UPDATED  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on April 20, 2018. Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Death on Good Friday“

Mark 12:18-27 

And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

 Ernest Becker, a Jewish-American cultural-anthropologist in the 60’s and 70’s, is famous for writing The Denial of Death. Its thesis states that human civilization is essentially a complex defense mechanism in the face of its own mortality. In other words, humanity is terrified of its inevitable death and attempts to structure life in such a way as to find meaning, in spite of our inescapable mortality. Becker wrote this Pulitzer-winning book while battling colon cancer and facing his own imminent death. And the book was praised for its insight as many related to his conclusion. 

All of us are afraid of death, not necessarily because it is something we do not understand but because it robs us of lasting meaning. All of our hard work and accolades lose their significance when we pass away. As a result, people have been desperately searching for a way to have true meaning that can overcome the problem of death. Becker calls this “immortality projects”; it is our way of remaining alive after life has ended. 

Here, in our passage for today, Jesus is tested by the Sadducees on the doctrine of the resurrection. Interestingly, the Sadducees did not believe that God would resurrect the righteous at the end of time; that was a Pharisaic belief. They posed this question, as a trap, in order to make Jesus look bad; however, Jesus avoids their trap and disagrees with them, stating that God is not God of the dead, but of the living. In other words, He believes in the resurrection. In some ways, this is a foreshadowing of His own resurrection that would take place after His death. 

For many of us, the resurrection is a doctrine that we only think about during Easter. However, it must be something that informs our lives on a daily basis. The resurrection tells us that there is life after death; that death is not the final word but life is—all because of the victory we find in Jesus. As a result, we do not need our own “immortality projects,” because Christ has accomplished it through His death and resurrection. That’s what Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday are all about. This means that our work in the present has eternal significance that cannot be robbed by death’s power. And the life we live for God will not be in vain but will be everlasting. Let us remember today that the work of God’s kingdom, whether at church or in our workplace, will not go to waste. We are part of a project that will last forever. 

Prayer: Father, thank You that death does not have the last say in my life because of the resurrection of Your Son. In light of this, help me to live for the eternal and not the temporal things of life. Help me to invest into the work of Your kingdom rather than things that will one day fade away.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 19

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Lunch Break Study 

Read John 11:17-27:Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Questions to Consider 

• How does Jesus respond to Martha’s grief and pain? 
• What do you think Jesus means when He says that He is the resurrection and the life? 
• What role does the resurrection play in your life? 

Notes 

• Jesus responds by telling her that her brother will rise. She thinks that He is talking about the doctrine of the resurrection, which says that the righteous will rise at the end of time. However, Jesus wants to divert her focus away from an abstract doctrine to the person of the resurrection, who is Jesus Himself. Eternal life and resurrection is not found in believing a doctrine but by believing in the person of Christ. 
• Resurrection can only be had through Jesus Christ. No other means can overcome death. 
• Personal response.

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Evening Reflection 

“The point of the resurrection…is that the present bodily life is not valueless just because it will die…What you do with your body in the present matters because God has a great future in store for it…What you do in the present—by painting, preaching, singing, sewing, praying, teaching, building hospitals, digging wells, campaigning for justice, writing poems, caring for the needy, loving your neighbor as yourself—will last into God’s future. These activities are not simply ways of making the present life a little less beastly, a little more bearable, until the day when we leave it behind altogether (as the hymn so mistakenly puts it…). They are part of what we may call building for God’s kingdom.” – N.T. Wright 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 28, 2018, is written by Phillip Chen, who has been serving as the associate pastor of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego for many years. He and several like-minded people are planting, the Lord willing, a new AMI church in Houston this summer. Please pray for them.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Scars of Remembrance”

Jeremiah 15:19 (ESV)

Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.”

 “Do as I say, not as I do.” How many times do we see this happen in our own lives? I would propose to you that we do this more than we think: we are quick to point out what others need to do; we are experts when it comes to what others need to repent of, or what others need to be more disciplined in. But when we turn the magnifying lens back on our own lives, we don’t see our own weaknesses. Parents are even more likely to fall into this category, as well as leaders.  The higher up the leader becomes, the less people there are to point out their faults or their weaknesses. Yet Scriptures remind us to be careful to take care of our own hearts in regards to repentance and restoration.

