October 1, 2020 (Wednesday)
Storms
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by. I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me”
– Psalm 57:1-2
Memory Verse: “in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by.” (Psalm 57:1)
God takes us under his wings until the destroying storms pass by. When we cry out to God, God will protect us and keep us safe. The whole world has entered into the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is only God who can save us from this pandemic. Let us ask for God’s mercy. Let us pray that this pandemic pass by.
Lord, please let this pandemic pass by. Amen.
October 2, 2020 (Friday)
Be Still
“Then Job answered the Lord: ‘See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further.’”
– Job 40:3-5
Memory Verse: “See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.” (Job 40:4)
When we truly meet God, we have no choice but to be silent. We will be still and just know that God is God. God’s work is amazing. His presence is beyond our understanding. His power is beyond our imagination. Let us lay down all our pride and stand before God and see what God does in our lives.
Lord, help me to meet you in my silence. Amen.
October 3, 2020 (Saturday)
Suffering
“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. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’”
– Job 42:1-6
Memory Verse: “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.” (Job 42:5)
Job was able to understand God more intimately through his suffering. The intimate understanding Job had was not possible without suffering. Suffering is hard to endure. But God has hidden beautiful things in the suffering. Through suffering, we become humble, our eyes will open, and get to know God more intimately.
Lord, help me not to run away from my suffering but through it, help me to get to know you more intimately. Amen.
October 4, 2020 (Sunday)
Be Still
“Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.”
– Philippians 3:7-9
Memory Verse: “I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8)
Knowing Christ Jesus is the most valuable thing in life. Knowing Christ is possible only when we empty ourselves. The worldly knowledge is what we acquire through our effort. Knowledge of Christ is what God fills in our empty heart. Let us come to the Lord with a broken heart. God will grant us the wisdom to know Christ.
Lord, I come with an empty heart. Please fill me with the knowledge of Christ. Amen.
October 5, 2020 (Monday)
The Gospel
“Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
– Galatians 1:10-12
Memory Verse: “I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Galatians 1:10)
The gospel is what God gave to us. It is not something we human beings can teach. It is the work of the Holy Spirit who helps us believe and accept the gospel. How can we teach that God loves us? We can only proclaim it. It is only God who can teach us God’s love.
Lord, thank you for giving me the gospel so that I may understand your love. Amen.
October 6, 2020 (Tuesday)
God Who Knows Me
“O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.”
– Psalm 139:1-4
Memory Verse: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me.” (Psalm 139:1)
God knows us. We are not just one of those in the crowd. We are not just numbers to God. God knows our thoughts and our ways. God knows our dreams and our struggles. God knows us because he has searched us out of love.
Lord, thank you for being mindful of me. I am insignificant and yet you have searched for me. Amen.
October 7, 2020 (Wednesday)
Prayer
“He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.’”
– Luke 11:1-4
Memory Verse: “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1)
Jesus taught us to pray. He taught us how to pray about God, about the world, about ourselves, and about our neighbors. He taught us to pray for God to be honored, for God’s kingdom to come on earth, for the daily bread to be given, and for us to forgive the sins of our neighbors. We learn to pray while praying. The Holy Spirit will teach us to pray.
Lord, thank you for teaching me to pray. Amen.
October 8, 2020 (Thursday)
Life of Searching
“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
– Luke 11:9-13
Memory Verse: “For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:10)
Life is about searching. For everyone who searches finds. There are always answers to our problems. Sometimes they are right in front of our eyes. We don’t see them because our eyes have become blind due to fear. When we start searching, our eyes will open. If you search, you will be able to see what you are searching. Let us begin again with courage. Let us begin a life of searching.
Lord, as the deer searches for the water, my soul searches for you. Amen.
October 9, 2020 (Friday)
Fear of God
“The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established for ever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant for ever. Holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practise it have a good understanding. His praise endures for ever.”
– Psalm 111:7-10
Memory Verse: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10)
We cannot measure what God is doing. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and his plans are deeper than our plans. We cannot know God by just observing what is going on right now. We have to come to God always with awe and fear. We have to live our lives, waiting for God’s will. God will reveal his will to us little by little. That is the very wisdom we need.
Lord, thank you for revealing your will to me little by little. Amen.
October 10, 2020 (Saturday)
Fear of God
“Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.”
– Psalm 105:3-4
Memory Verse: “Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.” (Psalm 105:3)
Let us seek the Lord. Our hearts will be happy. Heaviness of our heart will be lifted up and the bright light will shine upon the darkness of our soul. Worries and anxiety will dissipate and the seed of hope and faith will bloom within us. When we seek the Lord, our hearts will be filled with the gratitude. Let us seek God’s presence and his strength.
