Leave Room for God

Romans 11:17-21


Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.
"BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD."
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

*
I found some powerful statements in this passage:

• Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.
  
• Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
  
• Be at peace with all men.
  
• Never take your own revenge.
  
• Leave room for God (summarization from "leave room for the wrath of God").
  
• Overcome evil with good.
  

All very burdensome and challenging, but out of them all, leave room for the wrath of God
stands out the most because if someone bring evil on me, I should
have all the right to take the offense as well. But God is saying
that I should leave room for His vengeance to take place in His Way
and Timing -- not mine. And by the way, this applies to everyone.

Apart from being life at stake physically, I must take the attitude of
abiding in His guidance and not take matters into my own hands to "bring
justice." He is more interested in my desire to abide in Him than
the solution I may have to the situation at hand.

Lord, I ask that You allow me to take on such a heart through this
trying situation our family's going through. I would like to leave a
lot of room for You to show Your mercy and grace. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Remnant of this Present Time

Romans 11:3-5


"Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE."
But what is the divine response to him? "I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL."
In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice.

*
Elijah's cry to God about how his life is at danger received a response
that seems unrelated to the original topic. But reading it again, revealed
to me that God will choose His own remnant, those who will not bow to the
false gods of this world regardless of how detrimental our situations
may seem. My life is in His hand as well and so if my knees are bowed to
the Holy God Himself, then His graciousness will sustain my faith and
I will not defile myself to other gods.

For me, the other god I am tempted to bow down was my desire to complain
with a critical spirit when I see things that are not right. By any means
I don't mean I should give into the wrong things, but I should approach with
an edifying spirit to see How God's glory may be brought forth even in such
a situation.

The Satan's tricks are so subtle and effective because he even uses my
willingness to be right to make me bow before him -- by being sucked right into
his deception. In the end, if my heart is filled more with joyfulness
from God, then I am on the right track, but if my heart is filled more
and more of my criticalness (i.e., seeing others faults clearer and
desiring to correct them more and more with my own strengths), then I
need to take a time out and go have a 1-1 with God before moving on.

Lord, make me and my family your remnant of this present time. In
Jesus' name. Amen.

Thoroughly and Quickly

Romans 9:27,28


Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED;
FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY."

*
God's work is done through the remnant and not through a certain designated people group. Even though there will be multitudes of believers, only those who stay with God till the end will be the ones God will work through in bringing His own Word/Will. God also works thoroughly and quickly once His timing (kairos) is reached.

How much do I desire to partake in His plans as a part of the remnant?

Any Other Created Thing

Romans 8:38,39


For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

*
This is quite an amazing list of properties that influences our lives; I mean
it pretty much covers all aspects of how my life is impacted. So, what I
gather from this passage is that there is nothing in my world that can
alter the love of God destined for me. And going further, there is nothing
in my world that can/should alter my love for God.

Having said this, however, my love for God gets tossed around quite frequently
by the bumps along the way of my life's journey -- these bumps gradually
takes me off course rather than making me want to turn away from God, but
they cause the same effect of falling away from God in the end.
And what's worse, I am actually the one
letting it happen because I have not latched on to this passage as the TRUTH.

In my observation, the any other created thing mentioned in v.39
applies to other people around me. But going forward, I will not let
anyone get in the way of my love toward God.

Why Do What I Don't Want?

Romans 7:16-20


But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law,
confessing that the Law is good.
So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

*
This may be a constant struggle while living on earth, but one thing's for
sure -- I must not let sin rule in myself. I won't be able to completely
eliminate it from my life, but I surely have to rise above it and cling on
to the good deeds God wants me to do.

I am focusing on my desire to establish my morning devotional time consistent
at 5am. The key is to go to sleep early the night before, but one things
leading to another, I still have not made it stick. So,
I am doing the very thing I do not want.

Lord, I realize this is due to my letting sin to have an edge. I want to
have a total shutout against sin when it comes to establishing my morning
devotional time with and for You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

As Those Alive from the Dead

Romans 6:11-14; 1 Kings 11:1-4


Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.


Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,
from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, "You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods." Solomon held fast to these in love.
He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.
For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

*
In light of Romans 6:13, King Solomon chose to present himself to his own
desires and not as an instrument of righteousness to God. And we can see
the consequences from his decision in 1 Kings 11 -- his heart was turned away
from God.

