September 8, Friday

The AMI QT Devotionals from September 4-10 are provided by Pastor Mark Chun of Radiance Christian Church in S. F. Mark, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.), has been married to Mira for 21 years; they have two children, Jeremiah and Carissa.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Genesis 2:4-9 (NIV)

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man w from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin j and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

I think it surprises some people that the Bible has so much to say about work and how relevant it is to us today—even after thousands of years. From the very first pages of Genesis, we are told that God finished His work of creation and then rested on the seventh day. In most religious views of the world, work is something that is beneath the gods and reserved for lowly humans to undertake; but in the Christian worldview, God literally gets His hands dirty and forms man from the very dust. And you can see from today’s passage that the very first thing that God does for man is to share His love for work with him. Genesis 2:15 states, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” What should be readily apparent is that this mandate was given to humanity before the Fall—that is, before the introduction of sin in the world. This is important for many reasons, but the key theological lesson to be taken from this sequence of events is that work itself is not the curse. Work, like everything else God created, is good but what has been cursed by sin is how man relates to work.

Solomon, after a lifetime of striving and toil, comes to realize one of the most important truths in life: that work of all types is a gift from God. If you can believe this at the bottom of your heart, life becomes less burdensome, more enjoyable, and certainly more fulfilling. One of the worst feelings in life is the sense that your work doesn’t matter or that you are not being as productive as you can be. How many of us feel good after wasting a day browsing the internet and putting off work that we should be taking care? On the flip side, there is a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction in a job well done and knowing that your work is significant. This is what Tim Keller writes about the importance of work in our lives:

Without meaningful work we sense significant inner loss and emptiness. People who are cut off from work because of physical or other reasons quickly discover how much they need work to thrive emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Your ability to work is a gift from God and has the potential to help you flourish. Unfortunately, many of us are not experiencing these blessings from our work. Instead of work causing us to thrive, it is actually having the opposite effect, causing emotional damage, physical exhaustion, and spiritual stagnation. Although all of us know the importance of work, this fact is actually more of a burden than a blessing, and for some, a major source of unhappiness. So if work is a gift from God, why is it also a source of so much frustration? It comes down to the fact that we often can have a sinful relationship with work. We can fall into the trap of deriving our identity from our jobs or becoming workaholics, or conversely—becoming lazy. Whatever the case may be, the solution to the problem of work is given to us by the apostle Paul in Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, and not human masters…”

Prayer: Father, we thank You for the gift of work. Help us to have the appropriate perspective regarding our jobs and careers, and that it would not become an ultimate priority but something we do for Your glory. We confess that it is all too easy to simply work for ourselves or for our employers, forgetting that all our efforts should be directed towards the One who gave us the opportunity and the ability to accomplish fulfilling work. Today, at our places of work, may we be a good testimony of Your goodness by the way we engage with those around us. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 29

Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 3:22-4:1 (NIV): Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. 4 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Questions to Consider

Is this passage advocating slavery or unjust employment practices?
How should Christians relate to their employers?
If you are a Christian employer, how should you relate to your workers?

Notes

This passage has often been used improperly to justify the practice of chattel slavery. However, this form of forced slavery was not what Paul was alluding to. In the Ancient Middle East, many people became indentured servants to pay back debt or deal with other financial hardships. These verses were never meant to promote a stoic acceptance of unfair practices in the workplace.
This passage gives us great insight in terms of the attitude that we should have towards our employers. We should work diligently, even when we are not under direct supervision and be sincere towards them. In the end, a proper work ethic is derived from our reverence for God and the knowledge that we will be rewarded beyond our earthly paychecks if we work as unto the Lord.
I have sometimes witnessed Christians being poor managers, bosses, and employers. This is a sinful waste of a wonderful opportunity to influence those whom God has entrusted into your care. We are to treat our employees with equity, care, and compassion, because this is the way that our Master in heaven treats us.

