April 27, Thursday

The AMI QT Devotionals from April 24-30 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 their first baby Tyler.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“Not Tourists but Ambassadors”

2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

One of the biggest pitfalls of the social media is that we see pictures of people on vacation. We’ll go into Facebook and see that friend from college having an amazing time, swimming with dolphins in the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. Or on Instagram, we may see a neighbor on a rustic European vacation, surveying the beautiful Roman architecture, hiking through the Alps, and eating exquisite European cuisine.

Now, of course, there’s nothing wrong with taking a vacation or going sightseeing, but when we see these pictures pop up on our screen, a couple of problems arise: First of all, most of us can’t avoid feeling a sense of envy or comparison and think, I need to go to such and such a place and take in the sights, sounds, and food! We can’t help but want to be tourists of all of these different parts of the world. Secondly, as we are exposed to these pictures again and again, we get lulled into a mindset that this world is our playground and that the main purpose of going to any place is for our enjoyment and consumption. These destinations end up being places to be used and enjoyed, where we just drop in for our own personal pleasure and then leave. Meanwhile, we become desensitized to the fact that these are places are where people live, where there are people who need to be reconciled to God, and where people are in need of a Savior.

We are not called to be tourists to all of the hotspots of this world—but rather we called to be ambassadors for Christ. Ambassadors do go to foreign lands, but they don’t go only to consume and enjoy; they go to represent their kingdom, appealing to others on behalf of their king. As ambassadors for Christ, we are called to go and cross cultures—domestically and internationally—with a divine purpose. We need to see every person that we encounter as people that God wants to make His appeal to, so that we could be a blessing to the people of this world. Let us strive to represent our King this day as ambassadors for Christ!

Prayer: Jesus, I pray that today, I can be an ambassador for You. Help me live in this world while not being of this world. Help me turn away from a consumer mindset, but instead may I seek to be a blessing wherever I go this day. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 20

LUNCH BREAK STUDY

Read Jonah 4:5-10: Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

Questions to Consider

What made Jonah exceedingly glad about the plant?
How did Jonah feel about the people of Nineveh?
How often do you and I have more love for inanimate objects, and what they do for us, than for people we see or walk by every day, people made in the image of God? According to this passage, how does God feel about them?

Notes

Because it provided a shade for him as he sat in the hot sun—he enjoyed the plant because of what it did for him.
It says that Jonah was sitting where he sat to “see what would become of the city,” thinking he had front row seats for when the city of Nineveh would be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. Clearly, Jonah had no love for the 120,000 people of the city of Nineveh. He did not see them as people whom God loved and wanted to make His appeal towards, but he essentially saw them in his own mind as less than human.
God clearly has a heart for the people of Nineveh—calling it a “great city”—and God even makes it a point to show that He knows the number of people in that city. We should reflect on our own hearts and how we need more of God’s heart for the people of this world.

EVENING REFLECTION

What does it mean for you to live like an ambassador of Christ in your neighborhood, school, job, family, etc.? Think about how you can continue to change your mindset from that of a tourist/consumer, to that of ambassador, as you experience God’s heart for you.

April 26, Wednesday

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“According to the Flesh”

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Rightly or wrongly, in any news story in the United States, it is incredibly easy for people to point their fingers and claim that race was a major factor. We see this in major issues like elections, laws, and systems of government, as well as in minor issues, such as the skin color of the actors cast in a movie or TV show. A couple of weeks ago, there was a shocking video of a man being dragged off of an airplane, and it took no time for people to wonder if the fact that the man was Asian had anything to do with it.

Racism in our day is terrible—and it should be a concern for everyone. However, what I’ve noticed is that it’s really easy to point our fingers at someone else and declare, “Racism! You’re a racist!” but it’s much harder to turn that finger around, point at ourselves and confess, “I am racist!” If all of us, people of any color, culture or backgrounds, were to be honest with ourselves, and to reflect on our own thoughts and patterns, I think we would discover the truth that, as apostle Paul would say, we regard people according to the flesh, or as we would say in our culture, “We are racists.”

This is an uncomfortable but unavoidable truth. When we walk down a street and see someone of a certain culture dressed a certain way, we cannot help but make a snap judgment in our minds about what kind of person he or she is. When we look at people around us, we cannot help but think about their potential, based on how they look or how they act. We all are wired to see others “according to the flesh.”

