Doing What’s Right

Read Psalm 15

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5

Reflection of Tommy:

Very often, the decisions and choices that we need to make are not as clear as black and white. We face difficulty to truly discern and know the right thing to do in a situation. To make matter worst, we receive all kinds of contradicting opinions and thoughts from others.

But, as we look up to God's Word in James 1:5, God has promised to help us in this aspect of life. Books like Proverbs, for example, are packed with wisdom from God to guide and lead us to make wiser decisions in life. It was written in such a simple but powerful way that anyone who truly seeks the counsel from God will understand it.

So, whenever we are troubled by not knowing what to do, spend time reading His Word slowly and prayerfully, He will generously show you the way.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me that knowledge without wisdom is folly. Thank You that Your Word is the lamp to my feet and the light for my path. Thank You for the guidance it gives when decisions have to be made and also the strength and encouragement when times are hard.

Lord, I pray that I will continue to be diligent in seeking Your Word, applying them to my life and sharing them to those around me. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Searching for a rare jewel

Read Psalm 23

Reflection of Tommy:

The church pastor was talking about being wise when sharing our problems with others, even with church members. He advised us to have the discretion in choosing those that can be trusted, reliable and will never gossip away our stories. He added if we are not careful, we might get ourselves into a worst situation than before and also cause the other person to sin for gossiping!

That's why v11 in today's passage talks about discretion being able to protect us and understanding in guarding us. No doubt for some it is a gift in them to easily detect evil motives in others, but for most, it is developed by knowing and applying God's truth to make wise choices everyday. As emphasized in Hebrews 5:14, our capabilty to distinguish good from evil is through constant training and practicing what we've learned from God.

Dear Father, thank You for Your promise of wisdom (James 1:5) for me if I earnestly seek them from You. Guide me to seek You first, learning from Your Word daily. In Jesus's Name I pray, Amen.

True Wisdom

Proverbs 4:5-13

5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or swerve from them.

6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.

7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, [a] get understanding.

8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.

9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."

10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.

11 I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.

13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.

Reflection of Tommy:

Of all the prayers I’ve ever made for myself or others is about seeking God’s wisdom. Although I can gain all the head knowledge in the world but I won’t be able to apply them wisely in my life unless I seek it from God.

Over the years, I’ve seen how God has given me the wisdom in areas of my life that has led me along straight where my steps no longer hampered or stumble when I run (v11-12). I will never find this wisdom somewhere else if not by my fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7; 9:10) and seeking it from Him.

Dear Father, thank You for Your continual teaching and the wisdom that You brings to me through experience and learning from Your Word. Guide me that I will never stop earnestly seeking this wisdom from You and applying them in every area of my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

How to Rebuke

2 Samuel 12:1-13

Nathan Rebukes David
1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."

7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'

11 "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "

13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

Reflection of Tommy:

Like Nathan, there are times we need to confront someone with advice in order to let them aware of their wrong actions. Instead of rushing to pinpoint their wrongs, we need to pray for skill, wisdom and tact before we present our message to them that they may respond constructively.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to be careful with my words even though I know I have a good advice for others. Thank You also for making me aware to evaluate myself first before commenting on others. I continue to pray for gentleness, wisdom and tact whenever I have the opportunity to give advice to others. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

This Is Better

Proverbs 16:16-32

16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to choose understanding rather than silver!

17 The highway of the upright avoids evil;
he who guards his way guards his life.

18 Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.

19 Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed
than to share plunder with the proud.

20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

21 The wise in heart are called discerning,
and pleasant words promote instruction. [a]

22 Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it,
but folly brings punishment to fools.

23 A wise man's heart guides his mouth,
and his lips promote instruction. [b]

24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.

26 The laborer's appetite works for him;
his hunger drives him on.

27 A scoundrel plots evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.

28 A perverse man stirs up dissension,
and a gossip separates close friends.

29 A violent man entices his neighbor
and leads him down a path that is not good.

30 He who winks with his eye is plotting perversity;
he who purses his lips is bent on evil.

31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor;
it is attained by a righteous life.

32 Better a patient man than a warrior,
a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

Reflection of Bee:

Verse 20 seems to summarize the rest of the verses above.

One who "gives heed to instruction" (i.e. not to feel proud about oneself) will "prosper".
One who "trusts in the LORD" (i.e. never think that one's way is right without God's guidance) will be "blessed".

Dear Lord,
Thank You for all the things You have taught me spiritually and in my career. All the knowledge I have comes from You giving me so many opportunities to learn. Let me not feel proud about them and always stay humble and trust in You, not in my own knowledge or ability. Guide me to the right place You have prepared for me.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:

God’s Wisdom is a fountain of life (v22) for those who live by them. When we seek to understand God’s teaching and abide in Him, we’ll find true happiness, peace, and hope in our lives. We’ll be enlightened by the hope and assurance of an eternal life with God. It gives us a confident and joyful perspective in every situation in our present lives.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to seek to understand Your Word and to apply them into my daily life. Lord, guide me to keep close all Your teachings in my heart. Guard me from any distractions that may lead me away from spending time to meditate on Your Word. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Evening

Ephesians 5:6-17

6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.

8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."

15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Reflection of Bee:

To be wise - make the most out every opportunities (v15), share Christ with others

To be foolish - not knowing God's will (v16), reading the bible and pray is how God can speak to us.

Dear Lord,
Speak to me tonight that I know what You have in store for me. Teach me to choose the options wisely to Your glory.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen



Reflection of Tommy:
In today’s passage, Paul gives us a good insight on how to handle our relationship with unbelievers. He was not talking about cutting all contact or even discriminating them, but instead to have the wisdom and right intention when we befriend unbelievers.

We must not condone to the lifestyle of those who make excuses for their bad behavior and recommending them to others. When we yoke with them, it is more likely they influence us for evil than us bringing them to good (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). We must always on the lookout for those who are viciously evil, immoral or opposed to all that Christianity stands for.

Above all, we must befriend unbelievers if we are to sincerely lead them to Christ with love, like how Jesus taught His followers in Luke 5:30-32.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me that as a child of light, I need to live in ways that pleases You (v10) and have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness (v11). Guard my heart and mind always when I’m with unbelievers, that I may have the wisdom and right intention to do what is right in Your sight. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Godly Wisdom

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:

The preacher in my church today talked about how believers who are illiterate can be wiser than a highly educated person who has yet to accept God as the source of wisdom. Like Peter and John, who are not educated, but possessed great spiritual wisdom to do God’s mighty works.

A person can have true wisdom only through first fearing (revere) God (v10), acknowledging He is the true source of our wisdom, not through life experience or academic knowledge alone. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God’s Word are fully revealed and illuminated to us (Corinthians 2:10).

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to not solely rely on the wisdom of the world (1 Cor. 1:18, 20) but to first acknowledging You are the true source for my wisdom. You are the true foundation for me to make wise decisions and avoiding foolish choices. Lord, guard my heart and mind always, that I will bring glory and honor to Your Name with my words and action. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.