November 11, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional was first posted on August 22, 2017.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Joy of the Lord”

Nehemiah 8:10

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

This summer, I was part of a short-term mission’s team to Vietnam with AMI and served under Pastor Phi and his wife, Mai, for about two weeks. It was an incredible experience in which I witnessed God moving powerfully during times of worship and speak supernaturally through the prophetic prayers of those who were then strangers.

I’m not sure whether I will always remember what types of breakthrough came during these powerful moments, but I will never forget Mai’s relentless and life-giving smile. During the last day of our youth camp, I was tasked with waking up the children who were napping in the auditorium during our lunch break. For a lack of a better illustration, the next scene felt like a zombie apocalypse of little children. In a matter of three seconds, the hundreds of children who were sleeping ever-so-peacefully on the auditorium floor, all jumped to their feet and began running around and screaming in excitement. I remember standing there with my mouth agape, looking at my team members who held very similar expressions on their faces, wondering if and how we were going to get through the day. However, when I looked up, I saw Mai walking onto the stage with a microphone in hand, a hop in her step, and a smile as big as the children’s. In that moment, I felt the presence of God. I realized that it was not ministry experience, physical stamina, or even grit, which would get us through the day; it was going to be the joy of the Lord.

In today’s passage, Nehemiah addresses the Israelites who were mourning and repenting in response to the Word of God. He tells them to stop grieving and, instead, to worship and share their abundance with those in need. The fuel behind their worship and service was revealed to be the joy of the Lord.

I’m sure Mai was physically tired, probably more than we were; but, the same joy that fueled Nehemiah was empowering her love for these children, many who had travelled long distances to attend the camp. Even in the midst of tiredness and unexpected circumstances, she received excitement and energy from the heart of God, which became her strength. So today, don’t get easily upset over small annoyances; instead, be joyful in the Lord and serve others.

Prayer: Lord, I confess that I often forget to ask for the joy of the Lord to be my strength. Thank You for the reminder that the true source of strength, stamina, grit, and positivity is not found in myself but in my relationship with You. Please fill me with a greater measure of joy today. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Daniel 7

Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians 4:11-3: Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Questions to consider

1. What are some seasons in Paul’s life in which he might’ve felt he was “abounding”? What are some seasons he was “brought low”?

2. What is Paul’s secret of facing both types of seasons?

3. Where are you finding your strength to get through the rest of your day?

Notes

1. Paul experienced great joy and satisfaction when the churches he planted bore great fruit (1 Thess. 2). At the same time, Paul was no stranger to being “brought low,” as he was heavily persecuted throughout his lifetime.

2. Paul’s secret was to focus not on himself, but in the Lord. He was not the creator nor the giver but the recipient of contentment and strength from the Lord.

3. Personal response.

Evening Reflection

When we think of joy, we are prone to focus solely on our own joy and contentment. However, we learned today that our joy in the Lord could be encouraging and contagious to others. Where is one area of your life where you can be less of a bystander and more of an agent of joy and hope?

November 10, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on August 27, 2017. Christine, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, serves as a deaconess at Remnant Church in Manhattan, New York.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Equipped for Battle”

Ephesians 6:13-17

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

A coworker and I were recently chatting about his summer, which was mostly spent following his son’s traveling lacrosse team. I asked him how he liked having his son play at a high level; he said that he was proud of his son, but he was always annoyed at how expensive the sport’s gear was. Helmets, pads, gloves, shoes, the stick, etc. – all of these things added up quickly! However, being protected was a non-negotiable part of the experience. And it would also be impossible for the parents to buy some gear and not others: if the son went in with shoulder pads but no helmet, he could be seriously injured!

We know that maintaining our Christian faith is often compared to war – the stakes and intensity of it is even greater than that of high school sports. But, so often, we begin our days completely unaware that we are going into battle and need to prepare. Paul’s exhortation here reminds us that there are many parts to the armor that we have to wear, and we also have to arm ourselves daily with it. If any part of our armor is weak or missing, then we must ask for it to be strengthened and become aware that we are vulnerable.

So, let’s take Paul’s armor as a guideline for how to equip ourselves to maintain our faith each day. For example, we can daily refresh ourselves with the truths of God’s character and goodness that we can trust in. We can also be assured that God has given us righteousness and fight accusations of shame and guilt that would derail us. Let’s be sure to not just take a defensive stance but also be ready to engage: Are we equipped with the Word of God, ready to wield it in offense against the enemy?