Lord, I seek you and your countenance. Amen.
October 11, 2020 (Sunday)
Leave Everything To God
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 4:4-7
Memory Verse: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
Joy comes from not worrying. Let us not worry and leave everything to God through our prayer. God who surpasses all our understanding, will give us peace. Then we will be thankful and from the thankfulness, comes joy.
Lord, help me to leave everything to you. Amen.
October 12, 2020 (Monday)
Praise the Lord!
“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and for evermore. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.”
– Psalm 113:1-3
Memory Verse: “From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.” (Psalm 113:3)
Let us always praise God. When we praise God, joy will spring up from within. When we feel dark, let us praise God. When we are sad, let us praise God. When worries and anxiety fill our heart, let us praise God. Our praise will chase away all these negative thoughts from us. It will lift us up.
Lord, help me live a life of praise. Amen.
October 13, 2020 (Tuesday)
Freedom
“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
– Galatians 5:1
Memory Verse: “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
Jesus came to give us freedom. In Christ, we will be able to find true freedom. God has freed us from the chain of sin that binds us, the vanity of wanting to be great, and the fear of losing what we have. Let us not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Let us freely live a life of love and service.
Lord, thank you for giving me a bright day of living freely. Amen.
October 14, 2020 (Wednesday)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Love
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
– Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
We are going to reflect on the fruit of the Spirit for the next 9 days. The first one is Love. Love makes our life warm. Love is essential for our existence. Love is not our reaction for how people treat us. The source of love is not in other people but in the Spirit, who works within us. That is why loving your enemies is possible. Let love grow within us.
Lord, thank you for your love. Amen.
October 15, 2020 (Thursday)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
– Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
If there is no joy in life, we lose the meaning of life. There are times when life is difficult and sad. But we can still have joy in life. We are joyful in the midst of all our life circumstances such as suffering and sadness. While suffering and sadness come from our life circumstances, joy comes from God. God gives us joy so that we will have the power to stand up and walk and live meaningfully. Rejoice. Rejoice always.
Lord, thank you for giving me the joy of life. Amen.
October 16, 2020 (Friday)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Peace
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
– Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Peace is power that gives us serenity. When we have peace, we are not shaken. When the storm of life strikes us, we are shaken for a short while, but peace gives us the power to find the balance. When we have peace within us, we will have peace with God and with ourselves and we can deal with the challenges of this world. We can overcome the disorder and the chaos of this world. Let us find the calmness of life through peace that God gives us.
Lord, thank you for giving me peace. Amen.
October 17, 2020 (Saturday)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
– Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
There is nothing in the world that you can achieve easily. It takes time to achieve what is precious. It takes time for our spiritual character to be formed. That’s why we need patience. When we quietly pursue what we desire without ceasing, there will be a time when our prayers are answered. It is patience that holds us together until that time comes.
Lord, grant me patience. Amen.
October 18, 2020 (Sunday)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
– Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Kindness is to have a tender heart and compassion towards others. It is how we treat others and it involves both our attitude and action. It is to set aside our needs and take care of others’ needs first. When we are kind to them, they feel warmth and become brightened. When a community is filled with people who are kind, there will be warmth in the community and it will become brightened. When we practice kindness in our family, our family will become one.
Lord, help me treat every person with kindness. Amen.
October 19, 2020 (Monday)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Generosity
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
– Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Generosity is also translated as goodness. Generosity and goodness go together. Sharing goodness generously with others is what it means. When the Spirit comes, we become generous, not only with our material things but also with our heart. When our hearts become enriched, we can enrich others. Instead of envying others, wishing for the best for them is the generous heart.
Lord, please enrich my heart with generosity. Amen.
October 20, 2020 (Tuesday)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
– Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Faithfulness is giving our best consistently. It applies to every aspect of our lives. In everything we do, we give our best consistently. God has given us many talents but it is faithfulness that makes our talents grow and bear fruits. Because of faithfulness, we can overcome our temptation to give up. Through faithfulness, we experience God’s power that enables us to live, doing what we are called to do.
Lord, help me be faithful as you have been faithful to me. Amen.
October 21, 2020 (Wednesday)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
– Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Gentleness and humility go together. Jesus also connected these two words by saying, “I am gentle and humble in heart.” Gentleness is to embrace others. As the earth is at the bottom and embraces everything in the world, gentleness is embracing people with their shortcomings. The earth, humility, and humanity all share the same root. We human beings become truly human beings when we have the gentleness.
Lord, grant me the gentleness. Amen.
