Devotional Time with God

What I learned today:

• Isaiah was called The Messianic Prophet because he prophesied Jesus’ deeds and messages.
• Interesting note that a prophet does not necessarily mean foretelling the future. A prophet is someone God’s use to speak His words onto the people in the prophet’s day – God’s messenger, so to speak.
• Book of Isaiah is divided into two parts: his condemnation and warning for the people in the Kingdom of Judah, and the prophecies of Jesus.
• Judah gave advice to King Ahaz and Hezekiah.
• The blessings of God will only come to those who are obedient and faithful to God. Otherwise, the riches and victory will no longer be available.

At work, we’re going to start a men’s only bible study every Thursday during lunch hour.  We’ll be going through the book of Isaiah using a provided study material.  I’m looking forward to our first meeting.  Hopefully we’ll have an enthusiastic enough group because generally men are lazy with Bible studies, like me.  This should help me study more and have fellowship with my co-workers.

Pastor Rick’s latest message is about reconciliation. This is not a new topic, but it is a very difficult topic for everyone (me included) because it’s hard for us to get along with each other. The roots of all conflicts are selfishness and sinfulness. I have needs. If my needs are not met, I will get cranky, jealous, and eventually angry. I get angry at the person I love. I get angry at God.

I must learn how to reconcile with others. But first, I must take 7 steps to get there:

1. Make peace with God.
2. Ask God for help.
3. Convene a peace conference.
4. Confess my part of the conflict.
5. Listen for others’ hurt.
6. Be willing to absorb the pain.
7. Emphasize reconciliation, not resolution.

First and foremost, I must surrender myself to God. God is the provider of all things. Going against the flesh, I need an extra strong influence that God can provide. He gives me guidelines to live by through His words. He wants me to live pure and faultless, which is what I have to strife for. To believe in God, I must change my lifestyle. I can’t be a person from this world, where selfish desires are considered acceptable and mostly encouraged! I have rules to live by. If I’ve been hurt by others, I know God will be able to heal me.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2

I must always ask God for help. To get my thoughts going on reconciliation, I have to ask two things:

• How much of it is my fault?
• What does God want me to do about this?

During a conflict, it’s very difficult for me to self-examine myself. That is why I rely on God to give me the wisdom to know what I’ve done, and help me correct my faults.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James 1:5

Thank you, Jesus, for surrendering on the cross for my sins. You have shown me how to love God and to love one another. You’ve shown me the wisdom to love by paying attention to other people’s needs, not my own. I thank you for being there for me when I need you. My needs are satisfied every time I ask you and for that I’m forever grateful! Amen.

Last week, Pastor Rick’s sermon was very much appropriate for this blog. It was a topic on devotional. Feeding myself the word of God to ensure my spiritual growth. First and foremost, I must accept the bible’s authority as the source of truths for my life. I have to be in tune with God to get a lot more out of the bible.I must watch out for unreliable source of authorities:

• Culture – truth by personality, truth by popularity. Do not follow the crowd who can turn good to bad, and bad to good, completely muddling the truth. If it was true, it was not new. Truth will always be the same.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Isaiah 5:20

• Tradition – I’ve always done it that way, so it must be right.
• Reason – my logic doesn’t always dictate.
• Emotions – my feelings can lie.

God’s word is always true. His truth, exposes our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training to live in God’s way. God’s words show me the path, when I get off the path, how I can get on the path, and to stay on the path. I must study and search the scriptures, not just read it.

The difference between bible reading and bible study is taking notes. The shortest pencil is the longest form of memory. The secret of bible study is asking questions, asks the usual who, when, where, what, why, and how. The Devotional Study Form is going to help me study the bible even better.

1. Pray. I must ask God for insight. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
2. Meditate (seriously thinking). If I know how to worry, I already know how to meditate. Keep thinking about it and going it over, and over again. Like a cow ruminates on grass. I must reflect on what I’ve just read.
3. Apply it using “S.P.A.C.E.P.E.T.S” I’ll be blessed if I do them. The application must be personal, practical, possible, and provable.
4. Memorize. It is the sword in my life to resist temptation. Every time Jesus was tempted, he used the scripture to resist the devil.

And [Jesus] will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6b (NIV)

The holiday is over. I’m back to work in my usual mundane office, doing the same stuff as I did for the past 10 years or so, and dealing with the same office politics and red tape. During small talk with co-workers and vendors, we always talked about how we need more vacations, more time away from busy and hectic office life, more peace and quiet. So I asked myself, how can I preserve that “peace”? Is it really the peace I’m looking for?

Jesus reminds me that He is the Prince of peace. I just have to look for Him whenever I’m experiencing stress, despair, or worry. He gives me hope when I don’t feel I have any. He gives me the presence of security. He wants me to live my life and continuously be sanctified in truth: living out my purpose. Nothing is greater than serving God, relying on God, and serve others.

Knowing that God uniquely created me, what areas of my personality, background, and physical appearances am I struggling to accept?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 26

I am very grateful that my background and my family are well. I am also glad that my physical appearance is not bad. I don’t even mind my personality. But there are some parts of each of them that I’ve sometimes said to myself, “It could be better.” There were regrets that in my life that I wished I could take back or re-do. Fortunately, God let those mistakes happen so that I can learn and be stronger, as stated in 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV):

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

God has one purpose for my life and that is to love me. In turn, He wants me to love Him back, unconditionally (aka Agape love), because that’s exactly what God wants! He gave me free will to choose to love Him. My God is a benevolent God. I have a purpose on this earth. I am not an accident.

I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.

- Isaiah 44:2a (Contemporary English Version)