The irony of this passage is that Jeremiah has been telling Judah to turn back to the Lord. He is telling them to repent so that God would restore them, and that God is merciful and will forgive them (although God tells him repeatedly to stop interceding for them). Yet we see the Lord reply to Jeremiah, urging him to repent and turn back to Him so that He can restore him. What did Jeremiah need to repent from? It seems as if he was starting to harbor bitterness towards God, that God would turn the entire nation against him even though he was only trying to be faithful to God. He was starting to think that God was out to harm him. Whatever Jeremiah was going through and thinking, God was asking him to return and repent so that God could restore him and continue to use him as a prophet. 

We may not be in as dire of a situation as Jeremiah, but the Lord reminds us to turn to Him and seek His restoration, because we are all in need of it! Whether you are a teacher, a parent, a spiritual leader, a mentor, or anyone who speaks into other’s lives, we are all responsible for keeping our hearts tender so that we may continually repent and seek restoration. Leaders, let’s not get caught up with simply telling others what to do and forget to turn to the Lord yourself! We’ve seen too many leaders fall because they were not careful in taking care of their own hearts. God wants to use His people, and He wants to use you as a leader—provided that you turn to Him in repentance on a regular basis. 

Prayer: Father God, help my heart stay tender and pure before You. I desire to be used by You. As I examine my own heart, I pray that You would highlight things in my life that I need to repent of – that I would be restored and to continually be used by You in a powerful way. In Jesus’ Name I pray.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 18

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Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV): Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,[b] lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Question to Consider

1. How should we live this life, according to this passage?

2. What is Paul afraid of in verse 27?

3. Especially as it is the middle of summer, what are some spiritual disciplines that you have become lax about? What are things you need to be mindful of as you run this race?

Notes

1. Corinth was home of the Isthmian games, which was a festival of athletic and musical competitions. The Corinthians would have seen firsthand the intensity of the training and the tenacity needed by these athletes. So Paul is comparing how the believer’s life should be like those of these athletes. If these athletes train so hard for a perishable medal, how much harder should we train for imperishable rewards?  

2. One commentary says that the preaching refers to the “office of the herald”—meaning, that he would be the one telling the guidelines of the games, displaying the rewards, and encouraging the participants. As the herald, he must remember that he is part of this as well and should be careful lest after it all, he is disqualified from the reward that he is talking about. 

3. Personal response.

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Evening Reflection

Tonight, spend some time in reflection on ways that you need to “return to Him,” and believe in your heart that He restores those who turn to Him. May His loving kindness draw you into a place of intimacy and may you experience His grace and mercy in the process. 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on February 21, 2018, is provided by Pastor David Kwon who leads Journey Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.  David is a graduate of Drexel University (B.S.) and Columbia International University (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Comfort in Suffering”

Genesis 47:13

Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine.

 All Christians experience suffering—whether it be in the past, present, or in the future.  But just because we experience suffering as we await the redemption of our bodies, it doesn’t mean that our suffering is random or without purpose. And neither does it mean that Scripture doesn’t tell us how to think about our suffering now.  Tim Keller, in Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, puts it like this:

“No matter what precautions we take, no matter how well we have put together a good life, no matter how hard we have worked to be healthy, wealthy, comfortable with friends and family, and successful with our career — something will inevitably ruin it.  While other worldviews lead us to sit in the midst of life’s joys, foreseeing the coming sorrows, Christianity empowers its people to sit in the midst of this world’s sorrows, tasting the coming joy.” 

For two years, the famine has been severe in Egypt and Canaan (45:5). All private reserves of wheat have been exhausted, and all the money of Egypt and Canaan had been spent in buying government grain from Joseph. And the famine lingered on and on. In desperation the Egyptians approached Joseph, reminding him of their plight.  It was a time of hardship and suffering for these nations.

Are you experiencing hardships?  If so, how are you handing it?  We can have hope in our suffering because we know that Christ redeems our suffering for His good.  We can have hope because we know suffering prepares Christians for more glory. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:17–18, “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

If you are going through a season of hardship, be encouraged that it is not in vain.  God has a purpose for it in your life.  Pray that you will remain steadfast and hopeful.  

Prayer:  Lord, give me the strength to go through hardships with an eternal perspective.  May my faith and joy grow during these seasons of my life.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 17

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Lunch Break Study 

Read James 1:2-4: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Questions to Consider 

• Why does James say we can experience joy in the midst of trials?
• What do trials produce?
• How do you see God working in the hardships you face?

