He’s Always Watching

Psalm 34

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.
1 [a] I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.

14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Bee's Thoughts:

Thank You, Lord, for Your words of comfort. Your words never fail... they will not pass away.
Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

More Joy In Heaven

Luke 15:4-7

4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Bee's Thoughts:

Living in this materistic world makes people not so compassionate these days. People also tend to value one's according to one's economic value. It's sad! Sometimes, I also wonder when someone says he loves me, is he considering my economic value too? :(

In the above passage, Jesus said that when a person repents (regardless of the person's status), the heaven rejoices.

I was tested earlier tonight while on my way home from work. A lady in her 50s, looked shabby, asked me for some money to take a train home as she said she had lost her walet. I paused as I wasn't sure she was tricking me for money. Then the Lord impresed upon me to just give... even if she was trying to cheat me, the amount wouldn't be big and I should have compasssion on her.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me that Your compassion for me never fail and I should do likewise to others. Grant me wisdom as I show Your compassion to people around me. Let me do what is right in Your sight.

Tonight, I pray for best friend that You will heal him from his sickness now. Let him sleep well and be strong and healthy again tomorrow. May You touch him with Your love and compassion.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

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

Sowing and Reaping

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.
1 When the LORD brought back the captives to [a] Zion,
we were like men who dreamed. [b]
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."

3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

4 Restore our fortunes, [c] O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.

5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.

6 He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

Bee's Thoughts:

"No pain, no gain and God helps those who help themselves," as the saying goes. Yes, God is always fair, even if we don't see it at first.

In every aspect of life, be it our career or relationship, we need to not just 'sow' the 'seeds' but also to 'water' them and let God provide the 'sunshine' for growth. If we don't put in effort or labour hard, and pray for God's grace, what we do may just be futile pursuits. For "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." (Psalm 127:1).

Yes, the above song of praises came as a result of the labourers.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me that I need to take time to labour with You in order to see fruits in what I do. I pray that I will always remember to entrust my work and relationship into Your hand and also to work at them. I need to partner with You in these aspects of my life. Forgive me for times I thought I could do things by myself. Now I surrender them to You. Take them and make them Yours.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

Without knowing God is able to restore us to joy from our current grief and sorrow; it’s easy to give up and be discouraged. We may even then fall into bitterness and resentment; blaming others and God for our condition.

In today’s passage, we learned from the psalmist that our current condition is not permanent. Our tears now will be seeds growing into a harvest of joy (v6) if we are patient by waiting for God to bring good out of our tragedy.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promises of a great harvest of joy. Lord, I pray that You’ll supply me with the patient and perseverance to endure. By Your grace and mercy, use me to honor, magnify, and glorify your Name. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

From Awe To Adoration

Revelation 1:10-18

17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Bee's Thoughts:

"Then he placed His right hand on me" (v17)

This phrase brings very warm feeling into my heart and I just feel like crying. It's like a child missing her father, and when her father places his hand on her she clings onto him and hugs him tightly.

I missed my late father and my Heavenly Father too. I can't talk to my late father anymore till I see him again in heaven, but I can stil talk to my Heavenly Father now though I can't see Him. I should talk to Him, and tell Him all that are in my heart.

This Father of mine is the Almighty God in whom I can trust and share all my fears and joy. I missed Him because I have not spent enough time talking to Him... I only gave him my residual time every night. It shouldn't be if I love my Heavenly Father. I need to change.


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for showing me Your glory again through tonight's devotion. Thank You for speaking to me right now and telling me I need to spend more quality time with You. Thank You that I can come to You boldly any time because of the blood of Jesus. Thank You that my life is in Your hand and You know every thought in my mind, every feeling in my heart and every word I like to say. Praise You Lord!

Right now I want to pray for my dearest friend who is away for working trip. I pray You will protect him from all harm. May You give him wisdom at work and be a shining light for You wherever he is. Give him your love and peace. Keep him healthy and protect him from all illnesses. Grant him a peaceful rest tonight and bring him safely home again tomorrow.
I pray all these in Jesus'most precious name. Amen.




