Takes Away Daily

[S]Psalm 68:19  -- 
    ¹⁹Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
         The God who is our salvation. Selah.

[O] One of the struggles I am trying to conquer is the inconsistency of commitments I make; that is to say, I can get a good start on it but making it a daily routine is still a struggle for me.  But this is not so with God -- His commitments stand true day in and day out as described by this verse.  God will daily bear my burden.  This is totally an awesome news for me because lately I've been over burdened and even though it wasn't too overbearing I wasn't sure what was causing this and how I would climb out of it.  I don't know why but I didn't really go to God with this burden specifically other than to generally ask him to lighten the burden however He just told me through this verse that He bears all of my burdens daily -- no holidays -- so I can lean on Him 100%.

[A] How small or big I should bring my burdens to Him every day.  Not doing this is a sign of my pride.

[P] Dear God, I come humbly before You today, humbled by Your amazing love for me to carry my burdens every day without failure (unlike me).  Forgive my arrogance to handle what appears to be a minor (or manageable) burdens in my life.  I surrender to You in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Defying Civil Engineering

[S] Matthew 14:31 --
 ³¹Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

[O] Jesus the life saver!  And he didn't have to swim to do that.  I actually begun to connect this scene with the parable of building house either on solid rock or sinking sand (Matthew 7:24-27) because even while standing on top of the sinking water Jesus was the solid rock who was able to pull up sinking Peter.  Structurally speaking, the foundational layer is what decides how firmly other things will be built on top of.  So, if you build anything on top of the water, it is not going stand (unless you anchor it to the bottom of the sea) however with Jesus He defies this natural law and anything built on top of Him will stand solid.

[A] As we're continuing with our small group ministry, I am examining my heart about whether I am putting my efforts on my own "firm" foundation which is not Jesus Himself.  It may look ok and may even last a while but in the end unless I build on top of the true faith in Jesus without any doubt, the ministry will begin to sink like Peter. As feeble as it may seem, or as non-prepared as we may feel, I must continue to build my foundation in/on Christ and encourage other leaders to do likewise.  Not an easy task when things seem to be dragging on in this initial phases but this passage gave me a new strength to carry on.

[P] Dear God, it is so easy to lose sight of where I am or where I am headed, so I want to fix my eyes on You who is the unmovable rock that can carry me through this time of building up.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

It Takes Time To Grow

[S] Matthew 13:14-15 --
   ¹⁴"In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
         'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
         YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
    ¹⁵FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
         WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
         AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
         OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
         HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
         AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
         AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'

[O] As I meditated on this well-known parable of the sower, Isaiah's prophecy gave me a new insight.  Verse 14 talks about "keep on ... but will not" which implies the on-going efforts going no where based on choice.  In the end, it's by choice these people refused to understand God's heart even though God repeatedly pursued after them.  The first three locations where the seed fell and yet happened relatively quickly.  Before the seeds didn't even had chances to grow whereas the seed falling on good soil had the ample time to grow and lay the root to soak up the nutrients and thus bear lots of fruits.  In this day and age, we're so used to having things done ASAP that we even transplant the same expectation to spiritual maturity to just happen quickly.  However, it requires a lot of time to grow in Christ and in the end I need to make that choice to take that path.  I will need to choose to understand and to see and hear.

[A] There is no such thing as a short cut in learning -- anything really.  I must first make a commitment to learn and then grow and expect this to take a good length of time.  In light of this: 1) I need to keep up with my Life Journaling every day to soak up God's heart; 2) I need to surrender small group ministry's fruitfulness into God's leadership because this isn't going to be a microwave-oven speed but a crock-pot speed.  I may be slow but it will surely be done in the end.

[P] Dear God, lead me so that I won't be impatient with my growing in You as well as the formation of the small group ministry at church.  Instead of focusing too much on the results, may I focus on the consistency of abiding in You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Abigail's Wisdom

[S] 1 Samuel 25:28 --
 ²⁸"Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days.

[O] Abigail had the wisdom to avoid the ugly consequence and this is a true lesson for life for any one of us.  As Pastor Wayne Cordeiro shares in his book, Divine Mentor, The: Growing Your Faith as You Sit at the Feet of the Savior, we can learn from wisdom or from consequences in our lives.  Wisdom will teach us to avoid painful costs while the consequence makes sure we learn after making the mistake to pay a hefty price.  Abby acquired the wisdom from the Lord and with that she acted quickly to avoid a disaster in his home town due to his foolish husband, Nabal.  I can see that her wisdom originated from God because she recognized that David was fighting the battles of the LORD -- i.e., fighting for God and not for his own fame.  With that recognition, she approached David in a hurry to appease his anger toward Nabal.

