Devotional Time with God

Living in Southern California, it’s easy to get caught up in a self-worth race.  Looking around, people have bigger houses, bigger yards, bigger cars – and undoubtedly, bigger bank accounts.  Looking rich is looking good.  Even a dish washer in a restaurant drives a Lexus!

This obsession to have more is unhealthy.  All of this “stuff” that I have is merely on loan.  My God, the master of the universe, is the owner (Luke 16:12).  I don’t take my possessions to heaven.

I need to be different from this world.  I need to be transformed (Romans 12:2).  My thinking about money is to be directed towards bringing people to God.  It’s the way to store up my “treasures” in heaven (Matthew 6:20-21).

I need to be investing for eternity.

When my toddler got her first illustrated bible from the church, I thought it would make a good introduction for her.  I would read chapter by chapter each day (short ones), and she would get excited about looking at the pictures of Moses, Noah’s Ark, Jesus and His disciples.

When I get to the section called “The True King”, it illustrated a donkey and Jesus riding it during Passover Feast.  It’s outlined in the books of Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:29-42, and John 12:12-19.  The picture of the donkey is cute and we got a kick out of looking at it.  I said to myself, that’s odd why they would focus on this donkey.

As it turns out, the donkey (and the subsequent Jesus arrival to Jerusalem on it) was prophesied earlier in Isaiah 21:7.  Jesus had fulfilled that prophecy.

The Bible confirmed Jesus is the one true king, as shown by God’s vision.

The bible warns me of false prophets (Matthew 24:11). They typically show up in a nice package, claiming to care about the people, but their actions dp otherwise! A wolf in sheep clothing, as the saying goes. The politicians offer free healthcare, doing good to the planet – but turn around pocket more taxes and making people depend on the government more.

Salvation is trusting Jesus and depending on Him.

When I wake up in the early morning, I always find myself feeling physically hungry for food, like a piece bacon, pancake, chicken nugget, or orange juice.  I need food to keep my energy up to cope through the day.

Similarly, this is exactly what my morning devotionals should start:  Hungry for God’s sustenance.  It includes the “pure milk of the word” (1 Peter 2:2) and daily “bread” (Matthew 6:11).  The word of God is my spiritual food for the day.  It will keep going strong, to cope with the stress of the day.

I’m leaving the tough decisions to God.  I’m giving all of my troubles on His feet.  I’m going to enjoy the feast that God has laid out in front of me, and enjoy His generous provision.

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

John 6:25-29

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Hebrews 6:12

It’s been almost 2 months since I updated this devotional.  I have been praying to God, but I have not been writing down what I’ve learned.  I admit it’s due to laziness in my part.  I believe laziness is a sin.  In my case, it led to complacency and ultimately a stagnation (and even breakdown!) in my spiritual growth.  I can’t let this happen.

As stated in Matthew 20:6-7, I can’t just sit around and wait for things to happen.  I have to go and do something to get earn my blessings.  Jesus has given me grace when I don’t deserve it.  I have to try and match his effort.  I can’t die on the cross, but I can pick up His cross.

Lord, thank you for the grace you’ve given me.  Thank you for saving my life, even though I don’t deserve it.  I get the message, loud and clear, I have to wake up and follow your hard work to save myself.  I know I can’t do this by myself.  I know you’ve been helping.  Lead me to your living water so I can live another day, with your strength and wisdom.  Amen.

I have friends.  Actually, I have a lot of acquaintances that I call “friends”.  I have a handful of who I truly call friends.  A friend is someone I can connect with.  A friend is someone I can trust.  A friend is someone who knows me (and I know him/her) very well.  A friend is someone I welcome in my house.

God is my friend.  He’s the one I’ve invited to my house.  He knows me very well.  I trust Him, and my family trusts him.  I’ve connected with Him in different levels.

If I meet someone who’s a friend of Jesus, I’ll instantly connect with him/her, too!  Does it mean I’ll invite him/her to my house?  Maybe not immediately, but we can work on that.  Having a mutual friend like Jesus is a solid foundation to start.

As a friend, I have to open up, not only my house, but also my heart to meet the needs of others.  Just as Jesus will do the same to me when he said in Matthew 7:8, “everyone who knows, the door will be open.”

I must welcome my friends.

