Pruning for More Fruit

[S] John 15:2,16 --
 ²"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 
 ¹⁶"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 

[O] God desires me to bear His fruit.  He wants to me to multiply.  He does not want me to stay stale.  So, he needs to take care of me and prune my life so I would bear more fruit -- not just a few here and there.  I believe that during this process of pruning, my life will be matured, sync'ed, and groomed to align with God's will because as mentioned in verse 16, my life will be filled with receiving whatever I ask from Him.  It is almost like I don't really have to ask from Him because my life will already be synchronized with His heart that He will already have given me what I needed.  That's the idea anyways.  This is not an easy road but longer you stay on it, the better it gets.

[A] Surrender areas of my life that I know God wants to prune.  Don't hold on to it.

[P] Dear God, every time I read John 15:2, I'm so thankful for your care for my life in order that I may bear more fruit for You. I want to bear much more fruit to edify people around me.  Please help me to let go of the things You desire to prune away from my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Power of Testimony

[S] John 12:9b, 20-21 --
 ^9band they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.
 ²⁰Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;
 ²¹these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."

[O] Sure people were curious about who Jesus was but in this case, the people were more curious about seeing Lazarus who was raised from the dead by Jesus.  It seems to me all Lazarus had to do was the walk out of the tomb (cave) but apparently, his testimony of doing that spread wide and people were flocking around to see him.  My testimony should not be based on the level of miraculous power or how much of an effort I put into it, but should be based on the fact that only God could've done it and I am merely the outcome from it.  However, the fact that God included me into His glory is what makes my testimony powerful.  Lazarus' testimony was powerfully influencing people and gathering them around.  Even the Greeks were curious and wanted to meet Jesus as we can see.

[A] Am I refining my attitude every morning such that God would work His miracles through my life that day and my testimony would not be focused on me but on the miracle worker Himself?

[P] Dear God, Your willingness to include me into your works of glory is simply amazing.  Thank You.  I also want to be like Lazarus where people are drawn to Jesus because of what You are doing in my life -- bringing death into a vibrant life!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

I Went Away and Washed

[S] John 9:11, 25 --
 ¹¹He answered, "The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went away and washed, and I received sight."
 ²⁵He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." 

[O] The phrase "I went" in verse 11 jumped out because that was the outcome of his obedience.  It was a specific action committed by him when Jesus gave him the command.  The significance is increased here because of his obedience based on faith.  Jesus had not provided much other than to do wash at Siloam.  I am searching my heat now to see how many times Jesus had given me a clear direction to act upon but I didn't because it didn't make sense to me.  How I should've acted like this blind person.  I don't know how many blessings I've foregone because of my unfaithful actions.  Then I wonder why I am not bold for God.  As I see in verse 25, this blind person's boldness came because of his experiencing of God through his obedient faith.  God does not need answers from me (He knows them all).  He just needs my obedience because I trust that He cares for me 100%.

[A] Be cautious about God's prompting next time and make that action of commitment.

[P] Dear God, help me to trust You more so I would act with obedience based on my faith in You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

My Father's House or Place of Business?

[S] John 2:16 --
 ¹⁶and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business."

[O] The comparison between "My Father's house" and "place of business" is what intrigued me as I was reading this familiar passage.  Same physical location can be used for different purposes and that's what was happening here.  The issue was that place which had a purpose of being My Father's house (sanctuary or church in today's term) became a place of doing business.  I am wondering whether I am changing the purpose of "My Father's house" I am supposed to steward into a place of my own business of interest.  As I can see from here, Jesus does not like that type of changes.  I also took a look from an opposite angle where my place of business transforming into "My Father's house."  God likes this type of transformations.  In fact, He spent a lot of time in the marketplaces converting people as His disciples.  Paul in the New Testament also did this as well.  So, while I need to be sensitive about keeping the purpose of My Father's house, I also need to excel in transforming the places I do my own business -- work, neighborhood, gym, sports coaching, etc.

[A] Make Sunday a holy day set aside for family worship time at church and through all other activities.  Continue to carry on that spirit into Monday through Friday when I'm at my own places of business so I can be the influencer of people around me right there.

[P] Dear God, I want to follow the footsteps of Your message here where I would detest converting your sanctuary into a place of business while I would devote all of my efforts to turn my places of business into places of Your presence.  I am so thankful for giving me such a passion to live out my life for that purpose.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Rock-Solid Faith to Become the Most Precious

[S] 1 Peter 1:7, 18-19, 23; 1 Peter 2:9 --
 ⁷so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
 ¹⁸knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
 ¹⁹but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
 ²³for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 
 ⁹But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

[O] These verses combined had one message for me.  God wants me to have a rock-solid faith such that I can be the most precious person that He designed for me to become.  I'm more precious than gold.  I've been redeemed with eternal promise which is the precious blood of Christ.  I'm a chose race, a royal priesthood who may proclaim the excellencies of God.  After reading these verses, I feel so good because no matter what I may be facing now, God's design for me is to become the most precious.  The God of this universe desires that from my life.  This really made my day!

[A] Especially after coming back from trip to Korea my life seemed to have been just floating around.  Time seem to just pass rapidly and I feel like I'm totally behind in everything ... rushing, rushing.  As I examine myself, I am sure there is an aspect of sadness from losing my father and it's preoccupying my mind or something.  However, I'm not going to try and analyze it too deeply because these verses are guiding me to soak up the awesome plan God has for my life regardless of the circumstance I'm in now.  I am going to be joyful because of this awesome news I was reminded of.

[P] Dear God, Your word has lifted me up and I praise You for that.  Please continue to pour out your Spirit into my heart such that my heart will lead me into the spiritual journey which will lead me to the point of being the precious child that You intended for my life.   In Jesus' name.  Amen.

United By Faith

[S] Hebrews 4:2 --
²For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

[O] The aspect of "faith" in our life is really a mystery because it seems the outcomes of what we do actually changes by how much faith is involved in the process. I can never tell for fact whether this is true or not because there is no way for me to compare doing the same act twice with and without faith as my life is not like a computer program. So, I only have one shot at what I do with or without faith. That was my view. Now, God's view on this is clear based on this verse. Even the same word of God will have differing results based on how it was received. If received with faith, then it will be the refreshing good news. If not, it will be no different that any other noise around us.

[A] Do I start my LIFE Journaling time united by faith knowing that what I'm about to receive is the living and breathing word of God custom tailored for my life for this day? If so, then it will most likely be that for my life. If not, it will most likely be that for my life.

