July 1, 2020 (Wednesday)
God’s Fullness
“‘If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and all that is in it is mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
– Psalm 50:12-15
Memory Verse: “Call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” (Matthew 8:27)
Whatever we give to God, it does not add anything more to God. God has everything. God has mountains, rivers, birds of the air, and everything in the world. We have to realize that we do not help God but God helps us. Even our devotion to God does not give any benefit to God. God has the fullness and nothing we do can add anything more to God’s fullness. God who has the fullness glorifies us.
O Lord, thank you for glorifying me. Amen.
July 2, 2020 (Thursday)
Fear of God
“The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.”
– Psalm 19:9-10
Memory Verse: “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever.” (Psalm 19:9)
The fear of God is the most beautiful thing to have. It makes our thoughts pure, our hearts be calm, and our attitudes be humble. When we live our lives with the fear of God, we discover how mysterious it is. When we treat others with the fear of God, we find how precious they are. When we live with the fear of God, we recognize how important we are.
O Lord, thank you for teaching me how awesome you are. Amen.
July 3, 2020 (Friday)
Church
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.”
– Ephesians 2:19-22
Memory Verse: “You also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.” (Ephesians 2:22)
Being built together in the Spirit is what church is. Each member has to grow spiritually to become together. Only when a person is spiritually mature, he/she can forgive others, accept them, and love them. Without these, church cannot be established. St. Paul said we are being built together. God’s church is not finished yet. It is being built. That is what church is. Each member is the church. Together we are the church. Let us work together to build the church of God.
O Lord, thank you for letting me be a small part of your wonderful plan. Amen.
July 4, 2020 (Saturday)
God’s Glory
“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.”
– Psalm 85:8-13
Memory Verse: “Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.” (Psalm 85:11)
God’s glory may dwell in our land. Then steadfast love and faithfulness will meet. Righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground and righteousness will look down from the sky. God will give us what is good and we will experience the abundance. Let us pray that God’s glory may dwell with us.
O Lord, may your glory dwell in our land. Amen.
July 5, 2020 (Sunday)
Lay Your Burdens on Jesus
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
– Matthew 11:28-30
Memory Verse: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Let us come to Jesus. Let us lay down our burdens on him. Let us lay down our worries, anxiety, and fear on Jesus. When we have no place to lay down our burdens, they will crush us down. And they will cause sickness within us. When we lay down our burdens on Jesus, we will find peace and experience healing.
O Lord, thank you for lightening my burdens. Amen.
July 6, 2020 (Monday)
The Power of God’s Mercy
“Every day I will bless you, and praise your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts…The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made”
– Psalm 145:2-4, 8-9
Memory Verse: “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” (Psalm 145:8)
God is merciful and slow to anger. We experience that always in our lives. When we experience our shortcomings, we experience God’s mercy. God’s mercy renews us with new strength. It’s not that we take our sins lightly when we experience God’s mercy. When we experience God’s mercy, we become empowered to overcome our sins. That is the power of God’s mercy.
O Lord, thank you for taking care of me with your mercy. Amen.
July 7, 2020 (Tuesday)
What Is the Most Important in Life
“As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.”
– Psalm 103:15-18
Memory Verse: “As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field.” (Psalm 103:15)
Our days are like grass. They flourish for a while but soon the glory fades away. Let us fear God. For those who fear God, God shows his steadfast love. His steadfast love is from everlasting to everlasting. What is the most important to know in life is to know God. What is the most important thing to do in life is to worship God. Let us leave our days in God’s hands.
O Lord, grant your steadfast love to me. Amen.
July 8, 2020 (Wednesday)
The Pure Heart
“People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’”
– Luke 18:15-17
Memory Verse: “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:17)
Faith is like having the heart of children. Receiving the Lord means to receive him with a pure heart. It is not easy to cultivate a pure heart within us. As we get older, we lose the beauty of being pure. When we lose the purity of our heart, we do not see what we ought to see and we do not hear what we ought to hear. Faith comes from the purity of our heart.
O Lord, grant me the purity of my heart. Amen.
July 9, 2020 (Thursday)
God Who Is Like Our Parents
“Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.’”
