[S] Gideon 6:13-15 --
13 Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian."14 The Lord looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?"15 He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house."
[O] When God called Gideon, we can see that he was aware of what God has done before through His miracles and wondering why He isn't doing anything about their stark situation. Gideon's hope had diminished at this point to nothing ("Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian"). Then God calls him to be the one to deliver His people; that is to say, that "I am here to do just that, however, this time it's going to be through your own life." To this Gideon's response wasn't jumping up and down rejoicing but to say to God, "You sure you got the right person? It just cannot be me." There was a disconnect between his knowledge of knowing God's miraculous power and how that same power can work in his own life.
[A] God is all powerful. Nothing is impossible for Him. If I believe this, then I should also make myself available for Him to use my life to do anything He desires to accomplish His purposes in this world. Without this understanding in my own life, I will not be ready to be used by God.
[P] Dear almighty God, let Your power reign in my own life and may my meager life take part in the amazing plan of Yours for the people on this earth. In Jesus' name. Amen.
From my Life devotional journaling and more (Read Today's Passage)
Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
Showing posts with label Preparation to Receive Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Preparation to Receive Power. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Lameness Leads to Begging
[S] Acts 3:9-10 --
9And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
[O] Healing of this lame beggar was recognized by many people as they were filled with wonder and amazement. They did not know how he was able to walk and leap but knew that it was an act of miracle for that to happen to the man. When God is on the move, there is no time to even think about "how" because "what" took place is just so amazing and awesome. When people are on the move, there are so many "who this, and how that" questions dampening the works of God in the end, making us look like this lame beggar. In fact, I feel like him now where I feel immobilized in the small group ministry and feel as if begging for people to come along.
[A] What I need to request from God is to heal me, strengthen my joints, so I may leap up and praise God so others will wonder in amazement something awesome had happened and eventually see that it was God's working in my life based on my faith. It's a matter of time (when) for my lameness to be transformed into a vibrant display of God's wonder.
[P] Dear Jesus, I, too, need the same presence of Your power in v.6: "... In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!" I want to walk and praise You for what You have, are, and will do in my life so it won't stay in the lame state. In Your precious name. Amen.
9And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
[O] Healing of this lame beggar was recognized by many people as they were filled with wonder and amazement. They did not know how he was able to walk and leap but knew that it was an act of miracle for that to happen to the man. When God is on the move, there is no time to even think about "how" because "what" took place is just so amazing and awesome. When people are on the move, there are so many "who this, and how that" questions dampening the works of God in the end, making us look like this lame beggar. In fact, I feel like him now where I feel immobilized in the small group ministry and feel as if begging for people to come along.
[A] What I need to request from God is to heal me, strengthen my joints, so I may leap up and praise God so others will wonder in amazement something awesome had happened and eventually see that it was God's working in my life based on my faith. It's a matter of time (when) for my lameness to be transformed into a vibrant display of God's wonder.
[P] Dear Jesus, I, too, need the same presence of Your power in v.6: "... In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!" I want to walk and praise You for what You have, are, and will do in my life so it won't stay in the lame state. In Your precious name. Amen.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Preparation Now Matters In The End
[S] Matthew 25:5 --
5"Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.
[O] All ten virgins (five foolish, five prudent) faced the same challenges in their circumstances and suffered the same consequence of getting drowsy and falling asleep. However when the bridegroom came, the two groups of the ladies responded completely different based on their preparation for this moment. The foolish didn't have enough oil and thus could not meet their bridegrooms while the prudent were able to welcome and greet their bridegrooms while their opportunity was at hand. They could seize the moment which they were longing for a long period of time (while the bridegroom was delaying).
[A] How well I'm prepared for the moment will make that significant difference when that moment finally arrives. How am I preparing myself for the significant moments in my life starting from my immediate presentations, work tasks, children's future, and eventually meeting Jesus when He returns? I need to continue to increase my personal prayer time with the Lord as well as Scriptural memorization.
[P] Dear Father, I love You for guiding my life to be closer to You. I want to prepare my life just like the prudent ladies from this passage such that even though I may fall from the challenges of my life, when You return I will be fully prepared to meet and to receive You to spend the eternity with You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
5"Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.
[O] All ten virgins (five foolish, five prudent) faced the same challenges in their circumstances and suffered the same consequence of getting drowsy and falling asleep. However when the bridegroom came, the two groups of the ladies responded completely different based on their preparation for this moment. The foolish didn't have enough oil and thus could not meet their bridegrooms while the prudent were able to welcome and greet their bridegrooms while their opportunity was at hand. They could seize the moment which they were longing for a long period of time (while the bridegroom was delaying).
[A] How well I'm prepared for the moment will make that significant difference when that moment finally arrives. How am I preparing myself for the significant moments in my life starting from my immediate presentations, work tasks, children's future, and eventually meeting Jesus when He returns? I need to continue to increase my personal prayer time with the Lord as well as Scriptural memorization.
[P] Dear Father, I love You for guiding my life to be closer to You. I want to prepare my life just like the prudent ladies from this passage such that even though I may fall from the challenges of my life, when You return I will be fully prepared to meet and to receive You to spend the eternity with You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, March 19, 2010
What Do I Believe About Tomorrow?
[S] Joshua 3:5,7 --
5Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."
7Now the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you.