[A] Wisdom is what I need to seek from God to avoid painful lessons in life and to praise Him in the right moments.  With such wisdom, I should also recognize the godly co-workers around me to fight this battles of the LORD together.

[P] Dear God, please grant me the wisdom of Abigail.  I will pursue that through my daily devotions with You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Respecting God's Anointed

[S] 1 Samuel 24:6-7 --
 ⁶So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed."
 ⁷David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.

[O] David did not overruled God's higher precedence of His anointing Saul even though he was filled with the desire of killing Saul in this opportune moment.  David seemed to struggle but he successfully separated his own desires from God's desires and submitted to God's leadership by acknowledging that Saul was God's anointed one and he was not going to touch him.  If it were me, I would have told myself -- this is God's provision for me to relieve myself from my enemies by arranging this perfect situation so I will certainly get rid of Saul.  In a nutshell I would've injected God's anointing right into my own desires for full justification of my actions.  However, David trusted God even in that "perfect" situation for him to take matters into his own hands because even though it did not make sense to him then, he trusted God knew what He was doing and He is eventually for David's best well being.

In verse 7, not only David submitted to God's leadership over his own desires, he also persuaded his men to do likewise.  I'm not sure which would be more difficult:  Yielding to God's leadership over mine, or to persuade a bunch of angry soldiers wanting to take advantage of the situation to kill King Saul.

[A] Honoring God's anointed is not led by emotions or feelings.  It's carried out by recognition of His covenant and first submitting to it regardless of how I feel at the moment.  Following spiritual leadership at home and church requires this type of submission if I trust that God had placed anointed leaders over my life through these two channels.  Hopefully I won't have to deal with with "Sauls" in my life as David did but even if I do my prayer is for me to be equipped to display such submission to follow God's ways.

[P] Dear God, in order to honor Your leadership in my life, I need to let go of my own desires and interpretations of circumstances I find myself in.  Please keep ingraining Your wisdom deep into my heart such that I will have discernments to see Your anointing vs. my own desires to take things into my own hands.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Rock of Actions

[S] Matthew 7:26-27 --
 ²⁶"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
 ²⁷"The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."

[O] This passage differentiates knowing from doing.  So many times, I fool myself by thinking I can do it when I only know it how to do it.  Isn't it true that best musicians or athletes are not ranked by their theoretical knowledge of the music or the game, but how well they play (do)?  Likewise, faithful followers of Christ is displayed by how well they act (do) and not only by how much they know about Christ.  As it says in James 2:19, the demons also believe, and shudder.  This passage's key point for me is the fact that building my "house" on a rock is a result of my acting out of obedience to God's word/teachings.  No matter how much I know, I should strive to put them into practice 100%.

[A] Application for this passage is the application of this into my life in every day activities.  Don't just learn, but just do it.

[P] Dear God, I desire to build my house on a rock of Jesus Christ so it may withstand all sorts of turbulent course in my life.  Grant me the discipline to obey the teaching from You little by little, in every aspect of my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Decisions Already Made Up

[S] 1 Samuel 22:15 --
 ¹⁵"Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair."

[O] Ahimelech responded to King Saul's accusation based on his hatred toward David.  The portion that stood out from Ahimelech's response was the fact that his heart had already been made as he sought God's heart.  He isn't about to struggle with how to respond because the foundational principle was already decided as he walked with God.  This reminds me of Daniel and his three friends who had already made up their decisions before responding to King Nebuchadnezzar and King Dairus; they were unafraid to be thrown into the lions' den or the fiery furnace because their hearts were already set to follow God and Him alone.

On a more modern story from the movie Chariots of Fire (1981) based on a true story of Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian, on the way to run in an Olympics finds out one of his heat is on a Sunday.  For him keeping the Sunday as a day of sabbath was significant and thus he decides to not enter that heat creating a tremendous tension within the team.  His decision was made way before he found out the conflict because he had been layering his values of principle leading up to that point, and although I'm sure making the decision which may jeopardize the whole team's performance in the Olympics was not a simple one, his understanding of God's will for that moment in his life did not require much struggle.

[A] My desire is to do great things for God but unless I build up layers of God's principles into my heart on daily basis in the midst of my daily routine, I will not be capable of making the right decisions to please and follow God to do God-sized tasks.