Evening Reflection

It is so easy to dismiss our work as being insignificant. When I was working in the corporate world, it was easy to say things like “another day, another dollar.” As harmless as this may seem, it revealed a certain attitude that I had in my heart towards my job. In the end, this showed a very low view of the work and opportunity that God had given me. What is your attitude towards your job and your employer? Are you able to rest at the end of the week, knowing that you have worked with all your heart?

September 7, Thursday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Genesis 2:1-3(NIV)

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

The biblical understanding of the Sabbath rest comes primarily from the account of the creation. For six days, God created the universe, and after its completion He rested on the seventh day. But consider this: God—who never tires, gets burnt out, or has need of sleep—decided to take a break. Many of us could only dream of having that kind of energy. If we were God, we would have worked that seventh day and made creation even better. But this is the motivation of God behind His decision to rest: He rested because He saw that everything He had done was very good. The reason why the majority of people are tired is not because of the physical work they do but because of the perpetual restlessness of their souls. They can’t look at anything in their life and say for even a moment, “That is good.” We never allow our souls to come to rest because there is no sense of contentment in what God has done in our lives. We constantly find ourselves striving to prove that we are good enough, smart enough, or capable enough.

Most Christians today think about the Sabbath rest as an archaic, obsolete regulation that is out of touch with our hectic and competitive work environments. I would say to you that the Sabbath was designed exactly for this. For a short moment in the week, we can allow God to remind us that our lives belong securely in His hands, that we are not the authors of our own success, and we can rest from that unreachable goal. The problem is compounded by the fact that we often view church not as a place of rest but just another place to strive. We do this by reducing the Sabbath to another obligation that we need to fulfill in order to prove that we are good Christians. This is what the Pharisees were guilty of; and to them and to us, Jesus reminds us that “man wasn’t made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man”—meaning, God requires the Sabbath not for His benefit but for our own.

One of the great benefits for those of us who are committed to the Sabbath rest is the flourishing of our relationships. When you rest from the daily grind of making a living, getting ahead in this world, and trying to prove your worth, you can focus on the more important things of life—such as your relationship with God and people. This was the heart cry of the early church. Although, it is not written in the book of Acts explicitly, it would seem that many people in this church took time off from work in order to meet day by day, to break bread, to pray, and learn from the apostles. All Christian fellowship is dependent on cycles of rest because you cannot establish deep relationships if you are otherwise consumed by your work and your ambitions. Our God desires this balance in each of our lives and He set the example from the very beginning.

Prayer: Father, You know what is best for us. We acknowledge the temptation to forsake the Sabbath and to live out of our own personal ambition. Help us to take seriously Your command to rest from all of our striving and to trust in Your abundant provision. Teach us how to rest and to take upon us the yoke of Christ that is light and easy. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 28

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 11:28-12:8 (NIV): “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Questions to Consider

What was Jesus’ main dispute with the Pharisees in regard to the Sabbath rest?
What reason does Jesus give for rejecting these traditions?
How is Jesus the “Lord of the Sabbath”?

Notes

The Pharisees had completely forgotten the main purpose of the Sabbath, which was to provide rest for man. Instead, they heaped on all sorts regulations and traditions that made the keeping of the Sabbath a burden rather than a blessing. Due to the proliferation of these man-made rules, people lived in constant fear of breaking the many restrictions surrounding the proper observance of the day. Jesus took offense at this misuse of religious authority by the Pharisees.
Jesus goes to the Scriptures to prove that His disciples did nothing to break the Sabbath. First, Jesus refers to an account in the Old Testament where David, as the king of Israel, is allowed to bend the rules of the Sabbath. In an indirect manner, Jesus is indicating that the true King of Israel has arrived. Second, He refers to the priests who technically had to “work” in order to prepare things for the proper observance of the Sabbath. Through this, Jesus revealed that a legalistic view on the Sabbath could not be biblically supported.
It should be noted that this conflict with the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath comes right after Jesus’ famous statement that His yoke is light and easy. The religion of man leads to more burdens and heaviness while Jesus promises us a faith that leads to rest. Ultimately, we find our true Sabbath rest in Christ.

