Before I Call on Him

[S] Isaiah 65:24 --
24It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

[O] God answers me before I even call on Him.  That's the type of God I am serving.  He knows where I am before I realize where I am.  He will guide me beyond what I can imagine.

[A] During the moments when I feel like God has abandoned me (or ignoring me) I need to recite this verse because He does not slumber or ignore me but answers me even before I ask for anything.  How can I be capitalize on His answers in my life?  I need to first have a deep trust in Him and know that He is near me at all times.

[P] Dear Father, may Your presence go ahead of my thinking at all times so that there won't be any room for me to doubt if you hear me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Repairer and Restorer

[S] Isaiah 58:12 --
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] God gives second chances to me and I should also carry on that same spirit of rebuilding broken lives starting with my own.  I need to raise up the age-old foundations to repair and restore them in the image of God.

[A] I need to make the foundation of my life to carry out the spirit of God, one of which is the spirit of restoration in the midst of brokenness.  He has mended and restored my broken life (in many ways still broken but He's not done with me) and that's what I need to pass on to others around me.  God has been nudging my heart to begin such a ministry to those near my life.  I need to seek His guidance for clarity and for like-minded co-workers to carry that out.

[P] Dear Father, please show me the way clearly by sending those who has been dreaming the same dream.  Please allow me to repair and restore what has been breached in people's lives.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Sync Up My Thoughts

[S] Isaiah 55:8 --
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord.

[O] Time to sync up with His thoughts and ways instead of doing things on my own.  In fact, searching for His thoughts and ways is a gradual process which I need to fine tune so that I won't fool myself of thinking my thoughts are His thoughts.

[A] God's ways are going to be different than my ways.  I need to remember that whenever I come up with my ways.  I am fearful that when I plan things I would leave out God's ways and take things into my own hands.  I really need to double check every decision I make.

[P] Dear Father, please shower upon this unworthy's life Your insight into Your ways and thoughts so that what I do will be nothing short of following after You.  Please let my own desires fade away from my thoughts.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Get Used to His Voice

[S] 2 Peter 1:20-21 --
20But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 21for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 

[O] Need to clearly distinguish between my own interpretation and what is inspired by the Holy Spirit.  What is difficult about this is that in the end, it is still spoken through a person so whether a person was truly moved by the Holy Spirit or not it still can be subjective.  In my opinion, this is why connecting with God on daily basis to be moved by His Spirit in small matters is crucial in discerning what God speaks through the Holy Spirit.

[A] Be moved by the Spirit daily.  Experience His Spirit and get used to His voice.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for bringing me back to spend my devotionals with you on daily basis listening to Your voice.  I want to familiarize it more and more so that I will not miss a beat of walking this life on earth to serve Your will effectively.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Got Flock?

[S] 1 Peter 5:2 --
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;

[O] One cannot be a shepherd without any sheep.  God showed me how to shepherd others through Jesus Christ's example of His earthly ministry and wants me to follow that (just like how Jesus told Peter to tend His sheep).  I need to ask the question of who are in my flock?

[A] Got flock?  Before answering this question I must ask myself how I'm doing to gather this flock.  I need to be more intentional to gather them to care for them.

[P] Dear Father, please show me like-minded church planters to plant a church which models after this as the core -- 100% caring for others into God's flock.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Look Up Once in a While

[S] Isaiah 40:26 (NIV) --
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing. 

[O] In my business, I hardly have time to "smell the roses" around me.  This verse is a wonderful reminder that I should look up and see all the wonders made by God which holds this universe together.  Human science is finding one star at a time but God already named each of them and placed them around and not one of them will be missing.

[A] This may not be super spiritual thing to do, but I need to take breaks from my crazy schedules to see the wonderful works of God surrounding me and praise Him for sustaining the balance to hold earth in its place and to encapsulate it with the atmosphere containing oxygen we need to live on.  I should at least enjoy all that He's provided for me.

