Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from Dec. 14-16 are written by Andrew Kim who is an intern at Radiance Christian Church (S.F.).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Hosea 2:19-20

And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.

I’m sure at one point, all of us have thought about “the one.” It’s this person who embodies all of our dreamy attributes or perfect personality traits to fit our every need and desire. But as you get older, this list gets shorter and shorter because we begin to see that there is no such person.

I’m sure Hosea was not thinking that Gomer was “the one.” During those days, it was wrong for a man, let alone a prophet, to marry a woman who was with another man. Gomer, in this case, was not with just one man but with many men and would continue to be unfaithful.

Like Gomer, the Israelites had been unfaithful to God, turning to worthless idols, and rejecting His glory. Yet, God does the unimaginable. Even in their unfaithfulness, God calls them back and declares that they shall be married to Him. But for a marriage to be consummated, the man would have to pay a bridal price. This price would be based on His righteousness, His justice, His love, and His compassion; and it would be fully displayed through his Son Jesus Christ. How great is our Lord who promises to be faithful to us and invites us into a relationship with him so that we will know Him! This relationship wouldn’t be based on our attributes or even our traits, but on Jesus Christ alone—this is grace.

As you continue to dive deeper into the narrative of Hosea, my prayer is that God will reveal the magnitude of His love and grace for you.  And during this season of warm greetings and gift exchange, remember those in our midst who will receive none; perhaps you can show them what God’s love and grace truly looks “with actions and in truth” (1 Jn. 3:18).

Prayer

Father, thank You for loving me, even in the midst of my failures and unfaithfulness to You. Jesus, thank You for the price that You paid for me. Holy Spirit, may I continue to live in the grace that You have shown me.

 Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 5

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 5:6-8: You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Questions to Consider

1. What does Paul emphasize about human nature?
2. How does God demonstrate His love for us?
3. What does this passage tell us about the nature of God’s love?

Notes

1. Like much of Romans, Paul is emphasizing human depravity. In the Greek tense, the words “were still” denotes an ongoing action that shows that even in our continuous depraved nature, God chose to save us.
2. By sending His Son Jesus to die for us. Not only to die for us but to justify us from all unrighteousness so that we may enter into a relationship with Him.
3. God’s love is unconditional, timely, and undeserving. There is nothing that we can do or be to earn His love. The relationship that He calls us into is solely based on His merit. Using the argument of dying for a righteous person, Paul shows how undeserving we are of His love.

Evening Reflection

Maybe you haven’t done all the right things today, or prayed enough. Do you feel separated from God? Remember, it’s not about what we are or how well we did something—we are saved through Christ and Christ alone.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from Dec. 14-16 are written by Andrew Kim who is an intern at Radiance Christian Church (S.F.).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Hosea 2:7-8

She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.’ ⁸ And she did not know that it was I [the Lord] who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.

Have you ever had someone take credit for your hard work? I’m sure all of us have stories where we did all the work, put in the hours and the effort, but someone else unrightfully took all the glory. The worst part is when the other is valued for work that we did. Surely it wasn’t a good feeling and thus perhaps we can understand God’s anger in this passage a little better. The Israelites have done two things: they attributed the blessings from God to their idols, but more importantly robbed God of His glory. How often do we find ourselves following in the same footsteps? Some of us attribute it to luck or even coincidence. Some of us think we deserve it because we’re the ones who put the work in. In all this we put pride in ourselves and forget it was God who has brought us this far, and placed us here. Rather than having hearts of gratitude, we develop hearts of consumerism, constantly wanting more and failing to discern between our needs with our wants. John Calvin consequently describes our neglect as, “thrusting God from his preeminence, and insult his glory.” As the year is coming to an end and we celebrate Christmas, let us give thanks and glory to God for all that he has done for us. Let us give credit where credit is due.

Prayer

Father, I give you glory and thanks for all the things in my life both the good and the bad. I repent of all the ways in which I have fallen short of giving you praise and put my value in worthless things. Help me to have a heart of gratitude so that in all things you may be glorified.

 Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 4

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 1:21-23: 21

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Questions to Consider

1. What is Paul saying about the Romans? What is he saying about what it means to “know God?”
2. What are the consequences of knowing God improperly?
3. What was the result of their foolish thinking? What are the things in our life that we exchange for His glory?

Notes

1. The Romans were aware of God and had some knowledge about him, possibly his ‘eternal power’ and ‘divine nature (verse 20).’ However, Paul is saying that a true knowledge of God will lead to praise and thanksgiving.
2. We begin to rely on futile thoughts that lead to nothing, but more importantly our hearts become darkened and desensitized towards God.
3. Rather than worshipping God, they rejected him and turned to idolatry. They followed after created things rather than the creator, giving glory to things of no value.

Evening Reflection

Spend some time reflecting on where you are today: your career, family, friends, and even the small things in life. Rather than praying about your needs or wants, spend some time praying simply thanking Him for his goodness.

Editor’s Note: The AMI QT Devotionals from Dec. 14-16 are written by Andrew Kim who is an intern at Radiance Christian Church (S.F.).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Hosea 1:2-3

2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you suddenly became famous and made your debut? Who would be there and what would you be doing? Messing up would not be an option since your precious reputation is on the line.

Well, for Hosea his first debut as a prophet involved scandalously marrying a promiscuous woman who would forever tarnish his reputation. Not what you would have in mind as the perfect debut by any means. Some scholars argue that this story is a metaphorical vision, but nowhere in the rest of the book do we see evidence of this. Reformed commentator John Calvin argues, “It is, in short, an exhibition… placed, as it were, before their eyes in a visible form”—meaning, God is actually calling Hosea to do the unthinkable. The decision to marry her would tarnish his reputation, honor, and even his family line. Why would anybody choose to go through with something like this? It was simple: the Lord said to go, and Hosea did.

I’m sure Hosea had some questions and weighed the costs of his obedience. But for Hosea, obeying God was worth more than his reputation, his comfort, and even more than his own understanding of the situation. Can you imagine if the Word of God had that much authority on your life? Hosea did not know that his marriage would resemble the marriage that Christ would have with His people. Jesus in the same way would display the greatest act of obedience at the cost of his life to save us.

So today, be mindful of showing the love of Christ to that coworker, fellow student or spouse who, perhaps, isn’t behaving as badly as Gomer, but is pretty annoying nonetheless. Pray first.

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for sacrificing Your life for us. May we learn to trust and obey in Your Word alone. Speak to us today and may we have the ears to listen.

 Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 3

Lunch Break Study

Read James 1:22-25: 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Questions to Consider:

1. What is James emphasizing in this passage?
2. How are we deceived?
3. What is the purpose of His Word?

Notes:

1. Simply hearing the Word through sermons and our daily QT’s is futile if we are not putting the Word into action. As disciples of Christ, we are called to outwardly respond to his Word in our lives.
2. It’s like looking in a mirror and seeing all the blemishes but doing nothing to fix them because of distractions.
3. Only the Word of God provides a true reflection of who we are and who we are called to be. In this freedom and obedience to His word, we are then spiritually blessed.

Evening Reflection

As you pray and meditate on His Word, how is He speaking to you today? Are you responding to His Word in obedience? Do you take heart to His Word and put them into action? Take some time to reflect.

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT devotionals for Dec. 12-13 are provided by Tina Hsu, who presently serves as an intern at Church of Southland.  She will head to E. Asia in early 2016 to serve as a preaching intern at an AMI church there.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

John 2:1-12

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; ²and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. ³When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” ⁴And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” ⁶Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. ⁷Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. ⁸And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him. ⁹When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, ¹⁰and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

In your small group, would you say you are vulnerable about your struggles? It takes great courage to be vulnerable. We may not be vulnerable for fear of feeling shame.

