17/5/12
S: Psalm 22
O: Jesus quoted the first sentence in this psalm on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Large parts of this psalm applied to Jesus in His suffering leading up to His death, e.g. verses 6-8, 13-18, and 31 ― even to the details of gambling over his clothes (verse 18) and piercing his hands and feet (verse 16).
A: When we are going through a tough time, we often feel like God is far away, that God doesn’t understand.
However, He assures us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are―yet he did not sin. He is with us always, even to the end of the age. For the LORD listens to the needy and doesn’t despise those in bondage.
“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”
P: Father, when we are suffering, when we are in the depths of despair, remind us that You understand and are with us and will never forsake us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Imagine God singing this song to you.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Want God to listen to your prayers? Then be faithful to your spouse.
10/5/14
S: Malachi 2:13-16 Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”
Unlike the prevailing cultural norms of the day that devalue women, St. Peter points out that women are equal partners in God's gift of new life. (Older translations, e.g. the KJV, say put it as “heirs together of the grace of life”. The prevailing cultural norms of the day allowed men to lord it over their wives, and sometimes treat them as property.
A: Most of us do not regard our spouses as our property anymore, but many of us persist in our selfish ways. I struggle daily to consider Juliane's needs and feelings. I would prefer to just sit in front of the computer and look at Facebook, read my science fiction, etc. but Juliane wants to spend time with me and talk. As a typical man, I find it very hard to talk without a topic, especially in the area of feelings. But I have to discipline myself to do so anyway, because my wife needs it.
In a similar manner, Juliane does many things for me that she might not prefer to do, because it makes me happy. In our mutual giving to each other, and putting each other's needs before our own, we end up becoming more conformed to Christ, and also have a more fulfilling life. A life of selfishness only is gratifying on the short-term. In the long-term, it makes for a shallow and miserable existence without the blessing of God.
Neither of us do this perfectly. In fact, I know that I fall short virtually every day. Time and again we have to ask each other for forgiveness. We're still on the journey of being brought into conformity with Christ. But that shouldn't stop us from aiming in that direction.
P: Father, thank You for the gift of my wife, with whom I am becoming one flesh. Forgive me where I fall short of Your standards, and thank You for forgiveness. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S: Malachi 2:13-16 Here is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he pays no attention to your offerings and doesn’t accept them with pleasure. You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.”
Unlike the prevailing cultural norms of the day that devalue women, St. Peter points out that women are equal partners in God's gift of new life. (Older translations, e.g. the KJV, say put it as “heirs together of the grace of life”. The prevailing cultural norms of the day allowed men to lord it over their wives, and sometimes treat them as property.
A: Most of us do not regard our spouses as our property anymore, but many of us persist in our selfish ways. I struggle daily to consider Juliane's needs and feelings. I would prefer to just sit in front of the computer and look at Facebook, read my science fiction, etc. but Juliane wants to spend time with me and talk. As a typical man, I find it very hard to talk without a topic, especially in the area of feelings. But I have to discipline myself to do so anyway, because my wife needs it.
In a similar manner, Juliane does many things for me that she might not prefer to do, because it makes me happy. In our mutual giving to each other, and putting each other's needs before our own, we end up becoming more conformed to Christ, and also have a more fulfilling life. A life of selfishness only is gratifying on the short-term. In the long-term, it makes for a shallow and miserable existence without the blessing of God.
Neither of us do this perfectly. In fact, I know that I fall short virtually every day. Time and again we have to ask each other for forgiveness. We're still on the journey of being brought into conformity with Christ. But that shouldn't stop us from aiming in that direction.
P: Father, thank You for the gift of my wife, with whom I am becoming one flesh. Forgive me where I fall short of Your standards, and thank You for forgiveness. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, May 3, 2014
When the wicked seem to prosper
3/5/14
S: Psalm 10:4-6 The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies.
(Actually, refer to the whole psalm.)
O: Sometimes we see the wicked get their comeuppance in this life, e.g. Adolf Hitler, but many times in life we see the wicked seem to get away with it, e.g. Stalin. We each have less dramatic, but more personally impacting, examples in our own lives.
The psalmist at first despairs about such a situation, but then he reminds himself that God is still in control, and judgment is still coming.
God, however, does not rejoice over the death of the wicked, but desires everyone to come to repentance. For we all, like sheep, have gone astray ― each one of us has turned away from the way of God and gone our own way.
