UPDATEDToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on December 17, 2016, is provided by Phillip Chen who is associate pastor at Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Phil is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The True Meaning of Christmas”

Philippians 4:10-13 (ESV)

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 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.

Many young people may not remember this (since they prefer to shop online), but it used to be that mobs of people would fight for Black Friday items the day after Thanksgiving. These days, Black Friday even infringes upon Thanksgiving Day, which shows the trajectory of our society. We look at these videos and we shake our heads: How could they act like this, especially after a day of celebrating gratitude and contentment in all that they have? 

But to be honest, as we approach Christmas, are we any different? I may not be in those crowds, but my discontentment, frustration, and anger manifests in different ways. When we look at our own lives, don’t we all have moments where we are frustrated with where we are, not content with the circumstances in our lives? The truth is, when our contentment is based off of our circumstances, our level of our contentment fluctuates dramatically. We find that contentment becomes a temporary phenomenon that quickly dissolves. So how then can we find true contentment that remains steady in our lives?

Looking at this passage, again we must understand that Paul is writing this while in prison, in very difficult circumstances. There are people who have been persecuting him, and his friends have abandoned him. He is not treated all that well, and yet he says rejoice and be content. How does he do that? He prefaces the secret to being content by saying he knows what it means to be in need and what it is to have plenty—he has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He has seen both ends of the spectrum. He has been in a position where he is the elite of the elites, but also been in a position where he is fleeing for his life by many people who want to kill him. In 2 Corinthians 11, he shares of how he had been beaten and stoned and shipwrecked, how he fled from Gentiles and from Jews, how he labored and toiled and went without sleep, how he was hungry, thirsty, cold and naked. Yet in all this, he is content. Why? Because he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. He knows his identity in Christ and is content in any circumstance because he knows that Jesus has already given and will continue to give him the strength to hold on and press forward.

The advent of social media has contributed to the increasing feelings of jealously that we all feel. Whether it’s the videos of beautiful vacation spots, photos of seemingly perfect relationships, or even the snapshots of all the delicious food that we see in our friend’s post, I think we can all safely say that we have felt jealousy stir in our hearts because of this. Jealousy is dangerous, because it can lead to comparing ourselves with others, making us feel insecure; then insecurity breeds discontentment. While we can certainly limit our social media intake or make conscious efforts not to be jealous of others, the best antidote is to be secure in our identity in Christ and to find our contentment in Him, declaring that He is all we need in this lifetime. It’s not a complex secret, but is certainly something that is difficult to truly believe and hold onto. Today, two days before Christmas, as culture tells you to find contentment in your circumstances, in your relationships, or in your possessions, choose instead to place your contentment solely in Him. He came on that first Christmas so that we may have an abundant life that goes far beyond whether we have the things that the world says we should have in order to be content.  Christ himself is our contentment and nothing comes a close second.  

Prayer: Father, help me find my contentment in You, rather than my current circumstances or situation. In high and low, in every season, help me declare confidently that You are enough for me. I don’t want to be tossed back and forth by my different situations, but rather, help me stand firm – knowing that You will give me the strength to rejoice in You. Amen.

[Reflect on a current situation that might be difficult right now and choose to find joy in God rather than the outcome of the situation.]

Bible Reading for Today: Luke 2-3

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 21, 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

“Grasping at Straws”

Genesis 30:1-8

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2 Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.” 4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. 7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.

One of my favorite social games is Scattergories.  If you’ve never played, the premise is that at random, all players will get a category and a letter of the alphabet; and you have to come up with items that fit the category that starts with the letter.  For example, if the category is “comic characters” and the letter is B, Batman would be an easy answer.  But here’s the catch: you only get points for unique answers, so if other contestants used Batman, too, no one would get points from that answer.  What makes the game fun is that if you come up with an “out of the box” type answer, you have to convince other players of its validity, and by “convince,” I mean argue.  My wife hates playing Scattergories with me—she says that I cheat.  Case in point:  the last time we played, the category was “type of footwear” and the letter was F.  I gave the answer, “Famous Footwear” (you get double points for double alliteration), which is footwear store vs. a specific footwear brand.  Anyway, I argued passionately for that one, but ultimately got overruled by my collaborating, narrow-minded co-contestants.  If you are the type of person who is good at grasping at straws and twisting reality, then this is your type of game.  