Today, as we come to God at church to worship, let’s ask Him to reveal to us where we need His strengthening. We can have faith that His power is already proved on this earth; we know that in the battles we face that we will be victorious in His power. Let’s not allow ourselves to go one more day without being strengthened by God.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You do not leave us defenseless and unprepared for this life of battle. Would You draw our minds to know where we are weak, and where we can be strengthened by Your truths and Your presence? Help us with this armor so that we can stand firm in this life and also continue to work on behalf of Your kingdom. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Daniel 6

November 9, Saturday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on September 30, 2017, 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.).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Power of Gratitude”

Genesis 8:20 -21

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma…

When Oprah Winfrey had her talk show many years ago, I remember watching one episode where she talked about the power of gratitude. (I confess I have watched a few episodes of Oprah but not enough to call myself a fan ) She talked about how she kept a gratitude journal and how every night she would write down five things she was grateful for that day. She emphasized how much power it had over her life and how it could also help others as well through life.

In the Christian life, gratitude is powerful. In today’s passage, we read that the flood has ended and Noah and his family were saved. The striking thing is that the first thing Noah does when he leaves the ark is to offer a burnt offering to the Lord.

Any offering burned over an altar was a burnt offering, but in more specific terms, a burnt offering was the complete destruction of the animal in an effort to renew the relationship between a Holy God and sinful man. It was a symbol of worship, but it also meant giving thanks to the Lord for who He was and the worship He deserved. Noah gave thanks as a response of worship to the Lord and the Lord was pleased by it. What a scene, as they knelt down in the mud and gave thanks! One commentator put it like this: “It is because, of course, giving thanks means we recognize reality. When you give thanks you are recognizing the undergirding of God, the presence of God, in the midst of life, and his control over the affairs of life. Thus you cannot give thanks without recognizing the situation as it really is.” The apostle Paul put it like this: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

As you examine your life, what are you thankful for? Do you have a habit of gratitude that the Lord would be pleased with? Take time this morning and give thanks to the Lord. Even when we don’t feel like it, it is a great discipline to practice in our Christian lives. May we live as people who are forever grateful unto the Lord. Amen.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are always at work in my life even though I don’t clearly see that at times. Help me to be grateful and faithful, and continue to trust Your plan for me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Daniel 4-5

November 8, Friday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on June 15, 2017, is provided by Pastor Yohan Lee. He is a friend of AMI who in the past has served as a staff at several AMI churches. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Cairn University (MA).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

Jeremiah 12:4 (NIV)

“How long will the land lie parched

and the grass in every field be withered?

Because those who live in it are wicked,

the animals and birds have perished.

Moreover, the people are saying,

“He will not see what happens to us.”

I generally don’t believe in the idea of “victimless crimes.” Wikipedia defines victimless crime as “an illegal act that typically either directly involves only the perpetrator, or occurs between consenting adults; because it is consensual in nature, there is arguably no true victim.” Examples typically include drug abuse, gambling, and prostitution. Yet, anyone who’s had a loved one involved in a drug, gambling, or sex addiction can tell you how damaging they are for the individuals directly involved. We also know that the further you go up the “food chains” of these crime syndicates, we start talking about truly sinister actions like human trafficking and murder.

Obviously, I described some of the worst sins in our society and their ripple effects. But how about smaller areas of corruption? A few months ago I was made aware how expensive construction in NYC is; I firmly believe that contributing to this cost are so called “expedition fees” that one has to pay in order to get permits issued in a timely manner. Well, those fees eventually make their way down to every person working or living in the city by driving up mortgages, rent, and taxes. My wife constantly laments the unnecessarily high cost of healthcare citing a variety of factors, including pharmaceutical kickbacks, bogus legal liability claims, uninsured patients, etc. Here’s the point: we live in a society, and like it or not, what we do— somehow and to varying degrees—impacts others. Corruption in one area trickles down to many areas of society.

Jeremiah saw this truth in today’s passage, when he asked the Lord how long the land would lie parched as a result of wickedness in Jerusalem. In the Old Testament, one of the common punishments God doled out for apostasy was to withhold rain and curse the land (Lev 26:18-20; Deut 28:23-24; Hag 1:8-11; etc.); in essence, the king’s idolatry made life miserable for every citizen. As a New Covenant believer, I’d be hard pressed to attribute natural disasters to God’s judgment, but I would say that many (if not all) of the difficulties in our society are related to someone’s (or everyone’s) sinfulness and corruption.