[P] Dear God, thank You for providing me the DNA of "faith" in my life because through that my life has a chance of being united with Your wonderful design for my life. I want to pursue that with the whole heart and by believing that You desire that from me. I look forward to blossoming my life for Your sake by having such faith in all I do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

The Word of God is not Imprisoned

[S] 2 Timothy 2:7-9 --

 ⁷Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
 ⁸Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,
 ⁹for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.

[O] Don't we often feel like we're imprisoned to the surroundings we live in?  The job, school, family, volunteering jobs, friends, etc.?  In fact these are the areas the word of God is to be lived out in its full potential.  Verse 7 mentions how God will provide understanding in everything, so even though what I started to write here may not have an answer, per se, we can truly rely on the understanding God will provide to us as needed because even though I may be or feel imprisoned, the word of God cannot be imprisoned at all.  So, the main take away for me from this passage is: Don't try to carry the word of God, instead let the word of God carry me.

[A] Since I returned from Korea, everything seemed to have been piling up and it's been a non-stop movement.  My LIFE Journaling had been sparse and the word of God definitely was not at its full potential through my life.  If my life is "stuck" then the word of God is stuck through the channel called Yoon.  So, I must let the word of God flow through my life first before I can be freed to be used to carry God's word.

[P] Dear God, I want to go back to the daily appointments with You to dig into Your word.  Please grant me the peace and the margin in my life to do just that.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

How to Wonder Jesus

[S] Mark 6:6 --
 ⁶And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching.

[O] Ever wondered how to wonder Jesus?  The people from His hometown, Nazareth did just that by not believing in Him.  This is amazing actually because you'd think He'd have the home-ground advantage there but quite the contrary.  In fact, He wondered at their unbelief.  I sure don't want to be wondering Jesus with my unbelief.  My prayer is for me my family to be a place where we believe in Jesus wholeheartedly.

[A] Keep up with our daily devotions such that each of us would be standing on our own based on His Word.  Create a culture where we will be wondering at the power of Jesus.

[P] Dear God, may my life, my family members' lives, my church's culture be the one wondering at how great Your amazing love and grace is toward us.  May we live daily wondering what wonderful power You give us to live our daily lives because You are showering us with miraculous power that can only come from You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Shipwrecked Lately?

[S] Acts 29: 8-11 --

⁸And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.

⁹After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.

¹⁰They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.

¹¹At the end of three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.

[O] God's working through Paul's life touched many people in this overall scene of the shipwreck to landing on this island and then to be ministering to the whole community. The result was that due to his edification of the people, they reciprocated the blessings back to him and the crew in order that they may continue on with their journey. Through his obedience and ministry, God's promise of none of the people on the ship getting hurt was fulfilled also. In the end it's about releasing God's promises through my services to others just like what Paul did even when his circumstance was quite bleak at first running into trouble at sea. What troubles am I going through now which may blind me from seeing what God's promise is in the midst of that which needs to be fulfilled through my services?

[A] Look around those near my family and see how God's promise is waiting to be fulfilled by my services to/in their lives. I'm thinking particularly about a family in need right now. God's placed them close to our family and even though we're not too familiar with them we want to obey to His calling for our services to them.

[P] Dear God, may we not lose sight of Your wonderful plans to be fulfilled in this family's life right now. May we continue to be faithful to Your calling. We are expecting wonderful fulfillment of Your joy in this family. Thank You for giving us the opportunity to take part in Your great plan. In Jesus' name. Amen.

What Has God Done Through You?

[S] Acts 15:4-11 --

⁴When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.
⁵But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses."
⁶The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.
⁷After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.
⁸"And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
⁹and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
¹⁰"Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
¹¹"But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."

[O] In verse 4, the apostles and elders reporting what God had done was touching because I don't do this enough. Many times I'm all caught up in what I had achieved (desiring to seek compliments from others). The focus of my achievements need to be centered around what God has allowed me to achieve more. When I do this, what I achieve will actually be more of a blessing to others around me than getting a few more patting on my shoulders. What I also have to be careful about are some people (like the Pharisees in v. 5) who will strongly influence me to look towards my own (or worldly) achievements. That in itself isn't bad but only when I focus on it more than what God's done through my life.

[A] Ask the question: What has God done in/through my life today? How much of a struggle did I go through to let Him work through my life?

[P] Dear God, I want to testify more about what you're doing in and through my and my family's lives. I can easily fall into just trying to get the credits myself. I want others, especially those who do not know You, to see what You're doing so they may find an opportunity to draw closer to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Offering as in Former Years

[S] Malachi 3:4-5 --

 ⁴"Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
 ⁵"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts.

[O] Without a sense of trying to dwell in the past, there are certain things that we should pay attention to the original intentions rather than inventing new ways to veer away from the original intent.  Worshiping God falls into this category.  God had laid the ways for us to please Him in our worship which had not changed over the years.  However, over the years the way we worship God had altered into ways we prefer.  One of the indication is to see whether God draws near to us in our worship or not (v. 5).  Is the trend around us more and more churches popping up where when people gather, God draws near?  At least from where I live, that is not the trend.  In fact, the trend is churches are not doing too well to the point of closing up in some cases.  God is showing us the formula for the believers' church to get back on track.
In the beginning of Jesus' ministry He cleansed the Temple (John 2:13-22) based on this passage in order to restore the Temple's original purpose.

[A] As Jesus cleansed the corrupted Temple, I need to re-examine my own life/body as the temple of God to see if I have veered off in tangent away from God's original intent for me to worship and adore Him.

[P] Dear God, please identify the areas in my life where as a temple of God I need to restore to your original way of worship and offering which please You.  May I be moldable enough to change my life in order to please You every day of my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Boldness Originating from Unreal Reality

[S] Acts 4:17-21, 31 --

 ¹⁷"But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name."
 ¹⁸And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
 ¹⁹But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;
 ²⁰for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."
 ²¹When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened;
 ³¹And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. 

[O] What inspired them not to stop speaking about Jesus was really based on the overwhelming excitement and conviction fo what they witnessed in their lives.  It was so real and part of their lives that they cannot keep inside but to let it overflow out of their lives.  Nothing can really stop them even the threatening from the Jewish leaders who deep inside also knew who was behind all this.  This sort of excitement and out-pouring of conviction from believers' hearts is a pre-amble to a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit (as seen in v. 31).

