Quantity vs. Quality Friendship

[S] Proverbs 18:24 --  ²⁴A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
         But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

[O] Although I'm not sure having too many friends itself is a bad thing, but if my only goal was to have more friends (number wise) then I will be missing the point of having friends altogether because quantity of friends does not equate to the quality of friends.  Having said that, cultivating friends who stick closer than a brother is a tall order to follow.  In fact the way this verse is worded implies you start with one such a friend at a time.

[A] What a privilege it would be to cultivate a friend who so intimately walk this journey on earth together in Christ!  For me, this is what I long for in my home church where I may develop friendships that will not only last the life time, but sticks so close to each other along the way.  If I were to peel away the outer layers of the small group ministry, I would position building such friendships right at the core and that's what I'd like to contribute to the building of small group ministry at my church.

[P] Dear God, I realize that in order to find such a friend, I must also be such a friend first as this is a two-way street.  You inspired me to focus more in this area of my life and I will do that with the foundation of cultivating a relationship with You more intimately through my devotions and verse memorization.   In Jesus' name.  Amen.

How To Smile More

[S] Proverbs 15: -- A joyful heart makes a cheerful face,
But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.

[O] The contrast between joyful and sad heart is highlighted by their consequences.  Cheerful face originates from a joyful heart and I'm sure people like to hang around those with joyful hearts because they'd make the whole circumstance bright.  However a sad heart breaks even the spirit.  What a detrimental consequence!

[A] I've heard comments that I need to smile more because when I don't I look mad.  Well, since I don't carry a mirror in front of me at all times, I would not even know when I'm not smiling, etc.  But this verse tells me that by working on my heart to be joyful, the cheerful face will come automatically.  So, I've found a solution to my struggle!

[P] Dear God, please show me how to work on my own heart to sustain joyfulness.  I want to overflow with cheerful face which will warm up places I go.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Whirlwind of Life

[S] Proverbs 10:25 -- When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

[O] Whirlwind passes through life at all time in all situations and there really is nothing to prevent it so the best way is to learn how to withstand it.  According to this verse, being righteous in the Lord is the way to set the foundation to withstand such whirlwinds in life.  We think we can build up something on our own such as money and role in society but those can crumble down at any time but there is nothing that can take away the righteousness in God.

[A] This verse is a compass for setting life's course because while it's so easy to build the foundation of life as power and prestige in society, I need to set it as righteousness in God by being faithful to Him.

[P] Dear God, I would like to lay the foundation of my life to be the righteous person mentioned in this verse.  I want to withstand various whirlwinds that I will face in my life.  Please guide me to be such a man.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

My Wills vs. God's Mercy

[S] Romans 9:16 --  ¹⁶So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

[O] The two words "wills" and "mercy" contrasts each other because the "wills" described man's own efforts while "mercy" referred to God's offering regardless of man's efforts (good or bad). So, why am I trying so hard to live out my Christian life?  Yes, I should try my best to do that, but is there a way I can over do this beyond what pleases God?  From this verse, I find that if I am not under God's mercy, then my will-power and efforts alone will not produce the results that pleases God, or even impact the world in any way.  Today's passage is connected to yesterday's verse where emphasizing leaning on God's offerings first is crucial in living out my life which will please God and also to become the effective conduit for achieving His purposes on earth.

[A] As I face some significant changes in the small group ministry at our church, God's been whispering into my ears through these passages that He's (still) in control and not what I do but how much I lean on Him will make the difference in the end.  I will lean on Him 100%, each and every day.

[P] Dear God, Your awesome timing of encouragement is just blowing me away.  Thank You and I will continue to abide and lean on You. Please carry me through as I do that.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Shielding from Condemnation

[S] Romans 8:1 --  ¹Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

[O] I have read this verse many times before but today, my heart was excited to read about having no condemnation from God as long as I'm in Christ Jesus.  It may be because I've trying hard at my role in doing ministry and yet not seeing the fruits yet.  Paul's point of putting the significance in abiding in Christ Jesus and not of works seems to hit the right chord in my heart.