Here’s the take home: do your part. We’ll never eliminate corruption on this side of heaven, but let’s not contribute to it; don’t let it beat you into participating with it. Be a light; act as honestly as you can, train others to do the same, and trust our God to right all wrongs in His time.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please give me the courage and faith to act with integrity at all times. Let me be the salt and light You called me to be, and give me a heart to pray for our leaders and our society. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Daniel 3

Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 10:19-25: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Questions to Consider

Before encouraging us to action, the writer of Hebrews gives us motivation for doing so in vv. 19-21. What are they?
Starting in v. 22 we are told to do three things (“let us…”). What are they?
How can you apply one or all of these to your life today?

Notes

Our motivation for Christian action is that we can now have direct access to and draw right into the heart of the Most High God, because Jesus shed His blood for us. We no longer have to stand behind a curtain, nor do we need a priest to intercede for us.
Therefore, we are told to draw near to God (v. 22), hope for a future kingdom (v. 32), and encourage and meet with one another in fellowship (vv. 24-25).
Application question.

Evening Reflection

Today, I wanted you to consider what makes you different as a believer. Is it the way you live your life with integrity and holiness? Is it that you know and have a deep personal relationship with the Triune God, or that you genuinely hope and live as a citizen of another land? Or perhaps, you love the family of God deeply. Take a moment and ask the Lord to speak into your life about how you represent Him in this world.

November 7, Thursday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on November 8, 2018, is written by Pastor David Son who pastors the Thrive Church in Taipei. He is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley (BA) and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.). Stay up to date with the church by following them here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivechurchtaipei/

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Early Success”

Jeremiah 52:1-2

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snapchat, is worth over four billion dollars—and he’s only 28! Facebook co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, became a billionaire at age 23! There’s a growing church in my city that was planted in 2014 by the lead pastor, and he was only 18 years old at the time! There’s something about young success that inspires us, and maybe even makes us a little bit jealous (just maybe).

Our passage today describes an achievement that perhaps overshadows all of the above in regards to early success: “Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king….” Imagine becoming the king of a nation at the age of 21! In terms of worldly success, status, and influence, Zedekiah had it all, and he reached it quick. But our passage concludes like this: “And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord….”

In the Kingdom of God, early success—such as the above—means almost nothing. As a matter of fact, late success doesn’t mean that much either. There’s only one thing that really matters in the Kingdom of God: Did you, or did you not, live a life of obedience to the Lord?

I don’t know about you, but many years from now, I don’t want to look back on my life and realize that out of all the things I’ve invested my time and energy into, I haven’t done the most important thing: to obey God. But on the other hand, if I spend each day trying to walk in obedience to Him, I am confident that no matter what else happens, in the end I will be content with the way I’ve lived.

While we can certainly appreciate and applaud certain kinds of success, let’s not make the mistake of thinking that the world’s version of success equals true, eternal success. Instead, let us strive to live each day in obedience to God.

Prayer: Lord, protect our hearts from comparison and jealousy. Instead, may we find joy and fulfillment in the one thing that really matters: obeying You. Fill our minds with Your Word this morning, fill our hearts with Your love, and guide our hands and feet to do that which is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Daniel 2

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Samuel 15:19-23: Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

Questions to Consider

In this passage, what did Saul do that was considered so displeasing to the Lord?

Is this surprising to you?

2. Why does God ultimately reject Saul?

3. What does this passage tell us about the kind of God that we serve?

Notes

After a victorious battle against the Amalekites, Samuel rebukes Saul because although God had given Saul clear instructions to destroy everything, Saul had saved some of the best sheep and oxen to make sacrifices to God. What may have surprised you is that Saul’s intentions seem to be good. After all, he saved the sheep and oxen in order to worship God! Sometimes, we disobey God in doing what we think are good things; but the lesson here is that “doing what seems good to us” and “obeying God” aren’t always one and the same.
God ultimately rejects Saul because Saul refuses to walk in obedience to God. In many aspects, Saul was king material: he was tall, handsome, well-liked, and a brilliant military strategist/warrior. But for all the good qualities Saul had, he was missing the most crucial one: a heart of obedience to God. For this reason Saul was rejected.
This passage tells us something very interesting and important about our God. In Exodus and Leviticus, God was the one who gave His people a detailed set of instructions about how to offer sacrifices to Him. And so when we read only that portion, it’s possible to think that God’s primary interest was to be on the receiving end of these types of ceremonial rituals. But here, and in many other places, Scripture tells us that God is more delighted in the obedience of His people.