This message and the pattern applies to every man living on earth, and I must
do all I can to not slip into such a mode. I must excel to present myself as
an instrument of righteousness to God. And since instruments are at the
mercies of its master, I should not try to carry on without first being held
in the hands of God.

Paul's description of as those alive from the dead (Romans 6:13) stands out for me this morning because I need to
live my life every day as the one who is dead to my old self, but has become
aliave again because my heart's desire is to present myself to Him as His
instrument, conforming to His ways and principles.

Love that Didn't Need To Be

Romans 5:5-8


and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

*
For someone I love, making sacrifices of some sort is relatively easy. But for
someone I dislike, or hate, that would be close to impossible because there is
no motive for me to do that. Instead, my mind would be quickly going through
how to either avoid or confront that person. Loving that person would be the
last thing on my list.

This morning, I'm especially touched by Christ's love for us while we were
still His enemies (or offenders). He did this on our terms and did it at
the right time (v. 6) for us, and
not at His own convenience.

This amazing love of God must finally be bringing an impact in my heart; and
I need to respond to Him correctly. I must recognize those I am neglecting
to pass on God's love to, and must adjust my attitude and ready love them
with willing sacrifice on my part.

"When" vs. "If" I Sin

2 Chronicles 6:36,38; 7:14


"When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near,
if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name,


... then I will hear from heaven ...

*
Solomon's prayer to God for his people points out the reality of our human
condition that it's a matter of time before
we sin -- "when". Contrastly, responding correctly out of our sin
depends on our willingness to return to Him -- "if".

Solomon lifted up this prayer of recognizing how wicked we are, but God's
grace and mercy is much greater than that. This was a humble prayer behalf
of his own people. And as he dedicated the temple (house of God), he wanted
his people to be healed and restored back to God through this temple.

God honored such a prayer and said in 7:14 -- then I will hear from heaven. Lord, I sincerely desire to lift up such a
prayer to you from the bottom of my heart as well, and to hear you saying
to me "I will hear from heaven...."

God's Intervention into My Worship

1 Kings 8:11,66


so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.


On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David His servant and to Israel His people.

*
Is God intervening into my worship so evident that there is no doubt He is
in the midst of the worship? If not, then I may be omitting something in
my worship to Him.

In verse 11, even the priests could not carryo ut their ministry because
God's intervention into their worship was so overpowering. I see a model
of a true worship -- the focus shifts from what we're doing to what God
is doing.

And in verse 66, I see the fruits of such worship:

• exchange of blessing between people and the leader
  
• people's hearts filling up with joyfulness and gladness.
  

Heavenly Father, I desire such a worship in my "temple" of God. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Complete Decoration of My Temple

2 Chronicles 4:19-22


Solomon also made all the things that were in the house of God: even the golden altar, the tables with the bread of the Presence on them,
the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary in the way prescribed;
the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold, of purest gold;
and the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons and the firepans of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the holy of holies and the doors of the house, that is, of the nave, of gold.

*
Following up from yesterday's journal entry, Solomon continues to build up
his place of worship -- the temple -- by decorating the inside the House of God
even down to the smallest details possible. He was set on dedicating this
temple to/for God and didn't want to leave any portion out.

It's true that Solomon had a much greater burden because of the significance
and the sheer size of the task at hand of building this temple which had been
passed down from his father. However,
building my own place of worship
is as critical & significant as Solomon's temple because that is where
I will completely dedicate my time and mind to worship God with every part of my
body.

So, as I see Solomon working down to all the details in the temple, I am
convicted to work on the full detail of my temple of worship. This means
I need to continue to refine establishing my morning devotional time/place
so I could completely devote myself during that time. I see from Solomon's
complete decoration of the temple, that it resulted from having a completely
devoted heart first.

Dreams Don't Come in Instant Packages

1 Kings 6:11-14,38b


Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon saying,
"Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father.
"I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel."
So Solomon built the house and finished it.


So he was seven years in building it.

*
God gave Solomon a great promise of dwelling among the people of Israel
if Solomon will walk in His presence through the temple. Solomon carried
out the task of building the temple faithfully and meticulously with
persistence.