[P] Dear God, as life demands decisions left and right, I desire to make them all based on Your principles.  However I also realize this isn't going to happen just by thinking positively and I must rely on Your word to soak up my heart every day.  Please accept my request to be submerged in Your word and make it happen in my and my family members' lives.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Faithful in Small Things

[S] 1 Samuel 17:28,33-40 -- ²⁸Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger burned against David and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle."
 ³³Then Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth."
 ³⁴But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
 ³⁵I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.
 ³⁶"Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God."
 ³⁷And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine " And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."
 ³⁸Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor.
 ³⁹David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." And David took them off.
 ⁴⁰He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

[O] David was not tending a large number of sheep but a few (v.28), however, he was faithfully shepherding them even to the point of defending them from lions and bears.  He was faithfully shepherding them with a calling from God and he knew God would deliver him from these animals attacks (v.37).  Based on this small steps of faithfulness he was also able to envision tackling the giant task in front of him.  The same principle holds true just like the same principle of 1+1=2 applies much more complex mathematical computations.  His vision of achieving this tall task was balanced by his practical execution because he only chose "tested" (v.39) and proven methods with his own customized (v.40) tools.  Once he was ready with these, he approached the Goliath.

Also, when David could not withhold his anger against Goliath who taunted the armies of God, it seems he was all alone and not only that others including his older brothers are looking down on his anger for God and they discouraged him strongly.  However he overcame these discouragements not by debating or arguing but by proclaiming how he used to lean on God for protection against the wild beasts as he was shepherding his father's sheep.  He had such a confidence in how he had already experienced God not only he was unmoved by these discouraging words, but he was not afraid of Goliath either

[A] Be faithful in small things for God, and He will use me for big things for God.  God's ways are counter-intuitive to the world's standards and I must not rely on the world's standards too much instead of God's ways.  Trust in God's ways which will be used to glorify Him in His own special ways.

[P] Dear God, even though it is scary to let go of the world's standards that I've been educated to follow faithfully and to rely on Your ways which, frankly, seem a bit off the wall and impractical, grant me the confidence in You to obey them because that's the way You will reveal yourself in me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Mighty and Valiant Strategy

[S] 1 Samuel 14:52 --
 ⁵²Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff.

[O] In the first place, Saul never corrected his wrong-doing before God and instead he decided to build up his own strong army to fight against the Philistines.  Despite that effort, the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul.  I see Saul as the king who was super tied up with his own agenda of succeeding all the battles and not having the time or the desire to come clean before God for what he's done wrong.  This seems like the picture of many Christians who are so preoccupied with their own strategy of succeeding in their own society when God desires for them to come clean before Him first before they dedicate all of their hours pursuing their own goals of success.  One of the key ways people do this is by attaching themselves to many "mighty" men to help succeed their goals as if building up a strong team will be the answer.

[A] Strategy of winning in society is not building up the "A Team" but to live under God's grace of His forgiveness every day.

[P] Dear God, I seek Your grace in every moment of my life.  Please allow me to join other Christians who share this same value in life to pursue the life that will please You and that You will honor to bless.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Thorny Reminder

[S] 2 Corinthians 12:7-8 --
 ⁷Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! ⁸Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.

[O] After Paul's conversion, God used him in a mighty way and even to us now he guides our spiritual walk through his writings in the Bible.  One would think that after such a service for His Kingdom purposes, he deserves some recognition and also for God to remove that thorn in his flesh (after asking three times).  However, God's plan was different and Paul understood that according to verse 7 -- it is to keep him humble.  Proverbs 16:18 says, Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.  God must have loved Paul so much that He didn't want Paul to fall into a trap of destruction and therefore left that thorn in the flesh to keep him on the right track.  God cares for our best spiritual well being according to His principles and at times it does not jive with our common sense and in the end it's about how well we understand the depth of His love for us and to accept His guidance as our medicine for spiritual health.

[A] Although I would love to be good at everything in the Lord, God will not grant that in order to keep me spiritually healthy.  One of the most dangerous poison in my spiritual health is pride and in all I do I must be careful in this department.  Keep in mind, Proverbs 22:4 -- humility goes before honor.

[P] Thank You Father for always giving me the best for my spiritual health even though it may not make sense to me at first.  Please grant me the humility to submit to Your leadership in my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Ebenezer Thus Far

[S] 1 Samuel 7:12-13 --
 ¹²Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."
 ¹³So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

[O] The literal meaning of Ebenezer is stone of help.  This was the monument Samuel erected in place where God had helped them to defeat the Philistines and they never came near this mark to bother the Israelites again.  20 years ago in the same place, the Israelites were badly defeated and the Ark was lost into the hands of the Philistines but this day, God gave the Philistines into the hands of the Israelites and Samuel was quick to establish the landmark of His victory.  I liked how he wrote "thus far" because it implies God is not finished yet and he is expecting to see more of God's power at work.  It also implies that he did not want to forget all the reference points of God's helping them to victory just like how we put push pins on places we visited on a map.  In tough times, these landmarks will function as strength of encouragement assuring the people to rely on God again and again.