Evening Reflection

As you prepare to end the day, have you considered the appropriate cycles of work and rest in your life? Are you feeling burnt out or dry spiritually? Perhaps, you haven’t allowed your mind, heart, and soul to rest in the Lord. Make a commitment to observe the Sabbath this weekend and allow the Lord to free you of your burdens.

September 6, Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Genesis 1:27-31(NIV)

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Some years ago, I had a chance to go on a mission trip across the Western United States with a group of high school students; and we went on the streets of cities like Portland, Seattle, and Salt Lake City to share the gospel. One of the first stops during this trip was the campus of Cal Berkeley. After one particular session of street evangelism, we started to discuss our experiences. One student came back very troubled, because he had run into a homeless man who asked him a simple but very profound question: “If God created everything, then who created sin?”

Being relatively new to the Christian faith at that time, I had absolutely no answer to that question—and neither did anyone else in our group. Eventually, we all chose to forget about the question and dismissed it as being too intellectual and simply a hindrance to our faith. Unfortunately, because we didn’t have an answer to this basic philosophical question, we opened the doors of doubt in the mind of this particular student. I now believe that every single Christian should be able to give a rational defense of the Christian faith based on the word of God.

Knowing Berkeley, I would not be surprised if this man habitually used the dilemma of the origin of sin and evil as a stumbling block to believers. The reason why this question is so loaded is that at the heart of the matter, it casts a shadow doubt on the goodness of God. And once you start doubting God’s goodness, you cannot trust Him, you cannot love Him, and you certainly cannot live for Him. Our relationship with God is predicated on His goodness, and that is why the first chapter of the Bible is spent establishing that God is good and that everything He created at the beginning was also very good. In hindsight, if we understood the story of Genesis, we could have given a satisfying answer to the question of the origins of evil.

Everything that God created was good, but He also created morally free creatures who have the potential to take that which is good and use it for evil. Even the fact that we are born with our freedom is a good thing. However, what we choose to do with that freedom is entirely up to us, and we will be held responsible for it. In the world that God created, the freedom of man could only be truly free if there was also the potential for evil. Sadly, in our world, we take many of the things that God created for good, and we exercise our moral agency and use it for evil. This does not negate God’s goodness, but rather it highlights our wickedness and our need for His saving grace.

Prayer: Lord, we bless You because You are good and Your love endures forever. Even though we are tempted to question Your goodness and compassion towards us, we acknowledge that You are not like us and You do not waver between good and evil. You are good at all times and You never change. May we rest our hope in Your unwavering goodness. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 27

Lunch Break Study

Read James 1:13-18 (NIV): When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

Questions to Consider

Why is it wrong to accuse God of tempting us?
What is the source of our temptation?
How can we fight against the deception and lies of the enemy?

Notes

James makes it clear that God cannot be tempted by sin nor does He actively tempt anyone to sin. However, God does permit Satan as a free being to bring temptation into the believer’s life; but this is vastly different from saying that God personally is involved in tempting us with sin.
The source of our temptation rests within our own sinful nature. This is the area of our hearts that Satan exposes and takes advantage of because we are enticed by our own evil desires. This also gives us strong motivation to put to death the old nature and to live in the newness of life.
We combat the lies of the enemy by growing in the truth of God’s word and believing in the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. Every good and perfect gift has come from an unchanging God.

Evening Reflection

It is so important to pause once in a while to consider the goodness of God. In what ways has God been good to you? Think about your family and friends, your health, your job, and your church. These are all blessings from the hands of God. It is easy to believe in God’s goodness when things are going well. The challenge is to trust that God is good when life is difficult.

