My Warning System

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Revelation 16:17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, [3] peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.

This vision reminds me of when Jesus was crucified and He said, "It is finished." John gives a gripping account of when Jesus returns again and this time, it isn't through a manger that our King comes, but in power and glory. Jesus referred to His crucifixion as a cup that He must drink. Here we see that God's judgment is poured out by the bowl-full. When the end happens, there will be no grace.

With all the tropical storms that we have been having lately, I am somewhat compelled to write on this scripture. Right now, when there is thunder and lightning, it is a bit freighting, but on the whole, I feel safe. I don't feel like my life is in danger. Most people are so used to earthquakes, lightning, thunder, and hail that it is more of a nuisance to them if anything. However, I need to remember that when Jesus does return, these are all things that will truly be used as instruments of God's justice. Natural disasters are no small matter. It is in those times that we should remember the fear of God and repent. To deadened my heart to this fear of the Lord is to shut off my spiritual warning system. It all starts with little compromises here and there. It springs from pride and then grows out of control. Why pride? Because if I start to think that I am better than dust, than I start to think that I can reason with God. My pride can start as something as small as, "It'll never happen to me" and then bloom into, "God won't punish me for my sin." It's a dangerous path to dance along. To even flirt with the idea of sinning and then repenting is really an insult and mockery of God's divine grace. Grace is a gift. Also, it needs to be taken seriously. God's amazing grace should teach my heart to fear, not lead me to take liberties and stretch my boundaries.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word, Your truth, and Your grace. Lord, instill in me a healthy warning system so that I am never far from repentance. Jesus, thank You for drinking from the cup so that I would not have the bowl of judgment poured out upon me. I repent right now, Lord, of my selfishness and laziness. I know that I have been lacking in my discipline. Please bring me back to Your will and Your way. I love You, Lord. In Jesus Christ's powerful and glorious name I pray, Amen.

Zeal for God

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John 2:13-17
13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."[b]
When I read this scripture, I see Jesus filled with power and anger. So often, portraits of Jesus show His calm, peaceful side, but here, I see that Jesus was indeed the Lion and the Lamb. Single handedly, with Samson-like strength, I see him turning over the tables and swinging his make shift whip in the air. I can almost hear him shouting, “Get out of here!” to all the money changers and vendors.

As a Christian, I’m often deceived into thinking that I have to be mild and weak. That “turn the other cheek” scripture has been distorted into a sort of let’s do nothing and let God do all the work. However, God doesn’t call us to be idle with our time here on Earth. My hope is that I’ll remember that Jesus is the lion just as much as He is the lamb. I have authority and power within me through Him to take action. I must not be idle or wimpy and just let the world run its sinful course.

Heavenly Father, I pray that zeal for Your house would consume me. Lord, I’ve been very complacent in my Christian life. I think about my friends Monica and Tony and how they are zealous for Your good. Please show me how to be more like that. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Full of Grace

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John 1: 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

What power scripture! The Word of God became flesh and He dwelled among us. For God to make Himself fully man and fully God for the sake of our salvation is a grace that is hard to understand. John says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. Wow!

This is what Christmas is all about. The Bible is God’s Word, and God’s Word became flesh! Jesus Christ is grace and truth and glory all wrapped up in skin and bones. As Christmas day approaches quickly, I am just amazed by God’s grace. It makes me reflect upon myself and ask, “Am I gracious?” When it comes down to it, I’m very selfish still. The core of many of my motives are for self comfort, self gain. The attitude of “What’s in it for me?” is embedded into my brain. I pray that with God’s grace, I can change in this area. I hope that from glory to glory, I’ll change and transform into someone more like Jesus. I want to be full of grace and truth. What are some steps I can take for this to happen?
1) Make a list of things that are keeping me selfish
2) Repent and put those things to death
3) Replace those selfish desires with servant desires

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son. I love You, Lord, and I desire to be more like Jesus. Please forgive me for my selfishness and show me how to be gracious. Change me, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

My Own Worst Enemy

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James 1:13-15
13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire(X) when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and(Y) sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James 4:1-4
1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[a] are(A) at war within you?[b] 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask(B) wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4(C) You adulterous people![c] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?(D) Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Wow, 5 chapters from the book of James. I don’t know much about James, but it seems like he is a very direct and to the point kind of apostle. He likes to be concise and he uses very clear illustrations with minimal verbatim. The first thing that caught my eye in today’s devotion also deeply convicted my heart. James is saying that everyone is tempted by their own desires, not by God. I think very often, I’ve been guilty of asking God, “Why are You doing this to me? Why don’t You remove this temptation?” But really, God isn’t sending the temptation my way, but rather, through His Holy Spirit He is trying to give me the power to master these desires. However, I have to choose to master my own desires. I really need to look at temptation from this perspective. It should be a joy to overcome temptation, not a chore, as if I was given a pop quiz and now I need to pass it in order to please God. When temptation arises, I need to recognize that this is a desire that I have in my heart, I need to have ownership of it, then master it so that it doesn’t lead me to sin and death! As James says, it is my passions that are at war within me. As a Christian, it is my passion for Jesus against my passion for my self. It is a truthful statement to say “All mankind is selfish.” It is only through Jesus that I can die to myself and live for my King and for others.

Oh Lord, what a deeply convicting devotion this morning. I feel like I’ve been allowing many things to be excuses for me to not take this time with You. I am so sorry, Jesus, for placing You on the side as I “get through” this busy season. No more. I will not place You on the side any longer. I repent. Lord, I have been very selfish. Maybe the most selfish. Lord, the desires of my heart are not good. My passions for my own gain keep overriding my passion for You. Lord, fill me with Your Spirit, that I may overcome my worldly desires. Lord, I know You are the Truth. I know You are the only way to life. Help me to not be foolish. Save me from my own stupidity! Lord, redeem me once again. I’m so sorry for falling so far from Your design. Lead me back, Lord. I love You and I am committed to Your best. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Be Deliberate

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Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Romans 14:23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Paul has written this letter to the Romans. He emphasizes a striving to be Christ like and holy. One thing that a Christian must do is put on Jesus Christ, like a garment. It has also been mentioned that Jesus is like armor which must be put on everyday. This shows that our faith in Jesus is an action, not a defense. Often, people only resort to asking Jesus for help and guidance when they are being attacked, but by then, it's too late. I need to ask Jesus for protection, guidance, and strength beforehand, when it seems like there is nothing coming at me. If I fail to do so beforehand, when the desires of my flesh arise, I'll have nothing to fight it off with and I'll be more likely to give into temptation. Also, I like how Paul says that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. That is truth, but it's hard to swallow. It makes me reflect upon myself and ask, "Are there things that I do that do not result from faith?" If so, I must stop, because that is sin.

So how will I be different today because of what I've read? Well, I must put on the Lord Jesus Christ right now. It is so good that I am starting today with my devotion. I haven't done one in a while. I've been listening to podcasts and listening to the devotional readings, but I haven't really gotten to journal on my devos. This is a good start. I need to make time to put on my armor. The armor is not going to just jump onto me! Also, I need to pray. I need to pray in the morning and in the evening, and throughout the day that I keep the armor of Christ on me. I need to be more pro-active in my faith and not so passive. Also, I need to watch myself that I am not doing things from sin, but from faith. I really need to meditate on that all day today. I think the meaning of this will be further revealed.

Heavenly Father, forgive me of my sinful ways. Please wash me clean and purify me once again. Lord, place Your righteousness and strength all around me. May I wear You today deliberately. Lord, I pray that You give me the strength to overcome the desires of my flesh. I love You, Lord. I pray that I do all things today out of faith and not out of sin. I pray for my husband, for his safety, peace, and joy, and I pray for my baby, for his health and protection. Help me to become the woman You designed me to be. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Yes or No

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Matthew 5:37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

This is a very popular, well known, verse of the Bible. Jesus is simply saying, do not swear or make oaths, but just let your yes mean yes and your no mean no.

For some reason this scripture really stands out to me today. I've heard it before, and I understand it. I've even given advice to others about it, telling them that it is better not to make vows or oaths, but to just answer yes or no. But today, I feel God is asking me to apply it to my life. Are there areas where I made vows instead of just saying yes or no? A vow that cannot be kept is such a burden. It weighs the soul down. It is a cross or yoke that we were not meant to bear. Paul often says in his epistles "God willing" I will come to you. He never tells them, I promise I'll come visit you soon, etc. It is a good thing to be committed, but to make a promise that you can't keep is something evil. In whatever I do today, I need to make sure that I'm not promising to people things that I cannot fulfill or give. This will not only be easier on my shoulders but it will be pleasing to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for all those foolish promises and vows I made to others. Lord, I pray that You would redeem me from my folly. Lord, I ask that You would help me to just say yes or no to things, nothing more and nothing less. Help me to be committed and yet help me to not be overstepping my limits. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Rejoice

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2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Paul's closing remarks in his second letter to the Corinthians has a sense of encouragement and urgency. Paul truly wants them to be restored in their relationship with Christ. They had strayed and became divided. Paul calls them back to unity and peace. Paul says that if they rejoice, strive for restoration, and live in peace, then God's love and peace will be with them.