[A] Start marking my Ebenezers along my spiritual journey with God as He helps me to overcome obstacles.  Proclaim, "Thus far God has helped me, and I'm expecting more to come."

[P] Dear God, You are the God of my Ebenezer!  I want to ride the waves of Your awesome and wonderful help throughout my life so that it is so evident You are at work in my life at all times.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Train for the Unexpected

[S] 1 Samuel 3:1,10,19-20 --
 ¹Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.
 ¹⁰Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening."
 ¹⁹Thus Samuel grew and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fail. ²⁰All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.

[O] God called Samuel four times during the period of spiritual famine (v.1).  It appears he never learned how to discern God's callings because he did not recognize His voice until Eli taught him to respond to God the fourth time he was called.  That was the beginning of a sweet relationship Samuel had with God where he continued to grow in the Lord and the whole Israel confirmed him as a prophet of the Lord (vv.19-20).

Some people say we are currently undergoing a spiritual famine just like the time of Samuel but that does not mean God has shut Himself off completely.  He will still find the "Samuels" of our times and calls out to them.  Here is the message of hope in the midst of a drought -- God never gives us up, so we shouldn't give up on God either regardless of how the landscape may appear.  In fact, this is the time to train myself to recognize the unexpected because my preparation will be the very sign that I have hope in the Lord to speak to me personally.

[A] With the combination of devotions (Life Journaling), prayer, and observation of how God is moving through our small group ministry, train myself to recognize His calling for myself and Pathway to become confirmed workers for God.

[P] Dear God, as You have called Samuel in the midst of spiritual drought, please call on me and my family as Your instrument for the community we live in.  Please show Your grace upon us to be faithfully following Your word daily so we won't miss any of Your cues along the way.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Hannah's Character

[S] 1 Samuel 1:6-7 --
 ⁶Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.
 ⁷It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat.

[O] Hannah's rival provoked her bitterly whenever they went up to worship God at the house of the Lord.  Wouldn't you know it?  This is once a year time to go worship and that's the time Peninnah provokes Hannah even more.  Why is this scene so familiar?  I see this many times among believers where on Sundays when we're supposed to be coming to worship God, we instead attend to show off who is better than others and how this can break down the working of the Holy Spirit in the body of believers.  Instead of edifying one another, we tear each other apart inside out.

Out of such pain, Hannah went to the Lord and clung on to Him.  God heard Hannah's prayer and answered her, and she kept her promise of dedicating her child to be the priest.  I like this woman, Hannah, and that's why I named my girl Hannah because of her persistence, endurance, and complete trust in God.  She did not let her rival take control of her life.  Instead, she turned it over to God and used by Him to bring forth a wonderful man of God, Samuel.

[A] When oppositions press on me to provoke anger within me and to hurt me deeply, I should be like Hannah where I would turn to God instead of turning to my foes with my own vengeance.  I am very grateful for this woman's character which God used to accomplish His greater plan of sending His servant to lead His people.

[P] Dear God, grant me the faith of Hannah.  Use me to bring forth Your servant to lead Your people in this world of turmoil.  May You bless my children and use them as Your instruments of leading Your people down the right paths.  In Your precious name.  Amen.

Prophecy of the Community

[S] Ruth 4:11-12,14-15 --
 ¹¹All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.
 ¹²"Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman."

 ¹⁴Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.
 ¹⁵"May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."

[O] As Boaz committed to redeem Naomi and Ruth, the community they belonged to blessed with a prophecy which we know came true.  Obed did become part of the line of David and Jesus.  I see how a godly community can bless its members with a powerful encouragement which God honors.  In verse 11, it says "All the people" and in verse 14, it says "the women" displaying the confirmation that God speaks through a group of people from the community.  These group of people are not merely echoing what God told them to say but they speak with confidence based on their own observations of the people they're blessing.  As in verse 11, "all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence," people had already observed Ruth's excellence and they were eager to bless her and Naomi.

[A] The power of belong to a godly community is very significant in my journey here on earth.  Even though God will judge me personally in the end, the course of battle here on earth is fought with my co-laborers and through them God can exhort me as well as guide me through prophecies coming from the community I belong.  So, I must continue to build the community of believers wherever I am.

[P] Dear God, You work through Your people and so may I get integrated into a wonderful community of believers to do Your wonderful works here on earth.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Seeing Through the Circumstances

[S] Ruth 1:14b; 2:11-12; 2 Corinthians 5:7 --
^14bbut Ruth clung to her.