[A] Even before doing the ministry for Jesus, I must be in Him and abide in Him.  That means daily devotion with Him and also to memorize God's words to be engraved into my heart.

[P] Dear God, I praise You for shielding me from condemnation as long as I pursue to be abiding in You because I know there is no way for me to exclude me from You condemnation on my own but I can work on being in You.  Thank You for giving me an option which is achievable by me.

Sinful Passions Aroused by the Law

[S] Romans 7:5 --  ⁵For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.

[O] The phrase "sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law" grabbed my attention because isn't Law supposed to keep us honest and away from sin?  I see a double-edges sword here because we need the Law to come to repentance by realizing the deviation from the perfectness of God's Laws but dwelling on that point will actually arouse us to sinful passions because we lack the grace of God in the whole equation.  In verse 6 Paul also says we ought to serve in newness of the Spirit and not the oldness in the letter.  So the letter (Law) without the Spirit (grace) will only push us away from what God desires from us.  Following the Law may look good to others but God who sees our hearts will not like it.

[A] Especially now as our small group ministry is approaching its 1 year mark, I'm seeing a lot of weariness from the leaders who have been trying their best to care and nurture the members in this pioneering phase of our church's small group ministry.  How can I convey the message of Paul here that we need to come together beyond the logistical aspects of our ministry and fall into the deeper presence of God's grace and the nurturing Spirit?  That is my homework.  I also need to pray for each of the leaders daily.

[P] Dear God, would you grant Your wisdom into my heart such that I would encourage these leaders to hold on and unite to come together in building up our small group ministry beyond this initial hump we're climbing over?  Thank You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

For My Sake

[S] 1 Kings 11:13 --  ¹³"However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

[O] Solomon had veered away from following God's ways in his latter days and God was angry with Solomon (v. 9) and is going to tear away the kingdom Solomon had built up.  "However," for the sake of David, God's servant, one tribe will be given to Solomon's son; and as we know now through that lineage, God brought forth Jesus to provide the way out of our eternal separation from God.  As human beings, failures are inevitable and even Solomon who had the wisdom of God failed to uphold God's righteousness and holiness to the end of his life.  But it's so good to know that God honors and remembers his faithful servants and for their sakes He will carry on His promises.  Just as God confirmed to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of 10 righteous people (Genesis 16:32) when Abraham asked, God seeks for those faithful servants who will stand in place of the wicked of this world.

[A] Humility comes to my mind as I reflect on this passage because that was one thing I can see David did not forgo throughout his life.  No matter what size of work I may do for God, I need to hold tight to the humility before God.

[P] Dear God, I totally desire to live a life to my last breath to uphold Your holiness and righteousness on top of a servant's humility.  Please grant me this desire.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

No Neutral Legacy Possible

[S] 1 Kings 9:9 --
 ⁹"And they will say, 'Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them, therefore the LORD has brought all this adversity on them.'"

[O] One of the goals of my life is to leave behind a legacy for my children (and their generation) to leverage building their own dreams and visions further especially within the boundaries of God's principles much like how David left behind that foundation for Solomon to continue building up the kingdom as well as the Temple.  In light of this, reading through this whole chapter had been energizing.  However, the warning leading up to verse 9 captivated my mind because in the end, I will definitely leave behind a legacy for my children whether a positive or a negative one.  Either I will integrate God's principle into my life effectively and encourage my children with what I'll leave behind, or they would be asking the same question outlined in verse 8 and conclude what's in verse 9: ... therefore the LORD has brought all this adversity on them.  There is no neutral ground of what I'll leave behind -- either edifying or destruction.

[A] My original goal cannot be taken lightly as in, "I'll do my best but if not, oh well, at least my children will start from scratch again."  I will strive with my own disciplined life to ultimately pass on a legacy of honoring God and to live according to God's principles.  I know this is possible as I remember my own father's life which he left behind.  To the last minute of his life here on earth he had stood his grounds of faith, honor, and dignity both for people around him as well as God almighty.  His life truly is an inspiration for me which I will model after to leave behind such an impact for my children also.