Are there people that I have broken relationships with? I need to aim for restoration. More importantly, I need to live in peace and love. I desire God's love and peace to be with me always. I think I often allow myself to get tired, hungry and frustrated with people and that breaks me away from God's love and peace. I need to get back to that today. It is so important. How do I do that? First, I must REJOICE! There is so much to be joyful about. It's often when I dwell on troubling things that I react to things in a troubled way. Instead, I need to dwell on what I am should be joyful about! That way, I'll be reacting to all things with joy! Secondly, I need to aim for restoration. Today, if I see people that I sense I might have broken the relationship with. I'll seek restoration. I'll seek peace. It'll be hard no doubt, but again, that joy from the Lord will carry me through. I also need to be ready to comfort others. I also need to comfort myself.

Heavenly Father, I pray for Your forgiveness. I pray that You would give me a new start today. I know that I slept in, but Lord, please fill me with Your joy and multiply the labor of my hands so that I make up for the time I wasted. Lord, I pray that I am filled with Your Holy Spirit today. I pray for Your love and peace to be with me always. I pray for my husband as well, that Your love and peace would be with him always too. Thank You so much, Lord! I love You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Dying Daily

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1 Corinthians 15:36You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.

Paul is so blunt. I love that about him. Here he speaks on the issue of resurrection. Some believers were saying that there is no such thing as resurrection. However, Paul says that if there is no resurrection then our whole foundation for Christianity is a lie. But indeed, there is resurrection, and Jesus has conquered death. So, now Paul addresses those who question what Christ resurrected looks like. We see it still today: movies depicting zombies and vampires, commercials showing angelic women with elastic strapped on wings. But Paul calls them fools. For us to think that we can even imagine what the spiritual body looks like is so vain and petty. Paul likens the transformation of resurrection to that of a seed. Unless a seed is buried in the ground, put to death so to speak, it cannot truly grow and sprout roots, leaves, or bear fruit.

This analogy really sticks out in my mind. I have to stop thinking foolishly about Heaven and Christ. When I meet Christ, He will look nothing like those paintings or stained glass windows. He will be truly glorified. For myself as well, I need to refrain from confining my expectations of Heaven to this place that will be just like Earth but nicer. Heaven is completely different and I'll look completely different. I can also apply this to my daily walk. Everyday, I should be dying to my flesh so that my glorified life can grow. Today, may I crucify my flesh so that I can be raised with Christ.

Heavenly Father, I love You so much. I thank You for Your good plans for my life. I thank You for the gift of resurrection. I pray that You forgive me for indulging in my fleshy seed form when all along You have desired a thriving, fruitful life for me. I cling to You. Thank You, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Where do I fit?

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1 Corinthians 12:18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

Paul speaks about how the Holy Spirit distributes these different gifts among the members of the body. Although each gift is different, each one is important to the body. God chose what gifts we would have and He arranged it according to what He chose. There is a perfect design that God has in mind for the body of Christ.

Yesterday, Dane was talking about how we need to enjoy this season that we are in. I had mentioned that I was trying to remain joyful despite the busy time that this is and he emphasized on that point. It's true that I'm so blessed to be doing what I am doing now. I am part of a very select group. I was chosen to use my gifts for this season at New Hope in the Evangelism department. But I hear God telling me today to "earnestly desire the higher gifts" and He will show me a "still more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31).

So, what is my role? Where does God want me in the bigger picture?

I am a wife. I am a soon to be mom. I am new at both of these roles. I think those words wife and mom encompass so much more than people think of. God has huge job descriptions when it comes to these. I'm no longer positioned as an administrator in a church, but now an administrator of my home and family. Well, it's a lot to process. Maybe throughout today, understanding will be revealed to me.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sins. I repent and I ask that You continue to purify me and make me holy. Lord, teach me a still more excellent way. I love You and I desire to fit into Your perfect design. Lead me in Your righteousness today. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

A Servant to All

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1 Corinthians 9:19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.

Paul speaks a lot in this chapter about forgoing his rights as an apostle. As one who is free in Christ, we come under no man's headship. However, in order to win people over to salvation, Paul has chosen to be a servant to all.

The Christmas season is always a humbling time for me. Each year, God humbles me more than the last. This year, my lesson of humility is coming from my involvement with the Youth Choir's ticket sales. There are so many times that I've made my protocol clear. I've made my system fair. Yet, there are still several people who step over my boundaries and expect me to serve them. It's so frustrating and humbling. For example, I set the deadline for pre-sale tickets to November 1st. However, people are still asking me to process tickets for them. The public is even calling me so they don't have to pay the online convenience fee. They think that just because they use the musical as their ministry, (that's why they are buying like 20 tickets) that they can use me to get the best seats and at the cheapest cost! It's so frustrating because I know that I should help them, but at the same time, I feel like they should help themselves. But what I need to focus on is that God is working on me. I can't keep looking at them and think about how far they need to grow. Besides, if I make my servant to all then I "might win more of them." And isn't that what God wants anyway? He says that He desires mercy and not sacrifice. So I need to be merciful towards these people and not feel like I'm sacrificing something.

Heavenly Father, please continue to change me from glory to glory. Forgive me, Lord, for sinning and for feeling entitled to good treatment. Lord, keep me humble and keep me a servant so that in the end, I will hear You say "Well done." Today, help me to not be frustrated. Keep my conscious clear. Prepare my heart. Thank You, Jesus, for being my role model. I love You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

The Holy Spirit

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1 Corinthians 2:11 & 12
11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

Paul is explaining to the Corinthians that there is a spiritual realm that we cannot comprehend. The spirit within us knows our every thought, just as God's Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God. When a person is given the gift of grace, they receive the Spirit of God which allows them to understand that God has given them salvation, life, and hope.

Many times, I catch myself not even knowing what I'm thinking about. Sometimes I catch myself thinking things that I didn't even think I could think of. It's comforting to know that my spirit knows these thoughts and understands them and that I can pray to God spirit to Spirit and ask Him for understanding and discipline. God's so good. How is it that He has chosen me to receive His Holy Spirit and the gift of salvation? I certainly didn't earn it. I was just given it. Wow. It really blows my mind. So, how will I be different today because I know that God's Holy Spirit is helping me to understand Him? Well, I will repent and seek His Holy Spirit every moment that I catch my mind wandering. I want my thoughts to be captive to the obedience of Christ. It will take a lot of prayer. It will be hard work. But it will most definitely transform me from the inside out.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for allowing my thoughts to rule over me. Lord, I repent and I ask that Your Holy Spirit helps me to take my thoughts captive. I pray for more understanding. I pray that I would follow Jesus diligently today. I pray that I would be patient, loving, and understanding through the Holy Spirit. Lord, I know that challenges lie ahead, but I know that You will prepare me for the path that I must go. Thank You, Lord, for being so good. I love You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Who am I aiming to please?

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Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul is writing a letter to the Galatian church. It seems that the Galatians had accepted Christ, but now there was a different gospel being preached and it was becoming widely accepted. Paul doesn't go into the details of the differences between the true gospel and the counterfeit one, but he does clearly say that whoever is distorting the gospel should be accursed. Then Paul says that he is no longer seeking man's approval, but only the approval of God. So, the distorted gospel that is being preached is a people pleasing gospel. However, Paul notes that if he were still trying to please man, then he wouldn't be a servant of Christ.

Last night, I devo-ed on a very similar topic. I had written down Mark 15:15 which says that Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd, so he released Barabbas to them and had Jesus crucified. I wonder why God is speaking to me on this subject again? Did I not learn my lesson already? Is there something I am missing in terms of conviction? I know that just recently, I had decided to work until January. I truly felt it was what God was asking of me. He wants me to push through the hard times so that the harvest can be twice as sweet. If everything was easy, wouldn't I be tempted to sin? If I have made a people pleasing decision instead of a Christ-like decision, then I repent! I do not want to go that way! But I heard the Lord so clearly. I understood, when He spoke to me that I need to not choose the easy way out. Recently, I've been feeling very unloved. I've been feeling lonely. It's really weird. I feel like I'm failing as a wife. Like my husband is not satisfied with my effort. I feel like the people I interact with at work are just using me for their gain. I feel so drained and miserable. But at the same time, I feel God close by and He is my strength and comfort. God is my joy. I know that people don't mean to treat me that way, but I do feel taken advantage of. I feel like also, people don't think I'm trying my best. But maybe a lot of those thoughts and feelings are just my own self-esteem beating down on me. If I dwell on those thoughts, I will not be holding my mind captive to the things of God. I really need to make sure that I am doing things for the Lord and not for man. I want to be a servant of God.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for seeking man's approval. Please change me from glory to glory more into Your image. Lord, I run to You with my arms wide open. I want to serve You alone, Lord. Jesus, I want to follow You. I crucify my flesh today and ask that You would show me every area that I need to change and improve in. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Saturate me with Your love, Oh God. Please help me to be a better wife. Help me to be a better servant of God. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Help me, God!