[A] Before asking God to fill me with His Spirit and do mighty works, I should first make God's message from the Bible about His love toward me as real as possible in my life.  Don't just settle with a knowledge of what happened back then, but to bring it into my current life such that it will interact with it and produce an overflowing excitement from deep within.  Without such basis, I don't believe there is any substance for the Spirit to work in my life.

[P] Dear God, please fill my heart with Your real substance as I continuously meditate on Your word such that Your Spirit will have a way to work into my life the power of Your Love.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Give Me Times of Refreshing

[S] Acts 3:19 --
 ¹⁹"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

[O] I need a times of refreshing especially after feeling a fatigue from the small group launching efforts, fighting some sort of virus in my system, roof leaking in multiple locations when we had the storm yesterday.  My kind of refreshing is to get away from all this and when I return all the problems will have been erased but God's refreshing is to have more of His presence in my life than my sinful nature; and quickest way to do that is to repent and return to Him.  This morning, I was at a retail location about to get some service and they find some problem with my account again.  This is the like the 5th time this has happened and so when I walked up to the customer service agent, I started out by saying "I'm frustrated this is happening again and again...."  Not what I would call a refreshing time.  So this verse convicts me even more today of the significance of repenting and returning to God to restore the refreshing times in my life.

[A] Daily, reflect and repent of the shortcomings in my own life.  Seek for increasing of His presence in my life by 1) filling my mind with His words; 2) minimize my own ways of thinking.

[P] Dear God, may Your presence overflow out of my life to allow times of refreshing in my life.  May I not seek from anywhere else but by increasing Your presence in me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

How Do You Spell Success?

[S] Henemiah 1:10-11 --

 ¹⁰"They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.
 ¹¹"O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man " Now I was the cupbearer to the king.

[O] By this moment, Nehemiah was quite distressed (verse 4: When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.) and yet his prayer to God starts with praise and recognition of workers He had placed her to carry out His will.  He did not start directly to ask for a "solution" to fix the problem his facing.  There was a clear Adoration and Thanksgiving to God.  Then he requests earnestly such that they will be able to delightfully revere God's name by making him successful.  I am really encouraged by Nehemiah's prayer because he didn't just go down the list of his requests but his ultimate desire to successfully revere His name.  So is my success related to revering God's name?  I would say so based on Nehemiah's prayer. Without trying to generalize too much, isn't it true that our world defines success as my making it big and my name getting the major press?  It's about putting myself on top so others will revere my name.  But I believe the true success God honors is the one that God's name is revered and raised up high through my own "success."

[A] Be careful not to fall into the trap of gaining my "own" success where it's all about ME getting to the top.  Instead, aim for a successful life/work such that God's name will shine through in the end.

[P] Dear God, make me successful in all that I do, at work, at church, at home, at neighborhood, such that it is SO CLEAR You are the one others will see at work in my life.  May my heart stay humble and seek You at all times.  I desire that very much.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Whose Time Are We On?

[S] Luke 1:20, 38, 48-49 --
 ²⁰"And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."
 ³⁸And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
 ⁴⁸"For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
     For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed
 ⁴⁹ “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
    And holy is His name.

[O] God's timing is always perfect.  When we are out of sync, He will lead us to sync up just as we see with Zacharias who muted because he overrode God's timing with his own understanding/timing.  On the other hand, Mary submitted to God's timing as "may it be done to me according to your word" and if I may add, "timing."  In verse 48 we see how God honors such submission by exemplifying such faith down the generations.  In verse 49, I must also note that the ultimate credit goes to God the Mighty One.

[A] Examine my heart to see if I am trying to trap God into my own dimension.  By doing that I am also trying to steal away God's glory as if it's mine.  I must stay humble and recognize the works of the Mighty One in my own life so others will God's handy works and not of my own.

[P] Dear God, thank You for showing me this verse of obedience in sync with Your timing.  May I be more sensitive to Your timing as I do my ministry and raising children at home.  I cannot foresee a second ahead of me and yet at times I feel as though I know the whole eternity.  Forgive my arrogant heart and may I submit to Your wonderful timing.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Smoke from the Glory of God

[S] Revelations 15:8; Lamentations 3:24-25 --
 ⁸And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.


    ²⁴"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
         "Therefore I have hope in Him."
    ²⁵The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
         To the person who seeks Him. 

[O] How I long to be in such a temple where the glory of God fills like smoke.  So tangible.  I talk about God's glory a lot but to feel it in such a way would be just wonderful.  Additionally, while His glory filled the temple no one was able to enter it -- such an awesome place.  I want my temple of God to be filled with such a tangible glory -- my life, my home, my church, Sunday worship service.  Lamentations 3:24-25 assures me that having such a hope in Him is not a wasted time at all as He is good to those who wait for Him.  I am going to wait for Your glory to fill my life so evidently that no one can deny it.

[A] Pray for His glory to fill my life so tangibly.

[P] Dear God, I desire Your presence and glory to be in my life.  I don't want it to be more than the conceptual aspect of your glory.  I would love to be feeling it all together as much as I would feel the morning fog when I get out early in the morning.  I am going to wait for You based on Lamentations 3:24.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Vengeance is Mine, I will Repay

[S] Obadiah 1:12 --
    ¹²"Do not gloat over your brother's day,
         The day of his misfortune
         And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah
         In the day of their destruction;
         Yes, do not boast
         In the day of their distress. 

[O] This passage spoke to my tendency of being glad when "bad guys" face their misfortunes.  I mean, they should be punished for their actions but my "rejoicing" over their misfortunes is not a way God wants my heart to be.  I sort of justified my rejoicing by saying they deserve it; but after reading this passage God's words of "vengeance is mine, I will repay" (one of many places in the Bible: Hebrews 10:30) came to mind and how even to those who may deserve it, my heart should not be rejoicing for their misfortunes.

[A] Remember that vengeance is God's and the punishment is also His.  My focus should be on that God's justice as well as His grace to us all.

[P] Dear God, please forgive my immature heart for rejoicing others misfortunes regardless of their deserving it or not.  I want to take on the heart of Jesus toward others and please let me continue to have heart of humility.  I am thankful for correcting my heart through this passage.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Arrogant Men Speaking Arrogant Words

[S] Jeremiah 43:2; Revelations 13:5 --
 ²Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'You are not to enter Egypt to reside there';
 ⁵There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.

[O] The word "arrogant" in both of these verses caught my eyes because with the arrogance they mocked God.  Just as in Proverbs 16:18 God explains how pride is the cause for destruction and stumbling, my own pride and arrogance will provide the quickest path to go against God's will for me.  God graciously provides the best path for me but out of my pride I mistrust Him and in fact accuse Him of trying to do harm against me and instead applies my own "wisdom" thinking I can outsmart God.  What an insult to God and a ridiculously stupid that is.

