READING
- Exodus 8
- Psalms 58
- Isaiah 7
- Luke 12 (CEVUK - Common English Version UK)
MESSAGE
Luke 12 : 25 - 26
25. Can worry make you live longer?
26. If you don't have power over small things, why worry about everything else?
God is giving me an assurance through this message in Luke chapter 12. The section about worrying hit me much as I struggled again about the processing of my permanent residence nomination. Verses 25 and 26 have some sarcastic undertones for me. I know God is throwing a point here for me, yeah, why worry? Worrying will not help but just pull me down emotionally and motivates me not to enjoy each single day of work. Aside from that, worrying is a sign of powerlessness, and I indeed worry because I know I have no power over my boss' decisions. Why should I make myself worry if I have a God who has the power over all things on earth, above, and beyond? Sometimes, we just love doing things in our own way which leaves us frustrated in the end, oh how we love interloping with God's affairs. The good news is, we have a great God who is able and powerful. Nothing is too hard for the Lord, so why worry? Worrying could not make me live longer.
PROMISE
30. Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father knows what you need.
31. But put God's work first, and these things will be yours as well.
COMMAND
31. But put God's work first, and these things will be yours as well.
WARNING
APPLICATION
Starting today, whenever the spirit of worrying lurks around me, I will always remember Luke 12:25, and I will not worry anymore. Let worry worry about itself.
I definitely need to do something about my Sunday schedule as it affects my service to the Lord. Verse 31 clearly states that I need to put God's business first among other affairs. but I will not worry about it, I know God will make a way, where there seems to be no way.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your promises. I know you are able and powerful above everything. I will keep trusting You and stop worrying about anything. I know nothing is impossible to You.
READING
- Exodus 2
- Psalms 52
- Isaiah 1
- Luke 6 (CEVUK)
MESSAGE
Luke 6 : 31 & 45
31. Treat everyone as you want to be treated.
45. Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.
Today, the Golden Rule is waving a flag of reminder to me - not to forget what my parents have taught me since childhood - be nice no matter what. For our acts reflect what's within us and our words show what's brewing in our hearts.
PROMISE
Luke 6 : 35
35. But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a great reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are unthankful and cruel.
COMMAND
Luke 6 : 30, 31 & 35
30. Give to everyone who asks and don't ask people to return what they have taken from you.
31. Treat everyone as you want to be treated.
35. But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a great reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are unthankful and cruel.
WARNING
Luke 6 : 49
But anyone who hears what I say and doesn't obey me is like someone whose house wasn't built on solid rock. As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!
APPLICATION
Though it's really hard to forget and get over with the money that I have lent to other people, I will meditate what verse 35 is saying about lending money.
PRAYER
Lord, teach my heart to be nice and shape it according to the shape of Yours.
READING
- Genesis 50
- Psalms 50
- Song of Solomon 7
- Luke 4
MESSAGE
Psalms 50 : 14 & 23
14. I am God Most High!
The only sacrifice I want
is for you to be thankful and to keep your word.
23. The sacrifice that honours Me is a thankful heart.
Obey me, and I, your God, will show my power to save.
God is telling me today that there is no other form of sacrifice that is pleasing to Him than having a thankful heart. But what does it really mean to have a thankful heart? According to Cicero, a first century Roman orator, "A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues." I think a thankful heart is a heart that always recognizes the goodness of a circumstance despite how bad the world looks at it.
There are lots of things happening in my life right now where I think I need to have a thankful heart to overcome disappointments on the way how I see things or, should I say, how they appear to me. If dealing with bad events in life positively is what it meant to have a thankful heart, I definitely agree that it is indeed a great sacrifice. A person can only stay positive and thankful amidst bad happenings if his/her faith stays in focus to God and all the promises of His Word. Succumbing unto His will and to the way how He plans things for us is not really easy; but God is waving a flag of reward to those who are willing to obey - verse 23 says He will show His power to save them.
PROMISE
15. Pray to Me in time of trouble.
I will rescue you,
and you will honour Me.
23. The sacrifice that honours Me is a thankful heart.
Obey me, and I, your God,will show my power to save.
COMMAND
15. Pray to Me in time of trouble.
I will rescue you,
and you will honour Me.
23. The sacrifice that honours Me is a thankful heart.
Obey me, and I, your God,will show my power to save.
WARNING
16. But to the wicked I say:
"You don't have the right to mention my laws
or claim to keep our agreement!
22. You have ignored me!
So pay close attention or I will tear you apart,
and no one can help you.
APPLICATION
Though the processing of my PR papers has been delayed too many times by my boss, I will always try to find a good reason why this is happening. My clouds may be all grey right now, but I always look on its silver lining. The sun will soon shine out for me.
I will fill my heart with thankfulness in every circumstance, for it is always nice to look on the brighter side of things. Verse 15 says God will rescue me if I will pray to Him in times of trouble. So I will just keep praying, I know He is always ready to rescue me.
PRAYER
Lord, create in me not just a clean heart but sprinkle it all over with the virtue of gratefulness. I always want to stay positive on my Christian walk. Help me to be an obedient worshiper, who is always ready to succumb to your will and observant of your commands. Thank you Lord for giving me a thankful heart.