There are many potential solutions that are promoted in our day to recognize and overcome our biases, whether it’s better laws, better education, more exposure to different cultures and people groups, etc. But the only way for any one of us to overcome our own racist tendencies is to become new creations in Christ. We have to be born again in order to see others rightly. Paul says that we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, meaning that he and others saw Jesus either as a teacher, an instigator, a heretic, or a terrible man who died shamefully on a cross. But then he says, “…we regard him thus no longer.” Instead, he and others saw Him as a risen Savior and King. The only way Paul could overcome his bias and discrimination was that he had to become a new creation. If we become new creations in Christ, we, then, have the power to regard no one according to the flesh, but see others through God’s eyes.

Prayer: Jesus, I pray that in You I can be and live like a new creation. Forgive me for how I view others according to the flesh, but help me to see people as You see them. Overcome my bias and discrimination, and may my life be a reflection of Your love. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 19

LUNCH BREAK STUDY

Read Luke 18:9-14: He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Questions to Consider

What did the Pharisee think about the tax collector? Put yourself in the Pharisee’s shoes. What would you think about this tax collector?
How did the tax collector see himself? How did God see the tax collector?
What is the root of regarding others according to the flesh? How can we overcome this way of “regarding” others?

Notes

When the Pharisee saw this tax collector, he automatically judged him as a sinful and unrighteous man. Tax collectors in that time had a reputation of being corrupt men, who betrayed the Jewish people by working for the enemy (Rome), and making this worse, they were thought to be cheating the people of money for their own gain.
The tax collector saw himself as a sinner. He knew his sinful state, and he humbled himself because he knew that he was unworthy to be before a holy God. God saw his humble state with love and justified him.
The root of regarding others according to the flesh is pride and comparison. The Pharisee saw himself as righteous in comparison to this tax collector—not comparing himself to the holy God. In racism, and other forms of discrimination, the root of it is also pride, seeing oneself as superior over another in terms of race, gender, profession, status, etc. The only way to overcome this is to view ourselves as the tax collector viewed himself—a wretched sinner in need of mercy from the holy God.

EVENING REFLECTION

Let’s pray for the issues of racism in this country. Pray that reconciliation will happen between different ethnic and cultural groups. But let us first pray for ourselves that we may live as new creations and that the church will show the world what it means to regard others not according to the flesh but to see others as God sees them.

April 25, Tuesday

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“Walking by Faith”

2 Corinthians 5:6-7

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Once in a while, when I’m walking alone with just a few people around, I will try to walk with my eyes closed. Inspired by comic book characters and blind kung fu masters, I like to imagine that I could walk ahead, relying only on my hearing and my imaginary, nonexistent radar senses. Not surprisingly though, I don’t get very far before I remember that don’t have superpowers, and chicken out because I don’t want to run into an oncoming traffic. After all, when we walk, we always walk by sight.

Whenever we’re traveling somewhere, we want to be able to see what is ahead, where to turn, and what obstacles are ahead. This applies to when we’re trying to get somewhere in life. We want to know what to expect, what to major in, what job to take, which city to live in, and who we should marry. One of the hardest things for any of us to do is to take the path of uncertainty, for none of us like to go into situations completely blind or unsure of what the outcome might be. So when Paul tells us that we walk by faith and not by sight, it seems impossible; it sounds like we have to dive into situations completely blind, not knowing what might happen, and not being able to see the path ahead at all.

If, however, we think about what walking by faith really means, it is not a path of uncertainty. To walk by faith means to live our lives, trusting that Jesus sees and knows our path. We may feel uncertain and uneasy, but what we need to remember is that our vision is so small and so limited compared to God’s vision. We certainly don’t have superpowers, but we can walk not by sight but by faith, knowing that Jesus sees everything and knows our path!

Prayer: Jesus, help me to walk by faith this day. I pray that I will not trust in my own vision or in my own plans, but instead, may I trust that You are in control. Walking by faith in You feels uncertain, but I trust that You are leading me to the paths that are so much greater than my own way. Help me to trust in You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 18

LUNCH BREAK STUDY

Read Mark 8:22-26: And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Questions to Consider

What is unique about how Jesus heals this blind man?
Why does it take two tries for Jesus to heal him? What point could He be making?
When you think about where you are and where you are going in life, how do you think your “vision” is? How could you see what’s ahead more clearly?