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Psalm 121:1 & 2
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

Wow, this is the first thing to hear/read this morning and it quenches my parched soul. God is my source of help. He is my Lord. He is my Father. He wants to help me. I just need to look to Him and He is there, ready and willing to help me. He is more than capable to help me. He is the maker of all things! He will always be there for me.

What a night. Last night I woke up at about 3am and couldn't shake the thought of that missing laptop. I so badly wanted to find it. I couldn't stop thinking about where I misplaced it. I felt guilty for not knowing where it went. I was worrying and dreading all the possibilities. Maybe I left it on my car then drove away. Maybe I left it at my desk and someone walked away with it. Maybe it is in my house and I am just not looking hard enough, and when the time comes to return it, I won't be able to. I started begging God for help. I prayed that if He would just reveal where it was to me, then I could get some rest. I was asking God for forgiveness, although it wasn't intentional that I lost the laptop. I think I had to force myself back to sleep at about 4:50am. I actually did walk through the whole house again to make sure that it wasn't someplace that I had overlooked earlier. But the fact is, it's not in the house. But no matter where it is, God knows, and He hears my cry, my plea. He will help me. Today, with the ticket sales going live, He'll help me. I need to repeat Psalm 121:1 & 2 in my head and heart over and over today. He is my help. No one else. In Mark 9:23, Jesus says that "All things are possible for one who believes." I need Jesus to help me with my unbelief. He can indeed show me where the laptop went.

Lord Jesus, I need Your help. Father God, I need Your help! I lift my eyes to You, Lord. You are my helper. I am willing to be helped by You. Lord, please be with us today as we preview the Youth Choir musical and sell the tickets. May all the things we do in Your name have Your favor and blessing and help. I cannot do it without You. I love You, Father. Lord Jesus, teach me how to be a better follower today. Help me not to lose things. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Denying Myself

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Job 22:21-28
21 “Agree with God, and be at peace;
thereby good will come to you.
22 Receive instruction from his mouth,
and lay up his words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty you will be built up;
if you remove injustice far from your tents,
24 if you lay gold in the dust,
and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,
25 then the Almighty will be your gold
and your precious silver.
26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty
and lift up your face to God.
27 You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you,
and you will pay your vows.
28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,
and light will shine on your ways.

Mark 8:34-35
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

Job's friend, Eliphaz, pegs Job as a wicked person because of the evidence of his situation. Job was indeed not to blame, but Eliphaz judges him as wicked because he did not understand that God allows the innocent to suffer for His glory. Those who view God as this philanthropist and genie to the righteous, will be prone to being judgmental, which itself is a sin. However, although Eliphaz is indeed judging Job incorrectly, he does offer some Godly advice which is, when one is sinning, one must agree with God in repentance and God is faithful to save. Jesus further explains this when He says that anyone who wants to follow Jesus must first deny himself and then take up his cross. We cannot follow Jesus if we still want our ways to be fulfilled or blessed.

I've been praying on this decision for several days now. In my heart, I feel like I would like to stop working at the end of November. But my superiors all seem to agree with me working up until I give birth. I want to follow Jesus, but am I denying myself? What does that look like? Is denying myself trusting in God to provide the extra finances needed when I step out of work early? Or is denying myself letting go of what I want, which is less stress and more free time to get things in order at home, and bearing a cross until my next season as a mother begins? For me, it's easier to deny myself of money at this point. But since it's easier, does that mean that it's not denying myself at all? What I really want is to be home already and not worry about the logistics of the musical, the demands of the office place, and the pressure to strive for excellence in ministry. Is that really where Jesus is? Am I truly following Him? What I desire, is what Eliphaz says in Job 22:28, you will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. I need that light. I need a decision on this matter. I feel like yesterday, my heart turned a little more towards working up until I give birth. Not because it seems more "holy", but because it seems more responsible. However, I feel like working up until I give birth will open me up to resentment. I'll be all salty because I did what was expected of me and not what I really wanted to do. I don't want to be resentful. I want to enjoy what I've always enjoyed doing which is ministry and working hard. However, being pregnant and working hard don't go hand in hand. Everyday, I feel more and more called to staying home. Everyday, I desire more and more to get the house in order and to improve in my role as a wife. I feel unable to do those things if I am still working a full time job. But, then again, shouldn't I just step up to the plate? Shouldn't I just bear the cross and strive to improve at things at home even though I am still working?

Father, please hear my cry. I need Your forgiveness, I need Your wisdom. Lord, I desire to be obedient to You above all things. Lord, if You want me to work until I give birth, please make it so clear to me. Please help me to be at peace with it in my heart. Keep me free from the bondage of resentment. Lord, if it is Your will for me to leave work early, please shed light on that decision. Lord, I want to follow You. Help me to truly deny myself so that I can take up my cross and follow You. I lift my face up to You, Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, please save me from making a poor decision. Jesus, draw me close to You so that I do not stray from Your path. Thank You for loving me, Lord. I love You. I want to be more like You. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I pray, Amen.

Demons

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Mark 1:34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Mark is telling of Jesus' ministry in Capernaum. It says that Jesus casted out many demons and those demons knew Jesus. Demons know exactly who Jesus is and what Jesus will do to them. Jesus didn't even allow the demons to speak because they would proclaim Jesus' identity as the Holy one of God.

Why didn't Jesus let the demons speak? Well, I suppose the demons would have tried to use their words to manipulate and deceive. Jesus didn't want His these demons to taint His ministry. What kind of demons are there today? Spirits of lust, sickness as a result of sin, and others that I can't even discern yet. Demons are worshiped in other religions. They are dark things that creep into one's heart and flesh to control and manipulate. So what do I do about demons? They are very real. They are just as real as Jesus is. I need to ask Jesus to silence and rebuke the demons in my life. I also need to discern what is from God and what is not from God. Even demons know Jesus, so I can't just assume that anything or anyone who knows Jesus' name or identity is of God. I need to ask God for His wisdom. I need to know Jesus intimately myself so that I am not led astray by false teachings.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Please forgive me for being comfortable with being gullible. Help me to have a discerning spirit. Please forgive me of all my sins, intentional and unintentional. Keep me from straying. Silence all the demons in my life so that I only hear Your truth and Your will. I pray all these things, in the name of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen.

God's Word Will Overcome

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Acts 19:20So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Paul was preaching in Ephesus and many miracles were happening. But the Bible says that the word of the Lord is what continued to increase and prevail mightily. It is God's word that has power and strength. It wasn't religious sentiment that prevailed, it wasn't the church that increased, it was the Word of the Lord.

So often, I find myself asking God to increase my faith, my righteousness, etc. when really, it is His word that must prevail. God even makes this available to me in abundance because He has already spoken. If I need to hear from God, I just need to turn to His word, the Bible. This morning, I allowed my flesh to proceed God's word. I was not slow to speak. I just said what was on my mind and it was not kind, life giving, or gentle. I regret that little remark. I was tired, but that is no excuse for consciously allowing my self control to flee. I need to repent. I need to try harder. I keep asking God to help me, but I need to help myself now. I need His word. That is what will prevail and overcome my flesh.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for sinning. Lord, purify my heart and strengthen me with Your word. Lord, I love You. I love my husband. I do not want to be a doer of wickedness. Cleanse me and make me whole again. I ask this in the precious name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Jesus overcame the grave

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Job 14:11 & 12
11As waters fail from a lake
and a river wastes away and dries up,
12so a man lies down and rises not again;
till the heavens are no more he will not awake
or be roused out of his sleep.

Job did not understand salvation. Here he states the fate of man without God's grace, which is permanent death. When Jesus came, He overcame this fact. He did not lay in the ground when He died. He rose again. Also, Job asks how a clean thing can come from an unclean thing. He is referring to the sin that is passed on from generation to generation. However, Jesus overcame this too. He is the only one who was not born into the bondage of sin because he was not a result of consummation between a man and wife but a result of God's Holy Spirit filling a womb. During Job's trial, we are shown that there was little hope in the world because salvation was so far away. Now that Jesus has come, we are super blessed to have salvation so near because Jesus is the bridge to close that gap.

