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11 selected this singular event that characterized him as a man of faith: the blessing of Joseph’s son Ephraim and Manasseh. “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff (Heb. 11:21).”
I remember a preacher asking this question in a sermon: “Is there anything in your life right now that requires faith?” If we are honest, maybe we have everything so controlled and planned out that our lives require very little faith. As believers, we should always be challenged in areas of our life where apart from God’s mighty hand, it would be impossible to accomplish—that’s what faith is.
Take some time to examine your life this morning. Are you living by faith and not by sight? Where does God need to challenge you in the area of faith? It could be your money, time, future, provision, etc. Let’s surrender to Him as we pray that He would increase our faith.
Prayer: Lord, help us to live by faith and not by sight. By Your strength give us the courage to take steps of faith in our everyday life. Amen!
Bible Reading for Today: Joshua 7
Lunch Break Study
Read Matthew 7:24-27: Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
Questions to Consider
- What are the characteristics of a wise person? How about a foolish person?
- What will ultimately determine where your foundation is according to this passage?
- Which person do you resemble? Why? How can you be more like the wise person?
Notes
- He builds his life on the foundation of Jesus by obeying His Word. Jesus wants to us to see that total surrender to Him is living wisely. A foolish person builds his life on things other than Jesus and His word.
- Everyone will face storms and hardships; and when they come, it will determine which foundation you are building your life on.
- Reflect and pray that your life would be built on the foundation of Christ.
Evening Reflection
Take some time in personal worship through prayer, song or the Word. Meditate on the promises and truths of God. As you do, ask Him to give you courageous faith.
Yesterday was a sad day as we mourned the death of evangelist Billy Graham. He preached to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history, which was nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories, with “hundreds of millions more” viewing him on television, video, film and webcasts. He continued to do crusades even into his 80’s, and when asked what his purpose in life was, Billy responded, “My one purpose in life, is to help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ.” Billy will be remembered for his impact he had proclaiming the gospel in the world. He lived a life well-lived and finished well.
All Christians experience suffering—whether it be in the past, present, or in the future. But just because we experience suffering as we await the redemption of our bodies, it doesn’t mean that our suffering is random or without purpose. And neither does it mean that Scripture doesn’t tell us how to think about our suffering now. Tim Keller, in Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, puts it like this:
It’s a hard concept to grasp that God uses the failures and shortcomings of His people and redeems it for His glory. I recently heard a testimony of a Christian leader who fell into the addiction of pornography. It had almost destroyed his marriage, family, and his ministry; but through the love and support of people around him, he received treatment for his addiction and now helps others with similar struggles. What a story of redemption!
The AMI QT Devotionals from February 19-25 are provided by Pastor David Kwon of Journey Community Church (Raleigh). David, a graduate of Drexel University and Columbia International University (M.Div.) is married to Helen (“Pie”) and they have three beautiful daughters (Cara, Phoebe, and Ruth).
A few years ago, I had forgotten to pick up my daughter after school. I remember that I had gotten extremely busy that day with work and meetings and I eventually forgot what time it was. Her school eventually called me and when I picked her up, she was quick to forgive me for being late, but the reality is that no one likes to be forgotten.
Death is something that few like to think about or talk about, but we all know that death is inevitable and unavoidable. We would rather talk about living a good life, but sooner or later, we have to face our mortality. Though it may seem morbid and depressing, maybe we would be much better off, if— instead of thinking about having a good time and avoiding death—we thought about what it means to die well.
One of the most laborious and painstaking things in life is—moving. This past summer my family moved from our old apartment into our new house, and while we were thankful for God’s provision of a new home, the process was not fun at all. If you’ve moved recently, you know that it’s so much work: you pack up all of your belongings and put them in boxes, much less load up a truck, recruit help, unload, clean your old place and your new place, and the list goes on. Because there’s just so much work involved, as people get older, there is a growing desire to be settled. I’d imagine that for most of us, by the time we reach retirement age, the last thing we’d want to do is to move.
My parents came to the United States as refugees who fled from Vietnam. They, along with my sister who was a toddler at the time, immigrated with no money or possessions, and no knowledge of the culture or English. You would think that they had little chance of surviving or that they were doomed to live a life of poverty, but what they experienced was far from that. They were sponsored by a local church that gave so freely and generously to my family. This church helped my parents find housing, taught them English and how to drive, and helped find jobs and even childcare. My parents were incredibly blessed and so thankful for the lavish generosity and favor shown them by strangers.
I have distinct memories of my parents telling me starting at a very young age that it was my responsibility to be successful—that is, to grow up, do well in school, and get a good, well-paying job. The purpose was so that I could provide for my parents financially and take care of them. They would move into the house I owned that would presumably be big enough for them and my future wife and children. This is the expectation of a firstborn son, like me, in a traditional Chinese family.
The AMI QT Devotionals from February 12-18 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.
“Is the glass half empty or half full?” If someone answers that it’s half full, you can presume that he approaches life with optimism, but if someone says the glass is half empty, then he must be a pessimist, perceiving situations with a negative point of view. There’s no right or wrong answer, of course, but what this question shows us is that how a situation is perceived depends on one’s point of view.