At the wedding in Cana, the shortage of wine was not simply a beverage issue; it was a shame issue. In the honor and shame culture of Jesus’ day, lack of wine at a wedding banquet exposed the married couple and their families to public shame. By turning water into wine, Jesus saved the married couple from public shame. He allowed them to receive honor from the host and their guests. Though His hour had not yet come (2:4), He provided an unbelievable gift for this married couple. For Jesus to save one married couple from social shame was a small thing compared to what He would provide when His hour did come. In light of “the hour” that was coming, Jesus knew He came to wipe away the shame of humanity. When His hour did come, He went to the cross, took our shame upon Himself, and suffered crucifixion, a shameful death. As the Word who had became flesh, He didn’t come to attain honor. Rather, Jesus came to bear our shame so we could have the honor of being children of God – fully approved and forgiven by God. The issue is, we as believers often remain bound in shame, fearing disapproval and rejection. We fear that if we are fully seen for our sins and weaknesses, we will no longer be worthy of love and acceptance from God, or from people. We miss out on the freedom that Christ purchased for us, and often cut ourselves off from community. The beauty of genuine fellowship is the sense of belonging. Everyone matters! Fellowship is a safe place where we can share honestly and heal from shame and brokenness as we surround one another with prayer and encouragement. Ask the Lord to help you commit to belonging to your small group and to also minister to your brothers and sisters as they openly share their lives with you.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You that I share the honor of being your beloved child with my brothers and sisters. Thank You for reminding me that I can’t grow spiritually on my own. Help me to humbly and courageously share my life with the community You have given me. Thank You that You have also called me to minister to my brothers and sisters. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 2

 

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT devotionals for Dec. 12-13 are provided by Tina Hsu, who presently serves as an intern at Church of Southland.  She will head to E. Asia in early 2016 to serve as a preaching intern at an AMI church there.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

December is an opportunity to reflect on the powerful message of Christmas. If I could sum up the message of Christmas in one word, it would be presence. There is power in “being with” people because presence communicates love. I came to grasp the power of presence for the first time during the summer after my sophomore year in college. I met with a Christian counselor once a week during that summer. The reason was, during the spring of sophomore year, I fell into mild depression. I lost a lot of joy in doing regular things. All I wanted to do was sleep so I could numb away my feelings. It was hard to study, and hard to worship! I was bearing a lot of hurt and anger towards my father, who was absent for a majority of my upbringing. During one session, as I shared my pain to my counselor, she cried and mourned with me over my pain. It was such a powerful moment. I felt like she was sincerely identifying with me in my pain. She was present with me with her ears and her heart. By her presence in my brokenness, I regained the strength to heal and to have joy. By her “being with” me, I felt like God’s love was so near to me.

Presence communicates love. This is how God communicated His love to us. The message of Christmas is the nearness of God’s presence, which He demonstrated through His Son. The Son of God took on the flesh and came to be with us. He took on the form of man and came to dwell among humanity. He left where He belonged and came to reside among the chaos and the brokenness of this world. When the Son of God became flesh, he identified with our condition. Even though His own creation didn’t acknowledge Him as God, He drew near to demonstrate the grace and truth of our heavenly Father. As we rejoice at the coming of our Savior, let’s also offer the gift of presence and “be with” those whom the Lord puts on our hearts.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, I praise You for sending Your Son to be with us so we can encounter Your loving presence. Fill me with Your love so I could actively demonstrate love by being with people today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 Bible Reading for Today: John 21 & Ecclesiastes 1

 

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT devotionals for Dec. 10-11 are provided by Pastor (intern) David Son who serves at Symphony Church, Boston.  David got married this year to Grace. Congratulations!

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Esther 10:1-2

King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

Batman has been and will always be one of the greatest and well-loved superheroes. But the main reason Batman is so adored is not because he has super-human strength (he doesn’t), nor is it because he can fly (he can’t); he can’t turn invisible or shoot lasers from his eyes either. I think the thing about Batman that draws us to him is the fact that Batman is “one of us.” Yes, he fights for justice and defeats bad guys, but when it comes down to it, Batman is like us—fully human!

