Devotional Time with God

Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God.

Romans 12:1

God wants the best from us. God wants us to offer ourselves, as a living sacrifice, to serve God’s purposes.  It doesn’t mean I have to kill or mutilate myself, but keep myself holy and pure – for some day, when I die, God will ask what have I done with what He’s given me, I can answer: “For your glory, God”

My life was bought at a price: Jesus’ life.  It’s expensive. I can’t waste it!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Mark 12:30

I do often feel close to God when I sing worship songs. The words are like prayer and the melody is like a soothing calm to my mind.  Yet, God wants me to do more than that. Singing hymns is not enough. I must give God my all – my attention, my time, my shouts, my sweat, my talents, my money – as an act of trust.  I worship God because I want to give Him everything that I can give Him. God wants me to be sincere about it, too!

God simply wants me to bring me.

The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them.

John 15:13

I am a friend of God.  God is my friend. He longs for that relationship, that fellowship with me.

And He also gives His life to me, so I can be free.

It’s the ultimate sacrifice.  The price of love, Jesus’ way.  What a friendship.  I have a place in heaven because He gave His life for me.

For this, I’m extremely grateful and content.

In Mark 15:33-39, Jesus was hung on the cross and the people were still not convinced He’s God.  But, Jesus bore the ugliness of this world and father God in heaven couldn’t even look at Him. Then, as Jesus always do, He forgave humanity, even during His last breaths.  When earthquake hit, then humanity realized their mistake and acknowledge Jesus as the son of God.

I read this passage and acknowledge that my sin I have to confess is the sin of doubt.  I had moments when I doubted my faith. I had moments when I question when/if God would  help me. I even had moments when I doubted my very own existence!

But, I’m rest assured, by God’s words, that I have a purpose in this life. I hold on to God’s promise of forgiveness and eternal life.  I look forward to giving Him all I got, for I am His, anyway. Jesus is the greatest example of this. He wasn’t afraid to die because He knew He had a greater purpose in His short life on earth.  He knew His father’s plan to rescue humanity from the burden of sin.

I pray Jesus, help me understand your words. Help me build my faith and strengthen it. You are the son of God, and I will follow your examples. I lay down my life so I may attain the higher purpose that you’ve set before me. Guide me, Lord, until it is finished.  Amen.

In Mark 11:25, Jesus said I have to forgive others so I may be forgiven by God for my sins.

Many times, I hold grudges. I despised people for doing what they did.  I didn’t like what they did, so in turn I will not like who they are.  It’s a sin of hate.

But I’m not perfect myself.  I can’t be a hypocrite and expect others to be clean, kind, or nice.  I have to forgive their mistakes.

Every day, I ask God to forgive my sins and mistakes.  I hold on to that promise that God will forgive me of my sins, no matter how small it is, or how many times I commit it.

Jesus is the greatest example when He was on the cross and asked the father in heaven to forgive humanity, for we know not what we’re doing. That is the truth: Jesus died for our sins.

Therefore, I must go out there and forgive others as well, for it is God’s command for me to obey.

Being a parent is not easy for me.  I constantly have to keep up with my daughter in physical, mind, and spiritual development.  The physical part is easy, as I love to run around, dance, and give her hugs and kisses.  She’s now approaching kindergarten so I have to prepare for my mind to teach her the “intellectual” requirements to cope in this world.

Then I have to be her spiritual guidance.  And this is important, as it’s also to help me grow in the Lord.

For a long time, I’ve been spiritually young.  I always wanted to go beyond where I’m at right now.  I want to be close to God.  I want to know what he has to say to me.

This is where I draw my connection.  I want my Father in heaven to guide me, just as I’m guiding my child.

My expectations now are simple:  What God expects from me is almost exactly what I expect from my child.

God gave an example of love and sacrifice in Jesus Christ.  I have to do the same.

God gave me a purpose in life to promote reconciliation, disciple others, lead others to Him, and help others.  I have to do the same.

God loves me and gives me hope.  I have to do the same.

As I see my daughter constantly look up to me for guidance.  All I have to do is look up to God.   It’s the basic thing to do, as a parent.

I’ve struggled with this thought for a while: Why doesn’t God explain to me His plan?

Whenever I see hardship, unfairness, and cruelty in this world, I asked why does God let this happen?  Whenever I do something good, why does it sometime seem God doesn’t reward me?  Whenever I hear God’s calling, why does it seem it’s not always a clear message?

The answer lies in both faith and obedience.  I can’t possibly know all of God’s plan because He’s all knowing.  He reveals little by little to me.  He lets me handle what I can.  He’s a fair and just God.  I know that because of my faith in Him.

But when he does call, I have to do what He says.  I must be obedient.  It’s not my place to expect God to answer all of my questions.  I have to answer His calling.   God always have a purpose for me, in every moment of my life.  Whether He wants me to learn, endure pain, grow in character, or just sit and listen – there’ll always be a reason.

God doesn’t owe me an explanation.  I owe him my life for Jesus Christ, His Son, who died on the cross to save my otherwise meaningless existence.

Pastor Greg Laurie has a really good devotional that explained How to know God’s will.  In a nutshell, I must be a living sacrifice, be separated from this world, and live by His words (in that order).  It’s encapsulated in this scripture:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:1–2

Everyday I go to work, I ask myself what can I do to help others? But I have a confession to make. I also tell myself that I will get a reward for it, such as my salary, or recognition from my peers and manager. What I seem to quite often take for granted is that I am doing this for God. It’s not enough that I give my time and resources to help others, but I also have to give myself. I have to be available, and I have to have a willing heart. The bible says in Philippians 2:14-16,

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

I don’t sacrifice myself for others, for nothing. I do it for God. I don’t stop on a work day either, it has to be every day. Even during my rest day, as Jesus did when He healed during sabbath.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for giving yourself up on the cross for me. I thank you for the saving my life, so I may save others. Please give me the strength and discernment to serve others without complaining or expecting earthly rewards. I am weak and you are strong. Please accept my sacrifice. Amen.