Notes

• We are to consider what we are going through as a matter of joy, not because the thing itself is something that is pleasurable, but because tribulation works patience within us. Our suffering is not an exercise in futility. God has a purpose, and that purpose is always good. We can count all things joy because God is working in all situations, even the most painful, for our sanctification and ultimate glorification.
• The word translated as “testing” occurs rarely in the Bible, appearing only three other times. In this case, “testing” deals with purification through trial.  God wants our faith to grow, and often He will use trials to do that.  
• Personal application.

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Evening Reflection

Spend time in personal prayer.   Ask the Lord to speak to you on the things you read and meditated on today.  

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional is provided by a writer who wants to remain anonymous. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What I Learned from Training for a Half-Marathon”

Jeremiah 14:7-8

The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:2 “Judah mourns,and her gates languish;her people lament on the ground,and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.3 Her nobles send their servants for water;they come to the cisterns;they find no water;they return with their vessels empty;they are ashamed and confoundedand cover their heads.7 “Though our iniquities testify against us,act, O LORD, for your name’s sake;for our backslidings are many;we have sinned against you.8 O you hope of Israel,its savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land,like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?

Last November, I ran a half-marathon for the first (and probably last) time in my life. For training, I ran at least three times a week for about two months; so by the time the race came around, I felt confident enough—even excited. I’m an idealist at heart, so although my practice runs were never fun, I thought the actual race would be exhilarating. After running the 13.2 miles, I can safely say that long-distance runs are physically strenuous every time you do them. 

In our passage today, the prophet Jeremiah summarizes how the Israelites began to mourn and lament to God, as they felt the effects of a drought on their livelihood—less food, less water, less agency, etc. Prior to the famine, they had been living comfortably, offering worship to both God and false idols and remaining unphased by Jeremiah’s warnings. The drought brought forth a new response from the Israelites—one of soberness, brokenness, and desperation. But this isn’t a new story for Israel. As we know well by now, the Israelites fall away, endure hardship and are led to repentance, time and time again. Despite the pattern, our passage reads, “Judah mourns, and her gates languish; her people lament on the ground…” This reminds me that no matter the suffering, no matter the form it comes in, it hurts every time. Likewise, being led to repentance is a raw and meaningful experience every time. The process of realizing that you messed up yet again, and need God to save you again, strips you of all your pride and brings you to your knees. At the same time, it brings you to the most true and safe place, knowing that God has already forgiven you in Jesus and loves you the same.

Today, let’s remember how our track record is far from perfect, but God has been faithful to us. Let us be gracious to ourselves and others in their time of vulnerability and need, extending the same kind of love and acceptance that we have also received.

Prayer: Father, thank You for being with us through the good and the bad. As we receive Your grace time and time again, transform us to be gracious and accepting as You are. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 16

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Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 2:1-5: Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume onthe riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Questions to Consider

• According to this passage, how is one led to repentance?
• Where do God’s judgment fall and why do you think that is so?
• In what areas of your life can you replace harshness with more kindness, forbearance, and patience?

Notes

• We are led to repentance after experiencing the riches of God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience. In real life, this means we go against God, but we find His patience and forgiveness, instead of His wrath, time and time again.
• God’s judgment falls on those who pass judgment on others while they themselves practice wrongdoings. This describes someone who is unaware or dismissive of their own wrongdoings. 
• Personal reflection.

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Evening Reflection

Today, we probably interacted with many different people, whether it was at work, school, or home. Are there any relationships or topics where God may be calling us to be less harsh and more open-minded and patient?

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on February 12, 2018, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning  

“Family Matters”

Genesis 45:1-3

Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

The following is possibly a true story found on the Internet: “We convinced my youngest sister that she was adopted; it was fairly easy because she was a platinum blonde and the rest of us are all brunettes… She got us back by being happy that she wasn’t actually related to us.” 

Whether or not it’s true, this short anecdote is humorous to most of us because we all relate to dysfunction in family. To varying degrees, we all struggle with being a brother or sister, or being a son or daughter in our families.  And sometimes we might wish we weren’t actually related to our parents or siblings.  Why is this? Because there is no person or group of people who will annoy, bother, frustrate or even hurt us in quite the same way as our own families.  