Sadly, I think Rachel would have been good at Scattergories, because I don’t really see how any rational person could have looked at her situation—resorting to having children through her maid-servant—as a victory over her sister.  Yet, here we see it: she names her first son Dan, thinking that God has judged her as right, and her second son Naphtali, arguing that she has wrestled with her sister and won.  This instance makes me realize how desperate Rachel must have been to twist this situation, and her actions in it, so that she comes out right and justified.  Or perhaps, Rachel was just grasping at straws, trying to convince herself and others that what she did was noble or something.  I don’t know.  

Now, before we get too hard on Rachel, I think most people lose objectivity when faced with dire circumstances.  Perhaps you recently felt like you had to lie to get out of a bad situation or you had to compromise in some other manner.  Or maybe you’ve convinced yourself that the ends justified the means or your actions actually honored God.  Did it feel like you were twisting the circumstances or grasping at straws?  Desperate people tend to do that, don’t they?

Prayer: Lord, help me to see things truthfully and objectively.  Help me not rationalize or grasp at straws to get my way, but help me to speak and live with absolute integrity.  If I am in a desperate situation, please help me to trust You through it.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Luke 1 

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Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 15:10-20: And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.14 Let them alone; they are blind guides.  And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

Questions to Consider

1.  What are the things that defile a person and from where do they come?

2.  What do actions, thoughts, and words indicate about a person?  

3.  What do your thoughts, words, and actions say about your heart? 

Notes

1.  Jesus says that sinful actions and thoughts come from a person’s heart.  

2.  The implication is that if a person is consistently doing/saying/thinking sinful things, then his heart is not as clean as he may think.  Those who consistently think, say, and do good things have transformed hearts.  

3.  Application question.  

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Evening Reflection

Today’s theme was integrity.  Where do you stand when it comes to living your faith consistently in all areas of your life?  Ask the Lord, who searches hearts and minds, to examine your life and bring to light any areas that need to be reexamined.  

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotionals, first posted on November 9, 2017, is provided by Pastor Paul Liu who pastors the Grace Covenant Church Singapore. He is a graduate of University of Illinois (BA) and Biblical Theological Seminary (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning 

“The Danger of Looking Back”

Genesis 19:23-26

The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

 An undeniable fact of contemporary life is that we live in a MULTI-TASKING world—we’re always doing multiple tasks at the same time. So the other day I was just being a product of my culture by doing two things at once: preparing pour over coffee while cooking ramen noodles. Neither of these things is that difficult by itself, but doing both at once was a bigger challenge than I anticipated. The pour over is done in measured pours over three and a half minutes, so you get an even extraction from the coffee beans. For ramen, you want to take the pot off the boil when the noodles have cooked for just the right amount of time—not too soggy and not too hard. But because I was doing both at once, time became my enemy and I ended up rushing the first thing and being late for the next—ending up with sour coffee and soggy noodles. I had ruined both (depending on your tastes).

I think we’ve all faced situations where multi-tasking diminishes the returns rather than multiplies them. There are some things that just shouldn’t go together. This is true of spiritual devotion. You cannot divide your affections between multitudes of loves— there’s just not that much room in our hearts. There has to be a priority of our loves; otherwise, we’ll end up loving nothing or loving many things poorly.

This likely was at issue in the heart of Lot’s wife. She loved too many things. And it ended up compromising her obedience to the most urgent concern of the moment: running to God’s rescue. She looked back, presumably, because she was mourning over what she was about to leave behind: her home, her friends, her routine, and her lifestyle. Ultimately, her unwillingness to obey God’s clear commands led to her ruin. 

There are some things that require more focus. It doesn’t mean you have to put everything else on hold. It just means you must prioritize and emphasize the most important commitments of your life. Otherwise, you may find yourself becoming a slave to that which is not ultimately or eternally significant.