[P] Dear Father, I praise You for all the wonderful works surrounding me.  The warmth of sunlight, the rain that feed the soil which gives life to all vegetation which in turn feeds the creatures roaming the earth.  It is simply amazing to know all these are held by Your love.  Thank You God.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Live Such Good Lives

[S] 1 Peter 2:12 (NIV) --
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
[O] The ingress point is the return of Jesus Christ; that is when what we do will make a difference.  Until then we must endure all sorts of situations and accusations from the society we live in which is getting further away from God.  When the truth is revealed at the point of Jesus coming back to take us home, will the world glorify God because of what the believers have done, or treated them?  Let's hope so.

[A] Keep my eyes focused on the day of Jesus' return and do everything now for that moment.  Learn how to endure some of the unfair circumstances because in light of that moment, all things are insignificant.

[P] Dear Father, please allow me a big heart to absorb the noise along the way of see You come back here again to take us home.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Pass on the Purified Love

[S] 1Peter 1:22 (NIV) --
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

[O] Before obedience I need to purify my heart because only then will I be able to sincerely love others.  Loving with God's love is not just doing good works for others but genuinely care for them from the bottom of my heart.  In order to do this, I must first receive God's supply of pure (purified) love for me daily.  Genuinely loving others is becoming a conduit of God's love, not fabricating my own "love" for them.

[A] Before I want to care for my family members a father, I must first plug myself into the source of love and purify the channel through which I receive His love from.  This is not easy especially when there are so much noise (pollution) around me.  I need to seek His wisdom in purifying my surroundings so God's love is channeled directly into my heart.

[P] Dear Father, please pump Your pure love into my heart so I may pass that on to others.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

To the Last Strand of My Strength

[S] 2 Kings 19:14 (NIV) --
Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.

[O] This letter most likely drained every strength he had in his body.  However, he mustered up his last strength and went up to the temple of the Lord and surrendered it before Him.  When I hit a crisis I am not sure if I would first go up to the temple of God and surrender my circumstances or not.  Even though Hezekiah may have felt like he was total loser, he still hung on to the promise of God.

[A] When my life passes through crisis I still need to surrender my situation to God by spreading it out before Him.  I may feel like I could spend the last strand of strength to find a way out of that situation but God wants me to use that last breath to spread my situation before Him because He is in full control despite where I may be passing through.

[P] Dear Father, Your name is above all things and that's the truth I should never neglect or forget.  May Your trust always shine through my life as I surrender my desperate situations before You in humbleness.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Insignificant Portion of Infinity

[S] James 4:14,15 (NIV) --
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

[O] In some ways this verse is discouraging because my life is just a mist in the timeline of infinity.  So, what does it matter how I live my life?  Is it going to have an impact in the course of eternity?  But verse 15 explains that is the wrong question to ask because how I live my life here on earth will not change God's ultimate plan but how I will spend the eternity in relation to God is going be impacted by how intimately I spend my life here.

[A] I need to start each day by seeking what God's will is for my life through a consistent devotional time with God in the Word.  I've been lazy to actually write down the journaling lately after reading the passages but I need to get back into that.  This means re-arranging my daily schedule to setting aside that time of appointment with Jesus as a highest priority and make it happen daily.

[P] Dear Father, forgive my laziness to take the easy way out of keeping my relationship with you.  I will re-align my 24 hours you've graciously provided for me so I will start out with a standup meeting with you to hear your instructions for my day.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Cave is a Dead End

Psalm 142:1-2 NIV

I cry aloud to the Lord ; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble.

The comment at the beginning says this was written by David when he was in the cave as a prayer. He was able to lay all this to God as he was at the dead end of his current journey. Such intimacy with God is something to model after because it is not if but when I will be in my cave also crying out to God.

Where is my cave that I can go to in order to retreat and spill my guts in front of the creator of this universe with a conviction that He will hear me and guide me? I need to identify my own cave to refresh my joy of living my life for Him.

Dear Lord, I treasure to have my intimate and personal time with you especially when my life hits the wall. Please allow my heart to stay soft in Your presence that I will humbly cling on to Your grace. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Build up, not puff up

1Corinthians 8:1 NIV

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

I don't want to be just puffed up without much content because I will pop like a balloon when I run into a sharp situation. I want to be building up my life from the bottom up with a solid foundation. This verse teaches me that love is the right ingredient in building up my life.