Evening Reflection

There’s a worship song that goes like this:

May the words of my mouth

And the thoughts of my heart

Bless Your Name, bless Your Name, Jesus.

And the deeds of my day

And the truth in my way

Speak of You, speak of You, Jesus.

Let’s make that our prayer this evening as we remind ourselves of the value of living a life of obedience to Him.

November 6, Wednesday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on July 18, 2018. Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Which Will You Choose?”

Jeremiah 21:8-10 (NRSV)

And to this people you shall say: Thus says the Lord: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 Those who stay in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but those who go out and surrender to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have their lives as a prize of war. 10 For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good, says the Lord: it shall be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

A famous poem in American literature (popular internationally as well) is Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” which famously ends: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

I do not purport to fully understand this poem and am skeptical that masses of people do either, since poetry tends to be fairly obscure and subject to wide interpretation (obviously not my favorite literary genre). But I imagine what speaks to so many from this piece is the familiar experience of being at a crossroad where we must make a choice.

In our passage this morning, the people of God have a difficult choice before them. They can choose the way of life—which at first glance actually seems to be the way of death (surrendering to a conquering enemy)—or choose the way of death (staying and fighting for their lives). The Lord essentially says to them, “Yield to me (by surrendering yourselves to the enemy) and you will live. Or, continue to take your life into your own hands (fight) and you will be destroyed.”

Many years later God, in the person of Jesus, would say something similar: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34b-35). Although the situation facing Jesus’ disciples in Mark (and us today) is quite different from that facing God’s people in Jeremiah, who were being punished for their rebellion, the principle Jesus offers is the same: surrendering to the Lord, yielding our life to God, and trusting in Jesus is the only way to life. And oftentimes on this side of heaven, that surrender will appear deadly (no one thought life could come through a cross or glory through humiliation before Christ).

No matter what circumstances we face, we can be sure that there is only one way to life: trust and hope in God. And no matter how competent we feel and how tempting it is to rely on our ourselves or other things, any other way will ultimately lead to death. What will you choose today?

Prayer: Almighty God, You have proven again and again that You are worthy of my trust. You are powerful and holy and know better than I. And You have demonstrated Your unfailing love for me. Help me to fully depend on You today so that I may live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Daniel 1

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 8:1-13 (NET Bible): There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.5 For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. 6 For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness. 11 Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you. 12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh 13 (for if you live according to the flesh, you will die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

Questions to Consider

What do we learn from vv.1-4 about the difference between living “according to the flesh” and “living according to the Spirit”?
How does Paul (the writer of Romans) describe life according to the flesh? What is the end result of this way of life?
How does Paul describe life according to the Spirit? What would it mean for you to choose this way of life today?

Notes

Living by the flesh means relying on our own ability to do what is right and be in right relationship with God (or be “a good person” as we often say today), instead of relying on Jesus to make us right before God and teach us how to be good. Living according to the flesh means independence, autonomy, and individualism, while living according to the Spirit means complete dependence on God and identification with Christ and the people of God.
Outlook or worldview shaped by things of the flesh (the world and everything in it). Hostility to God, refusal and inability to submit to the ways of God, inability to please God. // The end result is death—both eternally (for those who refuse to receive Jesus as Savior) and in various areas of this present life (even for believers who insist on living according to the flesh).
Outlook and worldview shaped by the things of the Spirit (the wisdom and ways of God). The end result is life and peace. // Personal response.

Evening Reflection

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

Spend some time this evening reflecting on the proverb above. Are there things in your life keeping you from complete surrender and full dependence on God? Offer those things to the Lord and ask for wisdom to see as God sees and courage to do as Jesus would do.

November 5, Tuesday,

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on August 14, 2018, is provided by Pastor Barry Kang, who heads Symphony Church in Boston. Barry is a graduate of Stanford University (B.S.), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Gordon Conwell Seminary (D.Min.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Do I Care About the City?”