So, in a sense, we are all wicked and we all need God's grace for salvation.
A: We need to look at the wicked with the eyes of Jesus. If they don't repent, they will suffer eternal consequences. But God wants them to repent. He doesn't want anyone to be eternally damned.
P: Father, help us to see human beings not as our enemies, but rather, as victims of our ultimate enemy, the devil. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S: Psalm 10:4-6 The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies.
(Actually, refer to the whole psalm.)
O: Sometimes we see the wicked get their comeuppance in this life, e.g. Adolf Hitler, but many times in life we see the wicked seem to get away with it, e.g. Stalin. We each have less dramatic, but more personally impacting, examples in our own lives.
The psalmist at first despairs about such a situation, but then he reminds himself that God is still in control, and judgment is still coming.
God, however, does not rejoice over the death of the wicked, but desires everyone to come to repentance. For we all, like sheep, have gone astray ― each one of us has turned away from the way of God and gone our own way.
So, in a sense, we are all wicked and we all need God's grace for salvation.
A: We need to look at the wicked with the eyes of Jesus. If they don't repent, they will suffer eternal consequences. But God wants them to repent. He doesn't want anyone to be eternally damned.
P: Father, help us to see human beings not as our enemies, but rather, as victims of our ultimate enemy, the devil. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Blessed be God, the beneficent, the merciful (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم )
26/4/2014
S: Psalm 3 A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.
O lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!”
But you, O lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.
I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. Arise, O lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! Victory comes from you, O lord. May you bless your people.
O: David was very much at fault for why Absalom rebelled against him. When Amnon raped Absalom's sister Tamar, David didn't take action. Eventually Absalom murdered Amnon in revenge. Because of that, Absalom fled. Eventually, David allowed Absalom back from exile, but refused to see him. All this caused Absalom to come to hate his father, though David was generally a good king.
So Absalom engineered a coup and David had to flee for his life. It was during this period that he wrote this psalm. In spite of the problem originating in his own negligence, he still trusted God, and God did deliver him eventually.
A: We are not perfect, just like David. We mess up. But David ultimately was committed to the Lord. That was why the Lord saved him in spite of all his messing up along the way. Yes, David had to suffer the consequences of his sin. But ultimately, he was saved.
So when we mess up, we must not flee from God. God is beneficent and merciful, as the Arabic greeting "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم" says. He desires our renewal and repentance. So, when we mess up, we should not assume God is against us for good. We must repent and get back to relying on God, as David did.
P: Father in heaven, we thank You for Your mercy. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S: Psalm 3 A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.
O lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!”
But you, O lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.
I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. Arise, O lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! Victory comes from you, O lord. May you bless your people.
O: David was very much at fault for why Absalom rebelled against him. When Amnon raped Absalom's sister Tamar, David didn't take action. Eventually Absalom murdered Amnon in revenge. Because of that, Absalom fled. Eventually, David allowed Absalom back from exile, but refused to see him. All this caused Absalom to come to hate his father, though David was generally a good king.
So Absalom engineered a coup and David had to flee for his life. It was during this period that he wrote this psalm. In spite of the problem originating in his own negligence, he still trusted God, and God did deliver him eventually.
A: We are not perfect, just like David. We mess up. But David ultimately was committed to the Lord. That was why the Lord saved him in spite of all his messing up along the way. Yes, David had to suffer the consequences of his sin. But ultimately, he was saved.
So when we mess up, we must not flee from God. God is beneficent and merciful, as the Arabic greeting "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم" says. He desires our renewal and repentance. So, when we mess up, we should not assume God is against us for good. We must repent and get back to relying on God, as David did.
P: Father in heaven, we thank You for Your mercy. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Both God's power and our action
19/4/14
Zechariah 4:4-7 Then I asked the angel, “What are these, my lord? What do they mean?” “Don’t you know?” the angel asked.“No, my lord,” I replied. Then he said to me, “This is what the lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’”
O: People often quote the part of verse 6 that goes “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.” However, note that Zerubabbel wasn’t sitting idly by while all this was going on. He was actively doing what God wanted him to do.
But it is also true that if Zerubabbel were just to have relied on his own strength, the task would never have been completed. “Unless the LORDbuilds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORDguards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)
It's not an "either-or" situation ― it is a "both-and" situation. Jesus wants labourers in the harvest, but He is the Lord of the harvest, not us.
A: We mustn't be sitting on our hands, but at the same time, we must recognise that God is the one in charge, and it is by His power that we accomplish anything.
