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.

In My Loneliest Moment

[S] Genesis 15:1 --
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great."

[O] After rescuing his nephew Lot and having dealt with the king of Sodom's "generous" offer, God affirms Abram's commitment to God alone in a vision that God will be a shield to him and He got Abram's back.

[A] Lovely picture of how God personally visits us when we commit our hearts for Him alone because at these moments is when we feel the loneliest because even though God is bigger than everything in this world, in our own little world, we still feel like we only have God and released everything else.  It's comforting to know that God draws near to us when we are in this situation.

[P] Dear God, thank You for encouraging us with Your love at all times and to be my shield especially when I'm most in need.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

But I Will Do as You Say

[S] Luke 5:4-5 --
4When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets." 

[O] The professional fisherman, Peter, who just returned empty-handed from an all-night operation obeys Jesus even though it did not make much sense to him then.  The result was phenominal and then he left everything and followed Jesus (as His disciple).

[A] I feel like I've been working real hard but not that fruitful in what I've been doing.  I am afraid I may have written off what Jesus told me to do because it did not make sense to me.  I need to listen more careful for what Jesus says for me to do and fully obey because out of that He is willing to fulfill my original purpose (fishing, in this passage).

[P] Dear Jesus, I pray that my own "professional" knowledge will not get in the way of hearing You to obey them because without such a heart I will never experience Your wonderful power working in me. I ask in Your precious name.  Amen.

Go Straight to Bethlehem

[S] Luke 2:15 --
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

[O] Immediately following their experience of the angels speaking to them about the Savior being born, they went straight to Bethlehem to witness the baby Jesus.  Why the lowliest-class shepherds were chosen to be the witness of our coming King?  I don't have a definitive answer, but may be the angels spoke to some others but they were probably very busy with their schedules they were unable to "go straight" leaving behind their chores.  However, these shepherds responded right away to be part of the once-in-a-universe moment.

[A] I wonder if God is shouting at me right now and yet I am so involved with my own things I cannot hear Him or act right away to meet Him and to experience His great and awesome plans.

[P] Dear Father, please continue to speak to me even though at times I'm totally sucked into my own self and cannot hear You or to go straight to where You're at work.  I want to learn the simple act of "going straight to Bethlehem" immediately to meet You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Teaching the Law Clearly

[S] Genesis 2:15-17 --
15Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16The Lord God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

[O] This command of not eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil was given to Adam before Eve existed, so it was Adam's responsibility to teach the exact command of God to her.  When the serpent tempted Eve about eating this fruit, her response wasn't quite convicting and while I am not alluding to this as Adam's fault, I do see the significance of teaching (or passing down) the exact command of God to my family members.  If I don't do this well, then the unclear understanding of God's laws will lead to sinning against God.

[A] I need to take a clear and strong stance for my family to study God's word together so that every member of this family will develop clear understandings of God's heart so as they face challenges in life, they will ultimately grasp onto the the truth clearly as possible to not fall to the side.

[P] Dear God, as I face the whole new year of 2013, I am committing my heart to be a "good" leader for my family by teaching them Your laws and ways clearly from the Bible.  I realize this the best legacy I can leave with my children so I ask Your wisdom and leadership in my life through this year so that I will be prompted and motivated by the Holy Spirit every day.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Guiding to Springs of the Water of Life

[S] Revelation 7:7 --
for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

[O] Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, will always lead us to springs of the water of life despite the situations I find myself and He will wipe every tear from my eyes.  This is quite a comforting picture because my life here on earth will eventually run into situations I can only rely on His wiping away my tears waiting for His guiding me to the springs of the water of life.

[A] The girl many of us have been praying for went to be with the Lord.  While I still cannot grasp this reality, I am comforted by today's passage to know that she is in a better place to springs of the water of life where Jesus had led her to be.  She was a fighter and yet for unknown reasons (until meet Jesus to hear the answers later) she had to leave us very early.

[P] Dear Jesus, please wipe away every tear from her family members, especially her parents.  There really is nothing I can do but I know what You can do in their hearts.  Please do Your mighty works in them to reveal Your amazing love and grace as I pray in Your name.  Amen.

It's About Time for His Glory to Shine

[S] John 11:4 --
But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

[O] There is something more significant and important than life itself which is the glory of God.  I mean, we all try to live our lives as long as we can in order to fully enjoy it and we would feel robbed when it seems to end too early.  In light of today's scene of Lazarus it was a matter of life or death situation and Jesus took extra days before visiting where Lazarus was; and by the time He arrived, Lazarus already passed away a few days.  What was the purpose of the delay, or why didn't He command Lazarus to be healed "remotely"?  The answer is because revealing God's glory was more significant than healing Lazarus.