READING
- Genesis 49
- Psalms 49
- Songs of Solomon 6
- Luke 3
MESSAGE
Luke 3 : 8
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. (NKJV)
Do something to show that you really have given up your sins. Don't start saying that you belong to Abraham's family. God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. (CEVUK)
God is posting a reminder for me today that it's not enough to be an adopted member of Abraham's family to secure the gift of salvation that we received when we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior. We must show that we have really given up our sins and bear good fruits to enjoy the eternal life which is bundled to the gift of salvation from the Messiah, otherwise, eternal flame awaits the chaff and the non-bearing trees .
PROMISE
Luke 3 : 17
"His winnowing fan is in his hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
COMMAND
Luke 3 : 8
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
WARNING
Luke 3 : 9 & 17
9. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
17. "His winnowing fan is in his hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
APPLICATION
I will make sure that I have asked God for the forgiveness of every sins that I have committed in the past and strive not to repeat committing the same sins again and to keep my self pleasing before His sight.
I will exert every effort to continue to bear good fruits through my service in His ministry and through every social interaction.
At times when I find it hard to bear good fruits, I'll keep in my mind and my heart the "WWJD" (what would Jesus do?) motto. It's hard, but I'll try my best to live with "Christ-like" attitude.
PRAYER
Lord forgive me for all my iniquities. Cleanse me and wash my sins away with your holy blood. Help me to live and act like you. I wanna be a reflection of your love to other people, that I may live a fruitful and righteous life, pleasing before You. I love you and I wanna be with you eternally.
READING
- Genesis 43
- Psalms 43
- Ecclesiastes 12
- Mark 15
MESSAGE
Ecclesiastes 12 : 13 - 14
13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
14. For God will bring every work into judgement,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
God is telling me today to remain steadfast on my faith in Him, and to continue striving for excellence in doing heavenly works and in keeping His commandments. For all those efforts will not be in vain and will be judged and rewarded; and so is for all the evil things done, there will be a corresponding judgement for all of it. Keep doing good even in secret, God sees everything.
PROMISECOMMAND
Ecclesiastes 12 : 13
13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all.
WARNINGEcclesiastes 12 : 14
14. For God will bring every work into judgement,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
APPLICATION
READING
- Genesis 41
- Psalms 41
- Ecclesiastes 10
- Mark 13
MESSAGE
Ecclesiastes 10 : 4
If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,
Do not leave your post;
For conciliation pacifies great offenses.
God is teaching me today the value of humility, patience and submission to authority. For an innumerable times, I've been caught into an argument with my boss about how she manages her business. I almost came to the point of quitting my job because I felt that the culture of dishonesty at my workplace is slowly transforming me into a liar monster. I still have that same struggle as before but I am not leaving my post because I know God has put me here for a purpose. I realized it's the best place to share God's Word and influence them to do what is right, what is honest, and what is fair. From time to time, I am sharing the Word by posting Bible verses on our log book so every one can see it. I feel glad whenever I hear reactions from them about how the verse strikes them and how it affects them.
Whenever the spirit of the ruler (my boss of course) rises against me, I quietly fight with my Sword of the Spirit and bear with her anger patiently. Lately, I wrote her a letter to say that I might need to get to the other side of the fence if I won't be able to get my PR papers processed soon, ... and my boss humbly told, "you know I can't afford to loose you;" that was my last attempt to quit.
PROMISE
Ecclesiastes 10 : 7
I have seen servants on horses,
While princes walk on the ground like servants.
This happened to me many times at work when people ask me if I am the manager or the hotel owner. Of course I do not take the credits, I always point to my boss and say, "No, she's the boss."
God honors all our hard works through the praises and appreciations of people.
COMMAND
Ecclesiastes 10 : 20
Do not curse the king, even in your thought;
Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
And a bird in flight may tell the matter.
WARNING
Ecclesiastes 10 : 8
He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
APPLICATION
Patience is a virtue, and I am a virtuous person. :) I have know my boss for about three years now so I perfectly know how to handle her anger. The only application that I can think of is to share to my colleague the lesson of Ecclesiastes 10:4. I think it should be one of the memory verses for all foreign workers. :P
I will continue my Verse of the Day thing on our log book. I know it's getting effective so I'll probably do it more frequent, like at least twice a week.
READING
- Genesis 40
- Psalms 40
- Ecclesiastes 9
- Mark 12
MESSAGE
Ecclesiastes 9 : 10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
God is teaching me today to be excellent on everything that I do here on earth. Once life is over, opportunity is over too, so I might as well do the best on everything I do and all the efforts will surely be rewarded.
PROMISECOMMAND
WARNING
APPLICATION
I will do my best to be excellent at work, at the church, at the ministry and with all the works of my hand.
Work wise, I'll continue with my excellent performance even though I am not getting paid well according to the work that I deliver.
I will seize all the opportunity to display excellence especially in doing visual arts (eg newsletter, church poster, invitations, etc) for God's glory.
At the church, I will push for excellence in our church worship team, even if this will mean training and mentoring each one of them, whoever is willing to learn.
READING
