Reach For . . .

Read Psalm 55:1-7,22

Reflection of Tommy:

In times of stress, crisis or sorrow, many tend to seek out things that bring temporary relief and escape from their problem. It doesn’t take long for those problems to crop back and haunts them again and again; leading them to seek for other ways to comfort and calm their restless heart and mind. Very often, these ways are destructive and worsen their situation even more than before.

As Christian, we need not to seek for all these temporal and negative solutions but instead we should be like David, to cast all our cares to God (v22) in times of grief and sorrow. Our faithful and loving God not only listens, knows and understands our struggles; He has also promise to sustain us with the strength, peace and grace to endure (v22).

Dear Father, thank You that I can rest all my cares unto Your hand; that You will handle them for me. Teach me to trust You on that and not taking back my burdens every time I’ve submitted to You. Guide me to earnestly seek Your Word daily and allowing the Spirit to fully work in me; changing me into the person You wanted me to be. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

On Purpose

Read 2 Corinthians 3:11-18

Reflection of Tommy:

There are many sincere Christians out there who burn out and heavily burdened from doing the work of God. Some of them are working fulltime in the ministry and others are working outside the church but serving and helping out in various ministries of the church.

We will surely get ourselves trapped in similar situation if we were to do God’s works solely with our own strength and might. We feel guilty and condemned when we think we’ve failed Him with our shortcomings and failures.

But, we learn from today’s passage that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (v17). When we start right by first trusting Christ to save us, we are free from the burden of guilt and condemnation. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, He will guides and provides us with the strength, passion and freedom to effectively serve and live for God and glorifying Him with everything we do.

Dear Father, thank You for Christ that my ‘veil’ was removed and I can now understand and learn about the true purpose of my life. Thank You also for giving me this privilege to be Your ‘mirror’; reflecting Your glory to the world around me. Lord, keep me safe and right in all my ways; always following the Spirit’s leading and guidance. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Inner Turmoil

1 Samuel 1:9-18

9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. [a] 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."
15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."
17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."
18 She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Reflection of Bee:

Who will know and see our inner turmoil, except the Lord God? Even our closest friends may not understand us and may even pass judgment on us in times of needs. Yet we know that we can always cry our to God for what men can't understand or ignored

Dear Lord,
Teach me to pray earnestly like Hannah did that You may answer my prayers and show me your path. Thank You for loving me
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:
In our lives, we may sometimes face times of ‘barrenness’, where nothing comes to fruition. It may be our career, service or relationships. It can be hard for us to pray in faith when everything seems to be so ineffective all the times. But, we should not be discouraged or giving up hope, instead like Hannah we should bring our problem honestly before God, pray ceaselessly and knowing how our prayer opens the door for God to work (v19-20)

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me the power of prayer and how to fully trust and surrender to You through prayer. Guide me always to come to You first in prayers before relying upon other worldly supports. Guard my heart and mind that I’ll always do things according to Your will, not mine, and that I may bring glory and honor with my words and actions. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

What’s The Cost?

Luke 14:25-33

The Cost of Being a Disciple
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.I

28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

34"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Reflection of Bee:

To be a disciple of Christ costs all that we have, all that we love, and all that we are. Even though I have been following Christ for many years, there are still struggles once in a while to surrender my all to Him.

Perhaps I can surrender my wealth but to surrender people I loved may be quite difficult because it touches my heart where my 'treasure' is. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21). Material things don't move me for I eat to live and not live to eat.

The devil knows my weakness and God knows my heart. The one I treasured most have been taken away from me. It still pains me whenever I think about it. Yet I need to learn to replace what I treasured most with God. This is the "cross" I have to bear.

Dear Lord,
You know my heart, my struggle, my pain, and my longing. Give me strength as I learn to take up my "cross " and follow You. May You give me grace and mercy to do what I should and not give in to the evil one.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:

On the surface, these shocking statement by Jesus (v26) seem to be contradictory to many other clear teachings of Scripture about hate (1 John 3:15, 1 John 4:20, Matthew 22:39). We are even called to love our enemies in Matthew 5:43-44. So unless Scripture contradicts itself, Jesus cannot mean “hate” in the conventional sense. Fortunately, this “hate” passage is clarified when we examine Matthew 10:37-38 which Jesus speaks on the same subject.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

We learn that Jesus doesn’t mean that we should not love our closed ones in any sense as they are good gifts of God; but we should never love them or ourselves more than Him. We commit idolatry whenever we put something above of God. To be disciples of Jesus Christ, our love, obedience and loyalty for Him must come first. So, when even the dearest family wants us to do something that is the opposite of what Jesus wants for us; we must remain faithful to Jesus, not the family member.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me that being a disciple of Christ is a major and difficult endeavor that requires total commitment and submission. Lord, give me the strength, wisdom and peace to remain faithful and obedient to You when I’m tempted to quit because of suffering or rejection. Teach me to always set my priority right by putting You first in everything; and trusting You to take care of all my needs. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Desert Experience

1 Kings 19:1-10

Elijah Flees to Horeb
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."