Prayer: Lord, open my eyes today to prioritize the best over the good. Help me, especially, to be devoted to You and to Your purposes. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 12

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Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 6:19-24: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Questions to Consider

1. What kinds of treasure does Jesus say we ought to prioritize? What do you think this would look like?
2. What does it mean to have a healthy eye, as opposed to a bad eye? What would a person with a good eye prioritize or look to?
3. Why can’t you serve two masters?
4. How can you prioritize heavenly treasure—kingdom vision—being mastered by God today? 

Notes

1. Jesus exhorts his listeners to prioritize eternal treasure, as they are not temporary or vulnerable. Laying up eternal treasure means prioritizing the things of God’s kingdoms—both His mission and His values. As we do so, we will be drawn into deeper communion and fellowship with God. Our heart will be with him. 
2. Jesus talks about the eye providing light or darkness as an analogy to our orientation (what we look to). If our eyes are directed towards kingdom things, we will walk in the light. On the other hand, if our eyes are directed toward earthly things, we will walk in darkness. To have a healthy eye means we orient our lives around the things of God. We have a vision that our lives please God. This means prioritizing devotion (our relationship with God); integrity (faithfulness to God); fellowship and service in the church (building up the family of God); and ministry (serving God). 
3. Jesus’ point is that what dominates your heart will dominate you. If you’re mastered by money, money will master you. If you’re mastered by God, He will enrich and strengthen your life, for He is a good master. Each will compete for your heart and not share priority. You must choose which to follow. 
4. Personal response.

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Evening Reflection

Were there moments today in which you felt like “turning back” from the path of obedience? Ask the Lord to show you the benefits of obedience compared to the promise of earthly treasure. Let’s run for the prize that awaits faithful servants (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)! 

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 19, 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

 “Sidetracked”

Genesis 29:22-25

So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”

I’m going to break one of the fundamental principles of hermeneutics for this morning’s devotional—the principle that if it’s not in the text, don’t make stuff up! That being said, am I the only one who has a hard time believing that Jacob didn’t realize that Laban had pulled the old bait and switch on him during his wedding night? Yes, I know they didn’t have electricity back then, but how dark was it in their tent?  Pitch black—like 100 feet deep in a cave kind of darkness?  I know times were different then, so I don’t expect Jacob to get all Song of Songs romantic, but didn’t he even say “Hi” to her that night or any kind of conversation beforehand?  What kind of a “pig” doesn’t even talk to his wife on their wedding night?  Without getting too graphic, wouldn’t you expect a bride who was about to consummate her wedding to at least take off her veil, and even if she didn’t, wouldn’t Jacob have been able to tell that this woman did not have strong eyes, that she clearly had “weak eyes”?  What’s the point of mentioning her eyes (v. 17), if they don’t help you tell the difference between Leah and her sister?   

Here is my hermeneutically unsound theory, which I’m obviously not going to passionately defend, but I think one of two things happened: (1) Jacob was so drunk he barely noticed or cared who was in bed with him.  (2) Jacob was only slightly buzzed, realized full well what Laban had done, but couldn’t overcome the temptation that was sitting there, thinking that he’d sort it out in the morning by pretending to fall victim of this ruse.  I lean toward the latter, because I know that a momentary lapse in judgment or chasing the wrong opportunity has sidetracked many people—especially men in the area of sexuality.  I’m not trying to judge Jacob; in fact, I feel very sorry for him because he worked for seven long years for the girl he loved, and right before he got the storybook ending, he got sidetracked in a moment of weakness (not the kind of love story you want to tell your kids).  It’s tragic, but it’s also a pretty familiar tale.  

Let me ask you this: Is there a goal in life you’re moving toward and you have gotten sidetracked chasing after other things?  Obviously, we are talking about more than just love interests.  What do you feel like the Lord has put on your heart?  Are you moving toward it or away from it?    

Prayer: Lord, help me walk in Your path all of my days.  Let me fix my eyes on You, not going to the right or the left.  If there are things that have sidetracked me, help me to leave those behind and seek You.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 11

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Lunch Break Study

Read Philippians 3:12-21: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained. 17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Questions to consider

1.  What is the prize that Paul wanted?

2.  What are some characteristics of people who have been sidetracked?

3.  Are you pressing on toward the goal or have you been sidetracked?

Notes

1.  In verse 14, the prize is the “upward call of God,” which can be taken as either/both the completion of our salvation in heaven and/or whatever tasks God has for us on earth.  Either way, the goal requires faithful pursuit on our part. 