[A] Once again, the message of keeping my humility hits home for me.  How I used to think my experiences was everything in doing God's ministry.  I am quite grateful for God to have humbled me enough to realize those days were behind me and I must proceed in total humility and submission.  I am still learning this concept because He wants me to promote into newer and higher grounds for His purposes.  So, just when I thought I figured it out, I'm actually led to a newer path of humility.  So, keep staying on my knees.

[P] Dear God, continue to teach me your humility.  I want far from being arrogant and say things that will hurt Your heart.  I want to stay obedient and humble toward You while serving others in the same spirit.  Thank You for giving me opportunities to join You at work around me as I humbly follow Your footsteps.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Bring In The Substitutes

[S] 2 Chronicles 36:23 --
 ²³"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!'"

[O] When God's people are not following His directions, then He will use even those who are far from being God's people to carry out His purposes.  I am amazed by the detail King Cyrus received from God re: the task. And I am wondering how he was assured that this message is from God to him?  How does God speak to those who are not His people so clearly?  If I were to answer my own question, there is no boundaries when it comes to God calling any of the people on earth because everyone of us belong to Him in the end.  As much as an evil ruler doing evil deeds by his own conviction, the same can happen when God convicts him to do His will.  From the believer's perspective, this is a shameful situation because we missed the boat all together here such that God had to use a non-believer.  I wonder how close we are today for God to raise up a non-believing people/country to complete His good works?

[A] Stay awake in God's word daily so that I won't miss His instructions; furthermore that I should receive His instructions clearly as King Cyrus received in carrying out His tasks.  Don't let God bring in the subs!

[P] Dear God, I want to hear Your instructions clearly as King Cyrus had so I may carry out Your tasks well and to pass on the conviction to other clearly to mobilize them.  King Cyrus was a catalyst here to get Your people moving in the right direction.  Please use me to do that at our church foremost as we're initiating the small group ministry.  Use me to bring people's hearts together in this ministry.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Speak and be Mute No Longer

[S] Ezikiel 24:24-27 --

 ²⁴'Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done you will do; when it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.'"
 ²⁵'As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their pride, the desire of their eyes and their heart's delight, their sons and their daughters,
 ²⁶that on that day he who escapes will come to you with information for your ears?
 ²⁷'On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and be mute no longer. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.'"

[O] Key point was on verse 27 where God speaks through selected representatives to let people know that He is their God whether they believe it or not.  There are many gloomy stories in this Book of the Bible due to the consequences of people's rebellion against God.  As I join God in His ministry, I have been come across situations where best thing was to not say anything even though there may be confusions or misunderstandings until the right moment where God allows me to speak because He clarifies the situation at hand to many people.  In these moments, I learn again and again that God is not interested in defending me or my reputation, but He is very interested in letting people know that He is the Lord.  These situations have been humbling moments for me.

[A] Slow to speak especially when I'm doing God's ministry and I get into a bind of covering my own face.  This is a sensitive topic and is quite scary even writing it here but that's the message from this passage and I will need to remember this.

[P] Dear God, I'm holding on to Your word here.  Allow me to sustain the intimate relationship with You such that when challenges come my way I would not only remember Your words but to have the boldness to stand up for it.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Sake of My Name

[S] Ezekiel 20:9,22 --
 ⁹"But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
 ²²"But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.

[O] In these two verses what caught my eyes was "for the sake of My name".  God's name must be honored as mentioned in the Ten Commandments and He is very serious about that.  Even in Exodus 20:7 God says, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain."  So I began to ask myself what's so big deal about the name but then I answered it myself quickly because the name carries the whole character of that person.  It is truly the identification of that person.  So names should not be taken lightly or to belittle about.  So based on this teaching my children about not using God's name in vain is brought to a new level of seriousness because it may just be the choice of words to them now but having that training now will help them to think about their choices in life down the road to ask the question of is my choice highlighting the name of God to others or is it disgracing instead.

[A] Ask the question of: Is my choice in life for the sake of God's name?

[P] Your name O God is what I want to lift up through my life.  Please grant me the un-ending desire to do this for the rest of my life. May others see Your name being echoed through my life and not of my own name.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Wiping Every Tear

[S] Revelations 7:14-17 --

 ¹⁴I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 ¹⁵"For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.
 ¹⁶"They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;
 ¹⁷for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

[O] Something about this scene gives me an awesome feeling as it provides a glimpse into the Heavenly surroundings which I'll be seeing when I go there.  Spreading His tabernacle, to me, means getting all wrapped up in His awesome presence because tabernacle is where God dwelled with His people in the wilderness.  Is it correct to say God always wants to tabernacle with His people?  But that's true -- God always wants to tabernacle with me even if when I'm totally ignoring Him.  Verse 17 really supports this because my Shepherd from the center of the throne will guide me to the true source of life and He will also wipe every tear from my eyes.  I knew that partaking in His ministry was no walk in the park, but I didn't anticipate having to cry so much in the process; and it is just amazing to have experienced God personally wiping my tear from my eyes and furthermore He promises to do that continuously.  Just awesome!

[A] Cry to Him.  Let my tears flow at His feet.

[P] Dear God, You know every tear drop falling from me.  And You will wipe them every time.  Thank You! I pray in Your precious name.  Amen.

Remember the Days of My Youth

[S] Ezekiel 16:22,43,60 --
 ²²"Besides all your abominations and harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare and squirming in your blood.
 ⁴³"Because you have not remembered the days of your youth but have enraged Me by all these things, behold, I in turn will bring your conduct down on your own head," declares the Lord GOD, "so that you will not commit this lewdness on top of all your other abominations.
 ⁶⁰"Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

[O] As an adult when I see some teenagers I feel like saying, "You think you know everything, don't you?" because they sure act that way.  They don't realize just a couple of years ago (if that) they were pretty much depended on their parents or other adults around them for making decisions and simply learning everything from them.  It's almost funny to watch them transform into a quite different perspective.  As I was reflecting on this passage I felt like God must be saying the same to me because it wasn't too long ago when I really didn't know much about God or His heart and after picking up a few concepts here and there from different parts of the Bible, all of a sudden I feel like I know it all!  God has taken care of me in my youth and has led me to encounter Him and to mature spiritually and as a whole person.  But this is still an on-going process where I must remain in my humble attitude, complete surrender to His leadership.  I must not boast or be proud thinking I know it all or even worse, know it more than God Himself.

