DEVOTIONALS

“Rather, cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now.” Joshua 23:8 Have you ever played the sport “tug of war” that puts two teams against each other in a test of strength. The teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal being to bring the rope a to certain distance in one direction against the force of the opposing team's pull. The team that holds on tightly and doesn’t let go wins! It is almost the same thing when we face challenges as believers. 

There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 On Martha’s “to do List” perhaps the “turkey” was probably all done waiting to be served! Almost everything was completed and now she was getting worked up about what in the world Mary was doing? An outer focus lets us navigate the larger world like Martha. On the other hand, Mary was all absorbed, listening, learning and meditating on Jesus’ words;

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. John 15:4 Fruits are known to be nutritious and provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. They also have a range of beneficial compounds. Eating a variety of fruits is recommended for overall health. One day a friend invited me to go and pick some pears from her pear tree that had gone crazy by produ

"You surround me with songs of victory". We can fully trust God’s protection in difficult times.  Just as a bird protects it’s young, God nurtures and defense his people.  David’s story is a great example that still remains significant today!  When you wear someone else’s gear, you will certainly feel uncomfortable or even awkward because it isn’t made to fit you! David walked in faith with confidence knowing who was in charge! He was under God’s covering.  What an encouragem

Safety in God’s shelter is for the sake of gaining what we need and when we need it.  We have a wonderful promise of protection through God’s everlasting presence. Scripture is so powerful but it becomes more powerful when we speak it out and apply it daily in our lives.   We are reminded in Romans 8:32 that God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else.” This includes our protection. We can be sheltered for protection fr

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely, I have a delightful inheritance. Psalms 16:6 Oceans are vast and something to behold, yet they still have boundaries. Why?  They are divided into boundaries for practical reasons, although they are all connected as one global ocean. The boundaries are primarily for navigation, economic reasons and others, rather than natural divisions. The boundaries are used to reference specific regions for mapping and defini

Draw near to God and God will come close to you. James 4:8 Jesus is the only one who is directly qualified to enter into God’s presence. God is looking for people who are upright, genuine, reflect his character and pursue holiness, integrity, honesty, and  many others!  He is omnipresent and desires to interact with us regularly to hear him. During the Transfiguration Jesus' physical appearance changed to reveal his divine glory, with his face shining like the sun and his clo

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Psalm 46:7 (a) In the past, building an ancient fortress was not an overnight process.  They did it day by day, brick by brick until they completed. This also applies to building a safe strong house that would stand strong.  This analogy reminds us that knowing God is a process requiring reading the Bible, worship and staying in a community.  This slowly leads into an intimate relationship with G

Living in this world is hard work but God is watching over us, providing refuge and giving promises of restoration. He says in Psalm 12: 6 that “The Lord’s promises are pure like silver refined in a furnace purified seven times over”. God has something greater for us than chasing more money, power or a life of experiences.  We need more of God and less of things.  Things can be replaced but not people.  Humility allows us to be more like Jesus.  It is characterized by a willi

And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19: 12 Have you heard someone who is very angry say “I’m not shouting” while they are actually doing that! Shouting involves producing very loud sounds generating high-amplitude sound waves, while whispering involves producing quiet sounds. Therefore, the key differences are sound intensity or volume. At mount Horeb. God spoke to Eli

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 After watching some exciting successful young athletes recently, I recognized that these were some of their common motivations; the enjoyment of playing their sport, the challenge of competition and reaching new personal goals. They definitely paid close attention to their skill improvement and exploration of their potential.  Just to

……. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3 (b) Recently, I visited Kew Gardens and saw so many different types of oaks.  But one thing that caught my eye was that they all had one common feature, they were really large and strong. You could sit on the branches without fear. They reminded me of a strong house! The Oak tree is a good analogy for Christians, symbolizing strength, endurance, and steadfastness

“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have but little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Revelation 3:8 A welcome, an invitation or encouragement can be called an open door. It is primarily an opportunity to serve the Lord, even if it eventually becomes a guarantee for a better job or personal life.  It is God given as an opportunity to individually advance His Kingdom. Our focus sho

“That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is ignoring you and your law. He still prays to his God three times a day”. Daniel 6:13 Sometimes the way down is really the way up! In God’s kingdom those the world calls wise are called foolish in the Word.  Those who are powerful by corporate standards are often weak and those who see freedom as doing whatever they want end up enslaved.  What really matters is that we are not defined by what we have or don’t have, but by wh

Being called “extraordinary” generally means great or remarkable and highly thought of. In the story of Job, the Lord said that he was the finest man in all the earth, blameless, with complete integrity and that he feared God.  What a powerful testimony this was!  He was definitely “extraordinary”! Yet as we read, we find out how the enemy tried to aggravate Job to deny God! Through it all, Job maintained his integrity!  At the beginning his friends sat with him and empathize

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland”.   Isaiah 43:19 “New” refers to having recently come into existence or use. God’s promise to bring about a fresh start, new opportunities, and blessings for his people, often happens when they least expect it. It signifies a departure from the old and a movement into a new season of hope and renewal.  This

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” - Romans 8:37 A mindset influences how we think, feel, and behave in any given situation. When the team of twelve spies returned from the promised land after forty days, they had two different opinions. Team one, (“ the terrified ten ”), reported that the people they encountered were stronger than them and would devour anyone who goes there. They reported that the giants made them feel like grasshop

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. Isaiah 35:1 Blossoming signifies beauty and vitality found in nature, representing life, joy, and the richness of the environment. When our lives blossom, other people thrive too, a metaphor for growth. Just like bees and pollen in the natural world, one who is blossoming rubs on others around them. We’ve been planted physically wherever we live, spiritually in the spiritual

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Psalm 37:4 That sounds great, but how is one to muster up delight in God when everything around them seems to be going wrong?   The Word admonishes us to take our eyes off the circumstances and fix them on Christ who is the true source of our delight. It makes a whole lot of difference when we try to understand that Christ is the true source of the believer’s delight.  God’s Word is a powerful force in our l

…., “Then show me your glorious presence.” Exodus 33:18 The destiny was the Promised Land, God’s original plan.  Moses was given the task of leading the children of Israel but along the way there had been obstacles that slowed this journey. As the leader, he took responsibility to intercede for his people who had been disobedient.  He specifically asked the Lord “who” would accompany him on this journey. Moses needed a different perspective or viewpoint. This would be a spiri