¹¹Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.
¹²"May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge."

⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight

[O] Ruth found herself cornered by the unfairness of life's course where she had simply lost everything she had leaving her the choice of going on to find a new start by seeking another husband in her homeland of Moab or to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, who is about to return to the land of Judah after losing everything herself. Naomi wasn't quite full of hope and joy either as she faces the uncertainty of the future back in her homeland. In fact, in verse 1:13 she displays her bitterness: for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me.

It is at this crossroads Ruth made up her mind to cling to Naomi. She was able to see through the despairing circumstance with her eyes of faith not by her own sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) to make a commitment that seemed unwise and impractical. However, her choice was the same one Mary made who desired to stay at the foot of Jesus as well as the one the disciples of Jesus (except Judas Iscariot) have made first to follow His calling in the beginning of Jesus' ministry and then to truly surrender all they had in order to seek refuge under His wings for the sake of passing on the Love of God to the ends of the earth.

[A] Every choice I make will last eternity and that's why I need to make them cautiously by seeking His wisdom. I need to be careful not to see into my circumstances with my own sight too much causing me to stumble my walk of faith. I need to remember the awesome choice Ruth had made at the crossroads she found herself in because that choice is what made her the Ruth whose faith was recognized by Boaz and his people as well as in the end made her the great grandmother of King David through whose lineage Jesus Christ was brought to this world.

[P] Dear God, the life of Ruth and her testimony touches me every time and encourages me to live a life full of choices which God can use to make a wonderful history. May You grant me the wisdom and the "clinging" faith especially during the difficult and hopeless times of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Know Thy Enemy's Schemes

[S] 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 --
¹⁰But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
¹¹so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

[O] True forgiveness requires a truly great effort to carry it out because by definition, for me to be in the position to forgive someone else already means that I have been offended in some significant way. Otherwise we don't even have to go there in the first place. Through these broken relationships our enemy works its way into breaking down the community of believers to the point of distrust and in many cases hatred. Once our emotions are dis-unified from one another, we've bitten the bate and are trapped into the enemy's schemes. This is why Paul mentions we should be fully aware of Satan's schemes such that we would avoid its traps that are spread along the path I walk together with other believers.

[A] Whenever I find myself in the position of giving forgiveness, just do it because then I'll for sure avoid Satan's traps and instead be lifted up by the wonderful and compassionate grace of God.

[P] Dear God, I seek to freely give forgiveness whenever I need to whenever I've been hurt by others. Please grant it with Your beautiful love overflowing out of my heart; and in addition, grant me the focus of my life to recognize the traps my enemy's throwing at me so I may avoid them wisely. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Testimony of Our Conscience

[S] 2 Corinthians 1:12 --
 ¹²For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity,not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.

[O] Conscience is who I am when no one is looking and that pretty much defines who I really am.  It's not the outward appearance that I want to project to others.  However the reality is that I nevertheless live a split life -- some times I live a transparent life but then also struggle to put away a facade.  I am thankful that God is transforming me to do less and less of putting up facades but since I'm still wavering between the two, I must be careful to be proud of the testimony of my conscience rather than my achievements of what others are expecting from me.  I should be proud of a life in holiness, godly, sincere, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God.  That's the only thing I should be proud of -- all the rest I need to be humbled.

[A] Put my pride and confidence in the way my conscience testifies how wonderful God's glory and grace is.  Nothing more.

[P] Dear God, Your grace is all I need.  My my conscience project the confidence of my life grounded in Your working in my life.  May I stay humble and come to the foot of the Cross on my knees.  How can I imagine any other posture than that.  Especially in this Passion Week, I desire to be humbled as Jesus was totally humbled. In Your precious name.  Amen.

Refresher or Drainer?

[S] 1 Corinthians 16:18 --
 ¹⁸For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.


[O] There are those who refresh my spirit and those who drain my spirit.  God says to give TLC to those who drain my spirit and acknowledge those who freshen up my spirit.  This type of acknowledgement of each other encourages the spiritual bonding and also creates a synergy to have the snow-balling effect of reflecting greatness of God's glory through our lives.

[A] Become the refresher of other people's spirit by asking God to give me the sensitivity to those around me.  Also acknowledge those "refreshers" around me by letting them know this week that I appreciate their influence on me.

[P] Dear God, make me the refresher to those around me, believers or not, such that my presence integrates into their lives and vice versa.  I know how Paul's ministry required much refreshing and encouraging and it's so great to see that he did have these refreshers in his life.  Please provide those in my life and may I be one to many.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.