Tommy's Thoughts:

Good Out Of Evil

Romans 8:18-28

Future Glory
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

More Than Conquerors
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Bee's Thoughts:

The passage today is very comforting. Sometimes we become very impatient when waiting for the things we hope to happen. We give up easily when we wait 'too long'.

I remember when I first accepted Christ, I was told that Jesus is coming again. I was full of hope. But year after year, I didn't see Him coming... I started to wonder. But thank God that His word never return to Him void. Whatever He promised will happen, just that His time is different from our time.

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (v25).

Patience is what we need, No wonder the Bible says love is patient. We we truly love someone, we cant wait.

Even when all things look bad, we still can have the asurance that:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (v28)


Dear Lord,
Thank You for comforting me with Your words. May my hope in You never fail for You don't.
Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

What Now?

2 Chronicles 20:5-17

14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

Bee's Thoughts:

Sometimes, I tend to take things into my own hands and fight the 'battle' in my own ways. I may forget to pray and commit things to God. When that happens the 'army' becomes too big for me to handle. Fears and axieties may creep in.

Tonight's devotion is a good reminder that when I leave my cares to God, He will help me win. For He will be with me to see me through.

Dear Lord,
Forgive me for times when I forget to commit my ways to You. Now I like to commit my life and all my concerns to You. I pray that You will give me wisdom in dealing with some of my dilemmas and trust that You will work all things for good to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. Give me Your peace to move on without fear.
In Jesus' nameI pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Have we ever failed continuously in our battle against temptation, fear & pressure? Even after we said we’ve submitted to God our struggles, we still find our selves losing every battle coming our way. In today’s passage, God give us a clear way on how to win these battles by first letting God fight for us.

To let God fight for us, first, we need to know the battle is not ours, but God’s. This ensures us wont be fighting the battle alone or with our own strength. Instead, we allow His strength to work through all our fears and weaknesses. We also need to ensure we are pursuing God’s interests and not just our own selfish desires. Lastly, we need to pray for God to help us in our daily battles.

Dear Father, thank You again for guiding me to Your way, helping me to win battles against rulers of this world (Ephesians 6:12). Thank You for assuring me that You’ll be with me, that I don’t have to be afraid or discouraged when facing the struggles ahead. I pray that You will lead me to obey and always pursue Your interests and plan for me; that not mine but Your will be done. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Losing To Gain

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Sowing Generously

6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Bee's Thoughts:

Jesus teaches us to measure our lives by losses rather than gains, by sacrifices rather than self-preservation, by time spent for others rather than time lavished upon ourselves, by love poured out rather than love poured in.

It's a rule of life: God blesses those who give of their lives and resources (2 Cor. 9:6). Give out the truth you know, and He'll give you more to give away. Give your time, and you'll have more time to give. Set no limit on your love, and you'll have more love for others than before.

- Today's Daily Bread

Many times when we give a lot but don't get in return, we will feel being short-changed. We feel that life is very unfair to us. We question why we are always the givers and others the takers.I have been struggling with this seemingly unfairness of life since young.

Even as an adult it seems I give so much more than I get from others. Sometimes I tell myself to stop giving, yet I can't stop. Perhaps because I didn't have many things in life as a child, and everything I have now as an adult I worked very hard for them (with God's help), and I have the urge to give to others. I don't want them to suffer like I did.

I also have the tendency to give advices out of a good intention, sometimes to the annoyance of certain recipients. To me, I care and that's why I give. But to the recipients I am telling them what to do or trying to run their life. It hurts me to know that my kindness is not appreciated and instead being misunderstood, especially from someone dear. :'(

However, I still must give. Perhaps I need to learn to be wise as to who I should give and who I shouldn't. Even Jesus advised His disciples in Matthew 7:6:

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do,
they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you topieces."I
need God's wisdom to know who will regards my giving as unkindness and will
treat it otherwise.