Acts 17:27 & 28
27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28for

"'In him we live and move and have our being';

Paul here is addressing the Greeks and explaining that God designed us to seek Him out yet, He is not far from us. Paul also emphasizes that it is only when we are living in God's will do we truly live and have purpose. The Greeks were searching in all the wrong places for their gods, so Paul was making it clear to them that they were so close, because God is not far from them, yet they are so off target because they get caught up worshiping false idols. Paul also tells them that God has given mankind assurance of His sovereignty because He sent Jesus and raised Him from the dead.

Today, I really see a lot of scripture linking together. It seems kind of hard for me to write down all the revelation I am getting, so I'll touch on a few of them. First of all, God sent Jesus to overcome death so that we might believe and hope in God. If I do not believe in Jesus' resurrection, then my hope in God has no basis. God wrote that He would send salvation through His Son from the very beginning, but it had to happen in His perfect timing. Also, God's purpose for Jesus is to draw us closer to Him. If I do not know Jesus, then I cannot draw near to the Father. There are some Christians that overlook Jesus' ministry and just worship and try to get to God on their own. This is not an impossible way of reaching God, but they would be drawing closer to God if they worked on knowing His Son better. How will I be different today because of what I read? Well, I will impress it in my heart the urgency to explain to others of Jesus' resurrection for our salvation. Just as Paul proclaimed it boldly in Greece, I need to proclaim it to those who are seeking God around me. I can't just say that God is my God and leave it at that. I need to point them towards Jesus and what He overcame to fulfill God's will, which is to draw every man to Himself.

Heavenly Father, please help me to continue to meditate on all this today. Lord, may this morning's devotion change me completely. May I not remain the same. Forgive me for sinning, Lord. I place my hope in You. Thank You for sending Your Son and Jesus, thank You for being obedient to Your Father's will. I pray for Your will to be done in my life. Please protect and bless my husband and my baby within my womb. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

God is the Author

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Job 9:23 & 24
23When disaster brings sudden death,
he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
he covers the faces of its judges—
if it is not he, who then is it?

Acts 13:28 & 29
28And though they found in him (Jesus) no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.

Job understood that God is always in control. So often people place satan in control when bad things happen. They say that satan is attacking them, as if God has let down His guard or taken a vacation leaving an open point of attack. Job never once mentions satan or the devil. He doesn't even acknowledge that satan exist nor that he has power. Job doesn't blame satan for his lot, instead, he knows that God is ultimately in control and that if this is happening to him, God must want it to happen to him. Jesus was without sin. He was blameless and guiltless. Yet, God wanted Him to be a sacrifice for the salvation of the world, and Jesus welcomed God's will. The important thing to see here is that Jesus' life was a fulfillment of what was written. God has already written out the story of my life, just as He had already written out the story of Job's life. It's not true, nor is it righteous to point to satan as the author of our fate, even if we are struggling through trials and pain.

So often, I'm like Eve, pointing to the serpent and saying, "He caused me to sin." The devil cannot make me do anything that God has not already determined. Why do I give the devil so much power? Why do I even acknowledge him? Yes, I acknowledge that spiritual warfare is happening. Yes, I know that satan does desire me to sin, but is he as powerful as God? No way! He can't do a thing without God already knowing about it. Why then do I use the devil as a scapegoat whenever I sin? Truly, when I sin, it is because I am the one choosing disobedience and God already knew I would choose it. God is almighty. He is supreme. He is all knowing. He has my life written out. Is that something I should be upset about? No! Why should I be? Do I have any right to be angry that the Creator of all things has a plan for me? No way! If He created me, then I must have a specific purpose. If he created me, then I must have a plan attached to my design. If in this plan, he ordains trials, suffering, and persecution for my life, do I have any right to be angry at Him? No. But do I get angry at Him sometimes? Yes. Do I blame satan for the bad stuff in my life? Yes. Are those sins? Definitely. Woah. That is some major conviction. Today and always, may I make it a point to know in my heart and mind and show in my actions that God is always in control. He is the author of my life, and I'm so glad for that.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the revelation that occurred in me today. I know that You chose this day to be the day that I understand Your sovereignty and almighty power. Forgive me, Lord, for sinning. Among other things, I've given satan power in my life that he truly does not have, I've exalted my own will above Your perfect will, and I've prayed for others that Your will would somehow change so that they could change from a bad situation to a good one. But Lord, I'm sorry. I don't want to contribute to this false notion that we can change Your ultimate plan. I want Your will to be done. I pray for Your will to be done. It is the best and it is for good. Lord, thank You for being the author of my life. I thank You for the purpose You have created me for. I praise You, Lord. I love You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Illusions vs Truth

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Acts 8:9-13
9But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great." 11And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

This passage tells of Simon, a magician in the city of Samaria, who claimed to be great and powerful. Simon's magic tricks had the people amazed and the people focused their attention upon him. I can just imagine Simon walking through the streets, greatly revered because of his mystical "powers". But in Simon's heart, he knew that he was only fooling the people. His illusions were indeed mysterious, but none the less, they were still illusions. Then Philip enters Samaria and is proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. The people are compelled to listen to Philip praising and glorifying the Son of God who came to overcome the laws of death and sin for the people's salvation. The people in Samaria were searching for something amazing. They thought they had that with Simon, but when they heard the truth, they believed and were baptized. Even Simon believed Philip! He must have also been wanting to believe in something truly amazing and miraculous.

I think this passage really stands out to me because I have been a magician's assistant for about 8 years. I personally know that it's all about entertaining the people and not calling upon mystical spirits or powers. I used to finish the show thinking, "I can't believe I get paid to fool people." But truly, people are searching for something amazing. The problem is, that too often we look for something amazing that the world is offering us instead of looking at all the amazing things God is offering us. All the things in the world are smoke and mirrors. They are illusions. They do not last. In my past, I thought drugs were the key to enjoying life. I thought that if I could hallucinate a "good trip" every two weeks, I wouldn't care how crappy the rest of the week went. Lusting and adultery was another escape and alluring illusion. I thought that if I could catch the lust of a man, then I was "truly" beautiful and desired. But those were all illusions. Not only were they magic tricks, but they were life draining traps! It's like, people think that illusions are harmless because they aren't really there. However, if there was an illusion of a bridge over a chasm, and people when to walk on that fake bridge, then they would surely fall to their death! God doesn't want to lead us on with false promises. He backs all His promises up with a 100% guarantee. He is the real thing. He is not an illusion. He is also telling us the truth so that we can live a real, genuine life. Today, may my eyes be opened to the illusions that the world has set around me and may I choose God's truth always.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for being a truly amazing God. I know You are the real thing. Forgive me for seeking the illusions of the world. Keep me from straying. Lord, I pray for my loved ones, that they would no longer be bound by the magic of the world and that they would live in Your truth and love. I love You, Father. Thank You, Jesus, for breaking the spell and setting the captives free. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior I pray, Amen.

Turn from wickedness

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Psalm 1:3
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

This scripture is talking about the man who is righteous. This man meditates on the law of God day and night and he takes delight in God’s law. Also, the man who does not choose to be wicked is like a tree that never withers because it is planted by streams of water. The righteous man is fruitful and prosperous.

Acts 3:26
26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

This talks about Jesus, whom God raised up for the redemption of all mankind. Before Jesus was crucified, He was sent to the people to bless them. The blessing is the gift of repentance so that those who were living in the ways of wickedness could turn and live in righteousness.

Oh Lord, help me to always be a righteous person. I see how easily a person can fall back into their flesh’s wicked ways. I know that I am doing really well right now, but it’s like if I sort of side eye, and look a bit behind me, I see the devil crouching at my heal, waiting for me to turn around. What I am learning today is that I cannot turn around. I must cling to God’s word and His promises. If I press on towards God’s purity and holiness, I will be that tree planted by streams of water. My hope lies in this…that I don’t have to overcome wickedness on my own. I have the strength of Jesus Christ within me, alive and kicking, helping me to overcome whatever temptation may come my way. Whenever I sense myself drifting, I need to repent and come back to Jesus. As I check my heart this morning, where do I see myself drifting towards wickedness? Well, I can tell that if I let my physical fatigue get to me that will keep me from doing God’s work. Also, I can get upset pretty easily, so I must always remember to have patience and joy in my “initial reaction” pocket. Finally, I see that fear is still keeping me from facing my giants. So daily applying what I learned in Saturday’s devotion, to only fear the Lord, is very important in keeping to righteousness. I claim God’s blessing. I stand on His promise.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your word. Lord, I love You and I desire to be made holy and righteous. Please forgive me for my sins. Lord, I run from wickedness and I pursue You! Keep me from sinning. Please help me especially in the areas of physical endurance, reactions, and fears. I trust in You alone. I dedicate my heart, my life, my family to You once again. In Jesus Christ’s precious name I pray, Amen.

Fear

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Nehemiah 6:9, 14, & 19
9For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands...14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid...19Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.