The promise or the dream God gave to Solomon came in a package of
patience, endurance, and faithfulness; that is, he needed to excercise
these characters before the dream could be fulfilled. Another notable
point is that God required Solomon to do this, and not the whole Israelites.
This show how critical the leader's role is. And in light of the
Good Shepherd mentioned in John 10,
the sheep's well being totally depends on the shepherd's commitment to
the sheep and how much care they receive from him.

It took seven years for Solomon to build the temple. It did not come
over night, but once it was built, God fulfilled His dream.

Am I ready to live out God's dream by patiently building my own "temple"?

Spread Rapidly and be Glorified

2 Thessalonians 3:1,2


Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;
and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.

*
God's Word is to be spread rapidly through our lives and be glorified
in the process. However, due to the struggles we go through with
many "perverse and evil men," we are sidetracked in spreading His Word
rapidly. And many times this
happens unintentionally.

My prayer echoes what Paul wrote in verse 1 -- that His Word will spread
rapidly and God be glorified through me and my family's lives, un-obstructed
from the clutters of the society. Make us transparently pure conduits for
Your Word. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Pleasing in the Sight of the Lord

2 Chronicles 1:10-12


"Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?"
God said to Solomon, "Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king,
wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you."

*
Solomon's encounter with God in his dream teaches me what God is pleased with.
Solomon's answer of asking for God's wisdom to take care of his people -- i.e.,
the shepherd's heart -- pleased God. (It was pleasing in the sight of
the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. -- 1 King 3:9)

With God's power, many things could have been attained, such as removal of
my problems, fulfilling my desires/wishlists, or experience miracles, but
the power to lead and guide people is what God desires from me. In fact,
if what I learn is not applied to caring for people more and better, then
I am totally missing target.

Lord, like Solomon, I also desire the depth of Your wisdom to lead others to You. Give
me the heart of a good shepherd. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Greatly Enlarged Faith

2 Thessalonians 1:3,4


We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;
therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.

*
Perseverance and endurance in the midst of all my
persecutions and afflictions produces edification to others around me. This may
be an involved and a drawn-out process but once I reach the point of God's
approval, then I will experience my faith enlarging greatly and my
love for others grow deeper and greater. That's when God's image begins
to show in my life; and others will be encouraged and edified from it.

It's time to list out my "persecutions and afflictions" and commit to God that
I will persevere and endure until the end where my faith is greatly enlarged.

Am I in God's Way?

1 Thessalonians 5:19,20


Do not quench the Spirit;
do not despise prophetic utterances.

*
I am reminded to examine my current circumstances carefully to see
if I am "quenching the Spirit" or not. God is prompting me to
re-examine my heart in my distressing situations and wants me to
bring out God's work of the Spirit more rather than quenching it by
being ungrateful and unrejoicing.

God is speaking to me through these two verses clearly because He
did not put any conditions around it -- such as, do them only when
all other problems you have are resolved. In fact, I am reading
these more like: Even in your worst circumstances, do not quench
God's glory.

Deception of Mediocrity

1 Thessalonians 4:1


Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

*
The phrase "excel still more" caught my eyes. I am set to excel still more
in many areas -- career, making income, raising my children to be the best
children, driving the best car, living in a best neighborhood -- but am I
set to excel still more in my walk with God, allowing Him to bear the
most awesome fruits through my life?

It seems that nothing was in the way of Paul to excel for bringing out God's
glory to the max regardless of distressing circumstances he was in. Now is
the time for me to initiate the same attitude by stop focusing on my
complaints and start focusing on how much more I can excel to highlight
God's beauty.

Get out of the deception of
mediority and go beyond where I am now for God.

Comfort Through Your Faith

1 Thessalonians 3:7


for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we
were comforted about you through your faith.

*
From verse 1, I can see that Paul & Co. was in quite a distress, beyond
what they could bear at the moment. For Paul to be at such a point of
affliction, it really must have been critical. But even in such a
situation, Paul's strength (comfort) is drawn from hearing the good news
of his flock growing in faith.

This reminds me of John 4:34 -- Jesus said to them, "My food is
to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work -- where
Jesus drew His strength from ministering to the Samaritan woman and
leading her back to God.

Lord Jesus, I have many distractions in my life called distresses
and afflictions which seem to drain my energy. I want to set my mind
and heart on increasing other people's faith which in the end becoming
the source of my comfort and strength regardless of my circumstances.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

When I Cannot Approach God

1 Chronicles 21:30


But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified
by the sword of the angel of the LORD.