[P] Dear God, may my life's walk with You continue on with my children for them to positively impact their generation.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Spirit vs. Letter

[S] Romans 3:29 --
 ²⁹But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

[O] Any society desiring to live in order will need some type of a law to help establish that.  However, the ultimate purpose of having such a law is for the benefit of the people sharing that society.  So, the law is the result of people agreeing to follow for the sake of living in harmony with one another.  As time passes on, though, the people lose the focus of the initial purpose and get all wrapped up around following the law itself more than the reason behind it.  Paul seems to be addressing this issue with the Jewish people where they were so ingrained in following the Law itself they lost the purpose of serving God with their hearts.  To make things worse, as we are constantly trained to impress others by our external features we are pressured to look good on the outside even in our spiritual walk with God when God is interested in our dedicated hearts toward Him.  This is why living a life pleasing to God is so difficult in the midst of our society pressuring us to attain external status.

[A] As the circumcision originally intended to display the commitment to follow God's Laws, I would like to pursue and live a life that starts with the right intentions displaying the acts of commitments for surrendering my life to Jesus and His ministries.  I need to spend more time in prayer to prepare my hearts to just do this.

[P] Dear God, I want to tune my heart such that Your Spirit is the primary guiding factor instead of being too stuck on the rituals of serving You.  I desire to seek Your praise and that alone as I live out my life in various avenues.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Light Sown Heart

[S] Psalm 97:11 --

      ¹¹Light is sown like seed for the righteous

         And gladness for the upright in heart.

[O] Sowing a seed is more than just throwing some seeds into the soil and hoping for the best.  The sower finds the most optimal location and then prepares the soil (soften it up and water) before planting the seed into the soil down to a certain depth.  I'm seeing that same picture of Jesus planting that see of Light to the righteous people.  Righteousness is the good soil He seeks to plant the seed.  And the fruit is the gladness in the heart.

From this I am envisioning the life a righteous man where his life is sown with seeds of Light and bears the fruit of gladness.

[A] There are so much things going on especially during this part of the year, even though I am trying to keep up with all the chores of being a follower of Christ, I must not neglect to soften my heart with His word so that Jesus may sow the seeds of Light into my life and that my life, regardless of the circumstances I'm facing every day, will overflow with gladness which springs out of my heart.

[P] Dear God, Your timing is always perfect to remind me about not losing focus of the core aspect of following You in the hustle and bustle of life I'm going through these days.  Please allow my heart to be overflowing with the gladness coming from You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Faith Without Exceptions

[S] 1 Kings 3:3 -- Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

[O] We see that Solomon held on to his father David's faith toward God with the same passion.  However, he had an exception to that passionate faith on God where he sacrificed on the high places.  We can see in verse 2 that these high places are where people still worshiped the idols.  We can also see in Psalm 78:58 how these high places angered God.  He may have started as just a nothing significant since he knew his heart was dedicated toward God but in the end we can see how this veered him away from God's path in the latter years of his life.  Following God cannot have any exceptions because as Jesus called His disciples to give up everything to follow Him our faith to follow God must surrender every aspect of our lives even if they may seem very minor at the moment.

[A] I need to examine my life for any habits that I've been doing without thinking much about it that may actually influence my walk with God.

[P] Dear God, please grant me the wisdom of Solomon (at least what he started with!) to discern all of my habits to be aligned with Your desires from my life.  Thank you for teaching me through Solomon's life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Reciprocation of Care and Love

[S] 1 Thessalonians 1:3 --  ³We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;

[O] The beauty of this passage is the reciprocation of care, love, and honor between Paul and the Thessalonian church.  Is there anyone I am "always" giving thanks to God for as Paul did, because of their faith?  I am sure that as Paul interceded others in prayer his heart grew closer to them as he became aware of their spiritual maturity and his love toward them grew even more as he envisions the Thessalonians loving and caring for each other.  I feel this is the foundation of how God's ministry grows closer and deeper to carry out greater things for God.  For example, our church, small groups, and various ministries must have this type of reciprocal caring relationship based on prayer for each other (as we read in previous passages in Thessalonians about Paul's prayer for the churches).