Notes

Jesus does not immediately heal this blind man, but instead, He takes His time. He takes this man by the hand and leads him away from the village. Jesus then spits in his eyes and lays His hands on his eyes, but it takes two tries for this man to be fully healed.
The man could see after the first time Jesus touches his eyes, but his vision was blurry. After the second time, though, the man could see clearly. Jesus seems to be giving a message to us and to His disciples that when it comes to our vision or our understanding, we must recognize that even though we can see, it doesn’t mean we see things clearly. In the surrounding context in Mark 8, we discover that Jesus’ own disciples could see Jesus and thought of Him as the Messiah, but even then, their vision was blurry.
Personal reflection question. To be able to “see” what’s ahead, we need to let the Word of God be the lamp unto our feet, just as Psalm 119 says. As we understand the Word of God and depend on God to guide us, He will direct our steps.

EVENING REFLECTION

Were you walking by faith today? It’s easy to just pass the day, not thinking about where our trust in God fits into the small or the mundane parts of our lives. Regardless of what your walk was like today, close out this day with a prayer of faith, declaring that God is the one who is sustaining and guiding your life.

April 24, Monday

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“Longing”

2 Corinthians 5:1-2

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling

We are always longing for something greater or better. When we’re kids, we long to grow up, be bigger and taller. When we’re in school, we long to finish and graduate so that we can do something meaningful (or at least get a real job). When we’re working, we long for a better job or better pay, or if nothing else, a great vacation. Even in the mundane things of life, we long for something better. Smartphones are even designed to make us long and wait for a new next text or notification and, of course— the next smartphone. You could say that we are created with this longing for something greater.

Of course it’s important for us to seek contentment, as Paul says that he learned to be content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11). We should be content and thankful in everything because God is a giver of good gifts and has given us every spiritual blessing; but at the same time, we have to remember that this is not our home. So we should not feel bad if there is dissatisfaction in our hearts and still long for something greater, because we were created to desire for something greater than what we have here, knowing that this world is not our home.

Our dissatisfaction only becomes a problem when the things we are longing for are way too small in comparison to what God has in store for us. We yearn for better relationships, better status in life, more possessions, more vacations, etc. These are not necessarily bad goals and dreams, but they are immeasurably inferior to the house in heaven, the eternal life that God has for us with Him in heaven. It is okay for us to keep striving for something better in our lives, but we must remember that the only path to true satisfaction, contentment and joy is when we long for our home in heaven. Let us strive, then, to not be content with where we are, but let us long for the eternal home we have with God in heaven!

Prayer: Jesus, I thank You because You have prepared a place for me in the Father’s house. While I am thankful for all of the ways that You have blessed me, I pray that I will yearn and long for heaven and eternal life with You this day. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 17

LUNCH BREAK STUDY

Read Revelation 21:1-4: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Questions to Consider

How would you describe heaven, based on this passage?
What makes heaven a place to be longed for?
How can you long for heaven this day?

Notes

The adjective repeated three times in this passage is “new.” Heaven is described as a place where everything is new and fresh again, and the former things have passed away. We also see that it’s described like a bride adorned for her husband, so heaven is a place of beauty and joy as well. It has to be a place of joy, since there is no more mourning, crying nor pain.
We should long for heaven not only because it is a place of joy, but because it is there that God will be with us; He will dwell with us forever. It is because God is in heaven that we should long to be there.
Personal reflection question.

EVENING REFLECTION

Think about your day today, and consider what was most important to you. Were you seeking satisfaction and contentment from earthly things, or were you seeking and longing for your eternal home in heaven with God? Whatever your answer is, take some time to reflect on heaven, and what an eternity with our God will be like.

April 23, Sunday

Today’s AMI Quiet Time Devotional is written by Andy Kim. Andy, a graduate of Northwestern University and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.), currently serves as a staff at Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco, CA.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

2 Corinthians 3:1-3

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

You may recall a time when you either asked or were asked for a letter of recommendation or reference. In most cases, we ask people who know us well, who know our work ethic, and can ultimately vouch for us. It might start off like this: “It is my greatest pleasure and honor to recommend <name> to your program/institution/company….” After that, the letter will also include their relationship to you, your strengths, with possibly an area of improvement, and their thoughts on how you could contribute to the company. And as important as the content of the letter is, the credibility of the writer matters as well. Now imagine a letter about your life. What would it say and who would you choose to write it?

