REPOSTToday’s AMI Devotional QT, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on October 24, 217.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“What Will You Give Me?”

Genesis 15:7-8

And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” ⁸ But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”

Not too long ago, I thought we—as a family— would do something fun and healthy by taking a hike at a local park. I had visions of having so much fun climbing up to the peak, enjoying the view, talking and spending time as a family, while getting some much-needed exercise. And then, we started our climb—and everything was just about downhill from there. The weather was hotter than I had anticipated, and we were quickly running out of water. The kids were complaining no more than fifteen minutes into our ascent. It was clear to me that we were not going to make it to our destination—we didn’t even make it to the half way mark. 

Maybe this is why I love what Abram is going through; this is where I often find myself living. I would say this is us! I mean, God has given us every assurance, but this is where we live—between the promise and the fulfillment, between the great promises of God and our actual lives. 

Now there might be a few of us who say, “I never question God. In all my trials and difficulties, my faith is rock solid.” Sure, I can believe that. There are people out there with a gift of faith and have faith in great measures, but that is not Abram and Sarai. Nor is it most of us. 

We are learning from Abram’s story that faith is not a stoic acceptance of the sovereignty of God—it can be, but not always. And sometimes, it’s not polite.  Faith can often sound like Abram, who says, “What will you give me? How can I know?” It’s comforting to me because it shows that real faith is faith that is lived; and faith that is lived is faith that dares to treat God as if God is involved in the details of our lives. 

For most of us, when we refuse to contend with God, it’s not out of piety but out of fear. It’s out of a deeper doubt which we don’t want to name—that should we need God that much, God might not come through, so we refuse to contend with God. But faith is about contending, arguing, asking, pleading, “Oh Lord, how am I to know?” Do you know this about your faith? We are to go to God and wrestle with Him, and that is why Jesus calls His people “Israel”—which means “the one who has wrestled with God.”  And that is literally what it means to be God’s people.

Prayer: God, help me to see the many ways You are faithful to me today. In every moment of fear, help me to be on my knees, so that I can surrender all of my fears and worries to You. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 14

---

Lunch Break Study

Read Genesis 32:22-32: The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

Questions to Consider

1. Who is the man that wrestled with Jacob until the break of dawn? 

2. What was the result of Jacob wrestling with the man all night? 

3. What do you feel like you have to wrestle with today? Are you prepared for Him to bless you in ways that might surprise you, that might even have you “limping” for your blessing?   

Notes

1. The man turns out to be God Himself.  

2. Jacob was blessed, he met God “face to face,” and there was a mark (limp) left by the encounter. 

3. Personal reflection.

---

Evening Reflection

“Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be.” – John Ortberg

REPOSTToday’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Cami King—now a friend of AMI—was first posted on November 13, 2016.  Cami served faithfully as a staff at several AMI churches in the past.  

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“The Benefit of Being Forgiven”

Hebrews 8:12-13

 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.” 13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

A little boy was visiting his grandparents and given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma’s back yard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse, he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead. The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to look up and see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day, Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.” But Sally said, “Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you, Johnny?” And she whispered to him, “Remember the duck!” So Johnny did the dishes. 

Later, when Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, Grandma said, “I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper.” Sally smiled and said, “That’s all taken care of. Johnny wants to do it.” Again she whispered, “Remember the duck.” Johnny stayed while Sally went fishing. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, finally he couldn’t stand it. He confessed to Grandma that he’d killed the duck. “I know, Johnny,” she said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.” (Pastor Steven Cole)

Our passage for today reminds us that God (because of Jesus) chooses not to remember our sins, but a more important question is, do we? Many of us allow the Enemy and our own hearts to hold us hostage to the wrongs we’ve done. We hear that voice inside, reminding us of the things we’ve done and making it hard for us to believe change is possible. But 1 John 1:9 promises us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 7:21 says, “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” Our sins should bring us great sorrow, but not the kind that holds us hostage to guilt, shame, and regret. Instead it should produce a sorrow that leads us running to the throne of God, to receive forgiveness and salvation that Jesus made readily available for us. Where there is lingering regret, we have to wonder if we’ve yet turned to God, confessed our sins and received in faith (in what Jesus has done for us) His forgiveness and the power to live anew. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as I worship You on this Lord’s Day, help me to do so with full persuasion that I am forgiven and accepted by You. I confess to You that I have sinned by [confess your sins to the Lord]. Please forgive me. Help me to live now in freedom from condemnation and the in newness of life. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 13

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on October 28, 2016, 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).