[A] Jesus' words of "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God" stuck to me because as some of us are praying for a girl for the miraculous healing from a terminal disease where doctors have nothing more to do for her, I am going to cry out to God to anoint her with this same message -- that His glory would be revealed by saving her.

[P] Dear Father, as Your words speak, please do not let her illness end in death but Your glory shine through so brightly that no one can deny Your presence in this society where we has lost sight of You for too long.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

From Knowing to Honoring God

[S] Romans 1:21 --
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

[O] Knowing about God alone is not sufficient to sustain the true relationship God desires with us because we will only end up speculating Him rather than being faithful to His promises and honor Him with gratitude.  Without a proper attitude toward God with the deepest knowledge of Him our hearts will only be darkened with our futile efforts.

[A] I've known God for many years now but truths like this passage convicts my heart every time because I find myself coasting along with that knowledge of God rather than my honoring attitude toward Him which gets deeper each day to the point of His thoughts and ways consuming my mind completely during my waking hours.  This is a great moment for me to examine my heart for deepest honor and gratitude for God's grace and love for me.

[P] Dear Father, may my heart's deepest honor grow deeper and deeper each day and may that be the driving force behind my faith to gain more wisdom and knowledge of Your ways for my life.  In Jesus' name. Amen.

Instructions on Pleasing God

[S] 1 Thessalonians 4:1 --
Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

[O] We have instructions for everything and it's no surprise that God would have instructions for us to walk and please Him.  And our job is to learn it and excel still more doing that because it just does not come easy by simply wishing for it.

[A] I have not been diligent about doing this of learning His instructions to walk in His ways to please Him and to excel even more doing that. I need to dig in to His word more to find out these invaluable instructions and that's the bottom line application for me.

[P] Dear Father, thank You for giving me the instructions of how I can please You.  But that's only going to work if I start learning it and applying it to my life.  Please continue to send Your Holy Spirit into my heart so that I would be in tuned with Your instructions as I read Your word.  I want to please You the most in all aspects of my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Don't Run Out of Oil

[S] Matthew 25:9 (NIV) --
“ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

[O] The ten wise virgins brought extra oil for the lamps and when the other ten requested to share the oil, they denied because there wasn't enough for all of them.  They were the wise ones because they prepared in advance but what impressed me more today was the fact that they were wise enough to gauge how much oil they had and refused to share.  It's not the un-sharing part but the wisdom to know how to live out their purpose to the max without any compromise.

[A] I only have a limited amount of resources to achieve God-given purpose for my life to the max.  I need to have the wisdom to know how much amount of resources I have and use it wisely without running out before my mission is accomplished here on earth.

[P] Dear Father, grant me the wisdom to use my energy and resources You have placed in my life for the soul purpose of carrying out Your mission for me here on earth.  May I know when to say "no" so that I won't run out of gas (oil) doing non-essential things.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Desperate Determination

[S] Matthew 15:25 --
But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" 

[O] The Syrophoenician woman's attitude of seeking after Jesus' help was not only with desperation but also with determination.  She believed Jesus can heal her daughter so even though she ran into a dead-end street she did not give up but continued to seek favor from Jesus -- even just the "crumb" of his favor was sufficient for her so she continued to "bow down" and asked for Jesus' help.

[A] May be I have it too easy and I take the favor of Jesus on my life for granted but as I reflect on my own desperation of hanging on to the power of Jesus in my life, I am way short of this woman's attitude and determination.  I need to bow down before Him and simply ask "Lord, help me!"

[P] Dear Jesus, as time dashes by in the midst of whirlwind of events, I have not come before you on my knees to ask for Your awesome help in my life.  Please forgive me for trying to "do it" on my own instead of seeking the touch of your miraculous power.  Please help me, Lord, so I may lean on You 100% in 100% of my life.  In Your name I ask.  Amen.

Color of Ink Written on My Tablet

[S] 2 Corinthians 3:3 --
being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

[O] My life is a letter written by Christ with his flowing Spirit.  The color of this ink of Spirit is beautiful red, His own blood.  My life is simply the white (neutral) sheet of paper where by itself carries no special meaning but with His letter written on it, then I become the carrier of that love letter.

[A] While I do not have an iPad yet, I already possess a tablet of my heart where God can finger His message of love.  I've been so engulfed with overwhelming amount of "stuff" to do, I had been shadowing His wonderful letter written on my heart.  I need to chase away the overshadowing forces and unveil His love to reflect out of my life.  I need to humbly fall before His Name daily to lower myself and exalt His Name.

[P] Dear Jesus, please let the hot red ink of Your blood jump out of my heart as I first come to You daily to soak up Your message of love.  Please let Your light shine, especially during this time of Thanksgiving.  In Your name.  Amen.