In this passage, Paul’s apostolic ministry and validity is brought into question by the Corinthians. Ironically, he points them back to the Corinthian church and their ministry as his defense. He further qualifies that the work he had done with the church was only possible through the Spirit’s transforming work and indwelling presence. This serves to validate Paul as both a servant of God and minister to the Corinthians. Paul continues by assuring the church that regardless of their assessment, God is the one who ultimately knows him best, and more importantly, only God can truly commend him as an apostle of Christ. Paul reminds the Corinthians that this truth is based on the new covenant that we have through Jesus.

We have someone greater and worthier than any being, who stands on behalf of us to the Father. His name is Jesus, the very Son of God who—rather than with ink or qualifications—commends us to the Father through His very blood and Spirit. Our validity in both our identity and ministry comes only through this truth. It is no longer about who we are and what we have accomplished, as the world enslaves us; rather, it is about who He is and what He has done. Let us remember that it is not by our works that we are saved, but only by the grace of Jesus Christ. And it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to do the ministry of Christ. As Paul continues, may we find such hope and confidence in this truth. Spend some time reflecting on this, as it is so easy to forget in the name of “serving and doing ministry.”

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for being the Great Mediator, knowing that it is only by Your grace we are saved. We confess that many times we forget this simple truth. May we always preach to ourselves that our identity and worth comes only from You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 16

April 22, Saturday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional is written by Pastor Ryun Chang.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“Delusional Christianity”

2 Corinthians 4:2

Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

Taking liberty of what the apostle Paul says here, I am going to set forth the truth of what we (Western Christians) are really like before God—our secret, shameful and deceptive ways!

Chris, a tall and lanky American whom I befriended while attending the same seminary, had already spent eight years in Mozambique as a missionary, when he came to speak at my church’s summer retreat as the guest speaker. (This happened a while back.) In one presentation, he recounted how exceedingly difficult it had been to minister in this very poor country, but by God’s grace, he and his young family were determined to serve the people there. So moving was his heartfelt sharing that—especially how he almost died when the ship that was carrying him (to a ministry) was at the brink of shipwreck after getting caught in a hail storm—it was enough to make a grown man cry. That is why it was so incredulous to hear two young-adults, who said to me after the service, “Does that missionary think that he is the only one suffering; we suffer, too, at work!” What a nonsensical comparison; what a delusion!

Actually, suffering for Christ the way Chris experienced is a concept that is beyond us who live in the comforts of modernity. Most of us don’t really know experientially what Paul meant when he penned, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. . . Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 5:8, 16). Its reverse is more like it: “Thanks to our cushy lifestyle, we are not pressed at all and certainly not crushed. . . Because outwardly we are getting ‘fatter’ and ‘softer,’ we are wasting away spiritually day by day.” “Too harsh,” you say?—only if we are measuring our faith to a new norm, that is, the watered-down version of what is passed off as optimal Christianity. Yes, I am opening myself to criticism (“You self-righteous judger”), but I always chuckle whenever I see this tract, produced by a well-known parachurch on campus, that suggests that our daily 7-minute with God should be spent this way: three minutes in prayer, and four minutes reading the Bible. Really? To believe that seven minutes a day is enough to cultivate an intimate relationship with God is both deceptive and delusional. The sad truth is that most Christians don’t even do that much. For instance, Christianity Today reports that “only 19% of churchgoers personally read the Bible every day.”

For the past six weeks, I have been in San Francisco to train several young pastors on the move. Each day begins with 6 AM prayer meeting. We keep the singing and sharing to its minimum (15 minutes), so that the next 75 minutes are spent praying individually. Our goal is to firmly establish this habit and exercise it for the rest of their lives. Why? Of course, it is to build our intimacy with God, but also that we might wake up from our delusion that we really are something before God when we aren’t much spiritually. (Yes, I know—positionally, we are always perfect in Christ.) If anything, dragging our body to church that early REALLY helps us to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Let’s not be too impressed with ourselves with so little that we do for the Lord—that’s a delusion. Let’s extract ourselves from a life of comfort and frivolous luxury; reign over the desires and excesses of the flesh; and let us deny ourselves and take up his cross daily and follow Christ (Lk. 9:23).