Jeremiah 29:7

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

If we read God’s message to the Jewish exiles in Babylon in Jeremiah 29:1-6 and stopped there, we might think that God was telling Israel to make the most of a bad situation: “You’re going to be here for a while, so make yourself comfortable.” This, in itself, would have been bad news, especially the news that they were going to be in exile for a while. But verse 7 changes everything!

It was one thing to tell the exiles that they were going to be in Babylon longer than they expected or hoped—but now God was telling them to care about Babylon also! This was like telling Jonah to pray and work for the welfare of Ninevah, or telling Palestinians to pray and work for the welfare of Israel, or telling U.C. Berkeley grads to work for and pray for the welfare of Stanford University!

But what if God is asking us to actually care about and for people we don’t want to care about? What if He’s asking us to care for people who we may feel are like our enemies? What if He’s asking us to care for the city in which we live (assuming you live in a city)? I asked “what ifs,” but of course, these aren’t hypothetical questions—because God loves the world and He is asking us to care about the people around us!

Prayer: Father, I want to learn to pray for my city and its welfare. Show me today aspects of Your will for where I live. Teach me to love my neighbors (even the ones I don’t like) as myself and to know that in their welfare, I will also find mine. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Job 41

Lunch Break Study

Read Jonah 4:1-11: But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?

Questions to Consider

Compare Jonah 4:2 with Exodus 34:6-7. What do you think Jonah is accusing God of, and why is Jonah so angry?
Why do you think God grew a plant to give shade to Jonah?
What is the lesson that God wants to teach Jonah?

Notes

You may have noticed that Jonah repeats the description that God gives of himself, but omits “but who will by no means clear the guilty….” Jonah is accusing God of being big on grace but soft on justice. Jonah is angry that God has chosen to forgive Nineveh instead of destroying them.
God grew the plant as a way of giving Jonah something to care for.
God wants to teach Jonah that everything is worthy of his care and mercy. Jonah was upset when a plant that gave him shade was destroyed, but God wanted him to see how much more precious were the many people of Nineveh.

Evening Reflection

What is the state of your heart in regards to the city in which you live? What do you love? What do you hate? Are you thinking about your long-term impact? How is God asking you to pray for the city? Please journal your meditations.

November 5, Tuesday,

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Do I Care About the City?”

Jeremiah 29:7

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Bible Reading for Today: Job 41

Lunch Break Study

Questions to Consider

Compare Jonah 4:2 with Exodus 34:6-7. What do you think Jonah is accusing God of, and why is Jonah so angry?
Why do you think God grew a plant to give shade to Jonah?
What is the lesson that God wants to teach Jonah?

Notes

You may have noticed that Jonah repeats the description that God gives of himself, but omits “but who will by no means clear the guilty….” Jonah is accusing God of being big on grace but soft on justice. Jonah is angry that God has chosen to forgive Nineveh instead of destroying them.
God grew the plant as a way of giving Jonah something to care for.
God wants to teach Jonah that everything is worthy of his care and mercy. Jonah was upset when a plant that gave him shade was destroyed, but God wanted him to see how much more precious were the many people of Nineveh.

Evening Reflection

November 4, Monday

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional Spiritual, first posted on August 29, 2017, is provided by Hee Jung Lee. Hee Jung, a graduate of Biblical Theological Seminary, serves at Catalyst Agape Church (New Jersey) along with her husband Pastor Sam Lee.

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“A Proper Diet”

Hebrews 5:14

“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

Having raised four daughters, I noticed that something happens to a child at the age of six months: give or take a few months, but around this age their nutritional needs change. Up until then, a baby is sufficed to live on a mother’s milk; but around six months, they need additional nutrients that can only come through solid foods. This is a natural process of maturing that enables the child to grow healthy and strong. The proper steps of introducing solids help their digestive system to adjust, mature, and come into full function. Without this introduction, the child will eventually be malnourished and develop inadequately. It is surreal how much of the natural realm parallels truths in the spiritual realm.

In Hebrews 5:14, we are reminded that “solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” In order for us to properly mature spiritually, we must intentionally live out and apply the Word of God in our attitudes, ways of thinking, speech, and behavioral choices in relationships. And we must do this not occasionally with moodiness, or haphazardly, but we are to do it constantly whereby we deny our flesh and submit ourselves to the Spirit-breathed principles that change us. Only then, are we able to properly mature and our spirits trained to celebrate all that is good and despise any form of evil, which often come through living out of the flesh. As we all do this, how rich and full of love the church would be! How rightfully we would mimic Jesus to a skeptical world!