Nehemiah 5:9 & 15
9So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?...15The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

The only fear Nehemiah had, was the fear of God. Although there were many threatening things happening all around him, he chose to only fear the Lord. God doesn't want us to live in fear of man. He doesn't want us to be afraid of what may happen to us in this world. What God does want, is for us to cling to Him. If I only fear the Lord, I have nothing else to fear. If I respect His word and what He thinks of my sin, then I'll have nothing else to be afraid of because His righteousness will protect me and cover me.

Are there things that I am afraid of? Well, I guess I do worry a lot. I think worry comes from fear. I am afraid of cockroaches, my uncle, walking alone at night, & getting mugged. I am afraid of being displeasing to people. I am afraid of being unknown. I am afraid of being ugly. I'm afraid of being a "failure". So what do I do about all these fears? I know that there are many more that I can't even list here. But, I guess the truth is, I can only overcome these fears by fearing God above all this and also understanding His perfect love for me. God loves me. His Word says it over and over again. Jesus is the biggest example of God's love for me! If I ever forget that God loves me, then of course I will want to hide in fear from the world. But God tells me to be bold and courageous. Where do I get that courage from? Where did Nehemiah get that courage from? It's from the fear of the Lord. God is bigger than all the things the world can throw at me. Anything that life deals me, I can handle because my God is to be feared and He loves me. He will protect me and provide for me. He will never forsake me. Of course if I run out from His covering, I'll have much to be afraid of in this life. But God promises that if I stick close to Him, I'll have His covering always.

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for Your word this morning. I thank You for Your faithfulness. I thank You that You are an awesome God. You are almighty and worthy of my utmost respect. I fear You, Lord. I fear You alone. All other things in my life are so small compared to Your awesomeness. I love You. Thank You for loving me, God. May Your perfect love drive out all fear. I pray for Your will to be done today and always. In Jesus Christ's perfect and fearsome name I pray, Amen.

The gender of our baby...revealed!

Today, Hanzo and I went for our ultrasound and we found out that our baby BOY is developing just fine! The baby weighs 10 oz. and it's heart beat and organs look healthy and normal. We are so excited to be having a boy! Our due date is March 2, 2009 and I'm at 20 weeks as of today. We are set on naming him Lion Kenshin Hamamura. It's a bit unorthodox, but trust me, it'll grow on you. lol! My morning sickness has dwindled down to merely acid reflux, so I'm happily eating more and putting on the pounds. Here is a photo of all of us and one of just me and baby.

Shrewdness

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Luke 16:11 & 12
11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?

Jesus is teaching the people and He tells them the story of the shrewd manager. This manager heard that he would loose his job because he was being dishonest in his managing, so he decided to make friends with the debtors and told them to make their debt to the master less. The master was actually pleased with the man for dealing with the debtors shrewdly. I had to look up this word and it says that shrewd means intelligent and making good judgments. I looked up other translations of this word and it said says prudent as well. Prudent is to be wise in handling practical matters; exercising good judgment or common sense. Then Jesus says that if we aren’t trustworthy in handling our worldly wealth, then God will not trust us with true riches. Stewardship comes to mind. Also, material blessing comes to mind.

Hanzo and I have been unexpectedly blessed financially this month. God has answered our prayer in abundance and yet, I sense that this is a test. Will we resort to our old ways and purchase things that we don’t need? Will we hoard up our wealth so that when the dry seasons come, we’ll have something to live off of comfortably? Or will we let it go to whatever God tells us to release it to? Although we aren’t rich, we surely feel a sense of confusion as to what to do with the excess funds. My initial instinct is to save. I like to put away so that once a large amount has accumulated, then I can spend it on something really nice or necessary. For example, I would love to put away some for a family car or van. Or even for the down payment on a house. I even feel like we should put a portion in a separate savings account for the baby’s college tuition. But there is a voice I’m hearing that says, “Give it to those in need.” Plus, there are so many people that I have been wanting to buy gifts and send graduation money to, etc. that I haven’t been able to because we have been poor. I have several gifts that need to be mailed to friends and there are other interns and couples struggling financially. Especially since this money was a blessing from a friend, not anything that we could have earned on our own, then I shouldn’t portion it out for selfish things. I would love to use it all to pay off my debt, but then again, there isn’t enough for that, and it would set us a bit out of the hole, but we would be “poor” again. The best thing I can do is pray that God would tell us exactly how to use that money and that we would be obedient in doing just that.

Heavenly Father, I know that You want to refine my heart and my character. I pray for Your forgiveness and for Your redeeming grace. Please guide us in exactly how we should use this money. I am willing to use it to bless others! I am willing to be shrewd in my stewardship of it. Please speak clearly to me and Hanzo and compel us to be obedient to You. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.

Receive the Holy Spirit

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Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Jesus just taught His disciples how to pray. Then, He explains to them that if they ask they will receive, if they seek, they will find, and if they knock, the door will be opened. Jesus is talking about receiving the Holy Spirit. I think a lot of people take this scripture out of context and they forget about what Luke 11:13 says. Jesus is explaining that we can ask God for the Holy Spirit and it will not be withheld from us. However, many people use this scripture to justify why they should receive from God what they ask for such as a promotion, a baby, or even money. Jesus doesn't tell the disciples that they can ask for anything, and it will be given to them. He is specifically saying that if you ask God for the Holy Spirit, then it will be given to you.

Lately, God has been revealing to me ways that I have misused His scripture. Here is one of them that I have often taken out of context. Now I clearly understand that what God is saying is that we can ask for the Holy Spirit and it will not be withheld from us. That is wonderful news! Who needs all that other stuff, the car, the job, or the status in society? All I need and should desire is Jesus! This scripture is especially encouraging to me because now I know that when I am in a fight or disagreement, I can pray and ask God for the Holy Spirit and be confident that if I am truly willing, I'll receive it. One of the hardest things is trying to solve a disagreement or mis-communication without the Holy Spirit. In those situations, there is only the flesh present and every party is just trying to prove why they are right and why they were hurt or offended. But with the Holy Spirit present, the Lord overcomes the flesh and peace begins to set in. Also, in counseling, there are times that I am begging God to give me the right words to say to that person. Now, I know that I can ask Him for the Holy Spirit and allow the Spirit to speak through me. This is a wonderful gift. It is a power given to those who are God's children. May I never use this scripture to justify my greediness again.

Heavenly Father, You are a good Father. Thank You for loving me. Lord, I pray that You would forgive me of my sins and show me how to live a righteous and pure life. Lord, I ask for Your Holy Spirit today. May Your Spirit lead me in all that I do. May I walk in Your Holy Spirit today and always. Jesus, I thank You for clarifying this scripture to me. I pray that You continue to reveal the Truth to me. Keep me close to You, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Obedience and God's provision

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Luke 5:5-6
5And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

These were career fishermen. They made their living off of the fish they caught. Fish equaled wealth. A good catch meant there would be something to eat on the table. I imagine the fishermen, tired from a long evening of fruitless fishing. Oh how long they must have waited for fish to swim into their nets. Yet, every time they pulled it onto the boat, the nets were empty. It must have been so depressing to have your hopes rise and fall with every toss and pull of the net. Then Jesus tells them to let down the nets one more time. Maybe they were all packed up for the day. The net must have been folded neatly. Their stomachs growling from a long day of work. Looking at Jesus, Simon basically says, "Look, I respect your teachings, but you gotta understand that we have been fishing all day and there is nothing here to catch." But then Simon says, "however, since you told me to, I'll do it." Maybe Simon just wanted to show respect to Jesus. Maybe the whole time he was lowering the net, he was thinking, "This guy doesn't know this lake like I do." But once they were obedient, they caught so many fish that they almost couldn't handle it.

I feel like Simon. "Lord, I'm telling You, I've been working at this thing all day and there is just no way that I can be fruitful here." But God keeps asking me to lower my net again. I feel this way especially with Embrace. It seems like I put so much hard work into that ministry and the fish are so few that it hardly feels like enough to keep me going. But, God is saying, just lower your net, one more time, I'll provide the fish. Actually, I feel like this in a lot of areas in my life. I feel like this with my ministries (Drama, Vocals, Youth Choir, Pursuit) and my finances. I hardly have enough to pay the bills. I have next to nothing to spend on all the baby showers coming up, or the funerals that are happening. I feel so worthless. I have nothing of worth to offer my friends and family who need my support because I can hardly support myself. I get so angry. I get so frustrated. But if Jesus is telling me to lower my net once more, I just need to be obedient. I don't know how I am going to do that, but I need just need to do it.

Heavenly Father, I pray for You to forgive me for my sins. Lord, I've been so stubborn and easily frustrated. I need You, Lord, to save me. I need You to provide the fish. I know that it is never a result of my own efforts, so Lord, I pray for Your provision. I trust You, Lord. I'm so sorry for thinking I have it all figured out. I love You. I pray all these things in Jesus' name, Amen.