The Great Commission said:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20

There are two things I can’t do in heaven:  To sin, and to share the Good News with people who never heard it.  On this earth, I can only share the Good News!  I can only share my stories on how God transforms my life and gave me a new sense of purpose.  I can share how God take control of my life, so I don’t have to fumble and fear my way through crisis.  I have a few crisis in my life:

1. Heartaches with my previous and current relationships.
2. Loss of employment.
3. Struggles in getting good grades in college.
4. Financial setbacks.
5. Death in the family.
6. Politics.

In all of it, God has pulled me through.  God has gave me reassurances that I’m not alone and I have help.  God knows my pain.  He’s there to catch me when I fall.   I’m not perfect and my journey is not complete.  I still don’t have it all together.  I’m still struggling.

God is still using my pain, so I may share my experience with others.  It’s my task!

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

Acts 20:24

It’s essential for me to forgive others, just as God has forgiven me. It’s not an easy task, but it can be done, with God’s help.  Here are some of the steps I can take:

1. Reveal my hurt.
2. Release the offender.
3. Replace my hurt with God’s peace.

A hurt is no good if I keep it buried in my mind.  I must speak it out to the offender – if not possible, to someone I trust, or write it on a piece of paper.  Bring it out in the open.

Then just simply release the persons who offended me.  I need to tell them I’m hurting because of them, and that I’ve forgiven them.  One suggested way:

You hurt me this way, this way, and this way.  But I want you to know I forgive you because God has forgiven me, because resentment doesn’t work.  I will need forgiveness in the future.  I am releasing you.

And I need to forgive all the time! (Matthew 18:21-22)  When I think about them and they don’t hurt, that’s when I know I’ve released them.

Finally, God’s power is more abundance and effective than mine.  I need to tap into it.  My sheer willpower won’t do it.  Only God can change hearts.  I’ll do my part to forgive and release.  God will work on my heart and those who offended me.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

Colossians 3:15

It’s a question that I’ve asked, and heard people asked about.  Being Christian, forgiveness is the hardest concept I have to wrestle with.

I grew up as a skinny nerd, not a strong kid.  I get bullied – a lot.  I grew up dealing with the put-downs, the snow-jobs, the resentment, etc.  One toxic byproduct of this was my propensity to hold a grudge and not being able to forgive.

Now that Jesus is in my life, this attitude is changing.

In Colossians 3:13, it says I have to forgive others just as as God has forgiven me.  It can’t be any simpler than that.

When I think about, having resentment doesn’t do me any good.  Why should I be the one in pain and suffering, sometimes in years, thinking about old wounds?  I have to go on.  Resentment is unreasonable (Job 5:2), unhelpful, and unhealthy (Job 21:23-25). I need to move on.

Furthermore, I need forgiveness for my future mistakes.  I’m not a perfect person. I will make mistakes.  I offer forgiveness because I need to be forgiven, for now and the future.  It’s in the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:12).

It is good to be forgiven.  It is better to forgive.

It’s difficult to go through life without being “in control”.  When I have to depend on other people to help me through mundane stuff, it becomes totally unbearable.  My personality is a somewhat of a go-getter.  As much as I can, I create my own opportunities.  If there’s something that I believe I can’t control, I’ll just dismiss it and move on.  So naturally, I bounce through a lot of interests, hobbies, and relationships.  I’m never satisfied.  I’m never content.

I’ve always felt I had never accomplished anything good in my life.  I beat myself up with this feeling.  I felt guilty to having a very short attention span.  I felt lonely.  I felt sorry for myself.

I knew in my heart, this was not a good feeling.  I knew I had to do something, but didn’t know what.  Now that I found Jesus, it became abundantly clear that I wasn’t in control – never will!  He’s in control.  He’s the way, the truth, and the light.  If I just focus my eyes on Him, my purpose is clear.  My life becomes more fulfilling.

There were times that I held back giving up control and it was due to any of these combination:

1. Pride
2. Guilt
3. Fear
4. Worry
5. Doubt

My #1 is pride.  Raised in a rich family, my parents are the boss.  I’m raised to think like them.  It seems like an inherited trait.  I try my best to be the boss of everyone.  Then when I’m not, the other problem occurs:  doubt and guilt.  I would start questioning myself.  I would feel guilty of doing the wrong thing (or doing nothing).  Those feelings confused my life.  I wondered if I’d ever accomplish anything. I lost control.

Thank God for Jesus!  I can give my burdens to Him.  He helps me overcome all pride, guilt, fear, worry, and doubt!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30