2.  Verse 19 indicates that these people worship their stomachs (carnal desires), glory in their shame (sin openly and without remorse), and set their eyes on earthly things.  

3.  Application question.

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Evening Reflection

Do you feel like you are following God’s desire for your life right now (this can be in major ways or even minor ways)?  Tonight, spend some time praying about this .  

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 10, 2017, is written by Jonathan Cho.  Jonathan, a graduate of Emory University, currently leads the college group at the Church of Southland in Anaheim California. He is presently studying at Talbot School of Theology. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Are You a People-Pleaser?”

Genesis 28:1-2;6-9

Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother…6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,”7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. 8 So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, 9 Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.

A friend once asked me, “Who did you make happy today? Why did you make them happy?” As I attempted a response, I realized it quickly became a list of who I want to please. When I got to the second question, I realized just how much their opinion of me shaped and defined my principles and values. I found myself stuck in the same cycle of the family in this passage.

Esau, wanting to please his father to get blessing, marries Ishmael’s daughter. Isaac, wanting to placate Rebekah’s grief over Jacob possibly marrying Hittites, sends Jacob away so he would not marry a Canaanite woman. Rebekah, favoring Jacob, only considers his well-being. This series of impulse reactions reveal the danger of living reactively. Wanting to please someone— especially a loved one—can be a beautiful thing, for it demonstrates consideration, compassion, and care. But it can often become distorted into being an idol that leads to compromised principles and half-measured decisions. Although Esau took Mahalath to be his wife, he remained married to his other two Hittite wives; thus, marriage became a tool to gain favor. Isaac sends Jacob away, but still allowed Esau to marry Hittite women because Rebekah only grieved over Jacob’s future in marriage. His principles as a father prioritized pleasing his wife. Rebekah compromised her marriage by manipulating her husband to continually favor Jacob. 

In the same way, we can find ourselves falling for the very human, very real rhythm of simply reacting in our faith and our walk with God. We will do just enough to feel better about our spirituality and stop. We will go to God only when we need to, when we feel empty and want to feel full. Prayer becomes a tool and the Word only a book of wisdom and insight. Relationship is stale, and ultimately, pleasing God becomes an empty concept. 

Yet, God remains patient with us and responds with faithfulness and a steadfast love that redeems His people—just like how He used this family, in spite of everything, to fulfill His promise to Abraham. Let us begin this day with a victorious reminder of the Father’s heart and a prayerful self-examination of who we are living for.

Prayer: God, thank You for Your steadfast love. Thank You for pursuing us and calling us to salvation. May our thoughts be informed by Your Word, our actions regulated by Your character, and our decisions dependent Your counsel. Help us to work out our salvation in fear and trembling. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 10

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Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 12:1-3: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Questions to consider

1. Evidently, this verse is looking back to the OT sacrifice system in which only the best animals (i.e., without defects) were offered to God.  In light of that, what does it mean to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord (2 Cor. 8:7)?
2. According to this passage, what motivates and empowers us to live out spiritual worship?
3. Are you testing yourself? Your motives? Your heart? Your lifestyle? Your decisions? What are you discerning as a result? 

Notes

1. The apostle Paul, before making a list of areas in which the believers need to bear tangible fruits, such as “in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in love” and also in “giving,” says, “Excel in everything.” This is to say, we must not give God our scraps and think that that is good enough.

1. Romans 2:4 and Hebrews 11:6 shows how even pleasing God is impossible without Him. His kindness leads us to repentance, His mercies compel us to surrender, and His grace calls us to salvation. It always starts and ends in dependence on God. 
2. Personal response. 

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Evening Reflection

What did you learn or feel about your relationship with Christ today? 

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on December 13, 2017, is provided by Jeffrey Zhou who was attending Journey Church of Atlanta at the time of this writing.  