THE SERENITY PRAYER
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time,
accepting hardship as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it;

trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with Him forever
in the next.

Amen

Tommy's Thoughts:

God is more concern about how we give than the amount we give. We should ask our selves these questions when we give: Are we trying to get the attention or to impress others when we give? Are we finding our selves reluctant to give or give only under compulsion?

Do we give hesitantly, worrying about not having enough left for our selves when we give generously? Or do we give because we want to gain God’s approval or to please Him?

Our attitude in giving tells a lot about our faith and relationship with God. If we know and acknowledge everything we own and have: our wealth, resources, talents etc. are in fact gifts and blessings from God, our attitude and perception in giving will be different.

We’ll give more cheerfully and with a grateful heart as we see giving to others as a way to give back to God what He has blessed us with. We will also give freely and generously (even ‘ridiculously’) because of our faith and trust in God to take care and provide all our needs.

Dear Father, thank You for all the gifts and blessings You have given to me. Most of all, Your greatest Gift of love and mercy that allow me to reconcile with You. Lord, guide me to always have the right attitudes when giving to You and Your people. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Hurry Sickness

Philippians 3:7-16

Pressing on Toward the Goal

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Bee's Thoughts:

Although we try to forget the past, be they victories or failures, yet we often unconsiously hold on to them. They cause us to fall in one way or another. If past victories, we tend to become proud and take things for granted, thinking it no problem. If past failures, we tend to have phobia and it becomes a self-fulfilled 'prophecy' for another failure ahead.

Paul is a good example for us to follow. He said, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead"... regardless of past victories or failures. Our confidence should be in God, not in ourselves, and all glory be to God.


Dear Lord,
Let me not hold on to any past that will cripple me from moving forward. Let have confidence in You and do what You want me to do.
In Your name I ask all these. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

It’s encouraging and comforting to know that because of our hope in Christ, we can stop dwelling in our past or holding on to any past guilt (v13). Since we know God has forgiven us, we can and should move on to a life of faith and obedience; to become what God wants us to be.

But becoming perfect is not an overnight thing, Christian growth is a life-long process (v12). Trying to be or expecting others to be perfect impatiently will only leaves us and others drained and discouraged. Instead, we should press on in the Holy Spirit’s power to live out what we have already learned and live up to what we already know.

And for those who are demanding quick arrivals and instant results from others, we should instead have the patience and gentleness to encourage others to grow at their pace with God’s guidance. This gives great relief and assurance to them when they are genuinely driven to know, obey and grow in the knowledge of God.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Christ’s provision that I should not be sad or discouraged by my own self or those around me to feel that I am so far from perfect, that I’m beyond help and that I’m ruining my life with my current flaws.

But Lord, I pray that You will guide me not to use this as an excuse of not moving forward, to grow in my relationship with You and to allow You to continue filling in any discrepancy between what I am now and what You want me to be. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Be An Example

1 Timothy 4:12-16

12Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Bee's Thoughts:

We are to "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (v12).

"in speech": be edifying in our words
- "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6, NIV.
- "He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." Proverbs 13:3, NIV.
- "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14, NIV.

"in life": follow Christ's example
- "And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

"in love": loving God first of all, followed by loving others in the biblical way
- "4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails." 1 Cor 13:4-8

"in faith": trusting in God and not our own ability
- "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17 AV
- "For we walk by faith, not by sight" 2 Cor 5:7

"in purity": not following the world's viewpoint even if it means weare old fashion
- "keep yourself pure." 1 Timothy 5:22

The following song is a prayer we may use:

Purity, Holiness

Lord, I give my eyes to You,
Guard my sight and all I do.
Help me to honor You each day,
In all my thoughts and what I say.

Refrain
Purity, Holiness,
Seal me Lord—in righteousness.
Not by what I say and do,
But through the grace that comes from You.