– Hosea 11:3, 4
Memory Verse: “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them.” (Hosea 11:3)
God is like our parents. God taught us to walk, took us up in his arms and healed us, and yet we did not know. Who will understand the hearts of our parents? In the same way, who will understand the heart of our God? When we look back at our lives, we realize how blind we have been. We have lived in ignorance. While hidden from us, God has always been there, leading us with cords of love and feeding us.
O Lord, thank you for taking care of me. Amen.
July 10, 2020 (Friday)
Abundance of Life
“I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon. His shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like that of Lebanon. They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.’”
– Hosea 14:4-7
Memory Verse: “I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.” (Hosea 14:4)
God turns anger from those who come to him. Then the abundance of life will be restored. Beauty of life will be restored. Joy of life will be restored. God will love us freely. He will forgive our sins and give us the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit will confirm that we are God’s children.
O Lord, thank you for turning your anger from me. Amen.
July 11, 2020 (Saturday)
Master of Our Lives
“Then Job answered the Lord: ‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.’”
– Job 42:1-3
Memory Verse: “’Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” (Job 42:3)
This was Job’s last confession. After experiencing all the hardships, he realized that he had uttered what he did not understand and things too wonderful for him, which he did not know. He said this because he saw God’s mysterious works in him. What God does in our lives is mysterious. We do not understand everything that God does. Let us trust God. Our good God will surely do the good things in our lives.
O Lord, thank you for being the master of my life. Amen.
July 12, 2020 (Sunday)
God’s Word
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
– Isiah 55:10-11
Memory Verse: “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
God’s words are not like our words. God’s words will come true. We always experience the gap between the reality of God’s Word and the historical reality. It is our faith that fills the gap. Let us not live our lives by what we can see but by God’s word. Abraham believed in God’s promise when he could not see any evidence of it in his life.
O Lord, let your will for me be done. Amen.
July 13, 2020 (Monday)
God’s Steadfast Love
“O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.”
– Psalm 63:1-4
Memory Verse: “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” (Psalm 63:3)
When we experience God’s love, we realize that it is what we need the most in our lives. When we experience God’s love, our soul thirsts for it. Our worship, praise and prayer come from the thirst. Let us meditate on God’s steadfast love. Our life will be exalted.
O Lord, thank you for your steadfast love. Amen.
July 14, 2020 (Tuesday)
Fragrance
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?”
– 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Memory Verse: “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)
Fragrance is not something we can manufacture. It simply oozes out of our existence. We cannot manufacture the fragrance with our words or actions. We cannot block the fragrance with our words or actions either. Let us dwell in Christ. The Spirit of Christ will restore the beautiful image of God within us. Then the aroma of Christ will ooze out of our existence and our words and actions produce the beautiful fragrance of Jesus Christ.
O Lord, I want to dwell within you. Please restore your image within me. Amen.
July 15, 2020 (Wednesday)
The Wise
“Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight. Whoever corrects a scoffer wins abuse; whoever rebukes the wicked gets hurt. A scoffer who is rebuked will only hate you; the wise, when rebuked, will love you. Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser still; teach the righteous and they will gain in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
– Proverbs 9:6-10
Memory Verse: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10)
Arrogance and foolishness go together. The arrogance causes foolishness and the foolishness invites the arrogance. Wisdom and righteousness go together. The wise humbly takes in valuable lessons of life. When they are rebuked, they don’t hate and attack those who rebuke them, but they examine themselves and meditate on God’s will. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
O Lord, remove from me any arrogance and help me humbly seek your wisdom. Amen.
July 16, 2020 (Thursday)
Confidence
“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
– 2 Corinthians 3:4-6
Memory Verse: “Our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant.” (2 Corinthians 3:5, 6)
We have confidence in God, not in us. Then we can have confidence in everything that we do. God will help us in every aspect of our lives. Confidence is very important in our lives. Remember that the confidence does not come from your competence but from the Spirit who helps you. Then ultimately God will make us competent to do his ministry.
O Lord, I find confidence in you. Amen.
July 17, 2020 (Friday)
Confidence
“So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”
– 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Memory Verse: “We look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
What is visible is wasting away and disappears as time goes by. We cannot preserve our youth. As time goes by, our youth will also waste away. What is visible will ultimately disappear. Even though our inner person is not visible, it is renewed day by day. What can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. So what is more real, the visible or the invisible?
O Lord, thank you for always speaking to me even though I cannot see you. Amen.