[A] Stay on my knees and be humble.  Never even think about knowing enough about God because He is much greater than what my brain can hold and so I must continue to humbly learn from Him.  Because how I was trained by the society and secular education, at times I mistakenly think that older by age or by experience is always better.  So if someone had been going to church for a longer time then that person must be spiritually more mature.  This is not the case all the time.  So I must stay humble even if I may be "older" than others because God may use the "younger" Brothers/Sisters to teach me about His wondrous power, love and grace.

[P] Dear God, I surrender my pride to You in exchange for deepening my trust in You to tackle many obstacles on my way through Your ways and strengths.  I ask you in Your name humbly.  Amen.

Get Up, Go Out to the Plain

[S] Ezekiel 3:22-23, Revelations 2:4 --

 ²²The hand of the LORD was on me there, and He said to me, "Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you."
 ²³So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory which I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face.
 ⁴'But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.


[O] God invites Ezekiel to His presence out in the plain.  It was not any place special like in the king's palace but just a plain but it was where God will speak to him (His hand was already on Ezekiel!).  When Ezekiel obeyed to go to that place, behold God was indeed waiting for him there and he was able to recognize the same glory he experienced before. Passages like these are inspirations to me when I see the personal relationship God pursues with those He loves.  (Yes, that means I wanna be one that God loves!)  So all is left for me to do is to trust His instructions and follow every detail because that will lead me to the "plain" where He is awaiting to speak to me.  In Revelations 2:4 God speaks to the Church of Ephesus that they have left their first love to God.  He desires them to return to their first love again and again.  As Ezekiel listened and went to where God was waiting, He is waiting for me all the time.  It's always me that depart away from His first love; never Him turning away from me first.

[A] Jesus calls me every morning to "Get up, go out of your bed and meet me where I will speak to you."  I want to not miss these appointments with Him every day.

[P] Dear Jesus, I am so wonderfully delighted to know that You call me every day to meet You so You may speak into my heart.  I desire this and yet still leave you standing many days.  Forgive my lack of discipline.  I will continue to work towards meeting You everyday.  In Your lovely name I pray.  Amen.

Bad Things Happeninig Lately?

[S] Psalm 144:1-2 --
  ¹Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
         Who trains my hands for war,
         And my fingers for battle;
  ²My lovingkindness and my fortress,
         My stronghold and my deliverer,
         My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
         Who subdues my people under me.

[O] Recently I've heard from a few people of God who's been hit with what appears an un-ending distractions in their lives (both personally and family) which drains their energy and in some cases discouraging them to lose sight of living out Christ-centered lives.  Why do these happen to those who are really committed to following God's pathways?  First, my own answer is that because they must really be doing just that effectively despite what they may be feeling at the moment because God's enemy will not leave alone those who are effectively influencing our world the way God intended.  Flipping that around, the enemy will leave alone those who are not of a great threat to his agenda.  I also found God's answer to this question from this passage:  There is no way for me to comprehend the depth of His reasons/purposes of why these things happen, but He promises to those who trust in Him to be their trainer, fortress, deliverer, shield, and subduer of enemies.  So, the half-time score may not look good but the game score is already decided to be God 1: Enemy 0.

[A] Trust in Him even though I cannot see the reasons for troubles happening around me.

[P] Dear God, You are awesome indeed.  This passage just pumps up the new blood in me to take steps further in the direction You convicted me to go.  You are my fortress, deliverer, shield, and You will win over the enemies altogether!  I trust in You to be just that type of a God in my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Greet the Friends by Name

[S] 3 John 1:12,15 --
¹²Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.
 ¹⁵Peace be to you The friends greet you Greet the friends by name.

[O] At times I ask myself the question of who my close friends really are.  Then I began to think of some names.  Do I feel comfortable picking up the phone and calling them up now by their first names just to say "hi?"  Calling others by their name creates or in some cases displays the intimacy in the relationships.  John mentions about Demetrius by name and he concludes this chapter by encouraging friends to greet each other by name.

[A] I want to build friendships where we can both call each other by name through very intimate relationships.  Perhaps because I've been in various serving roles at church I focused a little more on sustaining relationships at the "official" level rather than on personal and intimate level.  On top of that, wihtin a Korean culture, we tend to keep relationships more on a formal basis and that did not help either.  I am now realizing that I need to invest in intimate relationships which I could reference like John did in this letter as the co-working partner in Christ.

[P] Dear God, I desire to create a fabric of relationships where I may grow deeper in friendships with them and that I will cherish such deeper friendships for the rest of my life.  Please allow me to establish these friendships in You.  In Jesus Christ's name I ask.  Amen.

Speaking What They Need, not What They Want To Hear

[S] Jeremiah 38:4 --
 ⁴Then the officials said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm."

[O] Talk about being between rock and a hard place.  What do you when you have God on one side and angry people on the other side ready to murder you at a heart beat?  Jeremiah was in that specific situation and he stuck with God by telling them what God wanted them to hear which was far from what they really wanted to hear as the Chaldeans are pressing into the city.  What's so sad is that Jeremiah was speaking for the benefit of the people but they sure did not think so.  What does our society prefer to hear about the issues we have?  Comforting messages of we're all working hard to improve our situations, at times, over promising goals that are unattainable but provides a sense of comfort.  This is false comfort and a wrong way of getting ourselves out of trouble.  When we put so little effort in establishing the fundamental values in our families and close communities we have lost a sense of diligently working toward restoring these critical values back into our families and communities.  Instead, we're looking for a quick fix and that usually leads to be drawn to false promises which just sounds good.  I'm very encouraged to see Jeremiah (the Weeping Prophet) stick to the message of people's need to return to the basic relationship with God because even though they may have wanted to hear a soothing message of how they'll be alright, they really needed to hear the message of God's invitation of returning to Him regardless of the deadly situation they were up against.  To me, this is what standing up Jesus is all about.  Being what Jesus wants me to be and speak what He wants me to speak.  This may put me in a bind at times, but He will also provide me the way out from there (1 Corinthians 10:13).

[A] Don't need to look for trouble but my key to standing up for Jesus is to stay close to Him every day so that when I need to stand up for Him it won't be such a struggle because I'm being pulled from two different directions so strongly.

[P] Dear God, make me a follower of Jesus so intimate that I will not think twice about standing up for You because it'll come so naturally.  May the decision to standing up for You be made each and every day not when I'm up against the situation calling me to make such a decision.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Receive the Heart to Know Him

[S] Isaiah 24:7 --
 ⁷'I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.