If anyone could tell a story about being hurt by his family, it would be Joseph. His own brothers tried to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery—setting off a chain of events where he ended up in prison. And so when we read about the mind games that Joseph played with his brothers (Genesis 42-44), we can understand that he was acting out of the deep hurt inflicted on him at the hand of his brothers.  And we see how deep the pain went as he wept so loud that everyone could hear.  However, in spite of all of the hurt and pain, Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers, begining the process of reconciliation and healing with his family.

For many people, it is a major struggle to love their families and to find healing and forgiveness from past hurts.  And what’s great about the Bible is that it doesn’t act as if this isn’t the reality for many people, but instead, it shows us the messiness.  There is so much dysfunction and pain in most of the families that we read about in the Scriptures. But the Bible doesn’t just show messiness, it also gives hope for healing and reconciliation.  Whether it’s relationships with our parents, siblings, spouses, friends, fellow believers, etc., God calls us to be agents of reconciliation and to take those first steps, like Joseph, towards the path of healing and forgiveness and love. Let us continue on that path and ask God for His love for those who have hurt us—especially those in our own families.

Prayer: Jesus, I give you all of my past hurt and pain, and I ask for Your healing touch in my heart.  Give me Your love for my family and for whoever has hurt me.  Help me to forgive as You have forgiven me.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 15

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Lunch Bible Study 

Read 1 John 4:19-21: We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Questions to Consider

• Why is there a disconnect between saying “I love God” while hating one’s brother?
• How does the love of Jesus change how we treat others?
• Who in your life have you found hard to love?  How can you overcome your lack of love for them?

Notes

• John tells us that someone who talks and lives like this is a liar, because if you hate your brother, it means that you do not understand the love of God to begin with.
• If we have experienced the love of Jesus, it should move us to love others—even those whom we find hard to love.  The love of God shown to us through Jesus Christ is so amazingly gracious and undeserved, that it should provoke within us the desire and the strength to love those we would normally find unlovable.  This is why John says, “We love because he first loved us.”
• Personal reflection question.  

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Evening Reflection

Overcoming past hurts is not a quick or easy process.  But the road to healing and reconciliation begins with small steps of surrender to God and beginning to forgive those who have hurt us.  If there is hurt or unforgiveness that you’re holding onto, reach out to a brother or sister in Christ to ask for prayer and help. Also, regardless of where your heart is, take some time reflecting on the grace and mercy shown to you through Jesus. 

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on January 21, 2018.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“TAMAR | ANYTHING BUT A PROSTITUTE” 

Genesis 38:24-30

After three months Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, and as a result she has become pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” Then she said, “Identify the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her again. 27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 28 While she was giving birth, one child put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” So he was named Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out—the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand—and he was named Zerah.

I can’t tell you how many times over the years that I’ve heard Tamar characterized as a prostitute. Tamar was not a prostitute. She, through levirate marriage laws was legally entitled to a son from the family into which she was married—first from her husband, then his brothers, and finally her father-in-law. Although it seems icky to us today, this was their custom. Judah was ultimately responsible for Tamar because he brought her into his family and under his covering (remember they lived in a patriarchal society). And he failed (big fat F!) to care for her. He sent her back to her own people to live as a widow (i.e. as a woman who has no one to care for her). 

Furthermore, the text doesn’t suggest that Tamar prostituted regularly. If anything it suggests the opposite (v. 21). Instead, Tamar was forced to devise a plan (vv. 12-26) and reduced to disguising herself as a prostitute to have even the slightest chance of bearing a son—a chance to which she was legally entitled. Tamar thus broke no laws. She didn’t sleep around; she slept with Judah. She wasn’t promiscuous; she was strategic. And at the end of the day, Judah honored her by calling her righteous and God honored her with two sons—a common theme in the Old Testament (God honored women by giving what brought the most honor in their culture—children). 

Tamar, the discarded Canaanite woman who was brought into this mess of a dysfunctional family and under the covering of a rebellious member of the people of God (Judah wasn’t even following the laws of God in the first place!), risked it all and, in so doing, single-handedly preserved the family line through which the Messiah would ultimately come (see Matthew 1:3). 