[A] Leadership is more than a mere organizational role because it implies the deeper caring of the followers through prayers of intercession.  I am convicted to intercede for our small group leaders more regularly and thank God for every one of them.

[P] Dear God, please allow me to be more disciplined about my prayer life, especially interceding for our small group leaders.  Teach me to follow the foot steps of my divine mentor, Paul, in this department.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

God-originated Charge

[S] 1 Chronicles 22:6 --  ⁶Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel.

[O] King David made sure he passes on a firm foundation of preparation to Solomon who God has ordained to build His temple.  Even though David wasn't called to build the temple, he nevertheless gave up and continued to pour his efforts into the preparation.  Not only did he display the strength of a strong leader, but his wisdom of taking part in God's ministry to the best he can (even though God told him not to build the temple).  Now, my style would've been to try and pass on all the preparation to Solomon and tell him he should use all I had prepared to build up a wonderful temple for God and finish the project I've started so to speak.  David does this but foremost he charges Solomon to build a house for the LORD God of Israel.  His way of setting the correct vision for Solomon is what I need to learn here.  One of the key aspects of a leader is to convey the vision to the followers because without a vision man's efforts are bound to lose the bearing over time.  But with a clear vision from God, even if men's ways may falter, the vision will bring them back on track again.  David goes on in verse 10 to convey what God had told him: "He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever."  This passes on a lot stronger charge to Solomon because it's not just David his father's charge but what God had ordained from the beginning.

[A] As I've been struggling with God on how to be a more effective leader for the Small Group ministry at my church, this passage taught me that as I go to the Lord for His guidance of our ministry, I must seek God-originated vision and charge for our ministry.  Structures, formats, and procedures must originate from God's heart rather than men's hearts.  I want to raise my Life Journaling sessions with God to receive such a charge directly from Him so I may pass it on to the small group leaders.

[P] Dear God, please show me the depth of Your mind for our small group ministry.  I would like to pass on the vision which comes from you to the small group leaders so they may be motivated by Your Spirit to carry on this precious ministry.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Prayer That Moves God

[S] 2 Samuel 24:25 --  ²⁵David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus the LORD was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.

[O] Today, I hear for the first time President Obama canceled the National Day of Prayer event at the White House  and instead he will make a written proclamation.  There were some various reasons for doing that and personally that is not the issue for me but reading today's passage brings a question of how many of us in this nation prays for this land which moves God's heart.  It seems this land needs His guidance more than ever but the inclination of the general public is veering away from praying like David -- in desperation to seek His mercy and grace.

[A] Whichever way I see it, I need to pray more for this land.

[P] Dear God, forgive me for being too complacent about this wonderful land of America.  The plague has started to permeate through and yet I am indifferent.  I will continue to lift up this land of American so the people's hearts will be prepared to receive Your leadership starting from the top.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

What Is In My Prayer?

[S] 1 Thessalonians 1:2 --
 ²We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;

[O] Leading up to writing this letter was much prayer by Paul for the Thessalonian Church.  Paul wasn't some leader sitting at the top of the castle commanding others to do this and that but he led his followers very practically by thinking of them all the time, which I'm sure led to prayer for them continually.  And if you think about it, in order to pray for others you must know what's happening with them so he had open communication with them (even before the Internet days) to fully aware of their conditions.  Paul was the pioneer of bi-vocational minister (or the term he started: a tent maker) and he was right at the ground level running with the folks he is leading as he ministers to them.  So in order for him to write this sentence, he was for sure living up to what he wrote.

[A] Caring and nurturing for others in God's ministry not only takes time but energy to constantly keep in touch and openly communicate.  So, I need to set my own expectation for leading and caring for others will demand a good chunk of my life.  Don't get exhausted too quickly.  Pray for them all the time like Paul.

[P] Dear God, Paul's example inspires me to lead others in Your ministry at church.  Please continue to energize me through Your word and Holy Spirit's indwelling.  Thank You for always leading me with encouragements whenever I'm desperately needing it.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Knowledge Is Not Power

[S] Matthew 27:18 --
 ¹⁸For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.