[O] Even knowing God has to be initiated by God as He says that He will give us the heart to know Him.  He didn't say knowledge or facts to know Him.  It takes the heart from God to know Him.  This is sort of a recursive thinking and may be confusing but bottom line is that I get to know God by my heart which is transformed by God.  Almost like how planets from our solar system revolves the sun, once God gives us the heart to know Him, my desire to return to Him will increase and therefore I will be closer to Him.

[A] Desire to have the heart God gives which gives desire to return to Him with my whole heart.  I need to continue to work on my heart because that's where everything begins.

[P] Dear God, even though this may be a simple concept (of knowing You and returning to You), I desire it fully.  I want to be near You and I want to do that with my whole and sincere heart.  May You continue to allow my heart to be in sync with Yours.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Before Asking Too Many Blessings

[S] Psalm 67:1-3 --
   ¹God be gracious to us and bless us,
         And cause His face to shine upon us-- Selah.
    ²That Your way may be known on the earth,
         Your salvation among all nations.
    ³Let the peoples praise You, O God;
         Let all the peoples praise You.

[O] I like to ask for His blessings and grace to be poured into my life.  But how would I know if He answered my prayer and did just that?  I see the answers in this passage where if God's blessed me then His face will shine on me, His way will be known, His salvation will be evident, people will praise Him.  So, this is a cause and effect situation here and as I examine how God's blessing is reflected on my life, I will be even more blessed because that will be a confirmation of His blessings.

[A] Look around my surrounding and observe how God is blessing me by seeing the results of His blessings in my life.  If I don't see any or much, then I need to return to the foot of the Cross and re-connect my faith to the love of God for me.

[P] Dear God, instead of keep asking You to bless me, I will be more sensitive to the result from you blessings in my life.  And if I don't see them then I will re-examine my life and faith toward You. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Large Fish 153

[S] John 21:6-7, 11 --

 ⁶And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.
 ⁷Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea
 ¹¹Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

[O] This is almost a continuation from yesterday's devo on Mary's response to Jesus' calling.  Jesus yells out this somewhat of a strange instruction to Peter and John when they were returning without catching any fish.  And when John observed the amazing result, he quickly recognized the voice to be from Jesus the "Lord."  For me, understanding the background of their situation puts a more personal light in this scene.  Their leader they followed for three years just got crucified by the Romans, and trying to keep themselves hidden from the Romans, they were filled with fear.  And then they slip away to their old stomping grounds (fishing) but even that didn't turn out too well all night.  At that point of low times, they probably just gave a try to this stranger's suggestion and voila, they caught more fish than they can manage.  Could this have triggered their senses because they've seen so many of these situations when they were with Jesus where impossible and hopeless situations turns more than possible with much hope than anyone could ever dream of.  So, John recognizes Jesus and Peter jumps in the water to swim ashore to meet Him.  I can sense the level of energy here especially when there was negative energy.  I get so charged up about reading because it revives in me the posture of a disciple -- no matter what goes around me keep my head up and listen/look for the marks of Jesus and run to Him.  In verse 11, these blessed me: drew the net to land; full of large fish; 153; net was not torn (although so many).  How perfect of a picture for our small group ministry.  I'm so encouraged by this passage as it is God's personal vision for our ministry.

[A] Every day, don't get too deep in the planning and implementation of the small group, but have a larger heart to hear and look for how God is working in the midst of our ministry.  Keep following what Jesus guides me to do.

[P] Dear God, could this picture of an overflowing fish a vision for our small group ministry's future?  Could it be that You will bring across so many (153) people into your Kingdom that will require us to collaborate and yet we would be able to manage it (net not torn).  Thank You for this encouragement, and may you be glorified through our ministry.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Voice Recognition in Low Moments

[S] John 20:16 --
 ¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher).

[O] It appears the key operand here is "said" to her.  Jesus "says" many things to us but the question is do I recognize His voice.  When Jesus called Mary, she quickly recognized His voice and called Him Rabboni.  She was entrenched in her own sadness of not finding the body of Jesus and I'm sure she didn't pay much attention to who she supposedly thought to be the gardener.  However, her sensitiveness toward Jesus' voice allowed her to quickly and accurately recognize Him.  During my "high" moments, I'm sure it'll be easier for me to recognize the voice of Jesus because I probably will be focused in His words and all, but when I am crawling my lowest moments, probably not too intimate with His words, I am most likely to miss what God is speaking to my heart.  So, this is a good scene to remember whenever I'm down such that even in those moments, Jesus is next to me.

[A] Read His word daily to develop my sensitivity toward His voice.  Also pray to Him daily to develop the rapport with Him that will become my second nature.

[P] Thank You, Jesus, for being next to me at all times, especially when I am down and under thinking that no one cares about me.  I am thankful for Mary's posture of recognizing Your voice even during her emotionally down condition.  I would take this to heart so that even during my darker moments, I will still cling to You and wait to hear Your voice.  In Your name.  Amen.

Who Raises Up Shepherds?

[S] Jeremiah 23:4 --
 ⁴"I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD.

[O] Looking at verses 5-6 this "shepherds" are referring to the people of Jesus Christ who is the true Good Shepherd.  And in light of this, I'm very encouraged by this verse because as we've just started the small group leaders (who we call Shepherds) training, I feel as though God has put this message just for me to read -- that He will raise up shepherds for our small group ministry to tend the members while not being afraid or terrified and dedicated.  Another reminder that God is in control.

[A] We still have many areas to work in and many times I feel like I'm way over my head but God's encouragement like today's gets me up and going again because in the end I need to trust Him and His power in the midst of us.  It ain't gonna be mine (or the leadership team's) efforts that is going to make the impact but His power as it says in Isaiah 55:8-9.

[P] Dear God, You are simply awesome and know exactly where I am now.  Thank You for encouraging me to move forward in Your ministry.  Bring speak to everyone involved in the ministry so we'll be encouraged from You as the source and not only from one another.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

What Are You Trusting Now?

