Pure Oil to Burn Continually

[S] Exodus 27:20 --
20 "You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.

[O] After a long and detailed instruction on how to set up the tabernacle God commands the Israelites to keep this lamp burning continually by bringing the "pure" oil as the fuel.  God could have made that lamp to burn continually on its own but He invited the Israelites to join His presence and take part God's ministry.  If they neglected to refill the lamp with oil, then the light would be quenched; and He would move the lamp to a different place where the people would keep it burning continually.

[A] God invites me to bring my pure oil to burn in His presence.  To me this is my own personal devotion time and Sunday worship at church.  I have to think of it as keeping the lamp burning continually so I must bring my portion of the oil to keep it burning.  This is not only my physical presence but my pure heart to be burned by His fire.

[P] Dear Father, as I bring my heart purely prepared to burn for You may You keep the fire going in my life.  Even though many times I am too lazy to fill the lamp with my oil, please fill me with Your grace.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

God's Message Once Preached Cannot be Stopped

[S]  Acts 4:4 --
But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

[O] God's word just needs to be preached to the hungry souls because it will instantly be absorbed and activate their soul to respond to His Spirit. in this passage we see that even though the preachers were arrested God's word nevertheless pierced their hearts for so many of them to believe. Our enemy tries its best to interrupt God's ministry by immobilizing God's messengers. But once His word is peaches there is nothing that can stop the power of God to rest on us.

[A] Quite often I calculate too much about what will happen when God's word is preached and in the midst of the calculations I hesitate or not speak the word justifying that it is not the right timing.  End result is God couldn't work in the hearts of the others.  I need less calculation and more communication of His message of love and grace not worrying about the consequences too much.

[P] Dear Father, may my heart be fill with more boldness to preach Your word and the message of salvation so Your Spirit will go to action in convicting more souls back to Your family. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Fear of God is Good

[S] Exodus 20:20 --
20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."

[O] God allows us to pass through some of His tests not just for us to get stronger in faith but also that the fear of Him will remain with us to avoid sinning.  One cannot have strong faith and sin at the same time so His fear is us is a good discipline for us to keep away from sinning which will lead to a closer walk with God resulting in fruitful life.

[A] Just like whenever I see a CHP on the highway, I would make sure I'm within the speed limit, whenever I know that God is with me, I would make sure I am within the boundaries of godly living.  Good or bad times, I must not forgot to honor God and fear His presence in my life.

[P] Dear Father, I honor Your fearful presence in my life such that I would strive to live my life in line with Your principles.  So many times, when I'm just coasting along, I am bound to make mistakes and be pulled to the ways of our enemy.  I want to be soaked with Your amazing grace at all times.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

God is Watching Over Me

[S] Exodus 2:25 --
25 God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.

[O] God watches over us, His people, and takes note of our needs.  When the Israelites who once entered Egypt on good terms have found themselves under severe persecution of the new Egyptian regime.  They may have lacked the right leader to look out for them or something but they were definitely being under a strong bondage such that they were so busy making bricks that they lost track of accomplishing God's will.

[A] What is the will of God for my life?  I may not have figured it all out but am I going to Him first to get His instructions on how to live for Him rather than being under the bondage of this world's busy-ness?  I feel that I'm repeating the same cycle now.  Especially while my mind is engulfed in trying to resolve some conflict at work.  I need to turn to this passage and claim that because I need to be assured that God is watching over me.

[P] Dear Father, may Your will be done through this less-than-normal son of Yours not because I do things so well but because You are watching over me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Drawing Feet Into the Bed

[S] Genesis 49:33 --
33 When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

[O] I am pretty sure I journaled on this passage before, but it hits me every time about this beautiful and peaceful scene where Jacob (Israel) addresses his family and then as a sign of "I have finished," he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last.  It was as if he chose to make that breath his last before giving into hands of God.  A contrasting scene would look like grasping to live on a little longer while regretting why the end came so suddenly and quickly.  Jesus also "breathed His last" on the Cross.  The sense of accomplishment of completing the task God granted must be an awesome and peaceful scene.

