Stuck in Baby-lon

[S] Jeremiah 29:10-11 (NIV) --
10 This is what the Lord says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

[O] God has a specific plan for my life and even though I may seem to be spending eternity in "Babylon" He will take me out of that place into prosperity, hope and future.  When I feel like I'm stuck in Babylon one of the first thing that goes out the door is hope of living for future but that's exactly what God promises here.

[A] I've been feeling like I'm stuck at my current job as my Babylon (nothing bad, just too busy to take up a lot of my time away from family and ministry).  I'm going to rid of my thinking like that but to trust in His plans for my life with prosperity, hope and future!

[P] Dear Father, Your plans are always higher than mine and please don't let me forget about that so my daily life will be founded in that firm foundation of trust in You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

The LORD Was With Him

[S] Genesis 39:2,23 --
 ²The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 
 ²³The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper.

[O] Success and prosperity in the society are two top objectives people pursue, however, most people fall short of reaching them because just like in a race not everyone can come in first.  Furthermore, even for those who had reached a satisfied level of success or prosperity they will not be satisfied and keeps going for more and more thus they end up feeling like they never succeeded.  Contrary to that, Joseph's life even in hostile and unpleasant circumstances reached success (v.2) and prosper (v.23) because the LORD was with him.  Not because he came up with a brilliant business plan of a killer app or not because he had a wealth line of heritage.  It was this recognition by others of how God was with him brought forth these results.

[A] Am I trying so hard to "succeed" in certain goals in my life?  I just need to make sure God is with me and fully give credit to Him for working through me for bringing forth amazing results.

[P] Dear Father, please make my life like Joseph's where Your presence reflected clearly in his life.  Just like how the mirror reflects everything, I want to reflect the awesomeness of You rather than trying to reveal myself.  When I die, I would like for people to say "The LORD was with Yoon."  I humbly ask in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Prosperous Priority

[S] 2 Chronicles 26:4-5 -- ⁴He did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 
  ⁵He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.

[O] This is what King Uzziah did following after his father Amaziah's footsteps of righteousness in the Lord.  I don't know what Amaziah did that influenced his son to follow after God (unlike many other successors we read) but at the age of sixteen, Uzziah dedicated his efforts to pursue after God's ways.  In verse 5, the key operands were "continued" to seek God, and "prospered" him.  This is the cause and effect of living out a life God desires.  He wants me to continuously seek Him while putting myself in the midst of a godly culture seeking after God's vision PERIOD.  Then as long as I stay on this course, God will prosper me.  This is not about being prosperous materially but about how God will use me to display His amazing power and presence.

[A] This message of continuously seeking God which leads to God's way of making me prosperous hits home for me especially now because my mind's been filling up with setting plans for raising and guiding my teenage children upright and also be successful in the society as well as how to lead the small group ministry at church to mature speedily to minister to the growing congregation.  In the end I seem to be relying more on my own plans and efforts rather than seeking God continuously leaving the results to God's ways of prospering me.  I am convicted to throw myself at Him and surrender the outcome of my children's' lives and the small group ministry.  With my children, I must hone in on how their hearts will focus on pursuing God foremost.  With the small group ministry, I need to work with one leader at a time to shepherd them on how each of them can seek God continuously in their own lives not worrying too much about how to "lead" their group members.

[P] Dear God, O please work in my heart, my children's' hearts, and the small group leaders' hearts such that they would desire You continuously like Uzziah did to receive Your prosperity in the own lives which will eventually germinate throughout their circles of influences.  Please allow me to not worry too much but abide in You!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.d

How To Prolong Our Days

[S] Deuteronomy 6:2 --

²so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.

[O] Especially during this time of economic downturn in US, all of us are concerned about what may happen to our future as a nation, and as an individual.  What if I get layed off?  What if my investments all flushes down the drain?  Times like these, God's message of settling down is not about better financial management but to sustain the fear of LORD your God to keep his commandments at all time.  As a result my days will be prolonged with prosperity.  One of the high priority items on my list of inheritance to my children is so they may continue to have this exact fear of the LORD our God such that it will only be magnified into subsequent generations.  This natioin is in great need of fearing God because we're so distracted by many things this country has offered we have veared off away from the core of pursuing after God's guidance in our lives.  We are trying to prolong our days with our own might instead of following God's paths He outlined for us to follow.

[A] I want to pray for our children so they would 1) grasp this fear of God; 2) retain that fear for the rest of their lives; 3) pass it down to their children.

[P] Dear God, I lift up my beautiful children you had given to our family.  Even though I am still struggling to raise them by learning every day how to build the right relationship with them (and failing many times), please instill deep in their hearts the passion for the knowledge of Your word and to reatin the fear in their lives as they traverse through their lives.  Protect them with Your angels.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.