Give me desire for Your word,
May only building words be heard,
Through my life be glorified,
Jesus Christ, for me You died.
Repeat refrain

Get thee behind me Satan’s lie,
I’ll do Your will Lord, come draw nigh.
Help me avoid the tempter’s snare,
Dwell in Your loving arms of care.
Repeat refrain




Tommy's Thoughts:

Paul urges us to watch our lives closely; always on the lookout for any influences and temptation that may lead us into sin. Not only that, he said we must also watch what we believe just as closely. Similar to living recklessly, wrong beliefs can easily pull us into sin and heresy.

We should also be on guard of those who would persuade us to put more importance to how we live than what we believe. Instead, we should pray for God’s grace to enable us to persevere in both.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to be on constant guard of both how I live and also what I believe in. Lord, I pray that You will guide me to live rightfully with the Spirit’s leading and to seek to know Your Word deeper. May Your peace and wisdom guide every word I’ll say and every decision I’ll make. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Temporary

1 Peter 1:3-9

Praise to God for a Living Hope
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Bee's Thoughts:


Bee's Thoughts:

People always say "seeing is believing". However, believing in what one can see is no longer called faith. Faith is believing in what he/she has not seen.

Romans 10:17 says, "17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The faith that Christians have in God is not a blind faith. It follows the law of consistency about God. When we read the Bible, we will begin to see the character of God and thereby our faith starts to grow even though we have not seen Him. It's the same as when we say we have faith that someone can do well or he/she will not betray us. We have such faith because we have come to personally know this person by way of communication and have seen the person's consistency in good performance.

Therefore, even when we are suffering we can still havehope and faith in God. For we know that our suffering will not last, only tough Christians do.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding us to have faith in You inspite of sufferings. For such sufferings are only temporal and they are here to test our endurance. May my faith continue to grow each day.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

We can get pretty lost and discouraged by situation or condition in our lives that we thought it is our final experience. Whenever we think our pain or trial will never leave us and continuing to torture our lives, we need to turn to God’s Word where He has promised to always be with us and to supply us with His strength and patience to endure.

God also ensures our suffering is temporal and that He will not allow them to ‘destroy’ us. When we truly submit to Him in times of trouble, we’ll know that God is able to achieve greater good in our lives and provide us with the joy and hope of an eternal life with Christ.

Dear Father, thank You for the joy, confidence and hope You offered to me through Your Word. Lord, forgive me at times for the lack of trust in You when I face difficult problems in life. I pray that You will keep my head up, renew my commitment to You, continue to obey and hold firmly to my faith in You to restore everything perfect again one day. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Done!

John 19:25-30

25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus
28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Bee's Thoughts:

Dear Lord Jesus,
You have finished the work Your Father has sent You to do, even though it's hard and painful. Thank You!
What is it that You want me to do? When can I also say, "It is finished!"?
I pray that You will show me Your will and let me finish doing it while I am here on earth. I pray that miracles will happen that others will know that You are great. May Your name be glorified.
In Your most wonderful name I pray. Amen,


Tommy's Thoughts:

As I listened to a friend about some non-believers debate on Christianly, I realized it is easy for men to put them selves higher than God and greater than other men, boasting with pride when they believe that their salvation is through their own ‘good’ work and wisdom.

From Ephesians 2:8-9, we know that it is by grace we have been saved, through faith, not from our selves; and our salvation is a gift from God, not by our own works, so that no one can boast. There is also nothing we can do to add to Christ’s sacrifice for our sin. All we can do is to submitting our lives to Him, reaching out to God in faith to receive His gift of an eternal life.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me what Christ has done on the Cross is enough for forgiveness of my sins; that they are all already paid in full. Lord, teach me to submit to You, allowing the Holy spirit to guide my every word and action, saturating my heart and mind with Your Word and coming to You daily with prayers and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Adjust Your Conscience

Acts 24:10-16

10When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: "I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. 11You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. 13And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. 14However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, 15and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Bee's Thoughts:

All of us have a conscience, but after the fall of man our conscience has been tarnished. The only way for our conscence to work in the way it should be is by asking the blood of Christ to cleanse it. Hebrews 9:14 says,

14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[a] so that we may serve the living God!