September 5, Tuesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Genesis 1:3-24 (NIV 2011)

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

In today’s world, creationism is dismissed as a myth or the wishful dreams of the uneducated. CS Lewis once observed that within the scientific discipline, biologists tend to be the most irreligious and that physicists are the most religious. The reason for this general trend is evident. Biologists tend to look at life as a closed system, that there is life and death, a beginning and an end. On the other hand, physicists ultimately have to deal with the mystery of ultimate beginnings and how the universe came to be. Any honest scientist has to confess that the idea of the universe being created from nothing cannot be intellectually satisfying.

I would propose that the view that is better than any theory out there is the belief that the universe began by the initiative of God. In fact, the idea that everything has its beginnings in God’s initiative is at the heart of Biblical Christianity. The world was created because God desired its creation. The fallen mankind can be saved because before the foundation of the world, God chose his Son as a ransom for our sin. We can love because God first loved us from the very beginning and we can know Him because He has made Himself known. Our fundamental understanding of God comes from the belief that everything starts with Him, including our own existence.

The acceptance of God as our creator is the most logical place to start a relationship with Him. Some years ago, a young woman, who was wrestling with her faith, asked me, “Did God create man or did man create God?’’ And whether she realized it or not, she landed on the foundational question that every single person, whether you are religious or not, has to answer. And ultimately your answer to this question places you on two completely different paths of life. Sadly, this young woman decided that God was an invention of man and decided to walk away from the Christian faith.
Our world is filled with distorted ideas of who God is and what spirituality should look like. Every idol and every false system of theology begins with a rejection of God’s initiative and replaces it with the initiative of man. We become the creators of our own gods. The challenge that awaits us as Christians is how we can break the stronghold of idolatry and the deception of false gods (e.g., materialism).

Prayer: Lord, we thank You for taking the initiative in creating us and ultimately loving the ones You created. As You have first loved us through Christ, teach us to love others in the same way. Help us to submit our lives to You so that You can shape us as the potter shapes the clay. Reminds us that in You we move and breathe and have our being. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 26

Lunch Break Study

Ephesians 1:3-10 (NIV 2011): Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship n through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Questions to Consider:

When did God come up with the plan of salvation?
Why and for what reason did God predestine our relationship with Him?
Where does our salvation fall into the greater scope of God’s plan?

Notes:

We read that God chose His people for salvation even before the creation of the world. This reminds us that none of the events of history came as a surprise to God. Sin and all of its consequences were permitted by the will of God so that He could choose a people for Himself solely on the basis of His grace.
Although there is a lot of debate about predestination, the apostle Paul’s main emphasis was on God’s love as the primary reason for initiating this relationship with us. From the beginning of time, it was God’s plan to take sinners like us and adopt us into His family as spiritual sons and daughters.
Man’s salvation is the climax of God’s saving work. It is the crowning achievement in the redemption of the whole created order. One day God will bring all things into unity under the reign and rule of Christ. This is why Paul tells us that all of creation waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:19)

Evening Reflection

Every day is a gift from the Lord. It is one more day to celebrate His salvation and to live in the joyful knowledge that God has known you and loved you from the very beginning. As parents carefully plan their future family, Christ has been preparing a place for you in God’s family. Reflect on this truth and pray to the Lord.

September 4, Monday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Genesis 1:1-3 (ESV)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.^[1]

As we look at the creation account, it begins with arguably the most famous sentence in English literature: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This short sentence tells us so much about the nature of God: His eternity, His infinitude, and His power.

The fact that God stands outside of the confines of time and space, that He is there before the beginning, is a truth that was meant to shake our lives. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that God has placed eternity into the hearts of men. There is a desire in all of us to be immortal, to have our lives count for something beyond these 70 years; and if given a chance we will do almost anything to extend the length of our lives. A couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article about some of the new designer drugs against cancer; and sadly, the title was “How much would you pay for an extra month of life?” This was a report on some of the new cancer treatments that are not covered by insurance, which can run upwards of $25,000 per month to extend a patient’s life for 2 to 4 months at the maximum. These pharmaceutical companies are making millions of dollars, capitalizing on the natural human desire to live forever.