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Past Faithfulness’s Effect on Future Faith”

Hebrews 11:13-16

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

On Thursday, I shared how we implemented chores and rewards for my seven-year-old, Simon.  From that system, Saturday became his payday.  In his first week of work, he made a whopping $3.  Small oversight on my part, I only had $2 in my wallet.  So, I gave my son the two bucks and told him that I’ll give him the rest later.  I figured no big deal, right?  Not so fast… for some reason, my son did not believe that I would’ve made good on my IOU.  (I don’t know why Simon doesn’t trust me; perhaps it’s because whenever my family gives him money, Dad puts it away for “safekeeping”.)  Anyway, the next day Simon asked me for his dollar, but of course I didn’t have it, because I wasn’t about to go to the bank for one dollar.  This went on for a few days until I found a convenient time to come up with a buck—I think it was the following Wednesday.  

Here’s the funny thing: Instead of demolishing his faith in me, the fact that I eventually paid built up his trust in me.  Because my son knows that I will eventually pay up, he is fine with letting things slide here and there.  Now when I tell him I’ll pay him later, he’s good, knowing that later will eventually come.  

Similarly, when the writer of Hebrews says, “These all [faithful patriarchs] died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar…”, he means that they did not have to see every promise of God fulfilled with their own eyes to believe in God’s future faithfulness because they had seen God “pay up” on past promises numerous times.  The principle we need to learn is that this: Past faithfulness fuels future faith.  One of the examples the writer of Hebrews used was that of Abraham and Sarah.  Technically, neither of them lived long enough to see their descendants grow to be as “many as the stars,” but they did see the miraculous birth of Isaac, new lands (in part), and other miraculous events.  For them, since God had proven to be faithful, they could count on His future faithfulness even after their deaths.   

What are the things you are waiting for?  Do you have faith in God’s future promises because you have seen his faithfulness in the past?  If you are having problems remembering God’s faithfulness, then I encourage you to keep a journal.  You will see that God is faithful; seeing this will encourage your faith in Him tomorrow. 

Prayer: Faithful Father, thank You that You keep your promises.  Remind me of your past goodness toward me; let that fuel my faith in You for the future.  You are the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today:  Revelation 11-12

REPOST Today’s AMI Devotional QT, first posted on October 20, 2017, is provided by Pastor Shan Gian who leads Remnant Westside Church in Manhattan.  Shan is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (BA) and Gordon Conwell Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Impossible Odds”

Genesis 14:11-16

So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way. 13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

I have always enjoyed movies where the good guys are few in number and facing impossible odds, with large and intimidating forces coming to destroy them.  It’s inspiring to see how brave, resourceful, and cunning the underdogs are, as they repel their foes and beat the odds.  I’m not fully sure why I like these kinds of stories so much, but maybe there’s something about them that makes me wonder if I would have what it takes to overcome in the face of overwhelming odds. 

In Genesis 14, it’s easy to overlook the magnitude of what Abram does.  Abram’s nephew Lot had been captured by an alliance of four kings and their armies from the east.  This alliance of kings had handily defeated the armies of five kings of the Jordan Valley, and we can assume they had a massive and menacing force. What did Abram have?  He had 318 men to fight.  Just like one of those movies with a small group of good guys taking on impossible odds, Abram is unimaginably victorious.  Not only does he defeat his enemies, but verse 14 tells us that he led his army and pursued the enemy “as far as Dan,” which would have likely been over 200 miles away from Abram’s home.  His enemies were running for their lives—and all of this because of just 318 men.  How was Abram able to not just overcome such impossible odds but decisively conquer his enemies?  Because Abram knew the promises of the God that was with him.

God had made a covenant with Abram that He would be with him and make him a great nation. And while at this point in Genesis, this promise had yet to be fully fulfilled, Abram knew the God who was with him, he knew what the outcome of his life would be, and he did not fear the seemingly impossible odds before him. In our world, we seem to have impossible situations:  divisions, war, scandals, immorality, poverty, racism, etc.  And in our own lives, we face overwhelming circumstances: trials, sicknesses, depression, difficult relationships, sin and brokenness.  But in the face of such difficulties, like Abram, we can remember the promises of the God who is with us and has promised to be with us to the very end of the age.  Whatever circumstances we face, we know what the outcome will be, and that gives us strength and courage to face impossible odds. 