Music

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Ezekiel 33:32 And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.

God tells Ezekiel that although he is speaking what God is trying to tell the people, the people have their own gain set in their hearts, so they only hear what they want to hear. Also, God likens this behavior to when people listen to songs about lust, where people listen to a beautiful song and imagine and fantasize, but they do not actually do what they hear.

Music can be a rally to action, or it can be an escape and excuse for complacency. I have been guilty of listening to beautiful love songs and just letting my mind wander in lust. Is God trying to tell me to not listen to these types of songs? Yes and no. If all I do is let my mind sin when I listen to these songs, then I definitely shouldn't be listening to it. Also, when I listen to Christian music, I shouldn't treat it like those other songs. Worship music should rally me to action. I should be doing what I hear from God and not just fantasize about it. I need to change in this area.

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing this to me. Please forgive me for lusting through music. Lord, help me to choose more positive, motivating music and may I take action to worship You when I hear it. I pray that my words and actions line up. Help me to be more like You, Jesus. In Your precious name I pray, Amen.

A life that points to Jesus

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Daniel 2:47-48
47The king answered and said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery." 48Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

This story does not only tell of a man of God who stood firm in his faith and righteousness. This story points to Jesus somehow. It’s true that Daniel was very brave and bold to ask God for the dream that the Babylonian king had and the interpretation. The king was asking something quite impossible, that someone would tell him not only the interpretation of the dream but the dream itself. In his frustration of not being able to get what he wanted, the king ordered all the wise men to be killed. Daniel points the way to Jesus in that what God allowed him to do proved to all these non-believers that God is the one true God. What Jesus did for us, dying on the cross and then rising again, proves to us that God is the one true God. Also, just as Daniel took a stand to remain pure, Jesus remained sinless all of His life.

This was a tough one to process. It’s so easy to look at the story and just think of Daniel and what he did. But really all the scripture points to Jesus; and Jesus is the living Word. I learned this from Hanzo who picked this up from Leon, the Ignite Youth Pastor. So, how do I apply this to my life? What does God want me to learn from this? I must live in a way that points to Jesus. Do I live my life in such a way that people say, “Truly, your God is God of gods!” Or, am I living in such a way that people say, “She’s a Christian? She doesn’t seem like one!” I think that I’ve honestly slacked a lot in my walk. I’ve made some compromises and lost that tight grip on my convictions. How do I get back to that steadfast faith and lifestyle?
Commit to doing my devotions everyday
Take the time to pray to God whenever I can
Use discipline in my daily decisions, from what I eat to what I watch on TV
Get plugged in with someone who can keep me accountable

Heavenly Father, I am so sorry for straying and compromising. Please forgive me and keep me straight on Your path. Help me to overcome my selfish desires. Show me how to die to my flesh and live for You. Lord, I love You. May my life point to You, Lord. I ask for Your will to be done in our lives. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Wait on the Lord

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Lamentations 3:25-26
25The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

Jeremiah is a prophet weeping over the prophesy that God had given him concerning the fate of Jerusalem. The people have made it a habit to turn to other idols and gods in order to satisfy their impatient flesh. But Jeremiah, in the midst of his weeping and bitter cries, remembers God’s true character. He remembers that God is good to those who wait for Him and seek Him. Jeremiah realizes that God is just and that He would never allow all this wrath and punishment to fall upon the righteous. He tells himself that it is good for one to wait quietly for God’s salvation

Hanzo and I are definitely in a season of waiting quietly for God’s salvation. It feels like years but really, it’s only been a few weeks. Waiting on the Lord is such a simple thing to do, yet it is soooo hard. Our fallen nature is to rush into things and to take matters into our own hands. Isn’t this exactly what happened in the Garden of Eden? Day after day, I hear God telling me, “Laine, just wait for me to move. When it is in my timing, I will not delay.” Just as I can’t make my baby kick when I want it to kick in my womb, I have no say over when God should take action. For me to jump ahead of God and say, “I want things to happen this way now, is such a selfish and unloving thing to do.” He is my God. He wants to take care of me and my family, and He will. I just need to wait; patiently, quietly.

Heavenly Father, I love You and I don’t want to move unless You tell me to. Help me to wait patiently. Keep me from sinning and forgive me for the times that I got impatient. Scrub my heart clean. I trust in You, Lord. Give me peace in my spirit, just as You gave to Jeremiah when he paused in his lamentation to recognize Your sovereignty. I give this season of waiting to You, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray and wait…Amen.

Private thoughts

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Ezekiel 8:12Then he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, 'The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.'"

Ezekiel, the prophet is being shown all the abominations of the people and priests of Israel and Judah. One of the abominations is what the elders were doing behind closed doors. When they thought no one was looking, they had their pictures that they liked to worship. Also, the Lord knew that they were saying in their hearts, "The Lord doesn't see us because He has left the land." But the Lord will never forsake us, and He has to be just. He sees everything and we are foolish to think that He doesn't know our deepest, darkest secrets and sins.

I've been guilty of secretly thinking something and saying to myself, no one knows what I'm thinking. But I need to remember that God knows every intention and desire of my heart. I cannot hide from the Lord, which is a very good thing, because if I could do that, then God would not be just. The best thing I can do is confess to God and repent. I can ask Him to forgive me and truly make the effort to change my ways. In a past devotion, I learned that God can overcome the desires of my heart. Today, I need God to do just that. I need His forgiveness. I need His sovereignty in my life.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a just God. Lord Jesus, thank You for coming and making it possible for me to be sanctified by Your Holy sacrifice. I ask for Your forgiveness, Lord. I've been struggling with my private thoughts. I need You to overcome my heart's desires. Teach me to be more and more like You. Lord, I ask that You would rule over my dreams. Lord, in my dreams, I need Your authority the most. Please bring me peace in my dreams, Lord, so that when I wake up, I am prepared to do Your righteousness. Thank You, Lord. I love You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Hearts are deceiving

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Jeremiah the prophet writes these words and it is followed by God’s answer which is the He searches the heart and examines the mind. God is just because He knows everything that we feel, think, and are motivated by. Jeremiah is right to say that the heart is deceitful. In the heart are hidden desires and passions. Much of the flesh’s ways are attached to the heart. It is only when we have Jesus ruling within our hearts can we overcome the sin of our flesh. We must bring our flesh under discipline by dying to the desires of our hearts and choosing Jesus’ Word above all else.

Last night, I was in a bad mood going to bed. I was so troubled because I felt like someone I had been mentoring was still choosing to take the path of the world. I got so frustrated, thinking, “Can’t she see that if she would just be obedient to God in this area, then she will be greatly blessed?” This morning, God gives me Jeremiah 17:9 to remind me that not even my heart is righteous or good. Truly, the heart is deceitful, even to the person whom the heart belongs to. I’m sure this girl never meant to purposefully grieve me and the Holy Spirit, but she did. This helps me to take a step back and look at my own life. Am I grieving the Holy Spirit? Just because my friends and family don’t search my heart or examine my mind, I’m sure they would agree that I am a good person. But, when I really look inside my heart, I see the deceit. I see how much junk I have in there and it is ugly! It stinks! But, I can ask Jesus to forgive me and to take control over my heart. He is the one who can overcome my flesh’s desires, but I have to ask Him to. He will not force His power upon me. Today, may I take my focus off of other people’s hearts and really take the time to work on disciplining my own.

Heavenly Father, I love You, Lord! I ask for Your forgiveness again. Lord, thank You for Your grace. Jesus, make Your power glorious within my heart. I give You full permission and authority over my flesh. Help me to discipline myself and die to my worldly desires. Purify me, oh Lord. I pray that You help me to forgive my friend, and that I treat her with your grace and agape love. I pray for Your healing upon Your children, that we may be a testimony of Your glory. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

More of Jesus, Less of me

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John 3:30 He must become greater; I must become less.

John and Jesus were both baptizing and people started flocking to be baptized by Jesus. John’s disciples told John that Jesus was baptizing but they seemed jealous, indignant, and upset. They referred to Jesus as “that man,” discounting Jesus’ authority. But John replies that he is not the Christ and that Jesus must become greater and that he must become less.

I want to have a heart like John’s heart. To know that Jesus must become greater in my life and I must become less is the best thing that can happen to us as God’s children. This is my prayer today. I want so badly to feel normal; to have an appetite, to not be tired, to have more energy. But I can’t be all those things. I just can’t. The only way to have a better life is to allow more of Jesus and less of me. What is Jesus doing? Am I allowing Him to do His good work? I must become less. I must place my desires, needs, and wants below Jesus’.

