My heart is a little heavy and weary today, but You already knew that. The elections are in Your hands and that is not what I am saddened by, but rather it hurts my heart to see the polarisation and division within this nation that is supposed to be one, united under God.
Lord, I know that no matter what happens all of it would be according to Your sovereign will, but I still wish to lift up my voice to join with the prayers of the Saints.
I pray for the elected leader to be one that may bring times of peace to this nation, that conditions may be favourable for the spread of Your gospel, that more people will come to be saved and called into your family through Jesus, that through Jesus we may all be united and that America may indeed be one nation under the One true God. May you comfort hearts of those who are anxious or weary this week. May we come to you and find rest.
I pray that regardless of what the result is, that those who call themselves Christians – especially myself – will respond in a manner that is glorifying to You. But above all else, I pray all this only if it is in accordance with Your will. May You and You alone be glorified. Amen.
Today I have been distracted. In fact, I have fallen back into wasting time. Another day has flown by where, after exercising in the morning, I went about my day eating and being entertained by YouTube, Sudoku or even Discord. Many times I’ve thought, “I should read my Bible and do my devotional.” Every time, I failed to do it.
It’s also been on my to-do list to finish reading the next chapters (and indeed, catch up/properly read some previous chapters) of the book “Delighting in the Trinity,” which is a wonderful book on the doctrine of the Trinity that we are going through in my Wednesday small group. I picked up the book a few times, flipped through the pages, didn’t really register its contents and promptly became distracted again.
How telling it is; how revealing of where my priorities lie, and it’s not a pretty sight. And yet, how appropriate and merciful it is for God to start this challenge by revealing the darkness and sin of idolatry within my heart, for I have no doubt that since it has been revealed, God will be working in me to deal with it.
And since it is so blatantly obvious, I’ll also be reflecting on this. Sigh, it is all too easy for me to be distracted by the things of this world and fall into idolatry. A verse that comes to mind is what Paul wrote in Philippians, “…Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12b-13)
Paul was giving instruction to the saints in Philippi who were facing persecution to remain firm in their faith and continue to live out godly lives. I don’t suffer the same persecution in 21st century America, how much more so should I be able to live out a godly life and yet don’t.
The principles are timeless, so I do believe it is still applicable to me today in a similar way. I don’t suffer persecution, but I am faced with temptation. It is still appropriate for me to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling. But thanks be to God, it is He who works in me, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
I will work, but the One who is ultimately going to accomplish it all is God Himself. May He realign my priorities so that I might love Him first and foremost with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.
Heavenly Father,
You are such a gracious God. Though You are Almighty, Alpha and Omega, creator of Heaven and Earth, high above all else, You remain merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Thank You that through the blood of Jesus, I am forgiven and You no longer count my sins against me, though they are vast as the ocean. Thank You that you continue to reveal the depth of my sin for my good and sanctification; I pray that You will continue to work in me, to grow and conform me to the image of Your Son, for Your glory. Thank you for Jesus, without whom I would still be dead in my trespasses, and thank You for Your Spirit, without whom I would still have a heart of stone, eyes that cannot see You, and a life that is incapable of fellowship with You.
Lord God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – please realign my priorities so that You may take your rightful place as King of my heart. Above all else, may You and You alone be glorified. Amen.
Can you believe it’s November already? :o I felt convicted during this morning’s Sunday service to try publicly blogging a devotional every day for November. It wasn’t really the point of the sermon message, but it was something that I felt in my heart that I should try to do.
I suppose it could be more appropriate to do this for December in the days leading up to Christmas, but I don’t want to make an excuse to not do it this month and then end up forgetting about it next month. I can always extend it if it works out this month. The sooner I start, the better anyway.
This will be a challenge to myself, partially because I have a tendency to want to write long essays on my blog and feel like I shouldn’t post anything if it’s not long-form, so I want to get out of that mindset. But also, and more importantly, I want to embark on this challenge because:
I want to build a habit of doing daily devotionals. I have to admit I don’t do it as frequently as I should or I would like to.