There is something about a powerful figure/leader being “one of us” that makes him trustworthy. No one really wants to trust a leader with whom we can’t relate to, who doesn’t really understand what it’s like to be one of us. Perhaps that is why having Mordecai at the right hand of the king was such a blessing to the Jewish people of that time. One of the most powerful people in the land was “one of them”! The Jewish people prospered because Mordecai sat at the right hand of the king.

In Jesus, we have a greater “Mordecai.” Seated at the right hand of God the Father, Jesus not only understands everything we go through, but also is Himself fully human! We have a Lord who is “one of us”! Have you ever thought to yourself, No one understands me? Today, let us draw near with confidence to our Lord who understands us completely.

Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for being our sympathetic High Priest. Because of You, we can approach the presence of God confidently. Today, may we remember Your promise that You will be with us, even to the end of the age.

 Bible Reading for Today: John 20

Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 4:12-16: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Questions to Consider:

1. According to the passage, can we hide our flaws, weaknesses, and sins from God?
2. How can we approach God’s throne with confidence?
3. How is Jesus able to sympathize with our weaknesses?

Notes:

1. According to this passage, no creature is able to hide from God, but all are naked and exposed before Him. This is a simple, yet sobering, and potentially frightening truth.
2. We are able to approach God’s throne with confidence for one reason: Jesus Christ is our High Priest. He has made atonement for us and intercedes on our behalf.
3. Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, because He has been tempted in every respect! That means that any temptation you have felt, Jesus has felt it too. In Scripture, we only have a handful of explicit examples of Jesus being tempted. But this passage tells us that there isn’t a temptation that we’ve felt that Jesus hasn’t also felt Himself. Furthermore, Jesus overcame each of these temptations—without sinning. Looking to Jesus, we see a Lord who is familiar with our plight, and He also gives us the strength to overcome.

Evening Reflection

Imagine that your closest friend became the next President of the United States: How would your life change? What would your communication with him/her be like? Knowing that Jesus is not only the King of kings, but that He also calls you friend, how should we approach Him?

Editor’s Note:  The AMI QT devotionals for Dec. 10-11 are provided by Pastor (intern) David Son who serves at Symphony Church, Boston.  David got married this year to Grace. Congratulations!

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Esther 9:1

Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them.

In 2010, I was on a short-term mission trip to Northeast China. Traveling to different villages, we preached and taught many pastors who had gathered from surrounding villages.  It was during one of these secret gatherings that the police barged in. Four policemen kicked the door open and immediately arrested my pastor and his translator. Within moments, he was put into the police car and driven to the police station, hours away.  I began to panic.

We did the only thing we could do: pray.  For hours and hours, we kept asking God to do something.  When we finally got in touch with the translator who called us from police station, it was not good news. Our pastor was in jail, awaiting his sentence, which was expected to be one or more of the following: a massive fine, jail-time and being added to the “blacklist” of China. The verdict would happen the next morning.

I fell asleep, but I woke up early to the sound of the Chinese locals praying; they had stayed up all night, interceding for my pastor. Soon, a car pulled up and my pastor stepped out with a huge grin on his face. “What happened?” we asked. While the chief of police was explaining all the punishments that could be inflicted upon my pastor, for some reason, his heart softened. Instead of my pastor being punished, the reverse occurred: my pastor shared the Gospel with the police chief, and he agreed not only to release him, but to begin attending church, to learn more about God!

As today’s text says, sometimes God allows “the reverse” to occur to rescue His people, thereby bringing further glory unto Himself. When the Israelites were trembling before the Philistine army, He used a shepherd boy to bring down Goliath. When Jesus was being nailed to the cross, and it seemed all hope was lost, God was actually unfolding his plan for the salvation of man. Today, let us strive to put our faith in our God, especially in the midst of trials, hardship and brokenness. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Prayer

Lord, we rejoice even in our sufferings, not because they are fun, but because we know and believe that you are a God who works even with suffering to produce good.  Open our eyes today to your faithfulness that is revealed in today’s passage, and all throughout Scripture. Increase our faith as we read and meditate. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 Bible Reading for Today: John 19

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 14:28-33

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Questions to Consider:

1. What was Peter’s rationale for stepping out of the boat, and onto the water?
2. Why did Peter begin to sink?
3. What is the final result of this story?