I’m often surprised at how often we, the body of Christ, actually live in its own willfulness, caught up in negative emotions, strife, judgment, religiosity, spite, unforgiveness and ultimately, clouded from distinguishing good from evil at hand. This should not be. Rather, as we humble ourselves and actively apply God’s Word to all situations in our lives, we will find that we are properly discerning and maturing, capable of chasing away evil. We then transform even the darkest places with the goodness of God’s likeness and His radiant LOVE.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I want to look, taste, and smell like You. I want to be this way, submitting myself to You in every way possible. Please help me to resort not to my own willfulness filled only with Bible knowledge, but please help me to actively apply Your Word to my life that I might mature and grow up in things of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 4:12: For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Questions to Consider

1. How has maturity been manifesting in your life lately?

2. Have you been investing time in God’s Word so that you are allowing yourself to encounter God through it?

3. What is one unhealthy fruit in your life that can be addressed by obeying a principle in God’s Word?

Notes

1. God is on a gracious journey with us. The best thing we can do to mature and grow in the Lord is to submit to the work that He is doing.

2. Spiritual discipline is important to growth and maturity. Greater the investment, greater the reaping even in spiritual matters. It’s wise to have a plan or routine set to spend time in reading the Bible and encountering Him in His truths.

3. Read John 15:2 and consider why God prunes and how He brings about greater fruits in our lives.

Bible Reading: Job 41

Evening Reflection

We began the day reflecting on applying God’s Word to our lives for proper maturity and growth. How did you fare today in the light of that truth? Remember, there is no condemnation for us. Every day is a new day with new mercies to walk with the Lord.

November 3, Sunday

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on September 9, 2017, is provided by Pastor Mark Chun through whom God founded the Radiance Christian Church (S.F.) in 2012. Mark currently serves a member of staff at Radiance.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Feminism and Genesis 3”

Genesis 3:14-19

A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin j and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Most modern women have a negative reaction to being called a ‘helper’ of man. The reason for this is that we tend to impose our cultural bias and assume that ‘helper’ means ‘junior assistant’. The Hebrew word that is translated as helper in English is ezer which is used 19 other times in the Old Testament. Three times it is used to describe one person helping another; 16 times it is used to describe God helping man. We get the Hebrew name, Eliezer, the God who helps, and Ebenezer, the rock of my help, from this exact word. In each case, the one who helps gives that help from the position of power, which makes logical sense. If I am offering my help to you, I can only offer you that help if I have the capacity to help. If someone offers to help you and you evaluate that this person is less capable than you, then you would naturally reject their offer.

Women were created with certain God–given powers to help men but unfortunately that power was distorted when Eve fell into temptation. It is not difficult to see the subtle and sometimes not so subtle power that women have over men. I fall under my daughter’s spell every day! I tell myself daily that I will not give into Carissa’s Jedi mind tricks but somehow, she gets me to do everything for her. And the only one who can free me from my daughter’s evil schemes is my wife. She is my help and I could not imagine raising my children without her because she has strength and power that I do not have!

It is important to note that it was Eve who was first attracted to the temptation of power that was presented to her by the devil. Surprisingly, it is Eve that first pushed this pendulum of power that caused the imbalance in gender equality. This is why God’s curse on women revolves mainly around the issue of power. But we also see why the devil tempted Eve first because God entrusted her with the power to be the helper of man.

However, as we read the scriptures through the lens of redemptive history, we can also see that God is restoring all things including the equality of male and female. As the apostle Paul writes, “there is neither male nor female” in Christ, one day, men and women will have full equality and there will no longer be this sinful struggle for power. But that day is not quite here because we still live in a fallen world and because of our sinful and selfish tendencies, God asks women to submit to men in the home and in the church for the sake of restoring and fulfilling their powerful role as the helper.

Prayer: Father, we praise You that You have made both men and women in Your own image. What an incredible honor and joy it is to know that You have no biases and share Your likeness equally with both genders. Help us to overcome any feelings of inferiority or insecurity and to embrace the ways in which You have designed both sexes. We have all been fearfully and wonderfully made. May our heart and soul know this truth full well!

Bible Reading for Today: Job 40