3 Elijah was afraid [a] and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The LORD Appears to Elijah
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

Reflection of Bee:

That's exactly how I felt and prayed sometimes when I felt totally castaway. Like Elajah, I asked God to let me die as I "have had enough" too (v4). Yet God always preserve me and kept me going. He made a way when there seemed no way.

Dear Lord,

Thank You for keeping me and preserving my life when there were sometimes I felt this earth has no more place for me. I pray that You will give me meaning and reason to live. Teach me and show me Your plan for me and let me obey Your will.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Reflection of Tommy:

Like Elijah, many of us experience unexpected discouragement just after a great spiritual victory. It is easy to fall into depression, feeling drained, isolated and losing our hope to try again. In today’s passage, we learn how important it is for us to know God is always there with us in our struggle; giving us true guidance and wisdom. We also need to rest and eat well to have the energy and focus to listen effectively to His gentle whisper, to lift our selves up again and to march on.

Dear Father, thank You for You never forsake or leave me alone to deal with my struggles. Thank You for Your continuous presence with me, giving me the peace and strength to go on. I pray that You will show to me if my ways are wrong, when my pride and ignorance blinds me from seeking Your guidance and wisdom. Thank You and I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Bee's 15th Month of Devotion

There were many occasions whereby the thoughts of stop blogging my devotions here came across my mind. I felt lonely and wished that someone could understand my struggles and stay by my side to give me the support I needed. All I want is for this person to cry with me and say nothing. Yet there is none like this. Today I remember the songs we sang in Church...

You are so Faithful
Like the sun that rises everyday
You are so faithful, Dear Lord, You are faithful
Like the rain that You bring and every breath that I breathe
You are so faithful, oh Lord

Like a rose that comes alive every spring
You are so faithful, Dear Lord, You are faithful
Like the life that You give to every beat of my heart
You are so faithful Lord

I see a cross and the price You had to pay
I see the blood that washed my sins away

And in the midst of the storm through the wind and the waves
You're still be faithful, You're still be faithful
And when the stars refuse to shine and time is no more
You're still be faithful, You're still be faithful Lord

As I pondered on the above lyric my heart cried and said "Amen, Lord, You are so faithful". I want to thank God for seeing me through "in the midst of the storm through the wind and the waves". He is faithful even when I am faithless. Without Him I wouldn't be here anymore. Yes, it's been 15 months since I started blogging my devotional thoughts.

Praise the Lord!


... the thoughts of Bee

The Law of the Spirit

Galatians 5:16-25

Life by the Spirit
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Reflection of Bee:

Becoming Christians do not rid us of sins, may have discovered to our dismay. In fact, we may find ourselves 'more sinful' than ever. This is because our born-again spirit becomes very sensitive whenever we sinned against God. In addition, the devil tries to tempt us even harder. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with sins as shown in Romans 7:7-25:

4We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Yes, as we try to please God we may become very discouraged whenever we give in to our sinful nature, and we cried out "What a wretched man I am!" Thank God that through Christ and the Holy Spirit we can overcome the sinful nature (Romans &:25).

Instead of focusing on the negative aspects (sins) and try to avoid them, we should focus on the positives aspects of the fruit of the Spirit:

love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control

When the above aspects of the fruit of the Spirit are shown in our lives we don't have to struggle to fight our sinful nature. They come about when we allow the Spirit of God to lead us daily.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for always answering my prayers. Tonight I pray that each aspect of Your fruit will be evident in my life.
I pray especially for "joy" and "peace" which are missing in my life the last one month or so. I pray that tonight you will restore the joy of my salvation and give me peace that surpasses all understanding.
I pray too for Tommy that Your Holy Spirit will indwell him daily that Your fruit will be seen in his life clearly by those around.
I know You will hear my prayers tonight just like You always did.
For I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:

There are many who give the excuse of being ‘normal’ or natural for indulging in wrongful and selfish desires. They find that there is nothing wrong with their attitude as everyone is like that or that they ignore and refuse to deal with them but continuing doing what is wrong. They think that God being merciful and all that, will obviously understand their action.

But is it really so? The danger is that they’ll eventually find them selves coping with not doing what they want but doing the very thing they do not want. This happens because the desires of the sinful nature are totally conflicting and contrary with the Spirit (v16).