Prayer: Jesus, I thank You for the promise of Your presence with us always. I pray that in impossible situations, I will understand more and more that victory is assured in You.  I will trust in You.  Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today:  Revelation 10

---

Lunch Bible Study

Read Romans 8:31-37: What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Questions to Consider

1. What does it mean to be “more than conquerors”?
2. How do we know that victory is assured?    
3. How does understanding the victory we have in Jesus affect your life today?

Notes

1. Paul specifically tells us that we are more than conquerors over tribulation, distress, persecution, etc., because of Jesus who died for us and rose from the dead. Because of Jesus’ work on the cross, we can overcome and conquer any and every obstacle that we face in life.  
2. We know that victory is assured because God so freely gave up His own Son for us; and we know that He will also graciously give us all things that we need. God is the only one who can condemn or judge us, and yet it is God Himself who justifies us through Jesus, so our victory is assured.
3. Personal reflection question.

---

Evening Reflection

Abram overcame impossible odds in Genesis 14 with great victory. What “impossible odds” are you facing today?  Are you feeling defeated in any area of your life?  Close out this day remembering the presence of God and His promise of victory.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on August 31, 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. They have four beautiful daughters. 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Anchored in Hope”

Hebrews 6:19-20

 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm & secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf….

I was about 7 years old when our family immigrated to the US. In order to assimilate us to the new life and help us adapt quicker, my father followed all the American traditions. We celebrated all the holidays in the same ways the Americans did. For example, every Christmas Eve, he would put a present above our heads while we were sleeping so that when we’d wake up in the morning, we would believe that Santa had come. As a young child, this was an extraordinary thing to look forward to. The anticipation of what Santa would bring was so great that it was hard to even fall asleep. I’d stay up wondering if I had been naughty or nice. 

This anticipation, this HOPE, was a powerful force. For this reason, we all need hope. Hope defines what we’re living for; it is full of anticipation, expectation, making the heart feel alive and thrive. However, life brings storms at times that can rob us of this hope. Difficult times and hardships do come. It can be for an hour, a day, months, or for years. So it is wise to address what is robbing our hope. During such times, there are two key things you can do to help you anchor your soul in the Lord: First, you can allow yourself to process any pain or grieving. Grief can happen at many levels. It can be as traumatic as losing a loved one or as seemingly “common” as losing trust. Mourning this loss is a vital step to healing and moving forward. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what is going on inside of you so He can bring it out into the light. Nothing is considered unimportant before God. 

Second, recollect and rejoice in the Lord. Jesus can be found in the process of everything, even in the darkest times and places. Hence, the Lord says, “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4). Rejoicing gives us strength. There is nothing better than celebrating the Heavenly Father so that He can fortify you in His love. By doing these things, you will be reaffirmed that no matter what, Jesus will always keep you firmly anchored in His hope.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that because of Jesus, my soul is firmly anchored in Your hope. Please remind me during difficult times to keep my eyes on You and rejoice in You so that I may have the strength to overcome anything that would try to rob me of my joy and hope. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 9

---

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

James 1:2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Questions to Consider

1. What are some things that you hope for?

2. Is there anything that you may need to grieve over which you may have buried deep inside?

3. What is one difficulty or trial in your life that you can rejoice in the Lord for today?

Notes

1. God created all of us so that we need to hope; in fact, it is healthy to hope. Yet hopelessness permeates our society today. Satan—the epitome of hopelessness—is a thief, and his objective is to steal from us the very blessings that are before us and lie within us.

2. Grieving can be over a loss of something. It can be over losing a loved one, a sense of security, youth, freedom, ability, trust, visions or dreams, etc.

3. Romans 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” In other words, we always have a reason to celebrate in hope, be patient when hard times come, and we should keep praying. When we do this, God will be able to take our mourning and turn it into gladness.

---

Evening Reflection

This morning we began by being reminded that we can take steps to remain in the hope that Jesus has anchored us in. In light of this, how did you fare in walking in that hope today?