I would be remiss if I didn’t draw our attention to the themes so freely discussed in this text –namely human trafficking and exploitation and its devastating effects on the vulnerable. If God includes these topics in God’s Holy Text, shouldn’t we be mindful of them as God’s Holy People? God is a God who covenantally loves the broken, people conditioned by and bound up in sinful systems and corrupt cultures, people like you and me. The people of God were (and are) not such because their way of life was perfect or even as God desired. They were God’s because God chose them. That’s it. And God worked within, around, and even against their broken systems for the good of the righteous and for the glory of His name. God hasn’t changed. So may we, God’s people, be His hands and feet in doing likewise in our world today. 

Prayer: Gracious God, You have revealed Yourself to us in Your Word, and for that, I am thankful. The Bible is just not only a collection of stories from long ago, but it is also a picture of how You do life with broken people. Help me to learn from the success and failure of those who’ve gone before me. Make me part of the redemptive work You are doing in the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 14

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on January 6, 2018, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato. Jason, along with his wife Jessica, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Multiplication of Sin”

Genesis 34:25–29 (ESV)

On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. [26] They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went away. [27] The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. [28] They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. [29] All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered. 

In a famous film, a boy tragically drowns in a lake at a summer camp.  His mother finds out his death could have been prevented if the camp counselors had been more responsible.  The mother is completely devastated and does everything in her power to prevent the summer camp from re-opening, including…murdering all the new camp counselors?  

Sorry to include spoilers, but this is the plot of the first Friday the 13^th movie from 1980.  The death of the boy Jason is tragic and unjust.  The anger and desire for justice of his mother is reasonable and right.  But her response is to multiply sin.

The rape of Dinah is horribly ugly.  The sons of Jacob are rightfully outraged.  But their response is to multiply sin.  Simeon and Levi lie to Shechem and tell him that they will give him their sister Dinah if he and all of the men in the city are circumcised.  Then when they are sore from the procedure, Simeon and Levi proceed to slaughter all the men of the city.  The other sons of Jacob plunder the city and take all the children and women of the city as slaves.  As sin multiplies, it gets uglier and uglier.

When we see or experience injustice, something in us cries out for justice and for wrongs to be made right.  This is good and right, but there is also something in us that cries out for revenge, a desire to inflict pain and suffering—this is wicked and sinful.  

In the Mosaic law, someone who injures his neighbor is subject to the same injury: “fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Leviticus 24:20).  This law is not meant to encourage a bloodthirsty desire for vengeance but to prevent the people of God from doing even greater evil in their pursuit of “justice.” 

We may not slaughter cities, but we easily justify our bitterness and our visions of justice tend to go beyond “an eye for an eye” without us noticing.  What can break this cycle of escalating sin?  Only mercy.  The Lord Jesus Christ experienced the greatest and ugliest injustice of human history on the cross.  And He prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

May we rejoice in the mercy of our God and point to His greatness by extending mercy to other sinners.

Prayer: Father, forgive me that I am so obsessed with getting what I deserve or with others getting what they deserve.  All of Your kindness to me is undeserved mercy.  May I be merciful as You have been to me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 12-13

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on January 30, 2018. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Who You Gonna Call?”

Genesis 41:16 

“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

When you have a question, where do you go? All of us have go-to sources: a knowledgeable friend, Google, Reddit, even Yahoo Answers! Last year, I experienced a situation in which a colleague had told leaders of my team something untruthful about what I had done (others brought it to my attention). I was shocked and upset. Unsure of what to do, I consulted several places: I went to my manager, I read dozens of Harvard Business Review articles on dealing with conflicts—in short, I tried to get all sorts of opinions.

But, of course, the Spirit prompted me to pray. Once I did, I knew that God wanted to deal with the matter in a different way than I had been urged to. While others suggested confronting my colleague and clearing my reputation directly with the leaders, God called me to first forgive immediately and work meekly in the meantime. I see now that by allowing God to work, the truth eventually prevailed, and our relationship was preserved (even improved over the last year). There was no shortage of opinions available, but the one I should have sought first was God’s. 

Pharaoh wanted an answer, and he hoped that Joseph would be the one to give it. But Joseph directed Pharaoh to see that it is not people that we should always rely on. God is the one who gives wisdom and provides the solution. While we are blessed to have others care deeply about our circumstances and share experience, we should always seek God first when making decisions and clarifying mysteries. 

