[S] Genesis 18:14 --
14"Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."
[O] This powerful question is an invitation to take part in the powerful works God is about to carry out. Sarah laughed out of her disbelief of bearing a child at her golden age; practically, no one can argue against the physical limitations we live under in this world but once we lock our lives into those limitations we will never participate in the wondrous works God plans to invite us into. God asks this question -- "Is anything too difficult for the LORD?" -- often not to criticize me for the initial disbelief but awaiting a positive answer to follow like: "No, nothing is too difficult for the Lord, and I want to experience that power."
[A] Whenever I'm against a task too big for my capacity, ask this question and shout it out, "Nothing's too difficult for my God!" Then proceed to surrender my life to His services to experience His working through my life to do what I cannot do alone.
[P] Thank You for being my God who's able to stretch my life beyond my limitations for me to experience Your infinite power. May I have the faith to accept Your invitations in times like these. In Jesus' name. Amen.
From my Life devotional journaling and more (Read Today's Passage)
Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
Friday, January 07, 2011
Thursday, January 06, 2011
God Does Not Use a "Perhaps" Faith
[S] Genesis 16:2 --
2So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
[O] Sarai ran into a dead-end road and came up with a solution of her own. I give her the credit for not giving up totally but what concerns me is her conclusion of God's will by saying, "the LORD has prevented me from bearing children." Based on this wrong assumption she further commits wrong actions by letting Abram take Hagar as his wife to bear him a child. In fact, she wasn't even 100% sure about this as she says "perhaps I will obtain children through her." God does not operate on a "perhaps" faith and commitments, however, Abram did not care because he listened to Sarai and followed through with the "wrong" suggestion.
[A] Concluding (or justifying) what God may have decided can lead to dangerous results because that wrong assumption skews the rest of the actions. Based on Sarai's thought process, I need to raise a yellow flag whenever I feel like "perhaps" God will come through. God doesn't work on a chance of faith but on a fully committed faith.
[P] Dear Father, may my faith be completely confident in You such that whenever I feel a sense of "perhaps-ness" that Your Spirit would warn me to stop and re-evaluate the situation to avoid mistakes like Sarai and Abram committed. In Jesus' name. Amen.
2So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
[O] Sarai ran into a dead-end road and came up with a solution of her own. I give her the credit for not giving up totally but what concerns me is her conclusion of God's will by saying, "the LORD has prevented me from bearing children." Based on this wrong assumption she further commits wrong actions by letting Abram take Hagar as his wife to bear him a child. In fact, she wasn't even 100% sure about this as she says "perhaps I will obtain children through her." God does not operate on a "perhaps" faith and commitments, however, Abram did not care because he listened to Sarai and followed through with the "wrong" suggestion.
[A] Concluding (or justifying) what God may have decided can lead to dangerous results because that wrong assumption skews the rest of the actions. Based on Sarai's thought process, I need to raise a yellow flag whenever I feel like "perhaps" God will come through. God doesn't work on a chance of faith but on a fully committed faith.
[P] Dear Father, may my faith be completely confident in You such that whenever I feel a sense of "perhaps-ness" that Your Spirit would warn me to stop and re-evaluate the situation to avoid mistakes like Sarai and Abram committed. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
In Training Now for the Times of Need
[S] Genesis 14:14 --
14When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
[O] Abram did not start Googling for hired guns when he heard the news. He had in-house trained men for times like these and they must've been like the Navy SEALs because with only 318 men he was able to defeat the army that captured Sodom and Gomorrah. I'm so impressed with Abram's preparedness by training men born in his house (in other translations it says household most likely meaning his own descendants) who are ready to go at moments notice. I'm also trying to train my own children but that's not easy to carry out but this passage encourages me to carry on. I'm also encouraged to carry on training leaders for the small group ministry consistently because there will come a time when in-house trained men/women are needed to run a Godly task.
[A] Preparation for crisis is not going to happen accidentally because it requires faithful training of disciples now and every day. Continue on with training up leaders for small group ministry without discouragements.
[P] Dear Jesus, as You have called Your disciples at the shores of Sea of Galilee please call the small group leaders to step up into the very much needed roles at our church. Please send more of them in order for us to unite our hearts to be trained men like the 318 ment Abram took to rescue Lot and family. In Jesus' name. Amen.
14When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
[O] Abram did not start Googling for hired guns when he heard the news. He had in-house trained men for times like these and they must've been like the Navy SEALs because with only 318 men he was able to defeat the army that captured Sodom and Gomorrah. I'm so impressed with Abram's preparedness by training men born in his house (in other translations it says household most likely meaning his own descendants) who are ready to go at moments notice. I'm also trying to train my own children but that's not easy to carry out but this passage encourages me to carry on. I'm also encouraged to carry on training leaders for the small group ministry consistently because there will come a time when in-house trained men/women are needed to run a Godly task.