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“When Brokenness Meets Absolute Sovereignty”

Genesis 27:30–41

As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. [31] He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” [32] His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” [33] Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.” [34] As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” [35] But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” [36] Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” [37] Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” [38] Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. [39] Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. [40] By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.” [41] Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

 “Build your ark, the flood is coming.” That’s what I constantly heard in prayer during junior year of college. Little did I know that my family doesn’t look much different from Isaac’s. I saw my family as a typical Chinese-American family where we all be independent, only talking when the topic was money or grades. It wasn’t great, but I was comfortable. Then, my mother called saying that my father was having an affair for two years. I was shaken. I had just raised my head above the flood waters of my depression and now this. I couldn’t understand what God’s plan was, but God showed me that He could redeem human failure and paint a glorious picture. It wasn’t ideal, but for the first time, I was able to talk to my parents honestly. I opened up to my mother and counseled her through the story of God’s faithfulness in my depression. I was upset with my father, but I saw that the brokenness he exhibited is the same depravity God saves all of us from.

Isaac’s family was also seriously broken.  Jacob and Rebekah deceived the other two members of the family.  Isaac and Esau deliberately disobeyed God’s command. Each individual had rampant selfish desires fueling their actions. When Isaac and Esau realized that Jacob had just deceitfully taken the birthright, they had vastly different responses. Isaac began trembling violently because he realized that God’s hand was at work. He had a fear of God and submitted to God’s authority. Esau, on the other hand, would not let go of his desire for the birthright. He wanted to kill Jacob and refused to accept God’s authority. Hebrews 11:20 calls Isaac a “man of faith,” while Hebrews 12:16 labels Esau as “unholy.” We all have brokenness, but God beckons us to trust Him more than the hurt of our failures.

Broken people become desperate people. Brokenness leaves us hopeless and leaves us blind to a greater future that God has masterfully designed. When you’re faced with your brokenness, will you respond like Isaac—with a fear of God, or like Esau—holding onto your depravity? 

Prayer: God, help us to see our brokenness for what it truly is. Show us a healthy fear of the Lord. Help us to have faith that You can redeem our most atrocious sins and use our stories to paint a picture of Your perfect glory. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 9

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Lunch Break Study

Read: Daniel 4:28–37: All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. [29] At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, [30] and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” [31] While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, [32] and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” [33] Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. [34] At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; [35] all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” [36] At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. [37] Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. 

Questions to Consider

1. Why may have God put Nebuchadnezzar through this wilderness experience?

2. What did Nebuchadnezzar realize after God had put him through that experience?

3. What do we learn about the absolute sovereignty of God and the fallen human condition? How may you be holding onto your own desires instead of submitting to the Lord?

Notes

1. Nebuchadnezzar was extremely prideful and impenitent. God had used Daniel to interpret the dreams, but Nebuchadnezzar failed to recognize that God is absolutely sovereign over man. Nebuchadnezzar was given a chance to repent, but failed to do so; thus, God placed him into this humbling experience.  

2. Nebuchadnezzar lost all that he believed he earned by his own work. God had taught him that his entire kingdom could be lost rapidly, and that all of its’ glory was in no part due to Nebuchadnezzar’s greatness. Nebuchadnezzar finally submitted and learned this lesson, proclaiming that nobody can question God’s work or command Him to do anything.

3. The outstanding part of this is that God demonstrates his glory through the fallenness of a pagan, a direct opposer of God’s people. We learn that God can use anyone and anything, despite how broken or sinful it or he or she is. God is always in control and able to work all things for His good.

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Evening Reflection

Proverbs 19:21, 23 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. [23] The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” 

Spend some time meditating on these two verses. Pray over brokenness that you saw today, and ask for God’s redeeming work to be done.

REPOST  Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Pastor Doug Tritton, was first posted on September 25, 2016.  Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.), is the Lead Pastor of Grace Covenant Church Philadelphia. 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“What I Learned About God’s Glory from the Birth of My Daughter”

John 17:24-26

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

When you receive glory, it’s hard to keep it in. You want to show everyone! When my daughter Audrey was born, I wanted to show her to everyone. I wanted everyone to know about her and share in this new glory I had in my life – the joy of being a father. 