Most people think about eternity when it is too late, but the life of faith begins when we seriously consider the impact of eternity on our lives. The doctrine of eternity both challenges us and comforts us. How much would our lives change, if we truly believed that “right now counts for eternity,” or if we realized that the true importance of this life is that it determines the destiny of our lives forever. For those of us who are looking for answers in this life, the doctrine of eternity even provides comfort. Perhaps a million years from now, we can look back at the difficult times of life, and discover that God has wasted nothing from our lives on Earth, that every agony gives birth to an eternal joy. The eternal God gives us the gift of eternity through his Son, who provides hope for our despair and shines light into our darkness.

Prayer: Father, our minds cannot comprehend that before time You were! Even in this most basic concept, we are reminded that there is no one who compares to You. Your ways are truly higher than our ways and Your thoughts higher than our thoughts. Give us the humility to recognize our place as Your creation and Your place as our creator. As clay in the hands of a potter, may we be shaped for Your purpose and will. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 25

Lunch Break Study

Read: Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 (ESV) What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. 14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.^[2]

Questions to Consider:

What should be our attitude towards the difficulties of work?
As we go through the busyness of life, what allows us to keep perspective?
Why is God’s eternal nature important for us to keep in mind?

Notes:

The Hebrew word translated as “business” is probably better rendered as “travail or labor.” This is a description of work that is under the curse of sin. We have to spend much of our lives working for things that will not last. Fortunately, God deems this to be the appropriate thing in this life. Again the Hebrew word translated as “beautiful” can be better translated as “appropriate.” The fact that God sees this as the right thing to do allows us to take pleasure even in our work.
We are not to be consumed by our work because there is something far more significant to live for. Too many times, we enjoy work too much and forget the curse that makes the fruit of our labor insignificant. For this reason, God has placed eternity in the hearts of men so that we would weigh things from an eternal perspective.
God’s eternal nature should cause us to revere God and live in the fear of Him. Only the things that God does and says are guaranteed to last forever. Most of what we do will not stand the test of time. Although there are some questions about the meaning of verse 15, I believe it is alluding to God’s desire to restore man’s ability to live with Him for all of time. Because of sin, we were driven away from paradise, but God sent His Son to seek those who were lost.

Evening Reflection

When is the last time you gave serious consideration to eternity and life after death? Does this cause you fear or anxiety, or are you looking forward to reuniting wit h Christ? Take time tonight to reflect on the eternal treasures that you are building up, and how you can adjust your life to pursue those things that will last forever.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 1:1–3). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ec 3:9–15). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

September 3, Sunday

The AMI QT Devotionals from August 28-September 3 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.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Commissioned”

Luke 9:1-3

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey-no staff, no bag no bread, no money, no extra shirt.”

In this story found in Luke 9, Jesus gathers His disciples and does a few things whereby He sets a platform for them to have confidence to do His work. First, He commissions them by giving them power and authority, authorizing them. Jesus gives them simple commands—drive out demons, cure diseases, etc.—which seem very difficult to anyone. He releases them to demonstrate to others that the Kingdom of God was at hand and that Jesus had the answers to their sufferings, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional. Then, He also tells the disciples to take nothing for the journey. By this, He positions them to trust in Him for their provisional needs, setting them up to experience His power firsthand. Jesus wanted them to experience that God was not only capable but incredibly faithful. They were about to see that wherever they went, they would be carrying God’s very presence with them, and that God would always be with them.