P:God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Zechariah 4:4-7 Then I asked the angel, “What are these, my lord? What do they mean?” “Don’t you know?” the angel asked.“No, my lord,” I replied. Then he said to me, “This is what the lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the lord of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’”
O: People often quote the part of verse 6 that goes “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.” However, note that Zerubabbel wasn’t sitting idly by while all this was going on. He was actively doing what God wanted him to do.
But it is also true that if Zerubabbel were just to have relied on his own strength, the task would never have been completed. “Unless the LORDbuilds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORDguards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)
It's not an "either-or" situation ― it is a "both-and" situation. Jesus wants labourers in the harvest, but He is the Lord of the harvest, not us.
A: We mustn't be sitting on our hands, but at the same time, we must recognise that God is the one in charge, and it is by His power that we accomplish anything.
P:God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Compassion Intentional
12/4/14
S: Jonah 3:6-4:3, 11 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.
This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
...
(The Lord said) “But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”
O: Jonah was a patriotic Israelite, and Nineveh was their enemy. So Jonah wasn't happy when God told him to go warn the Ninevites that judgement was coming -- he wanted the Ninevites to be destroyed by God! Although God didn't explicitly say that if the Ninevites repented, He would forgive them, but this was implicitly understood by both the Ninevites and Jonah himself.
This is why Jonah headed in the opposite direction -- to Tarshish.
A: We need to see our “enemies” through the loving eyes of Jesus. He told us, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:43-45)
People are not our enemies - Satan is our enemy. People are deceived by Satan, and God doesn't want them destroyed, but rather, that they might see the error of their ways and turn back to Him. (Ezekiel 33:11)
“If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.” (Proverbs 25:21-22 / Romans 12:20)
I struggle with this when I am hurt by others. I want revenge, but God calls us to a higher standard.
P: Father, it's hard to forgive, but You have called us to forgive even as You have forgiven us. Renew my heart, O Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S: Jonah 3:6-4:3, 11 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.
This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”
...
(The Lord said) “But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”
O: Jonah was a patriotic Israelite, and Nineveh was their enemy. So Jonah wasn't happy when God told him to go warn the Ninevites that judgement was coming -- he wanted the Ninevites to be destroyed by God! Although God didn't explicitly say that if the Ninevites repented, He would forgive them, but this was implicitly understood by both the Ninevites and Jonah himself.
This is why Jonah headed in the opposite direction -- to Tarshish.
A: We need to see our “enemies” through the loving eyes of Jesus. He told us, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:43-45)
People are not our enemies - Satan is our enemy. People are deceived by Satan, and God doesn't want them destroyed, but rather, that they might see the error of their ways and turn back to Him. (Ezekiel 33:11)
“If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.” (Proverbs 25:21-22 / Romans 12:20)
I struggle with this when I am hurt by others. I want revenge, but God calls us to a higher standard.
P: Father, it's hard to forgive, but You have called us to forgive even as You have forgiven us. Renew my heart, O Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Rejoice!
5/4/14
S:
Then I will purify the speech of all the nations,
so that everyone can worship the LORD together. The LORD your God is in your midsts
A warrior who saves
He will exult over you with joy
He will renew in His love
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy!
O: We usually think of ourselves rejoicing over God, but here we have a scene where, after God has purified us — both Israel and us, the Gentile nations — God Himself is rejoicing over us!
What a wonderful party that will be — us and God in mutual celebration!
A: Even today we can have a glimpse of this: As we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way. When we do His good will, He abides with us still, and to all who will trust and obey.
So, trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
P: Father, when I am tempted to sin, help me to remember how much better it is to trust and obey You, and to be able to rejoice together with you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
S:
Then I will purify the speech of all the nations,
so that everyone can worship the LORD together. The LORD your God is in your midsts
A warrior who saves
He will exult over you with joy
He will renew in His love
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy!
O: We usually think of ourselves rejoicing over God, but here we have a scene where, after God has purified us — both Israel and us, the Gentile nations — God Himself is rejoicing over us!
What a wonderful party that will be — us and God in mutual celebration!
A: Even today we can have a glimpse of this: As we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way. When we do His good will, He abides with us still, and to all who will trust and obey.
So, trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
P: Father, when I am tempted to sin, help me to remember how much better it is to trust and obey You, and to be able to rejoice together with you. In Jesus' name, amen.
Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)
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