Prayer: Lord, I am tired of just knowing that I need to read the Bible, but not acting upon it. So, speak loudly to my soul—“Read the Bible daily!” Lord, I am tired of just talking about the need to pray but not praying. So, speak even louder to my soul— “Pray always!” Help my laziness so that I can live a life that is worthy of Your calling. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 14-15

April 21, Friday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional is written by Doug Tritton. Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently serving as a staff at Symphony Church (Boston) while pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary. He is married to Cindy and they are proud parents of Audrey.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“God of All Comfort”

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

I recall a few months ago, shortly after my daughter Audrey was born, there were some nights where nothing would comfort her: Try to get her to sleep? Didn’t work. Try to put her in the baby swing? Didn’t work. Bouncer? Again, nope. She kept crying and crying. The only thing that kept her from crying was holding her and pacing around the floor. In those moments, I felt defeated, like I was unable to comfort my own daughter.

Aren’t we like that sometimes? Not like the father, but like the crying baby? We complain and complain to God about this or that, wondering why He won’t answer our prayers. We can wonder in those moments if God even cares. But what does our passage for today tell us about God? He is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction.” Though, maybe, He won’t answer a specific prayer, we can be assured that He will always hold on to us – He will never let go. He will give us comfort, because He is the God of all comfort.

Today, come to God. Bring your requests – though he may not answer them right away – we can trust that He will comfort us. He will surround us with His presence and show His love to us. He is a faithful Father, One who holds onto us even as we cry, complain, and try to push Him away. He never lets go. That’s the love of our Father!

And with that love of the Father in us, let’s remember that we can comfort others: “We may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” So, while the comfort of God lifts us up, let’s then turn to lift others up with that same comfort.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are the God of all comfort. So often do we complain and throw tantrums around You, but still You are faithful and will never leave us. Thank for Your unfailing, never-ceasing love and comfort for us. Give us today this comfort, as we go through the afflictions of life. We need Your loving presence in our lives. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 13

LUNCH BREAK STUDY

Read Matthew 11:28-30: 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Questions to Consider

Who does Jesus invite to come to him? What does He promise them?
How do we receive this rest from Jesus?
How does Jesus describe life with Him?

Notes

Verse 28 says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden.” Jesus invites those who weary, worn out from the world, those who are burnt out and stuck, and those are who just plain tired. To all who are struggling, Jesus says, “Come to me.” And what does He promise them? Rest – real spiritual rest. Not TV-binge-watching rest, but real, genuine soul-rest.
Well, first off, we need to come to Him! But Jesus also says we need to take His yoke and learn from Him. What this means is that we need to learn to live life the way Jesus intended, because living life as Jesus intended will give us rest. This may seem counter-intuitive (isn’t Jesus’ way of life incredibly difficult??), but, in reality, Jesus’ way of life was the way humans were meant to live. Follow Jesus, live like Jesus, and we will find that we are living in a way that brings rest and peace to our souls.
He says that it is easy! Again, this seems counter-intuitive, but as already mentioned, once we start living a life with God—the way God intended—we will find this more natural, in fact easier, than the competitive, unforgiving, stressful ways of life that the world pushes us to live.

EVENING REFLECTION

Tonight, remembering that our Father in Heaven is the God of all comfort, let’s come to Him and rest in His loving presence. Try not to speak – no prayer requests, no grievances, no words – but just rest in His presence and receive His comfort.

April 20, Thursday

The AMI QT Devotionals from April 17-20 are provided by Jabez Yeo. Jabez, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently working in NYC and serving at TRPC-E. He hopes to become a missionary. His devotionals are based off material from Serge’s Sonship program. You can click here for more information.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“Repentance as God’s Children”

Hosea 14:1-7

Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! 2 Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. 3 Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.” 4 “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; 6 his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.7 People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine—Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.”

One movie that I was thoroughly surprised to enjoy was Zootopia, which centers around a world where predator and prey peacefully coexist. The protagonist, Judy, Zootopia’s first rabbit police officer, enlists the street smarts of a fox, Nick, to help her discover the cause of some predators returning to savagery. Unfortunately, Judy hurts Nick tremendously when she suspects a biological cause for the predators’ behavior, as Nick has fought prejudiced ideas about foxes his entire life. It is only when Judy tearfully admits her wrongdoing and helplessness without Nick that they reconcile and uncover Zootopia’s secret conspiracy.