I found an article very helpful in learning to keep our conscience clear. It says,

1. If your conscience warns you that to do a certain thing is wrong, DON'T DO IT.
2. If you have already done something wrong, CONFESS IT at once and claim the cleansing blood of Christ.

Dear Lord,
Forgive me right now for the sins I have committed and the sins I may not know about. I pray that the blood of Christ will cleanse me from my sins and make my conscience clear. Help me to be obedient to Your Spirit prompting in my conscience, that I may do what is right in Your sight.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

We don’t need to feel intimidated by accusation or criticisms from those who against what we believe. Instead, we can learn from how Paul responded to those who accused him in today’s passage. Paul refuted his accusers point by point and even able to present the gospel message through his defense. This is an example of how we can use every opportunity or situation we face to witness for Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching me to make use of every opportunity to be a good witness for Christ to the world. Guide me to study and know deeper Your Word, to apply them in my daily life; to share and present boldly to those around me Your truths with tact and gentleness. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Peace In The Storm

Isaiah 26:1-4

A Song of Praise
1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
God makes salvation
its walls and ramparts.

2 Open the gates
that the righteous nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith.

3 You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.

4 Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

Bee's Thoughts:

Our mind determines many things. It determines our mood. When a person's mind is unstable, he/she is said to be of unsound mind and can do many things that are not normal.

In the above passage, we see that to have a peaceful mind, one needs to to be "steadfast" or firm in trusting God. In spite of our circumstances, we need to just trust God, and that's where His peace will reside in our hearts.

Dear Lord,
I pray that my mind will always be set on You, so that I can experience Your peace in all circumstances.
In Jesus' name I pray.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Problems, stress and anxieties in our everyday lives can easily overwhelm and pull us down; taking away both the peace and joy in our hearts. It may be a simple phone call or news we heard from someone, we become fearful, perplexed and troubled; we then find it hard to concentrate on other things.

If we were to constantly exhibit the above attitudes; easily affected and shaken by our surrounding chaos, we might have yet to devote and yield our selves entirely to God. For if we have devoted to Him, our whole attitude will be steady and stable because we know we are supported firmly by God’s peace, unchanging love and mighty power.

Remember this great promise God has made with us in Philippians 4:6-7:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Dear Father, thank You for Your teaching and Your peace for me today. Teach me Lord to be stable and steady always in spite of the situation at hand. Lord, guide me to fix my mind on You and trusting You to help me with problems and worries through prayers. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Gratitude

Romans 16:1-16

1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant[a] of the church in Cenchrea. 2I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.

16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

Bee's Thoughts:

I found some interesting explanations on "holy kiss" in wikipedia and in Bible Truth Outline #9. Whatever that meant to be, it conveys the message that Christians are to love one another in purity of heart. They are to show gratitude to those who have blessed or helped them in one way or another.

All the more we need to show our gratitude to the Lord for what He had done for us and still do.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for all You have done for me. Thank You for the people You placed in my life too. May You bless those who have shown kindness to me, Your child, and let me not take their kindness for granted.
In Jesus' name I give thanks. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

We can get rather unappreciative at times to those who has helped and made important differences in our lives. Not only we forget giving thanks to them, we forget altogether about them and even the things they have done for us.

We should be like Paul in today’s passage, to take time to think of and thank those people who helped and encouraged us through life. We should then go out and show our gratitude to them through words and action.

Dear Father, thank You for bringing so many wonderful people into my life; people that has made important changes and impact in my life. Without them, I would have not been the person I am today.