Today, if God places a quandary in front of us, let us go to Him first and ask how He would like us to solve the problem. Let us not trust our own experience; let us intentionally ask Him to guide us and lead us. We might find that God, in His infinite wisdom, has a different plan than our mere understanding will suggest. Let us become a people who habitually go to Him first before everything else!

Prayer: Father, we want to seek You first above all else. Please build in us the habit of seeking Your wisdom first before anything else. Help us avoid becoming “wise in [our] own eyes,” and teach us to approach You humbly in every moment. We want to be guided by You in all our ways. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 11

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Lunch Break Study

Read James 1:5-8: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Questions to Consider

• In addition to asking for wisdom, what other quality should we ask for when seeking God?
• There are two parties in this exchange: the asker, and God. What does James say about God that ensures He is trustworthy in this exchange?
• After asking for wisdom, what is the next step? How well do we practice this in our lives?

Notes

• The person seeking wisdom shoud also be one of faith. The person who asks with doubt is not anchored in faith that God hears and provides. Therefore, he cannot be strong-minded and live with conviction in all circumstances. Wisdom would be wasted on such an individual.
• God is able to bestow wisdom. He also gives generously and impartially. Also importantly, God gives to us without reproach, never holding against us how we may be lacking before Him. Because God is able but generous, we can come to Him knowing that He will readily answer our prayer for wisdom.
• James points out that faith in our asking is a necessary part of receiving wisdom. This suggests that acting on faith is the required follow-up after we seek God’s wisdom. God’s wisdom will be displayed when we also proceed in humble faith that He guides us.

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Evening Reflection

Was there an opportunity for you today to seek God’s wisdom in a strange circumstance? How do you know if it was God’s wisdom rather than yours? Let’s pray over the fruit of our actions and thoughts and pray for more opportunity tomorrow to seek and exercise His wisdom. 

  REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional is a reprint of Kate Moon’s blog originally posted on January 24, 2018.  Kate continues to serve the Lord in E. Asia. 

Devotional Thought for this Morning

Genesis 39:11-20

One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house . . . .16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

There is an episode in a T.V. series where the good guy gets the bad guy by planting a microphone in his tooth when he goes to the dentist.  The good guy is able to hear and record everything the bad guy says, 24/7, and the bad guy quickly incriminates himself.  It was enough to make one stop and think, “What if someone recorded everything I said, 24/7?  Would my life and words stand up to the test?  What kind of person would I be revealed to be?”

Potiphar’s wife bears false witness against Joseph, telling outright lies about him, and Joseph ends up losing everything: his master’s trust, home and job, not to mention his honor, reputation and freedom.  Because there is no third-party witness, it is just his word against hers, and perhaps to emphasize how little weight his word carried at the time, any defense he may have been given a chance to make is not even recorded here.

Interestingly, however, the story that ends up getting told throughout the generations is not Potiphar’s wife’s version but Joseph’s.  At the time the supposed event occurred, it was just the two of them in the house, so there is no one who would have known what really happened besides them.  So how did this story end up getting told in Genesis?  I’m sure Potiphar’s wife never imagined that Joseph would one day become right-hand man to Pharaoh himself, a man in a position more than able to expose her infidelity and dishonesty to the world.  She had lied brazenly, confident that no one would ever find out; now even people living thousands of years after the fact know.

Most of us may not be going around telling outright lies about others, but are our stories honest and fair or do we tell them with half-truths that put us in a better light (and perhaps even misrepresent others)?  Would we have reason to be embarrassed if truth were exposed?  We don’t want to live in a state of paranoia or fear, but from time to time, such questioning can check our hearts.

Prayer:  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you.  Purify my heart that in my speech I might not sin against you.  May I use words in such a way that I would have nothing to fear from exposure.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 10

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Lunch Break Study 

Taking a second look from a different angle: what shadows of Jesus do we see in Joseph’s life?

Read Genesis 39:12-20: She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house . . .14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed . . .”  16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. 

Isaiah 53:5-9: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities . . .  and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all . . . 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 

(Note: Though Isaiah 53 does not literally describe Jesus, many, including authors of the New Testament, take this chapter to be a prophecy describing the role he would fulfill.)