Jesus received the ultimate glory – the glory of the Father. But Jesus does not just want to hoard this glory for Himself; He wants others to share in this glory, to experience this joy He had in His relationship with the Father. That’s why He says, “I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me.” Jesus desires His people to be with Him to share in His glory, to share in His joy.

Really, there is no better place to be than with Jesus. His glory overflowing and joy overflowing and love overflowing – it is greater than anything this world has to offer. Why would we want to be anywhere apart from Him? He is eager to share His glory with us so that we may receive the same love that God the Father has for His Son. Let’s remember this desire of Jesus, this longing of His heart for His people to be with Him, to share in His glory and to share in the Father’s love; and let’s draw near to Him and experience this abounding love He is ready to pour out on us. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for sharing Your glory with me. Thank You for allowing me to partake in the Father’s love. Let me never forget this desire of Yours for me to be with You, so help me to be near to You today. There is no better place to be than with You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 8

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on September 17, 2016, is provided by Jasmin Izumikawa who attends the Church of Southland in Anaheim, California.

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Abide in My Love” 

John 15:9-15: 

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” 

When summer was in full glory and my garden was in full bloom, I had tomatoes dripping off the vines and enough basil to make buckets of fresh pesto; however, I wasn’t satisfied until the day I placed a birdbath in the garden. This element completed the garden dream that I had so longed for. In no time at all, there were fluttering of wings, the sound of twittering and splashing, and birds of all shapes, sizes and color bathing and drinking water. Who knew that such a simple thing as this could bring so much joy to me and my family? 

When Jesus said, “Abide in my love . . . keep my commandments . . . that my joy may be in you,” I can imagine how His joy would overflow when we would draw near to Him and to one another. The quality of this joy would be fulfilling, restoring, and satisfying, always brimming freshly for us.

Loving others is not always easy to do; it means sacrificing our time, energy, and resources when we show love to others. The amazing part is that we don’t walk away empty-handed. There is a promise in this verse: “that my joy may be in you.” We are promised joy–abundant joy, “joy in full” when we love others. While it may feel like a huge sacrifice to set aside our own worries and frustrations in order to comfort someone else, or to humble ourselves and ask someone for forgiveness, or to offer our time, energy, and resources to others, the LORD delights in the moments that we show love and sacrifice to one another because God is love. 

Let’s refresh ourselves with new joy again and seek opportunities to love those who are difficult to love and show kindness to at the moment. 

Prayer:  LORD, thank you for showing us how to love You and how to love others. I want the joy You speak of so desperately. Help me to genuinely love the people You placed in my life. I want to abide in Your love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 6-7

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on October 12, 2017, 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 Thrive Church by following them here: https://www.instagram.com/thrivechurchtaipei/

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“The Power of Words”

Genesis 24:5-8

The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.”

Since the age of four, Cheryl Pruitt used to hang around her father’s country store; and each day, the milkman would arrive at the store and would greet Cheryl the same way: “How’s my little Miss America?”Many years later, Cheryl Pruitt went on to actually become the 1980 Miss America. The power that words can have is profound—even simple words from a neighborhood milkman! How much more powerful are the words of God in transforming our lives?

Around age 80 was when Abraham received the word from God, “To your offspring I will give this land,” in Genesis 15. Here in our passage (Gen 24), Abraham is around 140 years old; and we see that he is still clinging faithfully to this promise! In fact, not only does Abraham remember the promise from 60 years ago, it seems that his entire life had been lived out through the lens of that promise.  When it came time for his son, Isaac, to find a wife, Abraham gave his servant clear instructions to go back to Abraham’s home country to find a woman. But there was one command that Abraham gave that was even more important than finding a wife for his son: it was that Isaac would remain in the Promised Land—no matter what.

For Abraham, the promises of God had effectively shaped his entire life. His decision to leave Ur of Chaldeans, his decision to live in Canaan as a sojourner, his willingness to offer up his son as a sacrifice, his command for his posterity to remain in Canaan—all of these hinged upon Abraham’s faith in the promises of God. 