I want to blog more about my faith. The last time I wrote a sermon reflection was a while back. I actually still have the next sermon tab open on my computer but still haven’t completed it. I think that’s a huge shame.
Perhaps God may deem my devotionals helpful to another for the advancement of His Kingdom, and thus use them to encourage others. That would be an honour.
Today I’m reflecting on this conviction. I’m not sure if it’s the right thing to do since it may expose some of my vulnerabilities. But since I have felt convicted to do it, I wish to be obedient to the leading of the Spirit, if indeed it is God’s will.
If it gets posted, then either way it would have been according to His sovereign will. What He chooses to do with it is then out of my hands. I only pray that my heart will be in the right place, my thoughts will be humble and my words may bring Him glory.
Heavenly Father,
If it is indeed according to Your will, may I indeed write a public devo to you daily for the month of November. May You continue to convict and sanctify me through Your Word and the leading of Your Spirit. May I be blessed during this process by falling deeper in love with You, and may You and You alone be glorified. Amen.
I’m aiming to upload reading through the entire Bible at some point. I’ve just finished up recording Paul’s shorter epistles and am now going into the final books of the New Testament.
Hebrews is traditionally attributed to Paul, but the author is not made clear, so I’ve categorised it separately. We’re in the final few books of the New Testament now, then I’ll probably do Paul’s longer letters, then the Gospels and Acts, before looping back to start from Genesis. Thanks for reading with me!
Ugh. This happens every year, and every year it’s the same: Tax Day.
I haven’t been able to post much or do too much else apart from run on semi-autopilot. I’ve been able to keep up with my health goals and have been updating my progress on this blog, but all the other posts I’ve wanted to do have just had to be put on the back burner because I am just so, so stressed.
I hate tax day so much. Due to my situation and being a British citizen, my taxes are slightly more complicated than the regular US taxpayer, and I am ashamed to admit I am a major procrastinator, so leaving it this late is also a major source of anxiety. But this post is not for me to whine, even though I want to. No, I have to remember and remind myself that God is in control. This post is to count my blessings, so here they are:
I have an accountant and he is super helpful.
I have Jacky this year – he has the best head on his shoulders, he is able to think logically and clearly. He does not fear these tax forms, he does not go cross-eyed from reading them, his brain does not fog up, his palms do not sweat and his heart rate remains steady when reviewing them, and he is able to help and advise me with them for my share too. He is able to hold me when I’m about to cry from stress and anxiety. He prays for and with me at all times. He is the best.
I have Jesus. He is Lord of all; all things are in His hands. He has guided me and guarded me through all the years of my life, will He let go of me now? Is He not in control of tax forms too? Has He not answered all my prayers every year whenever I call upon Him about this issue? Finally — has He not already secured my salvation, my resting place in Heaven? I already know where I will end up. Why is my heart so weary and my mind so narrow when I can just think upon the eternity that is waiting for me with Him. In light of eternity, these things are nothing.
The thing is, I always get money back from tax returns and this year looks like it will be no different. It’s entirely in my mind… I don’t know why I fear them so much. I render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, I am typically good with my finances… so why is it that whenever I look upon these forms, I forget that I am His? Perhaps this illuminates a greater heart issue: that I am so good at relying on myself for everything else that I typically do not rely on God until things get hard.
I just finished reading Philippians yesterday, how timely a reminder it is:
Do not be anxious 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 4:6-7
The Philippians and Paul were facing major persecution for Christ’s sake. Paul himself was even in prison at the time! What am I doing? Enjoying the comforts of my own home, gorging on food and drink that has made me fat… and so far removed from having the right mind of Christ that I am freaking out over some tax forms.
I will then finish with a prayer:
Lord, may You grant me the right perspective, that I may be — and remain — Kingdom minded, knowing that all these things will be added to me as long as I seek You and Your righteousness first. Indeed, having You alone is more than enough. May You be my first priority, first point of call, first in my heart. May You reign as rightful King of my heart. May it be so in Jesus’ name.