These are truths for us today. Through the redemptive work of Jesus, we are now carriers of God’s presence to demonstrate to the world what the arrival of our Savior means for them. It is the Lord’s pleasure to reveal Himself to people through us. We need only to trust Him and mindfully step out as the disciples were commissioned to do. The Lord has already qualified us for His work. As with the disciples, He has given us a platform to be confident in Him. So let us not take this commissioning lightly, but allow ourselves to be that vessel that brings God’s answers to others—this is the good works He has prepared for us to do. Let us be intentional in our relationships and interactions with those whom God has placed in our lives, in order that we would be a source by which they will experience God’s amazing and faithful demonstration of Himself through our words, prayers, actions—and release of His miraculous ways.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for not only trusting us to do Your work but equipping us with Your very presence to do it. Please help us to be willing but to also be compelled by Your love to be that vessel. Allow us, Lord, to experience and also demonstrate Your great power working through us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading: Isaiah 24

September 2, Saturday

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“Enduring in Prayer”

Psalm 40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me and heard my cry.

When our oldest daughter Anna was two years old, I quit my job in hopes to have another child and be a stay-at- home mother. My husband and I thought that by the time we had our second, the kids would be three years apart, which seemed ideal to us. However, things did not go as smoothly. I was unable to get pregnant as easily as we had anticipated or experienced with our first child. But, whether the enemy intends for harm, or life brings us challenges to overcome, God will always use the situation for our good (Rom. 8:28).

The waiting period of about one year was a wonderful time of discovery for me in my personal relationship with the Lord. One main thing I learned was the importance of persistent prayer. There is something about the process of persisting in prayer that God uses to develop maturity in us that cannot be obtained outside of enduring. Prayer is a learning place in itself, meaning it is a place of being taken deeper into God’s love, getting an inside scoop to God’s plans, His heart and likeness, revelations about ourselves, understanding the operations of spiritual realm, etc. However, persistence in prayer seasons us and develops character that enables us to stand when uncertain times come. It deepens our spiritual endurance and perception, enabling us to know the Lord in stillness and in trust. The Lord has assured us that we shall reap in due time if we do not give up.

In Luke 18, we see Jesus Himself teaching His disciples this principle of persisting in prayer by sharing a parable with them about a widow who kept coming to a judge. The judge ends up granting her what she wanted because of nothing else than her sheer persistence. Also, in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are encouraged to pray without ceasing, yielding, or giving up. When the Lord tells us to keep praying, He is assuring us that there is something to be gained in the process and in the end. The process is just as important, if not more, to the Lord.

In Beni Johnson’s book, The Happy Intercessor, she shares a story of a man who died for four minutes and returned to life. He testified that heaven was actually loud because of all the intercession taking place. Our intercession and what is the Lord’s will in heaven eventually coming together into one rhythm and heartbeat when we do not give up. And as we wait on the Lord, seeking Him without giving up, we too will sing as David sang in Psalm 40:1: “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined to me and heard my cry.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the joy of waiting on You in prayer. Thank You that the process will be used for my good as that is how You do things. I want to be still before You as I learn to endure and trust in Your faithfulness. I want more of You that is to be gained than anything else. Thank you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for today: Isaiah 22-23

September 1, Friday

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

Just a glimpse

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.

Jonah 1:1

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. …

Very recently, my family—along with many friends— watched a play called “Jonah,” at Sight and Sound Theater in Pennsylvania. Now Jonah is not necessarily a Bible figure that I personally admired, because he did not come across as one who was after God’s heart, like David, Daniel, and Nehemiah. However, as I watched the play, I began to relate with this character more than I had when reading through the book of Jonah.

In the play, the story goes that Jonah had not heard from the Lord in 17 years. He was a prophet of that time, which means that God’s people relied on him as a messenger of God—to be God’s voice for them. To their dismay, the Lord had not given him a word for a long period. God was silent. So, Jonah in his earnest desire to hear from the Lord seeks Him every day, devoting himself to God in his room. Then one day, the moment came when, finally, the Lord speaks to Jonah. In his initial moment of encounter with the Lord (as highlighted in the play), he is ecstatic beyond words and marvelously delighted (although he eventually realizes what God is asking of him to do).