Heavenly Father, I know that You are my healer. I know that You have a purpose for my life. Please help me to become less so You can become greater in my life. Lord, I want all of myself to disappear, and I want all of You to shine through me. Lord, take over my life. I give my life to You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Delight in God

073008: Delight in God
Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61 talks all about Jesus’ commission. Then, it transitions into this verse which states that Jesus delights in God. Jesus always brings it back to God’s glory, not His own. Even though Jesus is God, He is the Son of God as well, and so He always points back to the source of His righteousness, the Father. God adorned Jesus with salvation & righteousness in preparation for a holy union the same way a bridegroom and bride will dress up for their wedding ceremony.

This morning, I was so disturbed by my dreams. I don’t understand where dreams manifest, whether they are the overflow of my flesh’s desires, or visions from God, or something else. Either way, the dreams took my mind on a totally abnormal route. When I tried to do my devotion, I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t hear what God was trying to say to me. Finally, I had to repent to God and ask Him for His forgiveness. I had allowed my dreams to take my gaze off of the Lord. After praying for forgiveness, this verse stood out to me. “I delight greatly in the Lord.” Do I have this heart for God? Do I delight in Him? I think the answer is that my delight comes and goes. It shouldn’t be that way. God is everything to me! Jesus even role modeled that all delight should be in God. Today, I need to figure out what I delight in and refocus it back on God.

Heavenly Father, I delight in You. I love You, Lord. I’m so sorry for sinning. I pray for Your forgiveness and guidance back to a righteous way. Lord, I don’t want to be consumed by confusing thoughts. I desire a pure heart, mind, body, and soul. Lead me in Your way, Lord. Clothe me in salvation and righteousness. I pray all these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Faith in Action

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James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

This book is believed to have been written by James, Jesus’ half brother. James talks about faith and deeds. Both work hand in hand. If a person has faith but doesn’t put that faith into action, it is dead. Essentially, faith is useless if it isn’t applied in works. James 2:24 says that people are justified by what they do and not by their faith alone. The way I interpret this is that if I were to stand before God and say, “Lord, I believed in You my whole life,” but I never told anyone about God, then I would not be justified by my faith. It is only by my living out what I believe in that I am justified and my faith is complete.

Yesterday, I was talking with Elise and she kept telling me that she wants to see faith in action. I was so moved by that. I agreed with her that there is a lot of head knowledge about the Bible but to see people living it out is rare. So, what can I do today to put my faith into action? I know I should love my neighbor, but what have I done today to show my neighbors that I love them? Nothing! I texted a bunch of my friends, and they responded back, but those are not my neighbors, those are my friends. I hope to put action to what I believe in today. I don’t want a dead faith. I’m going to listen to what God wants me to do today so that I can really place works to my faith.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Word. I thank You for Your Son and the promise of new life. Please forgive me for being a complacent Christian. Lord, show me how to be more and more like Jesus. Lead me in my thoughts, words, and actions. Lord, today may my faith be justified by my works. I love You, Lord, and I pray all these things in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.

iPray

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Today, I was a bit worried because there was spotting on my underwear. I called the doctor to see if it was normal. He told me that I shouldn’t worry about it unless it is a lot of blood and cramping occurs. I pray that baby is doing great and that I am eating enough. I feel like it’s so hard to keep feeding myself and also to know what I should be eating and what I shouldn’t be eating. I know God’s in control no matter what. But it’s such a huge responsibility bringing another human being into the world!

Isaiah 26:16 LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer.

Hebrews 13:18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.

In Isaiah 26, the prophet says that God’s people were in distress when they were disciplined by God and that is when they came to God in prayer. By that point, they could hardly whisper a prayer. It would have been better for them to have prayed earlier. But how do we know when to pray? How do we know what to pray for? In Hebrews, Paul asks them to pray for him and the other apostles. We can pray for one another, we can pray for things God lays on our hearts, and we can pray for concerns we may have. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (English Standard Version) says to pray without ceasing. So, it shouldn’t only be when I am in trouble that I should pray, but I should constantly be in communication with God.

Oh Lord, I feel like you are teaching me the basics again! Am I not maturing? Am I not taking the time to listen to Your revelation? I feel like I’ve been praying a lot ever since I’ve been pregnant, but then I again, I know that I pray way more when I am sick or feeling distressed. I don’t only want to cry out to You when I can barely whisper! I don’t want to wait until it is too late to ask for Your help. You are always willing to help, but I am so reluctant to speak to You. Today, may I be in prayer continuously.

Heavenly Father, I pray for my maturity in faith. Lord, I pray that I keep the line of communication open with You. I praise You, Lord, for our baby! We don’t deserve such a blessing, but Lord, we are so grateful. Lord, I pray for the health of our baby. I pray that I eat the right things and the right amount of things. I pray for Your hand of protection upon our baby. Lord, I pray for my husband, that he would feel so close to You right now. I pray that You would anoint him and point in the direction he should lead this family in. Lord, I pray that he walks closer and closer with You everyday. I pray for my family, my parents, my brother, and relatives, that they would know You intimately. I pray for Your will to be done. I pray for Lianne, for her safety and for her relationship with You to grow. Lord, I lift up all the pregnant women, that they would be covered by Your hand throughout their whole pregnancy and even after giving birth. Lord, I love You. I praise You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Discipline

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Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Isaiah 22-24 talks about how God will bring about punishment to all those who have sinned. In Hebrews 12, Paul explains that God disciplines those He loves. It is through God's discipline that we know for sure that we are heirs and legitimate children of God. Paul says in Hebrews 12:11 that no discipline is pleasant while one is going through it, but later on, that discipline produces righteousness & peace. We must be trained by discipline, meaning, we must constantly apply that discipline. Discipline is for our good.

God is totally convicting me! I truly need to love discipline. Especially, since I'm going to be a mommy in less than a year, I can't teach discipline, if I don't exercise it myself. I need to do my devotions everyday, even if I feel sick, weak, or nauseous. It may not seem pleasant now, ut it will produce a good harvest. I'm so glad that God disciplines me.  I would hate to be undisciplined, only to find out later that I could have avoided all that heart-break and pain. I'm going to commit this scripture to memory so that when I advise my friends and those that I mentor, I can assure them of the rewards of God's discipline.

Heavenly Father, please continue to discipline me. Lord, give me the strength to do my devotions on a daily basis. I trust in You, Lord, that You will get me through the day! Please bring comfort and peace to my body. Please protect my baby and continue to strengthen my husband. Keep us close to You as a family. I love You, Lord. You are so faithful. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

The responsibility Mothers have

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Hosea 10:14Therefore a tumult will arise among your people,
And all your fortresses will be destroyed,
As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,
When mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.

Hosea 11:9-10
9 I will not execute My fierce anger;
I will not destroy Ephraim again
For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst,
And I will not come in wrath.
10 They will walk after the LORD,
He will roar like a lion;
Indeed He will roar
And His sons will come trembling from the west.

Hosea the prophet said that the day that punishment falls upon God's people will be like the time when Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel. When that happened, the women were dashed in pieces with their children. Lately, I've been reading of horrific details such as pregnant women being ripped open (2 Kings 15:16) and the slaying the precious ones of Ephriam's womb (Hosea 9:16). It's easy to glaze over such discomforting words. God is an all loving God, right? But I must examine this closer. I am compelled to. What is evident in these descriptions is that women and their children have a special bond. They have a symbiotic relationship. God has placed his creative characteristic in women by giving her the ability to bear new life and create more humans. Of course, she can't do it alone. She needs man and man needs her. However, it says in the Bible that sons do not pay for the sins of their fathers and fathers do not pay for the sins of their sons (Deut. 24:16). Yet, it is not the same here for women. When the children must be cut off, their mothers go with them. Is it because women are vessels of the children until birth? Is it because the women can produce more children, so they must go as well? I think I'm missing the point here. I don't think God wants to destroy women and children. He says, "be fruitful and increase in number" (Genesis 1:28). Also, God says in Hosea 11:9-10 that He will not execute His wrath, but He will roar so that His children return to Him. God never wants these horrible things to happen to women and children, but He knows that if they continue in sin, the worst is coming. God must roar so that we listen to His authority. It is because He loves us that He sends His Word to us to lead us to repentance.

So, the point I believe God is teaching me today is that I have a huge role to play as a mother. I need to be listening to God all the time. If I don't listen, God will roar. Not because He wants to frighten me, or intends to devour me, but because He loves me and doesn't want me to continue in that direction. As a mother, I have a direct responsibility in raising my child to listen to God's voice and to be obedient to what He says. God is the one protecting my baby and I. He has also appointed a righteous and trustworthy father, Hanzo, who will lead the family in God's way. My life is forever tied to this baby. It's a beautiful and miraculous thing! However, that also means that I must approach motherhood with all the respect and reverence that it deserves. Motherhood is never to be taken lightly. There are consequences of sin although repentance is never far away. I must make sure to be upright and listening to God, not only for my sake, but for the sake of my baby as well.