[A] I would love to live my life similar to Jacob's of completing it with peace and confidence to "draw in my feet into my bed" before breathing my last.  My mine quickly flashes back to the image imprinted deeply of my own father's face as I walked out of that ICU.  There was a bit of sadness but more so there was the expression of "drawing his feet into the bed to breath his last" as he shook his head gently to each side.  Right on that bed, he shared and passed on the spiritual legacy of how he had tried to live for God and pass on that "faith" to us.  He did that and I would like to sustain that legacy down to my children.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for such divine mentors like Jacob and my dad to look up to as I align my life also to be like them -- just to look to You and only You.  As my dad's birthday is approaching and this passage You spoke to me reminds me of our last encounter, I am just so grateful for giving me a solid foundation called family from which I can springboard into this world to carry out Your tasks until I pass on from this world.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Hanging on to Every Word

[S] Luke 19:47-48 --
47 And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, 48 and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.

[O] Despite the chief priests and the scribes trying to destroy Jesus, they were paralyzed by all the people who were hungry for Jesus' teaching.  The NASB's translation of "hanging on to every word He said" puts a very specific picture in my mind about how the crowd was just thirsty for all Jesus had to say to them as if they had found a gold mine.  They weren't trying to keep the "enemies" away -- they were simply trying to hang on to God's word and as a side benefit they kept the enemies away.

[A] There are enough challenges in my life for me to worry and stress over.  And there are challenging relationships that I must work on.  Many times I cry out to God for sending down a solution for all these challenges I'm facing so I won't be strained as much with all sorts of things going on.  However, this passage teaches me not to ask for removal of my bad situations but for me to hang on to His every word so that His word will protect me from these situations.

[P] Dear Father, teach me to hang/cling on to Your every word.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Praise God Along

[S] Luke 18:34 --
43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

[O] Bartimaeus regained his sight by asking Jesus to heal him.  Jesus healed many people (and He is still healing many people today by saving them into His Kingdom) and yet this blind man's response is astonishing because he glorified God and because of the way he did this, people recognized the works of God and gave praise go God also.  I don't know what type of a praise he gave, but the results were clearly impacting others to praise God along.  That must have been amazing to witness.

[A] If God is working in my own life (the answer is yes), then I should praise Him and my praise should be so evident that others watching me praise God should want to join me in praise.  I want to praise like Bartimaeus.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for Bartimaeus' story here to energize my praising power.  Let my praising not only honor You but rub off of others to praise You as well.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Ordering My Prayer to God

[S] Psalm 5:3 --
3 In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

[O] Why in the morning?  Because it is the beginning of the whole day.  And that's when this author is committing to talk with God and life up his prayer to Him and then eagerly watches for God to answer him (or at least work in his life throughout the day).

[A] A very simple application here -- get up earlier in the morning to spend that time of "ordering" my prayer to God and then eagerly watch how He will unfold His plans throughout the day.

[P] Dear Father, I would just love to eagerly watch what You will do in and through my life only after I have lifted up my prayers to You before I dart out to face the world.  Please come and fill my life with Your wonderful plans.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Above Trouble and Affliction

[S] Genesis 41:51-52 --
51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household."52 He named the second Ephraim, "For," he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

[O] Naming of his sons signified milestone for Joseph.  I am very touched by his giving the full credit to God for making him forget all his troubles (of painfully framed and unfairly treated by others) and then making him fruitful despite staying in that land of his affliction.  This is no new concept, but Joseph's commitment to not let his terrible circumstances rule his own life convicts and thrusts me into living a life that will totally depend on God's orchestration of every incident I will face -- good or bad.

[A] As I look into the rest of 2012 after 16 days into it, Joseph's posture of honoring God irregardless of the hostile circumstances that came his way inspires me to set my heart on Him and how He will mold and shape me through whatever I will face this year.

[P] Dear Father, please grant me the patience and perseverance to wait for Your masterful way of bring forth Your glory through my life which at times requires a (long) time of waiting.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Wherever I Have Gone, You're With Me

[S] Genesis 35:3 --
3 and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone."

[O] For Jacob, Bethel was the location of his tangible encounter with God and where He was changed from Jacob to Israel, a new beginning for him.  After so many years, Bethel still becomes the place where he encounters God and reminds him that God was always with him throughout the years wherever he was, and whatever he was doing.  This is a significant reminder for him to trust and renew his relationship with God.

[A] I don't know how intimate Jacob's relationship with God was but despite his conditions God's love for him never changed or departed from him.  My life is full of mistakes and failures of closing in on God's stupendous love due to my own weaknesses, but I also need to claim the fact that God will never leave me and calls me to return to my Bethel.