Lord, teach me to have a grateful heart always; to appreciate and remember what others had done for me and to reach out to them with similar kindness and compassion. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

God Put You In My Way

Luke 10:30-37

30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[a] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Bee's Thoughts:

I like the title of tonight's devotion, "God Put You In My Way". God has put so many people in my way since I made my first cry in the world. Just like what I wrote in my poem, "Memories":

I remember the people I met
Those who made me sad and those who made me glad
How should I feel or what shall I say
They have all played a part
In making what I am today

- Bee (13 November 2003)

Some people have sweetened my life
Some people have made me cry
Some do both till the day I die

God has put you in my way
Be it temporal or here to stay
You are still my neighbour today

- Bee


Dear Lord,
Thank You for those You have put in my way. You have Your reasons for them to cross my paths. Be it to teach me or them something, I pray I can bless them with Your love. Though I may not fully know Your purpose of letting us meet, I pray that I will be a good neighbour to them. Thank You once again.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.




Tommy's Thoughts:

If we were to look closely, we can often find similar ‘wounded man’ around us. In this story, Jesus not only teaches what attitude He wanted us to have when confronting the needs of others, but also the various unloving and unkind attitudes we often have.

Are we like the expert of law, who see those in needs merely as interesting subjects of discussion? Or, are we like the religious men, seeing the man as a problem to avoid? Or, are we like the robbers, who instead of helping, we use and exploit those in dire needs?

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me to help, comfort, care and also to show Christ’s love to those in needs around me. Forgive me Lord for my self-centered and indifference attitude; focusing only on my own concerns. I pray You will guide and lead me to use every opportunities in the future to act with love to meet those in needs. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Tapping The Treasure

Psalm 119:14-24

14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.

15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.

16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.

g Gimel
17 Do good to your servant, and I will live;
I will obey your word.

18 Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.

19 I am a stranger on earth;
do not hide your commands from me.

20 My soul is consumed with longing
for your laws at all times.

21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed
and who stray from your commands.

22 Remove from me scorn and contempt,
for I keep your statutes.

23 Though rulers sit together and slander me,
your servant will meditate on your decrees.

24 Your statutes are my delight;
they are my counselors.

Bee's Thoughts:

King David is called the man after God's own heart. We can see from the above passage how he is so passionate about God's word. The the strong words used in describing how he felt about God's word.

rejoices (v14)
meditate (v15)
consider (v15)
delight (v16)
longing (v20)

To King David, God's word is like treasure which we can only see when God open our spiritual eyes to see.


Dear Lord,
May I have the same hunger and thirst for Your wordlike King David had. Open my eyesto see the wondrous things in Your word.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

Sometimes, our lives here on earth can be quite intimidating when we have to make all kinds of decision, to discern all the rights from the wrongs and to know what is best for us. Things are not always clear, it’s easy to find our selves stumbled and caught in unnecessary problems through mistakes we made.

Like a traveler in a new town, we can get lost easily by wandering aimlessly without a good map or guide. The Bible is this map and guide while we are here on earth. It guides us to safe routes, obstacles to avoid, traps to evade; leading us safely to our final destination.

Every lesson we want to learn about life is IN the Bible! If we earnestly read and study God’s guides for us, we’ll know and understand the rich, abundant life God has promised to if we would to follow His path and avoiding those that lead to destruction.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me again to seek and understand You Word deeper. I pray You will guide me to spend more time to study Your Word with an open, teachable and expectant heart. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

The Empathy Factor

Hebrews 4:14-16

Jesus the Great High Priest
14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Bee's Thoughts:

It is so comforting to know that the God we Christians believe in is one who can "sympathize" with our weaknesses. He knows all our needs, wants, desires, aspirations, hopes and dreams. Some are good for us but some aren't. He could empathize with us fully because He had been a man before, just like us. Yet, He did not sin though He was "tempted in every way".

Therefore, we are able to come to Him with confidence as we know His grace is sufficient for us. He understands us and is gracious to us when we call on Him for help in our times of weaknesses.

There were many times when unpleasant things happened to me and I asked God why. I would hear a small still voice in my heart telling me that He allows me to go through them for a purpose. That I may be able to empathize with someone else who might be going through the same experience.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your grace and mercy towards me. Thank You for understanding all my needs. Thank You for forgiving me when I go astray. Thank You for teaching me to emphatize with others through the things I been through with Your grace. Help me be an overcomer that I may help others too.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

We often associate temptation with lust and addiction. But, temptation also comes in other forms like the temptation to worry or to have self-pity. Despite what God has promised us and knowing clearly what we should do or feel, we still bogged down by our problems, never move on from our sadness; continuously dwelling in self-pity. We think nobody will understand us or what we’re going through and our problem is so unique that it happened only with us.