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, first posted on September 13, 2017, is provided by Pastor Jason Sato who, along with his wife Jessica and three young children, serves in Japan as an AMI missionary.  Jason is a graduate of UC San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Naked and Ashamed”

Genesis 3:8-13 (ESV)

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. [9] But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” [10] And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” [11] He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” [12] The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” [13] Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

 At the beginning, Adam and Eve enjoyed God’s presence.  Now, after they have sinned, they try to hide themselves from God.  Adam is asked a simple yes or no question:  “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”  In his response, Adam increases his isolation, blaming his wife who he failed to protect and his God who he failed to honor.  Likewise, the woman blames the serpent—at least her response actually answers the question God poses to her.

So why do they try to hide from an omnipresent God?  Why do they try to mislead an omniscient God?  In verse 10, Adam explains that he is afraid.  Because of sin, the man and the woman are now naked and ashamed.  They cannot bear to be this way, so they hide behind their fig leaves and their excuses.

We, too, cannot bear our shame.  We try to be good parents, students, employees, and Christians.  But so often our efforts simply expose the gap between our public and private personas.  We blame our sin on traffic, the weather, other people, or even God, frightened of what it would mean if we were personally responsible for all of our actions, words, and thoughts. Yet these methods are most successful at deceiving ourselves, less successful at deceiving others, and absolutely unsuccessful at deceiving God.  But thankfully, God does not need to be deceived.  

God already has an objective and complete knowledge of our sin and nakedness; and rather than send Adam and Eve away in their nakedness, He clothes them in the skins of animals sacrificed for them (Genesis 3:1).

For us, the Father offers us better than animal skins.  He offers up the life of His Son, that Jesus might take our sin and we might take Jesus’ righteousness. Apart from Jesus, we all remain naked and ashamed before God, but the Lord Jesus Christ offers to clothe us in His righteousness, to bear our shame, and to bring us back home into His presence.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for coming, not for the righteous, but for sinners.  Neither my excuses nor my spotty righteousness can stand before You.  I am naked and ashamed.  Clothe me by Your Son, my Righteousness. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 8

---

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 32:1-5 (ESV): Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. [2] Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. [3] For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. [4] For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah [5] I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Question to Consider

1. What happened to the psalmist when he kept his sins hidden?
2. What is the result of not trying to cover our own sins ourselves?
3. Who is blessed?

Notes

1. His bones wasted away and God’s hand was heavy upon him.
2. When we do not cover our own sins and instead confess them to the Lord, we receive forgiveness.
3. The one who is forgiven and whose sin the Lord does not count against her.  In other words, those found to be in Jesus Christ!

---

Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day.  When were you tempted to blame others or to reject responsibility for your sin?  Take a moment to own all of your words, thoughts, and actions that dishonored God and ask Him for forgiveness.  Receive His grace and enjoy His presence.

REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Jabez Yeo who is now a friend of AMI, was first posted on April 18, 2017.  He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (B.S.) and Columbia International University where he studied Islam (M.A.). 

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Overcoming Hindrances to Prayer as God’s Children”

Ephesians 1:3-8

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us.

 In yesterday’s devotional, we talked briefly about George Muller, a great hero of the faith. Through fervent prayer and faith in God and His provision, Muller was able to care for over 10,000 orphans during his lifetime. When describing what had to happen to become effective in prayer, Mueller mentioned two things: Firstly, Muller had to die to what he thought about himself, as he wrote, “You really can’t live for God’s glory…if you are thinking about what you think about yourself.” Secondly, Mueller mentioned that he had to die to what others thought about him.

In today’s digitized world, it is easy to manage our image through social media, blogs and other platforms. What we think of ourselves and what others think of us can lead us to act as spiritual orphans and cloud the most important opinion: what God thinks of us. Thankfully, prayer is the tool that is readily available to recalibrate our thoughts. Through prayer, we are reminded that we are not orphans but sons and daughters of the King (Eph. 1:5); we are reminded that we have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3) and are chosen to be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph. 1:4); and that we are given redemption and forgiveness through God’s lavish grace (Eph. 1:8).

Because we are human, there will be times when we distinctly feel God’s presence in an undeniable way, but there will also be times when He feels incredibly distant. In those times, prayer not only reminds us of the truth of Scripture but also helps us demolish the barriers that hinder our fellowship with God. Perhaps there are certain sins that are leading to our estrangement from God and need to be confessed. Perhaps there are certain emotions such as resentment, anxiety, fear or bitterness that prevent us from seeing God’s grace.