Yesterday, we discussed Israel’s false repentance in Hosea 6, for they desired pain relief from sin’s suffering rather than restoration of relationship with God. Thankfully, in Hosea 14, we see a different repentance: Israel does not give a shallow confession but delves deep into their heart sin—faith in people rather than in God. The Israelites admit that they have trusted in human might—whether theirs or Assyria’s—to save them instead of God. They confess that they have committed idolatry by attributing divine qualities to what their hands have made. They not only focus on their sin but their motives behind it.

Oftentimes, we live a lifestyle of remorse and resolution when we sin. We feel exasperated that we fell and promise to do better next time. However, this approach ignores what the Bible says about our hearts: they are deceitful and beyond human fixing (Jer. 17:9). We falsely believe that we have the power to change ourselves through obeying the law, giving it power that only the Holy Spirit has.

The only alternative is to realize and repent. To realize is to correctly discern our true spiritual condition, that without the Holy Spirit in us we are capable of any atrocity. To repent is for us to admit to God that He is our only hope; that we are powerless over our sin and that our lives are unmanageable without His control over our lives. Let’s come to God in that way today.

Prayer: Father, it’s so easy for me to gloss over my heart motives and want false relief. Help me to realize right now that my sin indicates the reality that I am incapable of doing anything good without You. May the bad news in my life lead me to the Good News, that through faith in Christ, the same power that conquered the grave lives in me. Help me to fully depend on Your Spirit to live out the righteousness You have already given to me. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 12

LUNCH BREAK STUDY

Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17: I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Questions to Consider

How would you describe Paul’s demeanor in this passage?
Why do you think Paul describes himself as the worst of sinners?
Unlike Paul, you may not be a murderer, but how have you murdered people in your heart (Matt. 5:21-24)? How have you been a blasphemer and a violent person in your inner life?

Notes

Paul is extremely grateful (v. 12), knowing that he has been shown incredible mercy, which he cannot repay (v.13 and v.16). He knows that his life is but an example of Christ’s faith and love (v.14), as well as His patience (v.16).
While it is true that Paul was a blasphemer, persecutor and a violent man (v.13), it could be said that others in history have committed worse atrocities on a greater scale. Thus, a reason for this supposed hyperbole could be that Paul truly understands his spiritual condition, that for every wrong action he took, there were other instances where he may not have committed the action but the same sinful motives were acted on in his heart.
Personal response.

EVENING REFLECTION

Has God revealed a “new” sinful habit of yours? Like strong medicine, such revelation can be really tough to swallow, but it is ultimately for our good, as there is no Good News without bad news. Ask God to help you understand the gospel in a new and different way as a result of this revelation—this is a prayer that He would never refuse!

April 19, Wednesday

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“Repentance as God’s Children”

Hosea 6:1-6

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us; that we may live in His presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” 4 “What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. 5 Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth—then my judgments go forth like the sun. 6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”

My all-time favorite Disney movie is The Lion King, which centers around King Mufasa, his evil brother Scar, and his son Simba. In the opening scene, Scar pays lip service to Mufasa by acknowledging his kingship but plots behind closed doors to kill Mufasa in order to be king. When Scar is successful and becomes ruler, the kingdom of the Pride Lands turns into a wasteland. Thankfully, the exiled Simba returns to defeat Scar, and the Pride Lands are eventually restored.

Like Scar, the Israelites in Hosea 6 were caught paying lip service to God. While they seem to be repentant through acknowledgement of God (Hos. 6:1) and His healing power (Hos. 6:2), yet God answers them with exasperation due to their unrepentance (as noted in the chapter title in the NIV). He remarks that their love for Him is like the “early dew that disappears” (Hos. 6:4) and discerns that their “returning” to Him is a form of pain relief. Sadly, the Israelites’ desire is not for God but for their suffering to be removed quickly, in two to three days no less! (Hos. 6:2-3).

Sadly, our repentance does not differ much from Israel’s. For example, let’s say that I made a remark out of anger that hurt a close friend. To deal with the issue, I might say “I shouldn’t have said that and I’m sorry for hurting you. Will you forgive me?” If my friend responds by wanting to delve deeper into the issue that caused my anger, I might think to myself, I apologized. If you can’t forgive me, that’s your problem. Thus, while I may have apologized for my words, I have not repented of my resentment. The truth is that I am still unrepentant, since what I am after is quick “reconciliation.”