Today passage, we learned that Jesus has experienced every single form of temptations throughout his life as human on earth. When we know Jesus himself faced similar temptation, we can take comfort knowing He can sympathize with our struggle. He also gives us the courage the encouragement to not giving in to sin when tempted, just as what He did when facing the seductive lure of temptation.

Dear Father, thank You for the example I can learn from Christ when temptation comes my way. Thank You for always providing me the ‘exit sign’ to all the temptation I have to face, and You’ve promised for not allowing me to be tempted beyond what I can bear (1 Cor 10:13). Lord, I pray that You provide me the clarity, strength and wisdom to fight them victoriously. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Drink Up!

John 4:7-14

7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])

10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Bee's Thoughts:

Dear Lord,

I am 'thirsty' tonight. I ask for the living water which You promised to give to those who ask of You (v10). Let me 'drink' so that will not 'thirst' again.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart tonight. Come and fill my being that I may be 'drunk' with my Lord's love and never 'thirst' again for anything else. That I may have the power to do Your will. That Your stream of living water will flow from my life and bless those around.

Come, Lord Jesus, fill my heart with Your love and care. That whatever I do will bring honour to Your name. Let me not be a stumbling block to anyone, especially the one closest to me.

Come, my gracious Father, put Your arms around me. I need Your strong arms to carry me through when I am weak and helpless. Let me see just a pair of footprints and not two. Let me know that You are still here with me when others forsake me.

Thank You Lord, for hearing my prayers in Jesus' name. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

The life changing encounter with God often begins when we realize only Him can satisfies our souls’ desire. Not only has He satisfied our souls by giving us a new life but He has given us to have it more abundantly and eternally. This new abundant spiritual life is a life that empowered by the indwelling of Jesus Christ; a life lived on a higher plane because of His overflowing forgiveness, love and guidance.

Dear Father, thank You for Your precious offer of an abundant life in You. Teach me not to forget that this life has begun ever since I accepted Christ into my life. Teach me to understand and to live out this richer and fuller life in Christ daily. Lord, I pray You’ll guide me to continue quenching the thirst of my soul by seeking You and Your Word. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Hypocrites

Matthew 23:1-12

Seven Woes
1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'

8"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.[b] 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Bee's Thoughts:

It is sad to know that many non-Christians have been stumbled because they have seen many hyocrites in the Church. It is not surprising as there are many church goers who go to church on Sunday but are not born-again in their hearts yet.. they may profess to be Christians just beacuse they go to church. This is nothing new as Jesus had warned us about these group of people in His parable of the weats and weeds Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43.

24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

The sadder thing is to see politics creeping into the Church as some Christians would try to gain power and fame for themselves in the Church. We have seen so many Christian leaders falling away because of this. "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (v12).

Dear Lord,
Thank You for the reminding that me to becareful not to let pride creep into my heart. I pray that I will do what I 'preach' and just say or promise something without doing. I pray I will not be like the hypocrites mentioned in the passage above. Let my "yes" be yes and "no" be no. I pray You will help me grow to be more like You each day.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

Whenever we read about the Pharisee, we may feel disgusted by their hypocrisy. But often we display similar attitude unknowingly. If we examine any conflict we’ve gone through, we can see our harshness and uncaring attitude often due to our self-centeredness that doesn’t resembles any of the fruits of the Spirit we proclaimed.

Many people today claim they know the Bible and follow Jesus, but they don’t apply what they’ve learned into their lives or live by God’s standard of love. Instead of criticizing others for hypocrisy, we should ensure our words and actions match our beliefs.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to reexamine my attitudes and matching them with what I believe. Lord, I pray You will continue to mold me to grow in the fruits of the Spirit. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.