Heavenly Father, this is a very complex devotion, but I thank You for sticking by my side through it all. I pray that I meditate on Your word all the time. Please reveal to me every gem of wisdom that You want me to catch. Lord, I pray for forgiveness. I desire all the thoughts and desires of my heart to be pure. Please cleanse me and sanctify me, Lord. I love You and praise You for the miracle that is developing inside of me! Lord, I pray for my husband, that You would continue to pour out Your wisdom and love in His life. I pray for Lianne and her mission team in Israel! Lord, protect them and anoint them to do Your good works! I pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

We are expecting a baby!!

We had a doctor's appointment on Monday and it went great! We got to see baby for the first time! However, since we found out so early, so it just looked like a black dot. The doctor said that baby is inside the black dot, so it wasn't even visible to the human eye! But, we know that baby is in there. I'm feeling good. No nausea yet. This morning a felt a little bit of it, like the very begining of sea sickness, but then it went away. I think I felt like that from eating mango for breakfast. haha. I have a follow up appointment in two weeks. Tomorrow we are catching a plane, so I hope that the flight will not make me queasy, but even if it does, it's such a short period of time to fly from Oahu to Kauai and I'm sure I can handle it. Please keep us in prayer because the early months are the most crucial!

My public life should bring Him glory

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Psalm 116:12 & 14
12 How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

The psalmist asks how he can repay the Lord for all His goodness. The Lord saved and redeemed this psalmist. There is so much gratitude in this psalm. The psalmist decides that he will fulfill his vows to the Lord publicly. He will live a life beyond reproach. This may mean that he will be baptized to publicly declare his submission to God. It may mean that all vows that he had previously made will be honored. To God, this is a high form of worship! To live a life publicly that brings all honor and glory to God.

What vows have I made to the Lord? Well, I have vowed to be the wife to my husband on my wedding day, to be a woman disciple of Christ when I accepted God as my Lord and Savior, and to be dead to sin and alive to righteousness through my baptism. Am I fulfilling these vows everyday? I should be doing my best to keep my word in all I say and do. I am thankful that I do have something to stand for! I do have a vow to keep. It motivates me. It makes me feel useful to God and others. There will never be a way for me to pay God back for all that He has done in my life, but I can bring Him glory when I live beyond reproach. I am so grateful that God has saved me! I think about where I could have been and I look at where I am now. Indeed I was taken from the miry clay and set upon a rock. Today, I will live above reproach in every aspect of my life.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for sinning. Lord Jesus, thank You for bridging the gap and saving me from destruction! I love You, Lord! Please continue to show me how to live beyond reproach. Lord, as I prepare for motherhood, keep my feet upon the straight path. Thank You for everything, God. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

He paid the debt for us

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I am so excited, grateful, and joyful! Last night, Hanzo and I found out that we are expecting a baby! Praise God! Praise the Lord! I'm going to try my best to describe what I'm going through. Last night, all I wanted to do was begin a legacy for my baby. We started writing in a journal, which Mom (Jocelyn) bought for Hanzo when they were in Italy. In it, we will leave letters to our baby with gems of wisdom and words of love and encouragement. Also, I insisted that we get a photo with the stick and a QuickTime video of our first video message to the baby. This morning, I woke up at 6am and felt so energized! I started praying to God, asking for blessings for our baby. God told me to get up and do a devo. When I went into the kitchen to get breakfast, my mom came into the kitchen. She was leaving for work. She asked me about my craps because a few nights ago, I had mentioned that I had a cramp or severe pain in my abdomen. I guess she was worried about it. But then, it left me an opportunity to tell her about the good news! I couldn't help but smile when she asked me...so I actually had to tell her. My mom was very happy. And now, here I am, doing my devo, but getting a little side tracked in trying to remember this special moment in my life.

1 Kings 14:6 But the sons of the slayers he did not put to death, according to what is written in the book of the Law of Moses, as the LORD commanded, saying, " The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but each shall be put to death for his own sin."

In the Law of Moses, Deut. 24:16 says "Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin. Ezekiel 18:20 says 20"The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself." And yet, God broke the law of this world so that we would be free! God made the law Himself. He told Moses and the other prophets that no one should pay for another person's sins. Yet, because of His grace, He placed all the wickedness and the sins of mankind on the only Son He has.

This scripture has captured my heart to think that God would do something so uncommonly merciful for all of us. I'm sure that this was one of the laws that people would say while sneering at others who have wronged them. "Grr...well, you shall be put to death for your own sin." It's sort of a way for us to wash our hands clean of the guilt and let the sinner continue on their way to eternal flames. However, God does not do that. God says to us, "You are going the wrong direction, come and follow me." He says, "You have wronged me, but if you would see and repent, I will save you." Moreover, while we were still unrepentant sinners, He sent Jesus to die for our sins! Does this mean that God only wants me to ask for forgiveness every time so that I never reap the consequences of my actions? No way. God is just. He will make sure that discipline follows. However, He is quick to forgive and will always bring good out of that sinful situation for redeeming purposes. I think it is also important for me to explain that Jesus' sacrifice does not mean that we are no longer accountable for our own sins. I find peace in knowing that my sins will not bear punishment on my child because God does keep us accountable. The main point is, that God didn't need to save us, instead, He wanted to and He did so. How can I be different today because I am renewed in my awareness of this awesome act of love? I can look at other people today, and know that God paid the ultimate price for that person and then I must treat them according to the value that God has placed on them. Other people are precious, priceless, and worth loving because God loved them first and placed the value on their life.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the debt which we owed to You. Lord Jesus, You had the right to tell us that our blood should be on our own heads. However, Lord, I am so grateful that You loved us with God's love and saved us from our debt of sin. Forgive me today, Father, for my sins and trespasses against You. Correct me and lead me in Your everlasting way. Please prepare me to be a genuine, Christian mother. Lord, please keep Your hand upon our baby and pour out Your love and joy even now in these early stages of pregnancy. I love You, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

No Right To Be Angry

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Jonah 4:4 But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"

2 Timothy 2:24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Jonah was a prophet of God and the Lord told him to go to Nineveh to preach against it. Jonah knew that God was warning the city to repent and so he ran in another direction. Jonah deliberately disobeyed God because he thought Nineveh deserved their punishment. God makes Jonah obey Him by having Jonah swallowed by a huge fish. When the fish vomits him out, Jonah goes straight to Nineveh, and sure enough, they heeded his prophesy and repented. Jonah got angry. He said that it would be better for him to be dead than living. God then replies to Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry?” Jonah indeed had no right to be angry. Paul instructs Timothy, but he might as well be instructing Jonah too. Paul says that a servant of the Lord must not argue, but instead be kind to everyone. A servant of the Lord must be able to teach, but not be resentful. It seems that Jonah was resentful. Jonah was not kind to the people of Nineveh. God wanted to show Jonah that it was not a concern of Jonah to judge these people. God loved the people of Nineveh, and that is why Jonah needed to prophesy against them.

I can relate to Jonah. Many times I get angry at what God tells me to do. I think to myself, doesn’t He know how badly they hurt me, or doesn’t God know that this person will only sin again? Why do I have to intervene? If I just do nothing, then they will get what’s coming to them. Well, that may be true, but then their blood is on my head. God will not let me go on my merry way, avoiding obedience to Him. I am a servant of the Lord. I cannot choose when I will obey nor do I have a right to get angry at God. To conquer this common pitfall of pride, I must remember Paul’s instruction to Timothy. I must not quarrel. It’s easy to pick a fight with someone that doesn’t see things the way I do. I don’t like fighting, but I know that fighting doesn’t only mean verbal arguing. The Greek word is Macomai, which means of those who contend at law for property and privileges (Strong’s). So I mustn’t feel a sense of privilege because we are all equal at the foot of the cross. I must be kind to everyone. I get mad sometimes because I know that people step all over me for being kind. I tell God, “Why do I have to kind to this person? They only take it for granted!” or “They don’t appreciate my kindness!” I must be kind because it serves the Lord. No if’s and’s or but’s. Also, I must be able to teach. I must know God’s word so that when God tells me to teach, I am able to. Teaching others is different from giving them what they need for the moment. As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” Most of all, I must not be resentful. I think God has really been working on this within me. I tend to do a lot of things with resentment. I’m really good at putting on the appearance that I really like doing it, but deep down inside, I’ll be feeling forced or controlled. I need to stop doing this. I need Jesus to bring healing to this wound so that I can do all things out of joy with love.

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for sinning. I have no right to be angry. Thank you for Your grace and patience with me. Lord, show me how to be more like You. Help me to apply these characteristics to my own so that I will not feel entitlement or resentment, but instead be kind and able to teach. May Your word never depart from my heart. Lord, I pray for the salvation of my family and friends who don’t know You. Lord, I pray that they would pursue You with all their hearts! I thank You for my husband and I pray that You would fill him with Your strength and joy today. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.