[S] Jeremiah 17:4-10; John 16:22 --
⁴And you will, even of yourself, let go of your inheritance
That I gave you;
And I will make you serve your enemies
In the land which you do not know;
For you have kindled a fire in My anger
Which will burn forever.
⁵Thus says the LORD,
"Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.
⁶"For he will be like a bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A land of salt without inhabitant.
⁷"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
⁸"For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.
⁹"The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?
¹⁰"I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds.
²²"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

[O] Verse 5 mentions cause of God's wrath/curse which is to trust in mankind and strength in flesh. When we turn away from God, we are asking for His wrath not necessarily because God showers down firestones from heaven but because we choose to live like the bush in the desert further away from the source of life. Have you seen a driver driving further away from the gas station into the deserted land when the car is about to run out gas? That would seem stupid and asking for trouble. That's what we are like when we turn away from God, who gives life to us, when we are running out of joy in life. We think we can generate this on our own but that's where we fall deep into the trap of the enemy because there is no way we will do that. In fact, it'll be more like falling deeper into the quicksand further immobilizing oneself. On the contrary (verses 7-8), trusting God is the way to tap into the source of life and joy. It's almost like watering the plant make it grow. Have you ever wondered how that works? How does the clear water generate this green plant, eventually blossoming into beautiful and colorful flowers? We can go into the analysis of how the soil has all the necessary nutrients and it gets soaked up by the root, etc. but all I want to observe now is that the same "magic" happens when we trust in the Lord (like watering the plant), the necessary spiritual nutrients around me gets soaked up by my spirit and then voila the joy happens in my life. And as John 16:22 says, that joy is here to stay.

[A] Instead of trying to generate the strength in my life on my own, trust God in all I do and think. That will please Him and He will provide the joy in my life. Don't seek joy from an external source but find it by trusting God first. Especially as we're about to start our first small group leaders training, I want to especially trust God and wait for His joy to fill us up.

[P] Dear God, here I am before You. I fully desire to trust You in the leadership of our small group ministry. I have surrendered to make it a successful one because the success comes from trusting You and that's where I along with other leaders want to start from. Please move us mightily with Your Holy Spirit starting tomorrow morning. I trust Your Holy name. Amen.

Fruitful Glorification

[S] John 15:8 --
⁸"My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

[O] At times, I know what I want to do but don't know how to do that. I know that I want to glorify God and also know that is a good thing, but when it comes to using my next 24 hours in doing that I am unsure what I need to do exactly. This verse tells me more specifically that if I bear a spiritual fruit in my life then that in turn will glorify the Father and also proves that I am Jesus' disciple. Before bearing "much" fruit I need to focus on bearing a fruit and as I do that every day, then they'll all add up to much fruit out of my life resulting to glorify God.

[A] As I can tell a tree by the fruits it bears, I want to bear Godly fruits in my life so I can be identified as a Godly person.

[P] Dear God, may You be glorified through my life because I bear a bunch of spiritual fruits for You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Have Trouble Remembering Things?

[S] John 14:26 --
²⁶"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

[O] Helper is needed when I cannot bear the task on my own. God knew that I needed a helper to remember the teachings of Jesus and so He sent the Holy Spirit. Many times it's not the lack of information in my head that causes problems but the lack of remembering and recalling what I need from the information stack to appropriate moments. When I do no rely on the helper to recall the right teachings of Jesus in my life, then I would choose to do things on my own will rather than yielding to the ways of Jesus.

[A] Relying on the Holy Spirit is not easy because He is the most intangible aspect of the triune God. But He is the one who works in my life now and is able to teach me all things. So, I must desire to let the Holy Spirit work in my life more. I must trust that He teaches me all things. I must take to heart that without Him I will be disconnected with God.

[P] Dear God, from this moment on, I want to rely on the Holy Spirit more intimately to understand the heart of You. I want to train my heart to listen for the Holy Spirit's voice throughout the day. Please continue to teach me through Him. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Ashamed, Blushing, and Boasting

[S] Jeremiah 8:12, 24 --
¹²"Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done?
They certainly were not ashamed,
And they did not know how to blush;
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time of their punishment they shall be brought down,"
Says the LORD.

²⁴but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.

[O] As a parent raising children, at times I fall into the trap of trying to teach my children not to be ashamed (or blush) because we need to live a confident life or something along that line. This is true if they are too timid to speak out their thoughts or easily influenced by others opinions too much, but not when they have done something wrong. There are times when we should be ashamed of our actions and blush a lot. So, it is as important for me to teach my children to be ashamed if they have done shameful acts instead of trying to cover up to not look defeated. In verse 24, God explains when we should boast (or be confident) which is by our knowledge of God in whom we delight. About knowing God is definitely the time we should not be ashamed (just like that guy wearing this t-shirt).

[A] Teach my children to be ashamed when they do shameful things. Also teach them to be boasting of their knowledge of God who cares and loves them as they are regardless of their shameful acts.

[P] Dear God, give me a heart that knows shame when I do shameful things to others. I want to be able to blush because that is your design in me to know what I shouldn't be doing. May my heart not be hardened enough to bypass these warning signals You placed in me. I want to walk closer to You every day. In Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

Lover of Approval

[S] John 12:42-43 --

Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

[O] At first I thought this was the typical peer pressure but reading it again, I see a slight different perspective. More so than the pressures of the people around, verse 43 seems to focus on the desire for approval and whether the approval is sought from men or God. So, the choice is on my side even before any "pressure" is applied from the external. Even before anything gets started, if I desire to seek approval from men, then my decisions will be influenced by their values even if they don't try to influence me directly. In a different way to look at it, these people could have stood up for what their gut told them, they would've at least done what pleased God, but they couldn't even stand up for what they believed. Thus they were succumbed into being people pleasers also denying their faith toward God. It's so important how I set my mind in order for me to live out the life that pleases God and for me to stand up for my beliefs.

[A] I see here that how I start each day is going to be significant because if I align my perspective to be pleasing God, then I would live that day accordingly. Even if I am running out the door because I overslept, I need to synchronize my mind to this principle of desiring to please God throughout the day regardless what I run into.

[P] Dear God, make me one that loves to please You and You alone. In Jesus' name. Amen.

From Word To Visions

[S] Jeremiah 1:11-12; John 10:37-38 --
¹¹The word of the LORD came to me saying, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" And I said, "I see a rod of an almond tree."

¹²Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it."

³⁷"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;

³⁸but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."

[O] In Jeremiah 1:11-12 what caught my eyes was the fact that when the word of the Lord came, Jeremiah gained vision into what God wanted him to see. Normally word is audible and seeing is visible and they are not necessarily connected. However, God's word has the power to make me see and thus I need to keep treasuring His word in my life in order for me to see the path He leads me through. Furthermore, in John's passage Jesus claims to the Jewish leaders about validating His claim of begin the Son of God. It is simple: If His works display God's prophesied actions, then regardless of their comprehension, they should believe. From these two passages I gather that the sequence of God's working in my life to the point of my actions displaying His will is: 1) Hear God's word; 2) See His visions; 3) Do/Carry out His will; 4) Be the billboard revealing God's power. If people are aware of God's word, then they should acknowledge the source of my actions and believe that I belong to God's ministry team.