Questions to Consider

1. In what ways did Potiphar’s wife attribute to Joseph actions and attitudes that were actually her own (i.e., lay her sins on him)?  (Gen 39:12,14,17)

2. How were the punishments that Joseph and Jesus bore similar?  (Gen 39:19-20, Isa 53:8-9)

3. The men in both passages are depicted as being in more passive roles; yet, what was the main difference between them in terms of how much their wills were involved?  What is it that makes Jesus greater?  How does this make us love Him more?

Notes

1. She had been the one seducing Joseph, but she accuses Joseph of seeking to sleep with her.  She accuses him of “making sport” of them, but she is the one who is playing with Joseph’s life.

2. They both bear the wrath of the one who was wronged by the sin; both punishments involved a separation, a cutting off from a prior life and an important relationship; both end up among the wicked and the rich

3.   Though to his credit he was suffering for being righteous, Joseph’s taking on of another’s sin and its consequences was incidental and involuntary.  Jesus, on the other hand, came into this world specifically and intentionally to take on all our sin, out of a love for and desire to save us.  

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Evening Reflection

Did I live today in a way that I would be unafraid to have broadcast to the world?  If so, praise the Lord for his grace.  Is there anything I did or said today that I would be embarrassed to have exposed?  Freely come to the One who came for that very reason, because we needed His grace and mercy.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on January 10, 2018, is written by Tina Pham who, along with her family, is serving in E. Asia as a missionary. Tina is a graduate of Biola University (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“God Who Speaks”

Genesis 35:9-15

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him. Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.

In today’s passage, there is a strong sense of intimacy and directness towards Jacob, and God brings Jacob to a deeper revelation of Himself by saying he is “God Almighty,” a name God used when he revealed Himself to Abraham (17:1), blessing him with the blessing that He first gave to Abraham and Isaac. This is the second time that God appears to Jacob and tells him of his new name, “Israel” (meaning “he struggles with God”) and says he is no longer called “Jacob” (meaning “he deceives”).

The passage repeats several times that God is a God who talks to Jacob:  “God appeared to him again and blessed him” (v. 9); “God went up from him at the place where he had talked with Jacob” (v. 13); “…where God had talked to him” (v. 14); “…where God had talked with him” (v. 15).

There are seasons in life in which God draws near to me, and I can’t help but know that He is speaking to me. One example is when a friend from China wrote me several times to tell me that my time serving there was so valuable to the disciples, and I was influential during my time there. I would eventually reply and say “thank you,” but I perceived her words as just nice things that anyone could say. I couldn’t receive her words into my heart because I was bearing self-doubt at that time. However, in my time with the Lord, I sensed that He Himself was telling me to fully receive the encouragement because it is true. Despite my imperfections I faced while I served in China, God deemed my work “good” in His eyes. Because of that moment, I freely let go of the need to evaluate my performance and enjoyed God’s love simply as His daughter.

I wonder why God appeared to Jacob a second time to speak to him about his name. It may be because God’s heart is to reach us and to let his truth go deeper in us. Jacob had pretty deep roots in his old identity (“he deceives”), but his old roots were not too deep for the Lord to remove and to renew. Praise God for He is a God who speaks to us!

Prayer: Dear God, I thank You because You are a God who speaks to Your children. You repeat the same truth over and over again so that we can remain steadfast in our true identity, and You remove old roots that don’t belong. Thank You for drawing near to us and reminding us often of the truth we need to cling on to! In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 9

Lunch Break Study

Read John 1:47-50: When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

Questions to Consider

1. How does Jesus commend Nathanael?
2. Why does Nathanael salute Jesus in a way that implies kingship and divinity?
3. What is Jesus saying to Nathanael?

Notes

1. Jesus commends Nathanael as a straightforward person and one who is not characterized by cunning or deceit. He is a true son of Israel, not characterized by deceit, which was used of Jacob before his change of heart and his change of name to “Israel.”
2. Something about Jesus’ reply that he saw Nathanael before Philip called him strikes Nathanael as something grand, and it leads him to render honor to Jesus’ name.
3. Jesus is saying that Nathanael will not only see the Son of God in flesh right now, but he will see greater things, such as the Son of God in His glory surrounded by angels.

Evening Reflection

What area in your life do you desire God to speak to you? What area in your life do you think you have been listening to voices that are not God’s (yourself, media, others, the enemy)? Take some time to ask God to speak to you with His truth.