Oftentimes, our decisions are fueled by logic (what makes the most sense?), or by self-interest (what creates the most ideal situation for me?), or by convenience (what is the least complicated thing to do?). What would it look like if we started living one day at a time, with a decision-making process that hinges completely on God’s Word?

Prayer: God, help us to be shaped by Your Word. May we not simply be hearers, but rather doers of it. As we go through this day, open our eyes to see the opportunities to walk according to Your promises. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 5

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Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 119:9-16: How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!

With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.  In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes;

I will not forget your word.

Questions to Consider

1. What topic does the psalmist address in every sentence of this Psalm?
2. According to the psalmist, what can we do to protect the purity of our ways?
3. According to the psalmist, who is responsible for our reading/understanding of the Word?

Notes

1. In every line of this Psalm, the psalmist talks about God’s Word (commandments, statutes, rules of your mouth, your testimonies, etc.).
2. The psalmist says, twice, that the way to walk in purity involves storing God’s word in our hearts. On first thought, there may not seem to be a direct connection between reading the Bible and not sinning, but the truth is, what we fill ourselves with is what comes out, and what we find delight in will shape our character.
3. This Psalm mostly says, “I will…” but it also says, “let me not wander…” and “teach me your statutes”—which means that reading and understanding Scripture takes both our personal effort AND the divine help of God. So, let us not grow lazy in pursuing Him in Scripture, and let us also not grow complacent in thinking we can read the Word without the help of the Holy Spirit.

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Evening Reflection

In our world, every subsequent generation has gotten faster and more efficient in all that we do. To slow a task down when we can do it fast is unthinkable. Yet, reading God’s Word is often neither fast nor efficient. Like all relationships, the quality of our intimacy depends on whether we are able to slow down and communicate with each other. This evening, spend some time slowing down your mind and heart for the sake of spending quality time with the Lord. 

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provide by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego, was first posted on October 12, 2017.  Peter is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“The Joy of Following Jesus”

Genesis 12:1

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”

Years ago, Jessica and I were ministering at a retreat, and we sensed that some of the people present wanted to get closer to the Lord; yet they were hesitating. It was there that I identified one of the reasons why believers hesitate to follow Jesus fully  (with one foot on the brake): They have this notion that should they wholeheartedly commit to Jesus, God will immediately send them packing as missionaries to the “ends of the earth,” where they will suffer miserably under harsh conditions. 

C.S. Lewis described his own conversion with the admission that he was “the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England” as God would demand everything from Lewis that had ever given him pleasures in life. 

Genesis 12 begins a new chapter in the story of the Bible, a story of God’s redemption. God chooses Abram to build a nation, and through Israel, God would bring His Kingdom on earth. And it begins with the calling of Abram and Sarai to leave their country, people, and family. I assume that for Abram and Sarai, their relatives and their living circumstances were sources of comfort and happiness; yet, they would leave trusting in God’s promises. 

Do you find yourself hesitating in your commitment to the Lord believing that He might take something away from you? Do you have a view of God that He’s out to lead you towards a life that is hard and without happiness? 

Well, C.S. Lewis, as well as many others, have discovered that following Jesus have resulted in the very opposite to their assumptions. In fact, as Lewis followed Jesus, he was quite surprised by joy that was deeper than any momentary pleasures (Surprised by Joy). He discovered that true joy only results in knowing a Person and being devoted to Him. 

May the Lord help all of us who still hesitate in following Him fully. 

Prayer: Lord, I admit that I hesitate in my devotion to You because I’m afraid You might take things away from me. Help me to truly understand the love of the Father and the joy of following You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ecclesiastes 4

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Lunch Break Study  

Read Heb. 12:1-3 (NIV): Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Questions to Consider

1. How does the writer of Hebrews instruct the believers to continue in their faith? 
2. What motivated Jesus to endure the pain and suffering of the cross? 

Notes

1. He exhorts the believers to: throw off things that hinder us; to run the raced marked for us; to fix our eyes on Jesus; and to consider Christ who endured opposition. 
2. It was “for the joy set before him.” In other words, true joy awaited Him on the other side of the cross. 

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Evening Reflection

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you throw off sins that so easily entangle you, so that you can continue to run the race marked for you and discover true joy that is found in Christ Jesus.