So, how do we counter this obvious (v19) trap of our sinful nature? Whenever there are sinful desires or passions in our heart, do not ignore them but to ask God to bring them to light for us. By committing our sinful tendencies to God’s control and empowering the Holy Spirit to lead us, we then make the decision to do what associated with the fruits of the Spirit, not our sinful desires. By doing this we will gain the power of Christ to help us control and overcome our selfish desires and to keep in step with the Spirit (v25).

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to identify any contradicting desires inside me that go against the Spirit. Remind me always that Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature in me together with all its passions and desires. Because of this, I no longer under the law (v18) but to live by the Spirit - living each day led, controlled and guided by Him. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Into The Desert

Exodus 15:22-27

The Waters of Marah and Elim
22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. [a] ) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?"

25 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. 26 He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

Reflection of Bee:

Reading the passage above and what Marvin Williams said below in Our Daily Bread made my heart cried. It is as if God is speaking to me directly:

"If you are being led into a wilderness of disappointment and bitterness right now, trust God, for He knows exactly where you are and what you need. As you obey His commands, He will lead you out of the desert and into a place of spiritual abundance, healing, and refreshment."
—Marvin Williams

Yes, thank God for always knowing my needs and always using the right passage to encourage me. He knows what's in my heart, my deepest thoughts and inner cry. He knows what I have gone through.


Dear Lord,
You never fail to lead me on even when I am in the desert place.
You are with me to see me through my sweet and bitter experiences.
Thank You for keeping me through all my journey.
It's not an easy road to travel when my travelling companion has left me alone.
Thank You that You never leave me nor forsake me.
May You continue to see me through till You bring me home.
Thank You in Jesus' name. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:
God’s message to the Israelites in today’s passage teaches us how to deal with pain and suffering in life. Instead of complaining or feeling sad and helpless; God reminds us to listen carefully to His voice and do what the Spirit prompted us to do (v26). God who is faithful and love His children so much will surely, in His time and way, bring true healing to our suffering.

Dear Father, thank You for hearing my cries and showing me how Christ will heal all my ‘sicknesses’. Keep me strong with Your peace and grace, always ready to listen to You and to do what is right in Your eyes. Teach me to trust You for all the things You’ve promised me in Your Word.

Lord, I would also like to pray for those who are struggling in the ‘dessert’, that they may see Your love and care, to come to You for healing and finding true fulfillment with Christ, in this life and the next. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

A New Song

Psalm 98

1 Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.

2 The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;

5 make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,

6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.

8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.

Bee's Thoughts:

Not sure if my 'bf' had removed me from this blog by mistake or that Blogger had done. All I could do is to post as new and no longer able to edit my old posts or add to his posts anymore. :( Perhaps God wants me to spend time alone with Him at my own blog... a quiet place... just me and God....

Though I was sad and disturbed, I must thank my 'bf' for allowing me to post my devotional thoughts at his blog for the last 15 months. That has disciplined me to do my devotions consistently without fail even when I am very tired. I want to thank him for the last one-and-half year of fellowship we had in this spiritual journey.

However, our last weekend meeting has changed everything. I pray that even if we have to go our own ways, we will be strong in Christ and never be shaken in our walk with God. Whether this is the devil's way to divide and conquer, or that God is telling us it's time we stand alone, I pray that we will keep our faith and continue to spend time with God nightly. (Erm... biblical principle is unity rather than division.. so how can it be from God?)

I also want to thank my him for the 'farewell gift' he did for me tonight shown above. Indeed he has spent much time doing it for me, I know.... and I really appreciate it very very much. However, the sorrow in me tonight has dwarf my joy of receiving this precious gift. I hope he will forgive me and understand I don't mean to be unappreciative.

Yes, I really am feeling very downcast tonight, yet I want to be strong and sing to the Lord a new song like the above Psalm says.



Dear Lord,
You know how I am feeling now.... only You understand and know. Keep me strong in You Lord. Help me to sing unto You a new song even in time like this... for Your faithfulness endures forever,
I pray that my 'buddy' will also sing unto You the song You will be placing in his heart. Grant him a good night rest tonight and that he will know Your will for him in his life. May You bring him a new devotional very partner soon. May Your love and grace always stay with him.
In Your name I pray. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

There are many unable to accept a God that judges His people. They reasoned that a loving God will never create hell to torture and punish His creation. Furthermore, they don’t understand why a powerful being like God unable to make everyone good and destroy all evil and suffering in this world.

But, the truth is God created us a freewill being, capable to make choices. Unlike robot, we are free to choose between good and evil. God sees this as a more meaningful way for His creation to respond freely to His love for them.

But men choose to rebel and disobey God. As a result, sin entered into the world. Mankind still continues to sin, living in rebellion against God. This is why the world is filled with suffering today. Like they said, God doesn't send anyone to Hell. We send our selves there.