[O] The Pilate already knew in his mind why the Jews turned over Jesus to him for a trial.  He knew that it wasn't anything other than due to envy against Jesus for no real crime.  His knowledge of this did not, however, change the course of his actions which ended up in pleasing the crowd instead of standing up for what he believed.  The knowledge is something that satisfied my mind but unless it moves into my actions and into the routines of my life, it is not real part of my life at all.  For example, a good musician or athlete is not recognized by how much knowledge they have on how to play an instrument or the game but how well they actually put them into practice.  Furthermore, getting to the point of integrating the knowledge into my life is a gradual process of gluing on layers and layers of practicing the actual transferring of knowledge into actions (through trials and errors I'm sure).  Pilate was used to separating his knowledge from his actions which focused on pleasing the public to sustain his popularity most likely and that's what was displayed here.  What will I be used to doing myself in times of crunch like these?

[A] My tendency is to soak up more knowledge through the various means of sources around me -- the Internet, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, classes, seminars, etc. -- as if more knowledge makes me more equipped or powerful; and in my walk with God: more spiritually mature.  I am realizing that how much of my knowledge gets interwoven into my daily practices of life instinctively is what's going to transform me into a more spiritual follower of Jesus.  More so than writing my reflections in this journal, I am going to begin to practice what I glean from my devotions of God's word, not matter how small it may seem.

[P] Dear God, may I not fool myself by gathering more knowledge of how to live out Your calling in my life, but start to practice them beginning with small things.  I do not want to wait for some grand tasks from You for me to manage in Your ministry before I first exercise smaller, routine instructions into my life.  Please continue to empower me through Your wonderful Holy Spirit so I may not meander around this simple concept.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Laser Accurate Guidance

[S] Psalm 32:8 --     ⁸I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
         I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 

[O] God says He has a vested interest in where I go and in fact, He's going to guide and counsel me where to go?  He will do this with his laser-guidance (His eye upon me) accuracy.  That's what He will do.  The question is will I be catching that signal to steer in the right direction?  I need to make sure I develop a way to soak up his instructions and counsel for my life's ways because it will truly be a total shame for me to forgo of His wonderful guidance.

[A] Sharpen up my spiritual antenna daily by oiling, calibrating, and QA'ing against God's written word.  I need to take what's written in the Bible (the book itself) and transcribe it into my heart because this process is what makes the Bible holy.

[P] Dear God, I feel so confident after reading this passage because it assures me that You really want to guide my path leading to a successful life You intended for me.  Thank You and I pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.

To Internet and Beyond

[S] Matthew 24:30-31 --  ³⁰ And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

[O] Lately in news we heard many instances of natural disasters such as massive earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, and volcano eruptions.  I'm sure the speed of the Internet and faster communication of news contributes to how quickly we hear about these events but I would assume we're also having more of these events on this globe we live on.  In light of this, I have a good feeling when Jesus returns and the angels will blow their mighty blast of a trumpet the whole world will be sure to know about it through CNN, NBC, MSN, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

[A] Re-affirm that Jesus is coming back, and when He does, all living beings on earth will know while the chosen will be gathered by Him.  Know that I'll one of the gathered.

[P] Dear God, it's so great to be reminded about Your coming back and how the whole world will know about it then regardless of their beliefs.  You will come and rule over this world forever and may I live my life now to reflect that.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

A Heart God Doesn't Reject

[S] Psalm 51:17 --
       ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; 
           a broken and contrite heart,
           O God, you will not despise.

      [NLT] ¹⁷ The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
      You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.[O] God delights in a broken and contrite heart but what does that really look like in my life?  Do I have to commit a disastrous sin and repent from it with a broken and contrite heart?  From the NLT version I was able to grasp the idea of how God desires for me to approach Him with a broken and a contrite heart.  Whether I'm going through a moment of repentance or not I must come to God every time with a posture of a broken and contrite heart because there is nothing in me to boast in front of our almighty and gracious God.