*
Contrary to David's song from yesterday's journal entry (2 Samuel 22:20),
today I find
David being terrified to go before God because he committed sin against
God by taking matters into his own hands instead of trusting God.

God had already atoned his sin, and showed His mercifulness even in
the midst of the consequencial judgement. But David was still afraid
to approach God.

This illustrates once again how deathly commiting sin against God is
because it pushes my heart away from God (not because God moves away from me).
So, whenever I am afraid of approaching God, I should comb through my
own heart and cast away my unresolved sin.

Because He Delighted in Me

2 Samuel 22:20


"He also brought me forth into a broad place;


  He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

*
This song of David is to thank God for delivering him from all of his enemies.
He is so grateful for being on God's side because short of that he would
not have been "rescued" from the deadly situations.

For me, David's proclamation of all this happening due to God's delight
in his own life touches me deeply because it goes against my approach of
achievement/results-driven faith many not caring about how God see my heart.

Am I living a life that God is delighted with? If not: (1)
I should stop dreaming of living a victorious or a blessed life;
(2) become someone God delights in.

Turning Point for Disciples

Matthew 28:16


But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.

*
the beginning word of this sentence, BUT, seems to highlight
the transformation of the disciples state of mind. previously, they
were hiding away in fear of getting caught by the Romans and perhaps
get killed like Jesus. their "dream" of being the cabinet members of
the new regime had shattered and went out of sight forever, it seems.

but now, the disciples were infused with a fresh dream and strength to
move on to the destination Jesus told them to go. they went without
furhter details or what to expect even though upon their arrival
they were greeted by Jesus and He allowed them to join in on His great
mission.

Taking Matters Into My Own Hands

Matthew 27:3-5


Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself!"
And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.

*
it was a relief to see Judas coming to his own senses and realize that he had
done a wrong thing. but how he managed to resolve it displayed the following
sequence of events leading to total hopelessness:

1. he went to the wrong people to make peace
   
2. he said the wrong thing (not seeking the true forgiveness)
   
3. he got the wrong answers
   
4. he took the wrong actions
   

instead of this, the correct sequence of events should look like this:

1. he goes back to Jesus to make peace with Him
   
2. he ask for Jesus' forgiveness for his wrong doings
   
3. Jesus forgives him and gains freedom under His grace
   
4. he becomes a wounded healer to bring more broken lives back to making peace
   with God
   

Father, i want to take the latter approach in my life with my own wrong
doings. i want to become the wounded healer for those around me. In Jesus'
name i pray. Amen.

"Foe" or For the Gospel

Matthew 26:7,13,16


a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.


"Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."


From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.

*
the woman did a wonderful thing. unlike others around Jesus then, she took
the initiative of valuing the Lord Jesus' presence and willing sacrisficed
her most precious thing. no one else did that. now, wherever the gospel
is preached, she is remembered as with the sweet fragrance of the perfume she
poured on Jesus' head as an example of honoring and worshipping God
wholeheartedly.

contrastingly, Judas Iscariot's efforts of betrayal and then his way
of controlling his own life to the end by hanging himself instead of
accepting the forgiving grace of God will also be remembered wherever
the gospel is reached as an example of life without hope in God.

my response to the gospel can be either of these two people's -- either i
will be for it or against it; and whichever path i take, it
will last forever as with the gospel itself. knowing this, me and my family
desires to pour out our lives as a frangrant sacrifice for the preaching
of Your messae of Love.

Joy of My Master

Matthew 25:23


"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

*
in light of yesterday's Friendship Fun Fair at NCBC, we had 12 children
and an adult made decisions to follow Christ. Out of about 100 children
who came to the fair, i was quite touched by how many of them responded to the
message/invitation. i could look at it as "only 13," but my heart felt that
so many of them were touched by God's love that every soul is so precious
and based on this verse, we must be faithful with a few expecting
God to charge with many more in the future.

only then, i will slip into the joy of my Master, Jesus Christ, who
tended to every one of our needs personally because it was His joy
as he said in John 4:34 -- Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of
Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.

Father, i totally desire to be in the midst of your JOY.

Enduring WIthout Growing Cold

Matthew 24:12,13


"Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.
"But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

*
God is God of order, however, when man's ways bring lawlessness
one of the consequences is love growing cold. our hearts will
experience less and less of God's love and thus have no love
to share with others. i feel i'm one of the victims of this
and must focus on v. 13 where Jesus teaches me to endure to the end.