[O] During my college days's finals week, we'd have ice cream stations on every other floor of the dorm and so I took my coffee mug to get some ice cream to enjoy it but as I was passing by the elevator I saw a guy coming out with a small plastic bucket (like the sand bucket a little child uses) filling it up by visiting every station. I was thinking is he going to really eat all that by himself? The answer was yes. I never dreamed of eating that much ice cream in a sitting so this was quite a surprise for me. That experience came to mind when I verse 5 because God has an unlimited amount of wonders to shower on me and I can take either a coffee mug size worth or a (large) bucketful worth of it depending on how much I'm prepared to receive it. Joshua was assured that tomorrow God will do wonders and he was fully ready to take it all in and encouraging the people to do likewise by consecrating themselves.
How much do I believe that God is about to do His wonderful works in my and my family members' lives? And is my heart prepared to take it all in without missing a beat? Am I encouraging others to do likewise?
God also honors Joshua's trust in Him as the leader of the Israelites and He exalts him before the people just as He did with Moses. Joshua, a newbie leader, trusted God fully (as he always did even when Moses was alive) and was leading his people to prepare for God-sized wonders. He did not have any fancy implementation and deployment plans, per se. And based on this God placed him in the proper leadership position to lead them through Canaan's conquering march.
[A] First, confirm in my heart that I do fully trust God to bring upon my family, and church something awesomely wonderful. Second, prepare my heart to the max to receive it all. Third, encourage others around me to prepare (consecrate) themselves also.
[P] Dear God, here I am before You to fully preparing for 100% receiving of Your wonders which You are about to carry out. This is both scary and exciting. This is sink or swim. This is risking it all for You! In Jesus' name I ask. Amen.
5Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."
7Now the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you.
[O] During my college days's finals week, we'd have ice cream stations on every other floor of the dorm and so I took my coffee mug to get some ice cream to enjoy it but as I was passing by the elevator I saw a guy coming out with a small plastic bucket (like the sand bucket a little child uses) filling it up by visiting every station. I was thinking is he going to really eat all that by himself? The answer was yes. I never dreamed of eating that much ice cream in a sitting so this was quite a surprise for me. That experience came to mind when I verse 5 because God has an unlimited amount of wonders to shower on me and I can take either a coffee mug size worth or a (large) bucketful worth of it depending on how much I'm prepared to receive it. Joshua was assured that tomorrow God will do wonders and he was fully ready to take it all in and encouraging the people to do likewise by consecrating themselves.
How much do I believe that God is about to do His wonderful works in my and my family members' lives? And is my heart prepared to take it all in without missing a beat? Am I encouraging others to do likewise?
God also honors Joshua's trust in Him as the leader of the Israelites and He exalts him before the people just as He did with Moses. Joshua, a newbie leader, trusted God fully (as he always did even when Moses was alive) and was leading his people to prepare for God-sized wonders. He did not have any fancy implementation and deployment plans, per se. And based on this God placed him in the proper leadership position to lead them through Canaan's conquering march.
[A] First, confirm in my heart that I do fully trust God to bring upon my family, and church something awesomely wonderful. Second, prepare my heart to the max to receive it all. Third, encourage others around me to prepare (consecrate) themselves also.
[P] Dear God, here I am before You to fully preparing for 100% receiving of Your wonders which You are about to carry out. This is both scary and exciting. This is sink or swim. This is risking it all for You! In Jesus' name I ask. Amen.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Stealing the Power
[S] Mark 5:28-30 --
28For she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well."
29Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
30Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?"
[O] I never thought we could be stealing anything from Jesus, but this woman did just that! She secretly approached Jesus and stole His power to heal herself from the long-fought disease. The woman truly believed that she could only touch the garment she will get well. It was not an "if" or a "perhaps" but she believed it to be true and then followed through with her actions. She was prepared to receive the miraculous healing from Jesus and she did just that. On the surface it looked like she did this without Jesus' knowledge but if you think about it how can the loving God of the universe not know one of His caring children's need and her faith to receive His wonderful power into her life? Things like this do not happen by chance but by His design and plan. How beautiful it is to know that God's awesome power is ready to be deployed into any one of our life if we are ready to receive it by faith! The story of $1.11 Miracle comes to mind where the little girl's faith of miracle indeed came true in saving his brother -- this is a very touching true story.
[A] It's really refreshing to realize that I can tap into His great power any time, even when it seems like I'm stealing away from Him without His knowledge. In fact, I don't think Jesus would mind my doing that often. I need to prepare my heart and life to receive such a wonderful power and that is only possible by abiding in His word on daily basis.
[P] Dear God, please allow me to "steal" Your power more often. I want to be dwelling in Your miracles by preparing my heart to receive them in every day of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
28For she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well."
29Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
30Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?"
[O] I never thought we could be stealing anything from Jesus, but this woman did just that! She secretly approached Jesus and stole His power to heal herself from the long-fought disease. The woman truly believed that she could only touch the garment she will get well. It was not an "if" or a "perhaps" but she believed it to be true and then followed through with her actions. She was prepared to receive the miraculous healing from Jesus and she did just that. On the surface it looked like she did this without Jesus' knowledge but if you think about it how can the loving God of the universe not know one of His caring children's need and her faith to receive His wonderful power into her life? Things like this do not happen by chance but by His design and plan. How beautiful it is to know that God's awesome power is ready to be deployed into any one of our life if we are ready to receive it by faith! The story of $1.11 Miracle comes to mind where the little girl's faith of miracle indeed came true in saving his brother -- this is a very touching true story.
[A] It's really refreshing to realize that I can tap into His great power any time, even when it seems like I'm stealing away from Him without His knowledge. In fact, I don't think Jesus would mind my doing that often. I need to prepare my heart and life to receive such a wonderful power and that is only possible by abiding in His word on daily basis.
[P] Dear God, please allow me to "steal" Your power more often. I want to be dwelling in Your miracles by preparing my heart to receive them in every day of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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