[A] Keep reading His word daily. Keep exercising seeing His visions. Continue to carry out His ministry to the fullest.

[P] Dear God, thank You for revealing and re-affiming once again that my visions originate from Your word and so I need to dig deeper into Your word daily. I am looking forward to studying the Book of John in BSF this new year and anticipate hearing what You have for me. Please shower upon my family members Your word such that they too will see Your visions. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Even the Spittle of the Light

[S] John 9:5-7 --

⁵"While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."

⁶When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes,

⁷and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent) So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

[O] We consider spit as a lowly and dirty element. In fact, spitting at someone else in a soccer game will demand a red card (ejected from the game). Not sure of the cultural context back then but just after Jesus announces that He is the Light of the world, he spat and made clay of the spittle to heal the blind man. Even the lowliest element of the Light of this world has the power to heal and open our eyes.

[A] At times, God asks me to do some weird things, some considered to be taboo in our culture for example. But I have to trust that He is the Lord of all cultures we live on earth and follow His instructions to the dot in order to reveal His power.

[P] Dear God, I want to trust You more in my life such that I will carry out actions that I normally would not consider doing at the signal of your command. Continue to teach me to learn to recognize Your voice and to apply into my actions. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Do You Feel Like Groping in the Darkness?

[S] John 8:12 --
¹²Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

[O] As simple as this statement looks, why do I feel like I'm mostly in the dark? Spiritually speaking, I know I am with Jesus as I invited Him into my heart to lead and guide my life but every day seems like a struggle to see where I am going. This is not to say I'm discouraged or lost but just feel like things should be better & clearer than this. So, reading this passage actually turned on a light bulb today not because it showed me a silver bullet to resolve what I described earlier but as a great reminder that I need to shadow Jesus at all times in order to be in His light. I begin to meditate on the word "follows" because unraveling that into some practical steps in my life is going to make me closer to the source of light and even though I may never feel like I'm out of the darkness, I would be seeing more clearly as I get closer to the light source.

[A] Instead of just aimlessly following Jesus, I should ask for His light to guide my path because without His light, I'm doomed with disasters in darkness.

[P] Dear God, I don't know why Jesus as my Light jumped out at me today through this passage but I'm so thankful for providing me Your light. I want to hold on to this for the rest of my life such that I won't be groping around the darkness but to see what You desire me to see carrying out Your ministry. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God's Ways Are Outside The Box

[S] John 5:6-8 --

⁶When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you wish to get well?"

⁷The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me."

⁸Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk."

[O] I'm a firm believer that one of the key reasons God cannot work in and through our lives is because of our own fixed perspectives on what the solution should be. Instead of opening up the solution to God, we cling on to what our society or circumstances tell us as the ultimate solution and pursue them with all of our lives (at least it seems so). As we see in this passage, this paralytic had it all figured out -- only if he could be the first to enter the pool upon water stirring, he would be healed. However he also knew that was impossible to do with so many others who are more able than he was to jump in the pool first. So, in his mind, the solution is for him to find a way to get in there before others and thus when Jesus asked whether he wanted to get well, he quickly gave out his solution to Him almost asking Him to make that happen.

How many times have I done the same doing ministry or even making an important decision in my life? I think, plan, and design my own implementation strategy and when God asks me how He could help me to walk along my journey I'm so quick to rattle off how He could make plans come true by doing this and that. God's plans are obviously bigger than my limited mind (Isaiah 55:9) and I need to learn to submit to it by surrendering my own plans and thoughts first. Only when I let go God's wonderful plan will manifest in my life.

[A] It's good to have my own dreams in life, but whenever I face God, I must surrender them to Him because His ways/thoughts are much higher than my ways/thoughts. Only when I release my own limited plans, then I can attain the plans of God in my life.

[P] Dear God, I want to learn more about leaning and surrendering to Your solutions for my life. I lay down my intellects and knowledge before You in order to attain Your ways which are far greater than mine. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Repairer of the Breach

[S] Isaiah 58:10-12 --
10And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
11"And the LORD will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
12"Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

[O] The consequence (or the benefits) of abiding in His ministry to give to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted is simply awesome. 1) will be the light in the darkness; 2) sadness will lift up like in a midday; 3) God will guide continually; 4) satisfy my desires in scorched places; 5) give strength to my bones; 6) will be like a watered garden; 7) spring of water that never fails; 8) build the ancient ruins; 9) raise up the age-old foundations; 10) called the repairer of the breach; 11) restorer of the streets in which to dwell. This is really tremendous because as we set off to initiate the small group ministry we’d love to produce these results such that the people at our church will experience this awesome power of God as we obey Him.

[A] Who are the hungry and afflicted in our church? Knowing this would help us to direct our efforts much more effectively in our ministry.

[P] Dear God, You have been pouring out Your encouragement to me through the devotional passages. Thank You so much for doing that. I take that as the sign of Your promise of providing what I need when I commit my life for Your ministry. Even though I am fearful from my involvement of the small group ministry at church, I am ever so encouraged from Your word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Never Return Empty-Handed

[S] Isaiah 55:8-11 --
8"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
9"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

[O] What wonderful reminder from this well-known verse about how God’s thoughts and ways are not what I would consider. It is completely incomprehensible by my limited mind. On top of that He never wastes any of his thoughts or ways on me because once He provides a way for me as says in verse 11, it will not be in vain but will definitely accomplish what He desired for my life. For me that part seems pretty straight forward to accept but having it come alive in my life as He intended is the key that I need to work on more on my life. Since God’s part is bullet proof, then the fact that it doesn’t come thru every time points to failure on my part – i.e., disobedience, ignorance, rebellion, sin, temptation, etc.

[A] I take this passage to my heart once again to accept and believe with faith that God’s plan for me will come true as long as I abide in Him through my personally devoted walk with Jesus founded on prayer life that pleases Him.

[P] Dear God, I am so grateful for having a God who not only has a plan for me but will make sure it will come true in my life as long as I yield my life to Your will. Please continue to teach me to abide in Your will and to understand Your heart through studying the Word. As I meditate on verse 8 especially, I’m ever so confident in You to carry out the small group ministry at our church. Thank You for the inspiration. In Jesus’ name. Amen.