Bring to Light the Things Hidden

[S] 1 Corinthians 4:5 --
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.

[O] The part about Jesus bringing to light the things hidden in the darkness has been on my mind a lot lately.  Many things are hidden in the darkness and I want them revealed so I don't have to wait and guess about them.  These include my future, issues I am struggling with, and just anything that is unclear to me.  Today's passage comforted me because God will bring those things to light (in His timing).  One of the key hidden area is the people's hearts and motives.  I just could never tell what others are thinking of and at times why they act in certain ways.  However, God will bring to light the motives of men's hearts also.  Then God will place the praises in our hearts toward Him.

[A] There is a very challenging situation at workplace and it deals with finding out what the motives behind someone's actions.  It has been weighing me down lately but God has given me a fresh wind from today's passage.  He will bring to light these hidden things to bring out praises from my heart.

[P] Dear Jesus, thank You for reminding me in various ways lately about how You desire to bring light in my life so I may see Your glory and to praise You from the bottom of my heart.  I can already praise You for lightening up my soul right now with Your promise of bringing forth the light in due time as I pray in Your Holy name.  Amen.

Perception of the Enemy

[S] Acts 24:5 --
For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

[O] If one man can stir up the whole world, that is actually pretty powerful if you think about it.  There are a few people in the past who's shaken the world -- some good and some bad ways -- but definitely not many are in this category.  Jesus was a God and yet as a full human being He was labeled by the Jewish leaders as the one who stir the whole world.  It is actually an honor to be known as such a person by the enemy because if they feel threatened that means God is on our side.

[A] As I read this comment by the Jewish leaders, I was meditating on how my life is currently viewed by the enemy.  Will they feel threatened by my vision and passion to live for God and to carry out His plans here on earth without being distracted by all sorts of things crowding my life?  Will my family treasure Jesus at the core like a rock that will not shake us apart?  Will my church be the "hurricane" poised to sweep through the local region and further?

[P] Dear Jesus, make me, my family, and my church be known like You in this passage by our enemy.  I ask that Your Spirit seal the focus and strength to carry on Your wonderful plans here and to keep our eyes on You at all time.  In Your name.  Amen.

Divide and Conquer

[S] Nehemiah 7:66-69 --
The whole assembly together was 42,360, besides their male and their female servants, of whom there were 7,337; and they had 245 male and female singers. Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

[O] The immeasurable task of rebuilding the fallen wall of Jerusalem was not accomplished by a chosen few but by everyone taking ownership of their small portions to completion.  At end of the day, it was close to 50,000 people collaborating under the leadership of Nehemiah, rebuilt the wall.  Even the animals used were over 8,000.

[A] In both of my personal life (family, work) and my ministry involvement have run across mountains of load and burden and as I reflect on Nehemiah's journey of managing his own mountains lay ahead of him, I am strengthened and my soul replenished to move forward by divide-and-conquering instead of trying to take them all on by myself.  It is going to take deeper and intimate devotion with Jesus every day as well as taking the highest priority items and work on them one by one, at my current point it is my family's needs.  Some parts of the walls of my family have crumpled down and need to do some restoration works.  There's been simply too much going on and so I need a time out to re-assess, restore, and rebound (move forward).

[P] Dear Jesus, thank You for prompting me to take a time out now to re-balance my responsibilities in life and the calling You have for me.  I want to move my fulcrum toward my family and as I do that please shower down Your glorious grace while allowing my sensitivity to Your voice so I would clearly see, hear, and follow Your ways.  In Your precious name.  Amen.

Hear the Trumpet Sound

[S] Nehemiah 4:20 -- Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" (NIV)

[O] Something about this proclamation has power to bring a community of believers together. When that trumpet sounds in some ways for the people to recognize that it is time to unite to stand up for God's calling.

[A] Will I hear and recognize the trumpet sound? This depends on how much I am in sync with His Word and Spirit every day. I have been reading the Word daily but journaling was sparse which weakened my ability to dig deeper into God's heart for me.

[P] Dear God, please forgive my laziness and cover me under your grace to fill me with Your calling. I need more of Your abundant life in me so may not run dry as I minister to others while knowing that You are working in the midst of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Angel's Strengthening Visit

[S] Luke 22:43 -- An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. (NIV)

[O] God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus during His time of agony and challenge ofHis facing the road to Calvary. God will send angels to pull us up when we are down and under.

[A] Even Jesus had an angel minister to Him to strengthen up from the tough circumstance He was in. Two takeaways for me: 1) trust in God who will send His angel to lift me up of I need to be; 2) ask for His angel to make a visit to strengthen me.

[P] Dear God, You know where I am right now.  You know how much strength I need.  Would you please send Your angel to lift me up?  In Jesus' name.  Amen.