Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from May 23-29 are written by Andy Kim. Andy, a graduate of Northwestern University, is about to complete his M.Div. at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is currently serving as a staff at Radiance Christian Church in San Francisco, CA
Devotional Thoughts for Today
Acts 27:9-12
Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
Apparently, according to this one article, through his endorsements and other sources, Michael Jordan makes over $150,000 a day working or not. That means in the time you spend reading this devotional, he’s already made over $500 by doing nothing. I mean he is the greatest basketball player to have ever lived. Yet, in the same article, it says that if Jordan were to save 100% of his income for the next 300 years, he’d still have less than Bill Gates today. The nerds have indeed won. Today, we value knowledge and expertise, over physical strength and dominance. Living in the tech world, we treat engineers like gods and everybody else as another headcount.
In this passage, Paul advises the centurion and the crew to stall their journey, yet they choose to listen to the pilot and owner of the ship. Who wouldn’t? Paul is an ex-Pharisee on trial for some outrageous claims with little knowledge of the sea conditions. It only made logical sense to trust the pilot and owner, especially if the harbor was not going to be suitable. It was either leave now or never. Granted, in this situation we cannot see Paul’s logic of why he feels the way he does. My guess is that such a man of God is most likely being led by the Spirit. But I think about the times in which I look to what’s logical and within my bounds. Some of us discern a situation by selectively asking those who may have had similar experiences or even the more educated, hoping to find the right answer. Many times our answers coincide with what we want to hear.
With that being said, I do not want to discredit knowledge because it is too easy to make emotion- based decisions. Actions based solely on emotions can have consequences, if not more than pure logic itself. The point is that in this journey of faith, we are not to trust in the ways of man but to trust in the Lord (Psalm 118:8-9). Sometimes, what the Lord has for us may not make sense and even difficult to follow. It may go beyond the bounds of our own logic and understanding, only to make sense in the most unpredictable ways. Yet, remember His thoughts are higher and His ways are greater, for only He knows what’s best for us.
Prayer: Father, I confess that Your thoughts and Your ways are greater than my own. May I not lean on my own understanding or even in the understanding of others, but trust only in Your truth. Holy Spirit, lead me in the path that leads to Your glory.
Bible Reading for Today: Psalm 49
Lunch Break Study
Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31: For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Questions to Consider
- What is Paul’s accusation against the Corinthians?
- Why does God choose the weak and “foolish” people?
- How has your knowledge of God affected your relationship with Him?
Notes
- When they were called, they had no basis from which to assert superiority over one another—they believed in the simple gospel, and that was their baseline. Paul accused the Corinthians of forgetting this truth and seeking after human wisdom (Corinthians were prone to the latest philosophy and science, etc.) to exalt themselves over one another. Paul was calling for the Corinthians to humble themselves again and repent of allowing their wisdom to turn to pride.
- So that no one may boast before the Lord. In other words, these are Gentiles who ultimately had no place or right to be welcomed into the kingdom of God, yet only by His grace did God choose to reveal Himself to them. By no means does this minimize the gospel in its simplicity; rather, it highlights the wisdom of God. His people would live and operate by His grace.
- Many times we seek knowledge simply to know more, and in some cases to make up for our lack of faith. A true understanding and knowledge of Him should fuel our love for Him.
Evening Reflection
How is God speaking to you today? Do you feel that God is or has been leading you to do something? Have you allowed your own thoughts and reasons to convince you otherwise? If so, pray that God would give you greater faith and discernment to listen and obey Him.
Our family was intrigued as we were looking at the pictures of a runaway sheep that came home to his shepherd—after six years of MIA. When he came home, he was buried under layers of thick and dirty fur, which made us wonder how the shepherd even recognized him in the first place. But after the shepherd sheered him, he looked like a different sheep all together. What a relief the sheep must have felt to be able to shed the extra built up weight off his little body. But what was comical to read was that he had run away in the first place because he disliked being sheered by the shepherd.
Editor’s Note: Today’s AMI QT devotional is provided by Mei Lan Thallman. Mei Lan Thallman is originally from Taiwan and a graduate of Asbury College and Asbury Theological Seminary (M.A.) in Kentucky. She is the wife of Pastor Kirt, who serves at Grace Covenant Church (Philadelphia). They have two children, Nate (13) and Naomi (11).
Recently, as I was preparing myself to go back to Taiwan, my “earthly home country,” I was overcome with a deep sense of overwhelming and paralyzing fear and anxiety. Yet I had to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepare myself to enter the mission field of my family. Past experiences have “trained” me to brace myself for the worst that maybe coming, and this time was no different. Without exaggeration, each time I prepare to make the long journey home, I literally have to pinch and talk myself into accepting the reality—it is what it is.
Editor’s Note: Today’s AMI QT devotional is provided by Joanna Tzen. Joanna graduated from U. Penn and currently works in Philadelphia. She and her husband Paul attend Grace Covenant Church.
My husband and I are hoping to be first-time home buyers. We have been looking for several months, but it sure does feel longer! We waited for a year to be sure our finances were in order, we went through the steps of securing financing and a real estate agent, and thought that we would come across our first home soon. Little did we know that we came to the real estate market at a time when prices are at an all-time high since the recession. We’ve been in several multiple-offer situations where our bid was not high enough and were turned away.
We all have done it: missing out on spiritual venues that could have sparked our waning faith because of work. And that’s likely the reason Governor Festus, while intently listening to Paul, failed to really hear what was being said. Not long after his first day on the job, Festus was trying to figure out why Paul, a Roman citizen whom he had inherited as a prisoner, had appealed to the emperor. The task would’ve been a cinch if Paul was a common criminal, but the charge against him was such that Festus had “nothing definite to write to His Majesty” (Acts 25:26a).
Since I hadn’t spoken at my old church in Los Angeles for three decades, it was very emotional for me as I preached there recently. The sermon was mainly testimonial—about how God used the senior Pastor John to save and then train me. I began with a story of how Pastor John shared the gospel with me within minutes after we first met in 1981. Being surprised by how well this Korean man in his late 40s spoke English (very rare then), I asked, “How do you speak English so well?” Unbeknownst to me, Pastor John used that opportunity to share the gospel by way of sharing his testimony, beginning with being adopted by an American family after being orphaned.
What if one day you were given an opportunity to share your own story to an unchurched friend? Or your testimony to your unbelieving relatives? Or perhaps your “defense” of your faith to the seeking co-worker? How do you begin your story? At what point do you acquaint your listener with God’s work of saving grace? How does your interaction conclude? How comfortable are you sharing your story? And does it tell how the good news transformed your life?
A theological discussion may seem too daunting for many, particularly for QT devotions; however, today you will actually get to meet this brilliant theologian who will remind you of—you!
Have you ever been falsely accused of something? How did it make you feel about the situation, but more importantly, how did it make you feel about the accuser? I have a childhood memory in elementary school where one of my classmates falsely accused me of stealing their lunch money. Ironically, after he accused me, he found the money in his pocket—he forgot that he put it there. I remember even at a young age, how upset and betrayed I felt.