But, God has provided us a way to reconcile back with Him. He sent His only Son to die for our sin. God forgives and saves us from the eternal separation from Him, or hell when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We will also receive a new life in Him and share the glory of Christ return one day, where God will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity (v9).

Dear Father, thank You for the certainty and hope I have in You. Thank You and I praise You for all the marvelous and wonderful things You have done. Thank You for the victory I have with Jesus. Lord, guide me to follow You with a faithful and joyful heart. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Certainty in You

Isaiah 9:1-7

6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, [b] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Bee's Thoughts:

The birth of a child in a family always bring much joy to the family. The birth of Jesus bring forth salvation to mankind. He was born to be our:

Wonderful counselor - when we need wisdom and advice, Jesus is the best counselor and we need to seek Him for guidance

Almighty God - Jesus knows everything and can do miracles in our lives when we allow trust in Him

Everlasting Father - his love for us as a loving Father never end

Prince of Peace - peace is what we can receive if we allow Him to rule our heart and soul


Dear Jesus,
Thank You for being all in all to me. I need You to be my counsellor and be my peace in my life. As I lie down to sleep tonight I pray that your I shall have a peaceful rest and wake up in the morning to discover Your wonderful love for me.
Amen




Tommy's Thoughts:

At times, we may feel all alone to deal with our problems, and that God has abandoned us. In our gloom and distress, we fear our sorrows and problems will never end; that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.

Although sometimes God does seem far away and not taking us around our problems, but we need not to be disheartened and stay in despair. Despite how difficult it may be, God has promised to lead us safely through them when we stand firm and follow Him wholeheartedly.

Dear Father, thank You for the peace and comfort from the certainty I have in You. Lord, make me strong when I am weak, keep me awake when I’m asleep, change my heart when I’m wavering and let me see Your light when I’m lost in the dark. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Bee's 13th Month of Devotion

After having done my devotion together with my buddy for the last 13 months, I feel it's time for me to leave.

Perhaps God really wants to teach me to trust Him despite of my pains. He led me to read an article "Getting to Trust God" when I was searching for a verse. The following excerpt from the article helped me understand the difference between "faith" and "trust":

But trust, which must go hand in hand with faith, says, "Lord, I commit myself to Your care and keeping." That's trust. Faith is believing what God can do and what He is willing to do. But trust says, "I commit myself to Your care and keeping. Do with me, Lord, whatsoever You will." Faith is believing God can push a wheelbarrow on a tightrope across the Niagara Falls. Trust is getting on board that wheelbarrow. Faith is believing that William Tell is so skilled with a bow and arrow that he can shoot straight through an apple that's sitting on someone else's head. Trust is being that person with the apple on your head.

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because God is with me" (Ps. 23:4, paraphrase).

I was going through very difficult time and just want to be alone. However, my buddy's waiting for me to post here for the past few nights makes me do an U-turn... So here I am again.


Thanks for waiting, Tommy.



... the thoughts of Bee

Our First Anniversary

I can't believe it! We have crossed our First Anniversary at this devotional blog together! :)

Looking back, I must thank God for helping us to stay consistent in reading the Bible nightly, no matter how busy or tired we have been. It's by God's grace that we could have done that. Praise God!

For me, these devotional times are life to my spirit and water to soul, always bringing me back to sanity whenever my mind is crowded with stressful events or thoughts.

Sometimes I felt like taking a certain course of actions, but God would use His words to tell me not to do them.

Sometimes, I felt down or discouraged, God's words would encourage me again and helped me moved on. As Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says:

9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

Thanks, Tommy, for keeping me company here. Two are better than one. ;)



... the thoughts of Bee

Tensile Strength

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Bee's Thoughts:

Each one of us have our own "thorn in the flesh", something that is there to keep us humble and relying on God.

I used to prayed a number of times for God to remove the "thorns in my flesh" like Paul did. However, each time I heard God speaking to my heart, "My grace is sufficient for you". That was very reassuring and comforting. Each time I thought I would give way, but each time God sustained me. His word is always true.

Dear Lord,
Thank You that Your grace is always sufficient for me. Thank You that at times I thought I couldn't bear anymore, yet You came to support me and see me through. Praise You for Your strength. In times of testing I pray that You will help me not to fall. Keep me pure in You, Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen


Tommy's Thoughts:

While at the prayer retreat, I saw many of my church’s members in tears during a prayer session. I can see there’re all kinds of hurt and pain beneath those friendly and cheerful faces I saw every Sunday. It’s humility to admit their weaknesses that made them to turn, submit and rely on God, affirming His strength, acknowledging only God can heals and comforts their pain and to provide all the deepest needs in their heart.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me of the need to be in constant contact with You, to seek and rely on You instead on my own energy and effort alone. I pray that You’ll fill me with Your strength and power when I’m weak, making me stronger than I could ever be on my own. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.