Heavenly Father, regardless of the circumstances i may be in now, may i
hold on to Your amazing Love at all cost for the sake of enduring
to the end without growing cold. i want to endure without compromising
the intensity of Your love in my heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Don't Stay In Jerusalem

2 Samuel 11:1; 12:29


Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it.


Psalm 51:17


The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

*
we can see that David began to lose his focus of his primary role as the king
because when other kings going out to battle, David stayed back at Jerusalem.
in v. 2, we can also see that he rose from the bed in the evening (not morning)
and just walking around the roof while his people are fighting in the frontline.

the result of such losing focus is doing evil in God's sight. and there are
consequences to follow. when God revealed his sin, David immediately repented
and with his "broken and contrite heart" he sacrificed himself unto the Lord,
then, in his newly transformed self he worshiped God in the House of the Lord.

subsequently, he gathered all the people and went out to fight a victorious battle.

that's where David should have been in the first place, wasn't it? so, don't
get stuck in Jerusalem but be in my own workplace where i must carry out
God's work.

Answer My Call Today

Psalm 20:9


Save, O LORD;


  May the King answer us in the day we call.

*
i seem to be calling on God out of my own desperation more often these days.
after examining my heart, i realize that my cries were not based on the hope
of His answering my call in His own timing. it seemed more like a last-straw
attempt unsure of the outcome. i need more of David's assurance displayed in
this Psalm.

Heavenly Father, today, on our Nation Day of Prayer
(http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org), i am joining in with
the cries of other believers within US for Your
Spirit to sweep through this Bay Area -> US -> World. i am also
crying out to you to answer my call today regarding my role within
NCBC.

Work While There's Light

John 9:4,5


"We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."

*
the day time won't last forever and the night when i can no longer do
works of God will be coming. i need to raise my urgency of doing His
works in and around me such that i will begin to light up all the dark
corners of my heart, and then to pass on that light to the dark corners
of others around me.

it's time to shed my relaxed attitude of doing His works and put on the
mindset of Your soldier as it says in, 2 Timothy 2:4 -- No soldier in active service (A)entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

Dedication of Victories

2 Samuel 8:11


King David also dedicated these to the LORD, with the silver and
gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued:

* many times my perspective is that
my "achievements" are the results of my own efforts and
thus take full credit to myself, or my talents. David's natural response
of dedicating the outcome of his victories revealed in me the lack of
recognizing God's working in and through me.

i am challenged to work on my heart so i, too, will dedicate my own
victories to God naturally without having to remind myself about it
because it's been engrained in my heart.

How To Respond When God Takes Away My Plans

2 Samuel 7:17,22


In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
"For this reason You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You,
and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

David just had a great plan to praise and respect God by planning to build
up a temple for God. but that plan was removed by God and passed it on to
his descendents. so, when Nathan brought the news to David, he responded
by acknowledging his own position with respect to God, and praised God for
His greatness. he didn't complain or get discouraged because his "holy" plan
was rejected.

at the end of verse 22, David says, according to all that we have
heard with our ears. he treasured what he heard from God all his
life and this is another instance of his acknowledgement. he did not
have to ask for proofs, or have an argument. he simply took what he
had heard to his heart and moved on by faith. this is a trait i must attain.

Tremblingly Firm

1 Chronicles 16:30


Tremble before Him, all the earth;

  Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

my prayer is to tremble before God because He is in complete control
of this world which at times seems to be totally spinning out of the orbit.
many events surrounding me seem to turn my life upside down at times,
and looking through that spyglass, my spirit shrinks in like a little shrimp more
out of fear than out of trembling before God.

Lord, i want to keep my focus on who You are, and what You have done, and
will do in and around me. i want to be tremblingly firm in knowing who
You are. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Avoid the Continual Torturing

Matthew 18:34,35


"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.


"My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

this illustrates how devastating my life can be if i misunderstand the
true riches of God's forgiveness for me because it will direct my life to
pursue the path of torturing my own life of trying to reach an unattainable
goal -- setting myself for a sure failure.

a correct understanding of such an abundant grace will not only produce
a life filled with joy and grace, but it will also provide a platform for
a genuine forgiveness toward others from the core of my heart. and this
is the path of avoiding the continual torturing of my own life.