[A] Preparation for crisis is not going to happen accidentally because it requires faithful training of disciples now and every day. Continue on with training up leaders for small group ministry without discouragements.
[P] Dear Jesus, as You have called Your disciples at the shores of Sea of Galilee please call the small group leaders to step up into the very much needed roles at our church. Please send more of them in order for us to unite our hearts to be trained men like the 318 ment Abram took to rescue Lot and family. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Don't Forget the Original Calling
[S] Genesis 9:1; 11:8 --
1And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.
[O] Despite God's charge of filling the earth (Genesis 9:1) the people decided to build a city and stay put in that one location. God was not pleased with that and by confusing them with different languages, He dispersed the people from there over the face of the whole earth. God's commands for us are not just for fun but for real and when we align our lives accordingly, God's wonderful plan will come true; if not, He will find a way for us to follow in the end. Building up of the city itself was not the issue here but their intention of going against God's directions of filling the earth and staying there. They lost the original purpose and took their own paths along the way. When I am doing God's ministry, the task of building up a community (or church) itself is not necessarily the focus but with what purpose I am serving in His ministry. Am I serving blindly so engulfed into building the ministry (or the "city") and losing the focus of Jesus' commands of spreading His goodnews? I constantly need to remind myself of the original purpose for the ministry He's put me in.
[A] I need to be very careful about serving in church ministry in order not to fall into the trap of running programs and forgetting why we're running them for. Daily reading of His word and asking Him to guide my 24 hours/day will be a requirement for me to stay on track without falling into these traps.
[P] Dear Father, please continue to lead my heart such that I will not lose focus of your original purpose for the ministries You put me in charge of, big or small. May I not be like these people who are so involved in building up the city that they lost Your callings. May Your will be done through my obedience and faithfully serving You daily. In Jesus' name. Amen.
1And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.
[O] Despite God's charge of filling the earth (Genesis 9:1) the people decided to build a city and stay put in that one location. God was not pleased with that and by confusing them with different languages, He dispersed the people from there over the face of the whole earth. God's commands for us are not just for fun but for real and when we align our lives accordingly, God's wonderful plan will come true; if not, He will find a way for us to follow in the end. Building up of the city itself was not the issue here but their intention of going against God's directions of filling the earth and staying there. They lost the original purpose and took their own paths along the way. When I am doing God's ministry, the task of building up a community (or church) itself is not necessarily the focus but with what purpose I am serving in His ministry. Am I serving blindly so engulfed into building the ministry (or the "city") and losing the focus of Jesus' commands of spreading His goodnews? I constantly need to remind myself of the original purpose for the ministry He's put me in.
[A] I need to be very careful about serving in church ministry in order not to fall into the trap of running programs and forgetting why we're running them for. Daily reading of His word and asking Him to guide my 24 hours/day will be a requirement for me to stay on track without falling into these traps.
[P] Dear Father, please continue to lead my heart such that I will not lose focus of your original purpose for the ministries You put me in charge of, big or small. May I not be like these people who are so involved in building up the city that they lost Your callings. May Your will be done through my obedience and faithfully serving You daily. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Monday, January 03, 2011
In Need of God's Full Closure
[S] Genesis 7:16 --
16Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD closed it behind him.
[O] Obedience is our responsibility while completion of His will in our lives is God's "responsibility" as we see here in this passage about how God closed the ark behind after Noah's family did their portion of following the commands of loading up the ark with the animals (v.5 -- Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him.). I wish I could've seen how the ark was built and the final product looked like because for a total amateur like Noah to build such an ark to last 150 days floating on water completely water proofed, God must have intervened in building it and as mentioned in this passage, God "closed" the task/project to completion beyond the efforts of men. Likewise, I believe that's how God's ministry at our church is to grow -- all the congregation will do our share of the task with God's leadership until He "closes" them to completion to withstand the time miraculously not because we are the experts at it but amateurs who lean on His expertise 100%.
[A] Leaning on God does not mean slacking off and letting Him do the rest but initially giving my best and then letting God fill what my best still lacks to do God-sized tasks. In light of the small group ministry at church, I feel so inadequate (because my efforts alone are just that) and must transform my mind from forfeiting to give up to surrendering to give into His will. Then I will experience His fulfilling to "close" my meager efforts into a full closure.
[P] Dear Father, let me not think twice about doing Your ministry with my own efforts because I need Your "closure" to complete the tasks You had assigned me to complete. It will never be completed on my own no matter what others say. Thank You for filling the inadequate gap my efforts alone leave behind. In Jesus' name. Amen.
16Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD closed it behind him.