As I'm in the positions of building up others I need to keep this closer to my heart because without loving them first I will only puff them up and that is almost dangerous and negligent. I need to figure out how to build up my children and my high school students.

Dear God, Your grace is what keeps me going even in the position of building others up in You. Would you please allow Your Love to fill up my heart and life so whatever I do I do with the overflowing love coming from You. In Jesus' name.

Preparing an ark for myself

DEU 10:1 NASB

"At that time the Lord said to me, 'Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself.

Like Moses how many times have I destroyed what God has prepared for me to keep in my heart? Too many to keep track. Many times this happens because I do not prepare a place to store it ahead of time and my circumstances overpower my emotions to throw away God-given jewels.

First I thank God for giving me the second chances. Second I need to prepare a special ark for myself to keep God's commands for me so that when He speaks I can preserve them in this ark I crafted out for myself.

Dear God, please allow your wisdom and skills in my life so I can successfully prepare an ark to hold all that come from you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Just like the former one

DEU 10:1 NASB

"At that time the Lord said to me, 'Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself.

Like Moses how many times have I destroyed what God has prepared for me to keep in my heart? Too many to keep track. Many times this happens because I do not prepare a place to store it and my circumstances overpower my emotions to throw away God-given jewels.

First I thank God for giving me the second chances. Second I need to prepare a special ark for myself to keep God's commands for me so that when speaks I can preserve them in this ark I crafted out for myself.

Dear God, please allow your wisdom and skills in my life so I can successfully prepare an ark to hold all that comes from you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Questions from God

Mark 9:33 NIV

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”

Why does God ask me questions when He already knows the answers? Does He want you see how I answer it? Since my answer really doesn't matter my heart condition of answering is what He must be looking for. Am I honest? Am I fearful? How close do I feel toward God? He wants me to come to Him to solve the question together.

His never stops asking me questions which means He never stops giving me chances to work with Him even when I completely mess up. I should replicate this type of attitude toward others when it comes to building a truly collaborative relationship in doing His will.

Dear God, thank you for being a God of second chances for a reckless follower like me. May my heart be overflowing with Your unending love which may touch many others around me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Pursue peace by pursuing enemies

LEV 26:6-7 NIV

“ ‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you.

Pursuing is the key operative here. Contrastingly in order to gain peace I need to pursue my enemies with my sword which is God's Word and power of the resurrection of Jesus.

Don't take a passive positioning in order to be in His presence. What am I doing to proactively take down my enemies?

Dear God, may I be encouraged by Your word daily to charge forward in the midst of my busy journey here in this world. In Jesus' name. Amen.

In the meanwhile of crisis

[S] Genesis 37:36 --
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer, the captain of the bodyguard.

[O] What a tragic scene for Joseph and some of his brothers with tension even among them after Joseph was sold.  While they were scheming how to cover up their sins, God was still at work in the "meanwhile" in Joseph's life.

[A] I want to take this one from Joseph's perspective who found himself right in the middle of a major crisis quite against the "dream" he received from God.  I am sure his mind was full of fear, questions, and simple unbelief of what just happened.  He wanted to wake up from his dream.  Along the time of being transported to Egypt, and then going through the auctioning process to be sold to Potiphar's home, he must have lost all of his hopes and dreams.  In the meanwhile, God was placing Joseph into the path that will mold him as the man He wanted to use.  Wouldn't be great if we could see what is up to during the meanwhile of our crises?

[P] Dear Father, thank You for not forgetting about me even through the darkest moments of my life.  I trust in You to mold me to be the person who will be used by You to carry out Your will. Please continue to fill my heart with Your hope and strength.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Where do I store my riches?

Luke 12:21 NIV

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

[O] Richness is not defined by how much I possess but how much I invest for future. The future is in God's hand so by investing all I have into His hand my future will become rich (however I define richness).

[A] My knowledge of God's richness hinders me from being rich toward God. I feel that God doesn't need any of my help. But that thinking needs to adjust so that I invest all I have to God instead of worrying and planning about how to get more for me in order to live a comfortable life.

[P] Dear God, I know you don't need my belongings except all of my heart. So I give it all to you now richly so it can be invested into my and my children's generations. In Jesus' name. Amen.