July 18, 2020 (Saturday)
Only Jesus
“For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:13-15
Memory Verse: “And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)
We no longer live for ourselves but for Jesus who died and was raised for us. There is no value in living for oneself. There will be only death at the end. But if we live for the Lord who died and was raised for us, we will be raised too. Let us live a life that Jesus lived. There will be life.
O Lord, help me live my life only for you. Amen.
July 19, 2020 (Sunday)
A Spirit of Adoption
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”
– Romans 8:14-17
Memory Verse: “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’.” (Romans 8:15)
The Spirit within us confirms us that we are God’s children. It is not something we can think of it on our own. It is the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. When we realize that, we get courage. People who live with a spirit of slavery live with fear. They are afraid of everything. They are afraid of even God. It is not proper fear of God. The Spirit took away the fear from us and gives us courage to live our lives with confidence.
O Lord, help me always live my life in fellowship with your Spirit. Amen.
July 20, 2020 (Monday)
Justice, Love, and Humility
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’ He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
– Micah 6:6-8
Memory Verse: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
In a materialistic world, everything is measured by the material. What God wants from us is not material. God wants our heart. God wants us to have a good attitude towards life. God is concerned with how we treat other people. Justice, love, and humility are three pillars of life. Let us always keep these three things in our heart.
O Lord, help me give my heart to you. Amen.
July 21, 2020 (Tuesday)
Emmanuel
“But as for me, I will look to the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Penitence and Trust in God. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”
– Micah 7:7-8
Memory Verse: “When I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me” (Micah 7:8)
The fact that God is with us is our strength. When we fall, we shall rise because God lifts us up. When we sit in darkness, God will shine his light upon us. When we live our lives, knowing that God is with us, we can live victoriously. Let us look to the Lord. God will let us know that he is with us.
O Lord, thank you for your promise that you will be with me to the end of the age. Amen.
July 22, 2020 (Wednesday)
God Who Rejoices Over Us
“On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
-Zephaniah 3:16-17
Memory Verse: “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
God rejoices over us with gladness. If we understand this, it will brighten our life. Our life becomes dark because we feel that somehow God is not pleased with us. God’s love is greater than we think. God’s love embraces all the negative things within us and restores a new image in us.
O Lord, thank you for restoring the joy of salvation within me. Amen.
July 23, 2020 (Thursday)
The Fountain of Life
“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!”
– Psalm 36:7-10
Memory Verse: “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9)
With God is the fountain of life. With God is the source of blessings. When we depend on God, God will let us feast on the abundance. When we seek God, God will let us see the light. When we ask for God’s help, he will hide us in the shadow of his wings. God will continue his steadfast love to those who know him.
O Lord, only you can make my life abundant. I depend on you and praise you. Amen.
July 24, 2020 (Friday)
The Lord Is My Shepherd
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
– Psalm 23
Memory Verse: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1)
The Lord is my shepherd. He leads us, keeps us safe, and provides us with abundance. With God, there is nothing we lack. Let us walk with the Lord. Let us keep him near. Let us always be mindful of his presence. Nothing can harm us. Nothing can destroy us. God is our fortress and God paves a new path for us.
O Lord, thank you for being my shepherd. Amen.
July 25, 2020 (Saturday)
The Treasure in Clay Jars
“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.”
– 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Memory Verse: “…always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:10)
The treasure is in clay jars. Clay jars represent our experience of being afflicted in every way, being perplexed, being persecuted, being struck down. That is like carrying in the body the death of Jesus. Through these experiences, we realize that this extraordinary power belongs to God, not to us. This realization is the treasure. When we have this realization, we may be afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. We carry in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.
O Lord, help me not to be afraid of being a clay jar but be joyful and thankful for being a clay jar. Amen.
July 26, 2020 (Sunday)
Prayer of the Spirit
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
– Romans 8:26-28
Memory Verse: “God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:27)
It is not we who pray. It is the Spirit within us who prays. We are so weak that we don’t know how to pray as we ought. When we don’t know how we ought to pray, the Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. The Spirit knows our heart the best, better than we know ourselves. The Spirit who knows us and also knows God’s will, intercedes for us according to the will of God. Since the very Spirit is with us, all things will work together for good.
O Spirit, thank you for guiding me according to God’s will. Amen.
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