There is nothing God needs from me other than my broken and contrite heart because He can create everything else.  But He's given me the choice to accept or reject Him, or to have a proud and stuck up neck or a humble spirit.  He did not program me to follow His orders but allowed me to want to follow him out of my own free will.  So, when I bring my broken and contrite heart, He will gladly receive me.

[A] Think of a time when I had made a major mistake and out of my devastated heart, I tried to restore the circumstances.  I felt embarrassed, frustrated and helpless.  Use that as a guide to keep my posture before God.

[P] Dear God, every time I'm found by You, may I I find myself with an attitude of a broken heart.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Beyond My Chariots and Horses

[S] Psalm 20:7-8 --
   ⁷Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
         But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.
    ⁸They have bowed down and fallen,
         But we have risen and stood upright.

[O] What are my "chariots and horses"?  They could be my position in society, money, power, gadgets, appearances, and cars.  I can compare these with others somewhat quantitatively and thus I am easily falling into the trap of trying to gauge where I fit with respect to others around me by comparing these things.  However, when's the last time I compared how many more Bible verses I memorized, or how may needy people I supported physically or financially, or even about how loudly I cried out to God proclaiming His wonderful compassion toward me?

The short answer is not as much as I boast about my chariots and horses.  As I ponder on this passage with this thought going through my mind, I am concluding that the reason is because at the core I trust in my chariots and horses to rise above the society.  Psalmist reminded me that ultimately God is the one who will do that and thus I need to boast about how wondrous He is going to lift me up as I abide in Him alone and boast in His name.

[A] May my life be boasting about how Your word unfolds the wondrous love through all I do and do be founded in drawing wisdom from the Divine Mentors from the Bible every day.

[P] Dear God, I am grateful for all the material things You granted in my life and yet may I not boast in those but instead develop a well-disciplined life of soaking up Your wisdom layer by layer, day by day.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Prayer of Alarm Clock

[S] Matthew 21:22 --  ²²"And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

[O] Passages like these are very simple and yet quite challenging for me because it seems to say that if I believe anything and pray I will get my prayer answered.  But how would I know when I've truly prayed a prayer of complete believing?  Is the reason for not receiving what I ask for because of my unbelief or because God is not allowing it?  More I think about this more confusing I get so I just pass over these passages thinking it must be for someone else who can understand it, or who is spiritually more mature to apply this into their spiritual walk with God.

However, as I was meditating on this today, I heard a small voice asking me whether that may be an excuse I'm using to lift up my prayers selectively -- ones I feel good and confident about vs. the ones I'm unsure of.  What that voice convicted me today was I should not filter my prayers to God but just "dump" them all to Him because He can handle it and regardless of the outcome, I will learn to walk such a powerful and confident life in God which this passage refers to.

[A] As an application to this revelation, I want to lean on God to wake me up without an alarm clock.  This is one area I'm struggling to be consistent, and so I want to believe that God through the Holy Spirit will wake me up each morning at the most appropriate time.

[P] Dear God, even though what I'm going to apply this passage may seem trivial, I want to start with a baby step to reach a prayer life that is mature and powerful as Jesus said in this passage.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Compassion In All I Do

[S] Matthew 20:34 --  ³⁴Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

[O] What drew me into this verse is how Jesus, who is more than able to restore vision to this blind man, healed with compassion.  Let's face it:  For Jesus, He could've easily carried out this miracle with "what's so big deal about this" attitude almost like how I would simply get in a car and drive it without giving much effort.  However, every aspect of His ministry of displaying the power of God was done with compassion and honor to God.  Not once did He boast of His Heavenly power.  In light of this, Moses lost his privilege to enter Canaan because he did not respect and honor God as he was used to display the power of God.

[A] As I take part in God's ministry at my church and my workplace, I catch myself going into the mode of carrying out God's work with pride as if I am so good doing it or something.  One take-away from this verse is that I need to stay humble so God's power is revealed with honor even though what I do may not be miraculous healing.  In all of my ministry participation, I must do them with compassion each and every task.

[P] Dear God, what a role model you have shown me today.  I confess here how I often participated in ministry with a boastful attitude.  Please forgive me and renew my heart such that my heart will overflow with the compassionate spirit to those who are in need of Your touch.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.