October 22, 2020 (Thursday)
The Fruit of the Spirit: Self-control
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
– Galatians 5:22-23
Memory Verse: “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Self-control is the power to control ourselves. Our biggest problem is ourselves. There is a negative power within us that controls us. It makes us dark and weak. It leads us to where we don’t want to go. Now we have the power of the Spirit within us. Self-control is to let the power of the Spirit control us. The Spirit will free us and empower us. It gives us the power to live out our life’s calling instead of being enslaved by our own greed. That is what self-control is.
Lord, fill me with your Spirit. Amen.
October 23, 2020 (Friday)
Bearing One Another
“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
– Ephesians 4:1-3
Memory Verse: “…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…” (Ephesians 4:2)
Bearing one another is what we human beings should practice. We need humility, gentleness, patience, and love to bear one another. But we see so much of the opposite qualities around us: arrogance, aggressiveness, impatience, and hatred. That’s why people are divided. Let us not submit ourselves to the divisive spirit and practice humility, gentleness, patience, and love to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Let us restore blessings of unity God granted to us.
Lord, let me be a person of the Spirit. Amen.
October 24, 2020 (Saturday)
Be Gentle
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 4:4-7
Memory Verse: “Let your gentleness be known to everyone.” (Philippians 4:5)
God will guard our hearts and our minds. That’s why we can have peace. When we have peace within our hearts, we will have room for others. But if our hearts are filled with stress, worries, and anxiety, we won’t have room for practicing our gentleness. Let us pray to God to fill our hearts with peace. God will fill our hearts with peace that is beyond our understanding and the peace that the world cannot give.
Lord, help me be gentle to others. Amen.
October 25, 2020 (Sunday)
The Word of God
“I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”
– Psalm 119:14-16
Memory Verse: “I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Psalm 119:16)
Let us put God’s word in our heart. Let us enjoy the word of God and never forget it. God will open the way to eternal life. Anxiety will evaporate and peace will come in our heart. Life will come alive within us. The word of God transforms us.
Lord, let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable to you. Amen.
October 26, 2020 (Monday)
Sowing the Seed
“May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.”
– Psalm 126:5-6
Memory Verse: “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.” (Psalm 126:5)
Sometimes we feel that our effort is useless. But God sees our effort. God will make sure that we see the fruit of all our works for the good. There will be a time when we reap what we sow with shouts of joy. Let us not be discouraged. Let us sow the good seeds.
Lord, help me to sow the good seed today, leaving the result in your hand. Amen.
October 27, 2020 (Tuesday)
The Kingdom of God
“He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’”
– Luke 13:18-19
Memory Verse: “It (the kingdom of God) is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” (Luke 13:19)
The kingdom of God grows within us. When we live our lives being connected with God, the kingdom of God abounds within us. Our existence will be enriched and we will be able to provide people with rest and encouragement.
Lord, please establish your kingdom within me. Amen.
October 28, 2020 (Wednesday)
The 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)
The church is God’s gift to those who believe. Through the church, we empower each other, encourage each other, and help each other. Through the church, we grow spiritually and as we grow spiritually, church will also become spiritual. It is important that we worship together, pray together, and study the word of God together. God will be there where two or three gather together in the Lord’s name.
Lord, thank you for giving me the church as a gift. Amen.
October 29, 2020 (Thursday)
The Word of God
“For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”
– Ephesians 6:12-17
Memory Verse: “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Depending on against whom we fight, our strategy will have to change. We cannot fight against the power of this world with our own power. We don’t have that kind of power. We can fight against the power of this world only with the word of the truth. When we have the word of the truth, we will not be affected and governed by the power of this world. Truth prevails over power. Let us have the word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit.
Lord, please give me critical insight on your word, which is the sword of the Spirit. Amen.
October 30, 2020 (Friday)
Love and Knowledge
“And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”
– Philippians 1:9-111
Memory Verse: “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight.” (Philippians 1:9)
What we need is love and knowledge. When we have love, our life becomes warm and through knowledge, we can discern what is good. When our life is filled with love and knowledge, we will produce the harvest of righteousness. Life, filled with the fruit of righteousness, is the happy life and it will glorify God.
Lord, fill me with love and knowledge so that my life may become abundant. Amen.
October 31, 2020 (Saturday)
Overcoming Death
“For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.”
– Philippians 1:21-24
Memory Verse: “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
To live or not to live is not the most important question. The most important question is whether we can overcome death or not while we live. If we do not overcome the reality of death, our present life loses its meaning. When we overcome death, we can enjoy the fullness of life in the present.
Lord, help me find the blessing of the eternal life in you. Amen.
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