Oftentimes, we come to our devotional time routinely to check off one of many tasks for the day. However, prayer is a great time not to achieve but to receive—to receive the truths that God has for us. Let’s do so today. 

Prayer: Father, thank You that You love me and that I can come to Your throne of grace with confidence, receiving mercy and grace in my time of need (Heb. 4:16). I confess that I often forget what You think of me. I confess that I look to my opinion and others’ opinion of me instead of Your opinion. Bring me back to You today. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

Bible Reading for Today:  Revelation 7

---

Lunch Break Study 

Read Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Questions to Consider

1. Why do you think God commands us not to be anxious?

2. Why do you think God’s remedy for anxiety is prayer?

3. What are you anxious about today? What can you surrender to Him in prayer?  Give it a careful thought.

Notes

1. Anxiety reveals self-centeredness. Through anxiety, we declare our lack of faith in God’s ability to provide. 

2. Through fellowship with God in prayer, He helps us to discern whether our desires and ambitions are ours or His. Through prayer, God reveals to us His heart and will. Through prayer, we can be transformed so that our hearts desire His will, bringing us perfect peace (Phil. 4:7). 

3. Personal response.

---

Evening Reflection

What truths about yourself did God remind you of today? How did He remind you of His love and His grace for you? Journal it so that it may serve as one of your spiritual stones (Jos. 4:1-9). 

REPOST  Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on October 23, 2017.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Fear Not”

Genesis 15:1-6

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 

Recently, someone asked me, “Do you like the Gospels or Paul’s epistles more?” Of course, being a pastor, my answer was, “I like them both!” But if I had to choose between the two, although I like the precision of Paul’s propositions, I do love the power of stories in the Gospels. Stories have a way of capturing our imagination, our intuitive way of looking at the world; and that’s what Christianity does for us—it reconfigures our worldview.  To live as a Christian means to have transformed perception, until more and more of the story of the Gospel becomes our own. 

That’s why I love the book of Genesis. It’s a book of stories. Today, we see Abram, not yet Abraham; he’s not yet the man God wants him to be, but he is becoming one. And as the scene opens, Abram is frustrated; he left his home to follow God because of the promise of becoming a great nation with many sons and daughters (Genesis 12). Abraham believed and heeded God’s call. Now years have passed, and nothing has happened. 

That brings us to Genesis 15. Our chapter opens with the words, “Fear not”—which, by the way, is one of the most frequent commands in the Bible, suggesting to us that God knows we are prone to be filled with fear. So He comes to Abram in peace: “Fear not, Abram.” It’s very personal, God calls him by name. “I am your shield, your very great reward.” 

God has personally assured him not to fear, yet Abram doesn’t sit quietly; he dares to question God: “What would you give me?” Who talks like this? A child. That’s exactly right. Only a child dares to be so bold. And there is also impatience mingled with boldness that boils into frustration which we see in verse 3: “Behold, you have given me no offspring.” In effect, Abram is saying to God, “You haven’t done what you promised. I’m still childless; where’s this great reward you speak of?” 

Now this isn’t what we normally think of when we think of faith. We think of faith as a quiet, passive acceptance. But this is not the faith of Abram. Abram’s faith is more like a hard-fought conviction forged in conversation with God. This is why God doesn’t blast him with, “How dare you question me?” Instead, God calls him outside and tells Abram, “Look towards the heavens and number the stars if you are able, so shall your offspring be.” 

I love how God just leads him outside to show him what has always been there— it was there the night before and it’ll be there the next night; and maybe that’s the point, they’ll always be there.  It’s as if God was saying, “I am the faithful One. I will deliver on my promise.” Do you have a promise of God that you can claim today? If not, pray and ask God for His blessing over you. If you have one but feel discouraged that it has not come to pass, renew your trust in the faithfulness of God. Don’t place your faith in your own faith, but recognize your faith as the eyes through which you view the character and sufficiency of God Himself. 

Prayer: God, help me to see the many ways You are faithful to me today. In every moment of fear, help me to be on my knees so that I can surrender all of my fears and worries to you. Amen. 