In a similar way, we should live in such singular pursuit of God, longing to experience and see God. Just one glimpse of God’s glory or one word from Him is like a refreshing drop of water to a thirsty soul. It refreshes life in us and revives us to purposefulness; it deeply satisfies, taking away restlessness and discontentment. Someone asked me recently at a meeting if I am always consumed with wanting an encounter with God; and if I am honest with myself, the answer is probably yes! This is not because I believe that God is far, by any means. I know that His very Spirit lives in me, but there is an unrelenting hunger and cry to have the eyes to see God. There should be a cry in our souls that we will be purified in order that all of Christ will shine and be so evident. This is the true blessedness of life: to have the purity of heart to see God ever so present and actively engaging among us.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, how lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord! I love Your presence and You are everything that my soul really needs. Thank You for loving me so richly. Please purify every part of me in order that Christ might shine through me, bringing myself and others into deeper encounters with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for today: Isaiah 21

Lunch Break Study

Read John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Mark 4:18: And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Questions to consider

Recall the last moments that you encountered God through His Word, prayer, presence, or experience.
What are some things in your heart that may be keeping you from being able to see God?
What are the things and desires that has been consuming you lately?

Notes

Every relationship has a history that is shared, though some may be longer than others. It is helpful to call to mind key moments that you have shared with the Lord as it enriches your relationship.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any impurities in your heart that prevent you from seeing God (i.e., unbelief, unforgiveness, cynicism, etc.), and ask Him to cleanse you.
If God is not on the forefront of our longings, then this means that there are competing things. Ask the Lord to show you the things that may be competing for your passion and heart. Read Matthew 22:37.

Evening Reflection

This morning, we began by reflecting on desiring purity of heart in order to see more of God in our lives. In the light of this sharing, how were you able to see God today?

August 31, Thursday

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“Anchored in Hope”

Hebrews 6:19-20

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm & secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf….

I was about 7 years old when our family immigrated to the US. In order to assimilate us to the new life and help us adapt quicker, my father followed all the American traditions. We celebrated all the holidays in the same ways the Americans did. For example, every Christmas Eve, he would put a present above our heads while we were sleeping so that when we’d wake up in the morning, we would believe that Santa had come. As a young child, this was an extraordinary thing to look forward to. The anticipation of what Santa would bring was so great that it was hard to even fall asleep. I’d stay up wondering if I had been naughty or nice.

This anticipation, this HOPE, was a powerful force. For this reason, we all need hope. Hope defines what we’re living for; it is full of anticipation, expectation, making the heart feel alive and thrive. However, life brings storms at times that can rob us of this hope. Difficult times and hardships do come. It can be for an hour, a day, months, or for years. So it is wise to address what is robbing our hope. During such times, there are two key things you can do to help you anchor your soul in the Lord: First, you can allow yourself to process any pain or grieving. Grief can happen at many levels. It can be as traumatic as losing a loved one or as seemingly “common” as losing trust. Mourning this loss is a vital step to healing and moving forward. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what is going on inside of you so He can bring it out into the light. Nothing is considered unimportant before God.

Second, recollect and rejoice in the Lord. Jesus can be found in the process of everything, even in the darkest times and places. Hence, the Lord says, “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4). Rejoicing gives us strength. There is nothing better than celebrating the Heavenly Father so that He can fortify you in His love. By doing these things, you will be reaffirmed that no matter what, Jesus will always keep you firmly anchored in His hope.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that because of Jesus, my soul is firmly anchored in Your hope. Please remind me during difficult times to keep my eyes on You and rejoice in You so that I may have the strength to overcome anything that would try to rob me of my joy and hope. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for today: Isaiah 20

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

James 1:2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Questions to consider:

What are some things that you hope for?
Is there anything that you may need to grieve over which you may have buried deep inside?
What is one difficulty or trial in your life that you can rejoice in the Lord for today?