Notes:

1. Peter reasoned that since Jesus called him, he could do anything, even walking on water!
2. While Peter had enough faith to step out onto the water, he was afraid and began to sink when he saw the wind (i.e., circumstances). After Jesus rescues Peter, He asks him, “Why did you doubt?” Fear and doubt caused Peter to sink.
3. This story isn’t really about whether Peter could pass a “faith test” by walking on water; rather, it was whether he and other disciples, who never left the boat, would respond to Jesus in worship. In our faith journey, while we may experience flashes of great faith, we are likely to encounter many moments of doubts and fear in which we would need God’s grace and mercy. Either way these should lead us to worship Him.

Evening Reflection

Today we talked about faith, especially in light of hardships. The Bible says, “Faith comes from hearing” (Romans 10:17). Have you listened for God’s voice today? If not, take a moment to meditate on today’s Scripture; pray and ask if there is something He wants to say to you.

Editor’s Note: The AMI Quiet Time for today is provided by Cami King of JCC.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Esther 8:15-17
Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. ¹⁶ The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. ¹⁷ And in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

There are moments in life when God’s faithfulness comes into focus, when we go past trusting in God’s promises to experiencing them in their fullness in our personal lives. Those are precious moments. Mordecai and the people of God are having one such moment. They have walked through hardship and persecution, through fear and uncertainty, they’ve fasted and prayed, hoped and depended upon the Lord; and now they are delighting in the fruit of God’s faithfulness. And moreover, because of their dependence upon God through difficulties, many others have come to know the Lord as well – they saw that God’s blessing was upon the Jews and wanted in.

In John 12:32, Jesus says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” In this, of course, Jesus was predicting the manner in which He would die and the pervasive salvation that would be made available to all people as a result. And in a small way, when God’s people walk faithfully through adversity, we are used by God to make Him known (lift Him up) and draw others into a relationship with Him. This should encourage us whenever we face adversity – knowing that the work God is doing in and through us is more than worth the sacrifice. But even more so than encouragement to persevere, our passage for today should elate us at the possibilities of what the end result will be for those who trust in the Lord.  God is truly able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, and His track record shows that He is not only able, but He is willing.

Though we may find ourselves walking through difficulties and facing obstacles, may we be encouraged by the story of Mordecai, Queen Esther, and the people of God! Let us remind our hearts of God’s faithfulness and celebrate not only what He will do for us, but what He is able to do in the hearts of others through us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your faithfulness. You are a promise keeper and I trust in You. Help me to walk faithfully through the storms of life, for I know they will come, and to wait upon You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 Bible Reading for Today: John 18

Lunch Break Study

Psalm 23:1-6

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters
³     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever

Questions to Consider:

1. What keeps David from fearing evil in verse 4? How have you experienced the truth of his words when you walked through valleys?
2. What do you think it means that goodness and mercy shall follow (v. 6)? How have you experienced this in your life?

Notes:

1. One Bible translation renders “valley of the shadow of death” as “darkest valley” – this accurately describes the feeling of suffering. It’s hard to make sense of what’s going on around us; we can’t see very far ahead of us, and we definitely can see all the way to the end of the struggle. But David does not fear because the Lord walks through the valley with him. Not only does David have the comfort of not going alone in the dark, but he has the reassurance of knowing that He is with the One who knows all and holds all power in His hands.
2. What is translated as “follow” can easily be translated “pursue” – and I think the latter paints a better picture of God’s care for us. God’s goodness and mercy (loyal-love) are so great and so persistent that they hunt us down, no matter what dark valley we’ve stumbled into. His love will find us and care for us.