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 6

---

Lunch Break Study 

Read Hebrews 6:13-20: For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” ¹⁵ And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. ¹⁷ So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. ¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Questions to Consider 

1. What makes the promises of God a guarantee that it will come to pass? 

2. How are the promises of God anchored into our souls?   

3. How can you drive the promises of God deeper into your soul today?      

Notes

1. Because He swears His promise to Himself, and He is unable to lie.  

2. By the work of Jesus behind the “veil,” the cross.     

3. Personal reflection.

---

Evening Reflection

“It matters little what form of prayer we adopt or how many words we use. What matters is the faith which lays hold on God, knowing that He knows our needs before we even ask Him. That is what gives Christian prayer its boundless confidence and its joyous certainty.”  – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, provided by Christine Li, was first posted on October 9, 2016. 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

“When I Went Broke in College”

Luke 15:14-17

“After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!’”

I knew college was supposed to be challenging, but one trouble I did not anticipate was that I would go broke one semester. It was my own foolishness– I had relinquished a work-study job, but I kept spending money. I knew this was a bad idea, yet I hoped I could scrape by and never tell my parents. Finally, one day when I had less than $20 left for weeks of school, I reached a crisis. 

Completely distraught, I called home and admitted what situation I was in. While my parents made it clear that they found this completely irresponsible, what they were more concerned about was that I had felt the need to hide from them. “You shouldn’t have pretended everything was fine. You should have come to us sooner,” they rebuked me.

A couple things prevented me from openly going to my parents. I feared the humiliation of being known as irresponsible. I feared they would be angry, and I was too prideful to admit that I needed help. So, I tried to handle the difficulty by myself until I reached a point of desperation. Looking back, if I had had the sense to admit my troubles sooner, I could have received help and avoided all the angst. 

Just like the prodigal son, don’t we also avoid going to God the Father at the first sign of trouble? Though the prodigal lacked no shame in asking for his inheritance, he kept himself from returning when he was in need, struggling on his own until he was completely stuck. We might feel ashamed for what we did, fearful that He will be angry, or stubbornly hope that we can handle it on our own. But our delay only puts us in a worse-off condition than if we turned home sooner. 

We all know the happy ending of this parable: the Father was quick to forgive and restore the son. Even if others have responded to our failings in negative ways, we can be encouraged that this will not be the Father’s response. He will eagerly respond to us with help, healing, and restoration. So, let’s not keep ourselves from Him. We do not have to needlessly struggle on our own when He is ready to restore us. 

Prayer: Father, You are so gracious and gentle! But I always seem to forget, and that is why I do not go to You sooner. Help me to remember Your loving-kindness and that You are slow to anger and quick to forgive. Teach me to come to You eagerly and receive Your grace that heals and restores me. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 5

REPOST Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, first posted on October 22, 2016, 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 Greatness of Christ”

Hebrews 2:5-9

For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

After the author of Hebrews gives us a warning about drifting away from the gospel, he returns to the greatness of Christ Himself. This shift is made so that the work and role of Christ can be prominently emphasized throughout the rest of the book of Hebrews.  In these verses, it tells us how this rule is presently manifested in the world. We are told that nothing has been left outside of Christ’s control (2:8), and all of creation is now subject to the rule of Christ.

The author also quotes from Psalm 8, which celebrates God’s creation, including man.  In Psalm 8:3, the psalmist contemplates the mighty works of God by saying, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place…”  And as he thinks about the stars, planets and galaxies, and the vastness of the universe, no wonder he exclaims, “What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?”What the writer of Hebrews (and the psalmist) is saying is that man has a position of honor (v.7), meaning that we are the pinnacle of creation and also a position of authority (v. 8) as man was given rule over the earth.  

What does this mean for us? A few thoughts:

1. We have a King who knows us.  We are reminded that God not only intentionally created the universe, but we are also His beloved creation.  God knows our thoughts, wants and needs – the King of the Universe knows us and calls us by name! Rejoice, because we have a heavenly Father who intimately knows us in this way!  

2. We have a King we can trust. Jesus is a King who never fails us because of His great love for us. The Cross is proof that His love is unconditional; therefore, we can trust him with our lives.  

I know that most of us know these truths in our heads, but do we live that way in everyday lives?  Do you really trust Christ in every area of your life?  Does the perfect love of God give you the ultimate security in your life rather than things like money, family, appearances and reputation?   Spend time praying that these promises would be lived out in our lives today.

Prayer:  Jesus, thank You for being our King.  Thank You that You are the God of creation and the One who knows us fully and intimately. Help us to trust You with all of our hearts today. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Revelation 3-4