Notes

God created all of us so that we need to hope; in fact, it is healthy to hope. Yet hopelessness permeates our society today. Satan—the epitome of hopelessness—is a thief, and his objective is to steal from us the very blessings that are before us and lie within us.
Grieving can be over a loss of something. It can be over losing a loved one, a sense of security, youth, freedom, ability, trust, visions or dreams, etc.
Romans 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” In other words, we always have a reason to celebrate in hope, be patient when hard times come, and we should keep praying. When we do this, God will be able to take our mourning and turn it into gladness.

Evening Reflection

This morning we began by being reminded that we can take steps to remain in the hope that Jesus has anchored us in. In light of this, how did you fare in walking in that hope today?

August 30, Wednesday

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

You First

Ephesians 5:21

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

About eleven years ago at which time my husband and I were pastoring a different church, we had various missionaries and ministers from around the world come through our church. Those were equipping years and I learned so much during that season. I learned not necessarily intellectual or theological things, but what “the culture of God’s Kingdom” really looks like.

One key thing I observed was the importance of honor. A lot of these people had incredible stories of amazing things they had seen God do, and as such, they brought an air of authority. Yet, one common characteristic I noticed about them was that they knew how to honor others, especially those engaged in the advancement of the gospel. They were reverent toward others; they elevated others above themselves; and they understood the importance of submitting to those whom God had placed as authority above them. This “consider[ing] others better than yourselves” (Phi. 2:3), to the point of submitting to them, was ultimately honoring God, as the apostle Paul says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

There is beauty in a culture that is built on the heart of submission in which brothers and sisters honor one another. Hearts are enlarged for God in such an atmosphere and there is harmony. So, every time we speak generously of others rather than fault-finding, elevate others above ourselves rather than competing to win, we cultivate an atmosphere of honor. As one pastor put it, honor is a royal attribute of who we are as citizens of heaven. This means that we regard and think of others more highly than ourselves.

There is, however, another component to honoring. We are to also abide respectfully of the institutions/authorities that have been placed above us. Our citizenship in heaven (Phil. 3:20) does not equate to defying what is required of us as citizens here on earth. We respect the authorities and laws that “have been established by God” (Rom. 13:1) for the common good as well as for the sake of Christ; thus, we pray for our leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-2) rather than criticizing them. This, then, allows us to be model citizens (i.e., a city on a hill—Mt. 5:14), and as God’s people whose lifestyle bestows respect and honor, we are kept blameless and pure in a society that needs the light of Jesus to guide its path. Something to think about in our deeply divided nation.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I thank You for such a great privilege as Your daughter and a royal citizen of Your kingdom. Thank You that every time I honor another and respect the authorities You have placed above me, it advances Your purpose and sustains the culture by which we are called to live. I pray let Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bible Reading for today: Isaiah 19

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

Questions to consider

How is God speaking to you personally about honor today?
What is one thing you can do to honor another person in your life who has been difficult for you to like, much less honor?
What are some things you could be praying over the President and leaders in our government?

Notes:

If you have trouble honoring others, what may be lying deep down in your heart that is blocking your ability to do so? You may have been hurt by someone in authority, abused while growing up, etc. Ask the Lord to show you any blocks, vows, or determinations (e.g., “I will never . . .”) that you may have made that keeps your heart from honoring.
Sometimes the first step to honoring someone with whom you have had difficulty is forgiving that person. Speak out prayers of forgiveness; let go the grudge you have been holding against that individual in Jesus’ name. This will begin to release you from the attitude of resentment and bitterness (a.k.a., ungodly soul ties) that always cripples the desire and ability to honor those whom we dislike for whatever reasons.
Read over 1 Timothy 2:1-2 and Romans 13:1.

Evening Reflection

In light of what we meditated on this morning, how did you fare in terms of honoring others and your authorities today? Remember Romans 12:10: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”