[P] Dear Father, I want to return to my Bethel every day so that the strong intimacy will outweigh all of my failures and wanderings so I, too, will walk the life that will please You like Jacob and to be part of Your major plans here on earth.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Strive to Prevail

[S] Genesis 32:28 --
28 He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed."

[O] This was a defining moment for Jacob as God recognized his heart and changed his life's purpose along with the new name he was given, Israel which means he who strives with God.  This did not come easily but through many years of his life going through phases of leaning on his own (or his mother's) efforts and then totally relying on God such that he wouldn't give up to wrestle with God until God gave him an answer in the dire situation he found himself in where everything he had built is about to be vanished.

[A] I strive for excellence in doing less to get the most which some times is called laziness.  This attitude spills over into my spiritual walk with God.  I want to reach that intimate relationship with God which He recognizes and honors quickly with the least amount of work.  Jacob's situation here where his life took a significant turn is a painful message that I must strive with God to reach such a state of my relationship with God and that's not just a one-time deal but an on-going striving with God until He says I've prevailed.

[P] Dear Father, I want to strive with You every day and want to be recognized as the one who prevailed to do greater works for Your ministry.  May Your glory never depart from this forgiven prodigal.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

Experience God Always

[S] Genesis 28:16 --
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."

[O] Jacob isn't the only one with this problem.  Even though we all know God is everywhere, we just simply forget about that fact.  But God's loving kindness touches our hearts and that's when we realize His presence once again.  One of the reasons for my forgetfulness is because I do not experience His works often.  Just like how Jacob felt God's work in action even in his dream, he was reminded how God is in with him all the time.

[A] Don't just walk around trying to "do" God's ministry.  Stop and smell the "roses" of God's wondrous works in/around me.

[P] Dear Father, may I not just simply be busy doing ministry but take time to see how and what You're doing in and around my life.  Thank You for always being with me; I just have to remember that all the time.  May every place I go be my own "Bethel."  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Don't Lift Up My Eyes and See

[S] Genesis 13:10 --
Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere- this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah-like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.

[O] Lot's initial actions bring me back memory of how I involved myself in God's ministry by first seeing thing with my own eyes first. I so naturally took the lad of assessing the situation and then just tried to get God's approval after that. This was so contrasting to what Abraham did by relying on God by giving his nephew the first choice. Even though Abraham ended up with less fertile land God nevertheless worked through to fulfill His plans.

[A] As I am involved with ministry at church I must make Abraham's approach the principle method because once I try to help God I will miserably fail it. So stay humble and let Him work out His plans through my honoring Him while I let Him take te lead in looking out for me.

[P] Dear God, let me not get in Your ways in the sake of doing Your ministry. Your ways are indeed higher than all that I can do. in Jesus' name. Amen.

Soothing Aroma of My Offering

The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21 NASB)

[O] What a beautiful scene here where the offering was received by God as a soothing aroma and He was moved by it. Noah's offering of the clean animals represents the sinless Christ being offered as the ultimate offering for our sins which soothed God also.

[A] My own life must be offered as a burnt sacrifice also. I tend to find easiest ways to do things but when it comes to following Christ there is no shortcut. I must die and be offered up to God. And boy I'd like my life to be a soothing aroma to Him just like how described in this passage.

[P] Jesus, I want to follow your footsteps of dying in order to be lifted up by God in His power. May you use my life to be a pleasing sacrifice. In Jesus' name. Amen.

His Plans Unfold With or Without Room

[S] Luke 2:7 --
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

[O] Despite not finding a room in the inn God brought forth His plan anyways where there was room to receive Him and brought forth the anonymous shepherds to join this one-and-only awesome celebration.  These days we see people lining up the night before to not miss out on the latest gadgets or sales but if Jesus were to have come today, many of us, including myself, would've been indifferent about that while being so engulfed in the busyness of our own schedules and plans to complete.  However, He would've come anyways to the smallest and lowliest place as long as there was room (willingness) to receive Him.

[A] The question of 2012 is:  Will I be available to make room for His plans to unfold in my own life?  Or would I be too per-occupied in my own world indifferent to what God is about to do?  God's will is going to unfold regardless of my answer/choice above so I need to make room for Him that I may join in on the excitement of His wondrous and beautiful works in 2012.

[P] Dear Father, I commit this year into Your hands but at the same time I commit to prioritize and align my life and schedules to make enough room for You on daily basis.  Please continue to send Your Spirit to guide and strengthen me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.