Evening Reflection

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
²⁶ It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:21-26)

Spend some time meditating on these truths tonight (read, then reread – slowly and thoughtfully – and contemplate with the Lord). Allow the Holy Spirit to use them to minister to you in whatever you may be facing.

Editor’s Note: The AMI Quiet Time for today are provided by Cami King of JCC.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Esther 7:7-10
The king arose in his anger from drinking wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him by the king. ⁸ Now when the king returned from the palace garden into the place where they were drinking wine, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen with me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. ⁹ Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were before the king said, “Behold indeed, the gallows standing at Haman’s house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good on behalf of the king!” And the king said, “Hang him on it.” ¹⁰ So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.

If I were to respond to the ending of Haman’s story in emojis, I would have to use the little face with wide eyes, raised brows, and utter confusion (sorry to android users for the lost pop culture reference). At the start of this narrative, it’s certainly hard to see this ending coming. I’m sure it caught Haman by surprise as well. We’ve all heard the saying, “Evil never prospers.” As kids we might have been told this by our parents or teachers who caught us doing something underhanded or conniving or deceitful (as most children begin to do after their toddler years). But from the story of Haman, we learn that not only will evil not prosper, but it will have the absolute averse effect in our lives.

As believers, we are called to a life of holiness. We are called to live as Jesus would in our place and to honor and exalt God (make Him famous) through our lives. And while this is our calling (and a lofty one at that), we still find ourselves living in the real world where we are tempted to scheme with the best of them. Whether it’s intentional and malicious (like outright slander, lying on our taxes, lying on our resumes, cheating on a test) or inadvertent and seemingly innocuous (like work gossip, representing someone in an unfavorable light to make ourselves look better, taking credit for something we didn’t do), our human nature leads us to “evil” quite naturally. But may we learn a hard lesson from the story of Haman, that all the evil we do, especially against others, will at some point or another come back to haunt us – and often times in painfully ironic ways. 

It’s easy to plot evil to get ahead or even in response to those who’ve harmed us, but may we choose instead the path of righteousness (and forgiveness). Not only is it a better road as we are protected from the potential painful consequences, but the God who was faithful to Esther will be faithful to all who choose righteousness as well.

Prayer: “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.  Let it be so with me, O Lord.”  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 Bible Reading for Today: John 16

Lunch Break Study

Psalm 37:1-11

Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
² For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb.
³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
⁵ Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.

⁷ Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
⁸ Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
⁹ For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
¹⁰ Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
¹¹ But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. 

Questions to Consider:

1. Do you find yourself “fretting because of evil doers” or “envious toward wrong doers”? What does the psalmist instruct us to do instead?
2. Who are the “wrongdoers” in your life? What do we learn is the fate of those who do evil? How should this encourage us to respond to them?

Notes: 

1. If we’ve ever been victimized or wronged by anyone else, especially in a painful or habitual manner, we can relate to David in his temptation to worry over these things. Moreover, if we’ve ever tried to live honestly and found that those who choose to take shortcuts continue to get ahead, we may have experienced envy toward them. But we are challenged instead to trust in the Lord and continue to be faithful. God will take care of the rest as we delight ourselves in Him. We must also be careful not to become angry lest we fall into evil of our own.
2. The scripture is clear – their end is destruction. And not the kind of destruction we might want to bring up on them in our anger, but God’s righteous judgment. This should lead us to have hearts of compassion and concern for them – God’s judgment is no small thing. We might pray for them, or be encouraged to love them in hopes that God might soften their hearts and change their ways.

Evening Reflection

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:7)

Are you facing any opposition or adversity today? Take some time tonight to be still before the Lord. Offer Him your cares and rest in His promises to protect and provide. Commit anew to walking in the path of righteousness, no matter the cost, and praise God for His good plans to prosper you through every circumstance.