Oftentimes, when we wrong God or others, we are more interested in the removal of our guilt than the actual restoration of our relationships. We usually have worldly sorrow that brings death rather than godly sorrow which brings repentance and salvation (2 Cor. 7:10). Let’s ask God to show us the difference today.

Prayer: Father, the pain of my sin is too much to bear. I have hurt You and others many times, and I desire the false relief from my quick apologies instead of genuine reconciliation. Give me insight to my brokenness that is fracturing my relationship with You and others. And give me the courage to surrender and admit that I cannot fix myself through my power or will. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 11

LUNCH BREAK STUDY

Read Matthews 27:1-5: Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Questions to Consider

How does Judas show that he’s sorry over his sin?
How does Judas display worldly sorrow instead of godly sorrow?
What are you displaying worldly sorrow over?

Notes

Judas is described as being “seized with remorse” (v. 3). He returns the money that he earned for betraying Jesus (v. 4) and even names his sin (v.4).
Judas doesn’t acknowledge the fact that his love for money and power was greater than his love for Jesus. The guilt of his sin becomes too much to bear, and he eventually hangs himself (v. 5) to his death.
Personal response.

EVENING REFLECTION

Ask God to reveal any broken relationships you may have that need repair. When someone comes to mind, ask God for the strength to address the person instead of running away. God will help you if you let Him.

April 18, Tuesday

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

“Overcoming Hindrances to Prayer as God’s Children”

Ephesians 1:3-8

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 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.

In yesterday’s devotional, we talked briefly about George Muller, a great hero of the faith. Through fervent prayer and faith in God and His provision, Muller was able to care for over 10,000 orphans during his lifetime. When describing what had to happen to become effective in prayer, Mueller mentioned two things: Firstly, Muller had to die to what he thought about himself, as he wrote, “You really can’t live for God’s glory…if you are thinking about what you think about yourself.” Secondly, Mueller mentioned that he had to die to what others thought about him.

In today’s digitized world, it is easy to manage our image through social media, blogs and other platforms. What we think of ourselves and what others think of us can lead us to act as spiritual orphans and cloud the most important opinion: what God thinks of us. Thankfully, prayer is the tool that is readily available to recalibrate our thoughts. Through prayer, we are reminded that we are not orphans but sons and daughters of the King (Eph. 1:5); we are reminded that we have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3) and are chosen to be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph. 1:4); and that we are given redemption and forgiveness through God’s lavish grace (Eph. 1:8).

Because we are human, there will be times when we distinctly feel God’s presence in an undeniable way, but there will also be times when He feels incredibly distant. In those times, prayer not only reminds us of the truth of Scripture but also helps us demolish the barriers that hinder our fellowship with God. Perhaps there are certain sins that are leading to our estrangement from God and need to be confessed. Perhaps there are certain emotions such as resentment, anxiety, fear or bitterness that prevent us from seeing God’s grace.

Oftentimes, we come to our devotional time routinely to check off one of many tasks for the day. However, prayer is a great time not to achieve but to receive—to receive the truths that God has for us. Let’s do so today.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You love me and that I can come to Your throne of grace with confidence, receiving mercy and grace in my time of need (Heb. 4:16). I confess that I often forget what You think of me. I confess that I look to my opinion and others’ opinion of me instead of Your opinion. Bring me back to You today. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Leviticus 10

LUNCH BREAK STUDY

Read Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Questions to Consider

Why do you think God commands us not to be anxious?
Why do you think God’s remedy for anxiety is prayer?
What are you anxious about today? What can you surrender to Him in prayer? Give it a careful thought.

Notes

Anxiety reveals self-centeredness. Through anxiety, we declare our lack of faith in God’s ability to provide.
Through fellowship with God in prayer, He helps us to discern whether our desires and ambitions are ours or His. Through prayer, God reveals to us His heart and will. Through prayer, we can be transformed so that our hearts desire His will, bringing us perfect peace (Phil. 4:7).
Personal response.

EVENING REFLECTION

What truths about yourself did God remind you of today? How did He remind you of His love and His grace for you? Journal it so that it may serve as one of your spiritual stones (Jos. 4:1-9).