[O] Obedience is our responsibility while completion of His will in our lives is God's "responsibility" as we see here in this passage about how God closed the ark behind after Noah's family did their portion of following the commands of loading up the ark with the animals (v.5 -- Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him.). I wish I could've seen how the ark was built and the final product looked like because for a total amateur like Noah to build such an ark to last 150 days floating on water completely water proofed, God must have intervened in building it and as mentioned in this passage, God "closed" the task/project to completion beyond the efforts of men. Likewise, I believe that's how God's ministry at our church is to grow -- all the congregation will do our share of the task with God's leadership until He "closes" them to completion to withstand the time miraculously not because we are the experts at it but amateurs who lean on His expertise 100%.
[A] Leaning on God does not mean slacking off and letting Him do the rest but initially giving my best and then letting God fill what my best still lacks to do God-sized tasks. In light of the small group ministry at church, I feel so inadequate (because my efforts alone are just that) and must transform my mind from forfeiting to give up to surrendering to give into His will. Then I will experience His fulfilling to "close" my meager efforts into a full closure.
[P] Dear Father, let me not think twice about doing Your ministry with my own efforts because I need Your "closure" to complete the tasks You had assigned me to complete. It will never be completed on my own no matter what others say. Thank You for filling the inadequate gap my efforts alone leave behind. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Labels:
Closure,
Devotion,
God-sized Assignments,
Leaning on Jesus
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Price of the Very First Leather Suit
[S] Genesis 3:21 --
21The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
[O] Why did God make this leather clothing for them? After all they are the ones who felt ashamed before God and they already sewn themselves a covering made out of fig tree leaves. In order to make this leather clothing, God had to sacrifice the animal the skin belonged to and perhaps this was the first sacrifice of His creation in order to cover up the sin of man. When He created the world at the end of each day He said they were good to Him so there was none that He created reluctantly set apart to be disposed so the animal used to make this leather covering for Adan and Eve had to give up their lives sacrificially. That same theme continued through Jesus coming to earth to live out a life that did not have to end in a murderous death all for covering our sins. But He did just that for me.
[A] God's love come alive when I lay my life down sacrificially because the DNA of that love from the beginning of man's sin was based on sacrifice of shedding blood. That was all done because God loved man (me). If my heart had captured such a love then willingness to sacrifice must arise from my heart in order to ignite His love coming alive in and through my life.
[P] Dear Father, please kindle the flame of Your love in me as I sacrificially serve Your community starting with my family. May Your message of sacrifice be embedded into my heart deep inside such that I would follow the footsteps of Jesus's sacrificial love for me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
21The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
[O] Why did God make this leather clothing for them? After all they are the ones who felt ashamed before God and they already sewn themselves a covering made out of fig tree leaves. In order to make this leather clothing, God had to sacrifice the animal the skin belonged to and perhaps this was the first sacrifice of His creation in order to cover up the sin of man. When He created the world at the end of each day He said they were good to Him so there was none that He created reluctantly set apart to be disposed so the animal used to make this leather covering for Adan and Eve had to give up their lives sacrificially. That same theme continued through Jesus coming to earth to live out a life that did not have to end in a murderous death all for covering our sins. But He did just that for me.
[A] God's love come alive when I lay my life down sacrificially because the DNA of that love from the beginning of man's sin was based on sacrifice of shedding blood. That was all done because God loved man (me). If my heart had captured such a love then willingness to sacrifice must arise from my heart in order to ignite His love coming alive in and through my life.
[P] Dear Father, please kindle the flame of Your love in me as I sacrificially serve Your community starting with my family. May Your message of sacrifice be embedded into my heart deep inside such that I would follow the footsteps of Jesus's sacrificial love for me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Unashamed Nakedness
[S] Genesis 2:25 --
25And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
[O] When Adam and Eve had the right relationship with God which was originally intended, they had nothing to hide from God. Not that they could hide anything from God but their conscience was clear before God and so they were not ashamed to be naked. Shamefulness is self-generated, not put on by others because it is the person's awareness of other people's knowledge about him/herself. So a person without any of these knowledge will not have anything to be ashamed of.
[A] How I desire to live a life without any inkling of shame before God who already knows everything about myself. I want to so close to God that even if I am "naked" before Him I would be just business as usual.
[P] Dear Father, please grant me a clean and pure heart such that when I am with You, I would be totally resting in Your presence without worrying about any shame. In Jesus' name. Amen.
25And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
[O] When Adam and Eve had the right relationship with God which was originally intended, they had nothing to hide from God. Not that they could hide anything from God but their conscience was clear before God and so they were not ashamed to be naked. Shamefulness is self-generated, not put on by others because it is the person's awareness of other people's knowledge about him/herself. So a person without any of these knowledge will not have anything to be ashamed of.
[A] How I desire to live a life without any inkling of shame before God who already knows everything about myself. I want to so close to God that even if I am "naked" before Him I would be just business as usual.
[P] Dear Father, please grant me a clean and pure heart such that when I am with You, I would be totally resting in Your presence without worrying about any shame. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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