Editor’s Note: The AMI Quiet Time for today are provided by Cami King of JCC.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Esther 7:1-6
¹ Now the king and Haman came to drink wine with Esther the queen. ² And the king said to Esther on the second day also as they drank their wine at the banquet, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” ³ Then Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my petition, and my people as my request; ⁴ for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and to be annihilated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for the trouble would not be commensurate with the annoyance to the king.” ⁵ Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he who would presume to do thus?” ⁶ Esther said, “A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!” Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.

The story of queen Esther is a familiar one. Esther, with fear and trembling, goes before the king to make a request that could cost her life. Yet she does so knowing that it was what she must do to save her people, believing the potential sacrifice to be more than worth the potential outcome. Her confidence, as we learned yesterday, came from the Lord her God, whom she knew was at work in the unseen to protect and defend His people. And we see today that her boldness and courage paid off. She was granted her request before a king with whom she found favor – and many were saved as a result. What an amazing opportunity and immense power available to Esther. And what a worthy way to utilize it!

As I read through this familiar story again, I was reminded that believers today are far more like queen Esther than we might think. We too have the opportunity to approach the throne of a King who holds enough power in his hand to incite fear and trembling in all who dare to draw near. Yet, much like the response of King Ahasuerus to Esther’s request, our King, the King of Kings, has a compassionate disposition toward each of us and delights in giving us the things for which we ask (see John 14:14). Yet, how many of us realize the power made available to us because of our ability to approach God’s throne and ask of the Lord? Moreover, when we do come before God with our requests, what is it that we ask for? Most of us ask for things for ourselves and for our loved ones and maybe for a few good friends. But Esther made a request that would save a whole nation. She offered her life and asked for something great. What will we ask for? What are we willing to offer? We can ask for the pedestrian and the possible (success and wealth and comfort) or we can ask for the Kingdom… we can ask for the nations… and our God delights in giving them to us.

“Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. God isn’t offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less. If your prayers aren’t impossible to you, they are insulting to God.” (Mark Batterson, Circle Maker)

Prayer: Almighty God, thank you for your compassion toward me and your willingness to listen to my prayers and move on my behalf. Give me the courage to pray bold prayers. Give me the vision to pray impactful prayers. Give me the conviction to pray according to your will for the world. May you accomplish great things through me as I offer you my life and my requests.

 Bible Reading for Today: John 16

Lunch Break Study

Hebrews 4:14-16

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Questions to Consider:

1. What does the writer of Hebrews encourage believers to do in this passage? What hinders you from doing this in your life?
2. What should motivate us to do what the writer of Hebrews is calling us to do in this passage? How does this encourage you?
3. Are there some areas in your life that are in need of God’s mercy and grace to help in a time of need? Spend some time offering those things to the Lord with boldness and confidence.

Notes: 

1. The writer of Hebrews encourages us to come to God with confidence (boldness) and ask for his help (grace and mercy) in our times of need. Many of us are hindered from doing this for a number of reasons. We may not feel worthy of God. We may not fully believe he will help us if we ask. We may be self-reliant and think we can take care of things on our own. Some of us are just plain lazy when it comes to prayer. Whatever it may be, anything that hinders us from approaching God in times of needs, prevents us from receiving the grace and mercy He’s made available to us.
2. We should be motivated to come to God for help in times of need by our knowledge of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Jesus became one of us and walked on this earth and lived a life just like we do. And while He was without sin, he does very much empathize with our struggles and our needs. This should give us all the more confidence when we come to Him.
3. Spend some time in personal prayer.

Evening Reflection

Spend some time reflecting on this morning’s quotation:

“Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. God isn’t offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less. If your prayers aren’t impossible to you, they are insulting to God.” (Mark Batterson, Circle Maker)

What are the situations around the world most in need of God’s help? Who are the people around you most in need of God’s grace and mercy at this time? Are there any bold prayers God is calling you to pray in response to these needs? Spend some time listening to the Holy Spirit and seeking God’s courage and vision for these areas. Then end in prayer accordingly.