Monday, June 28, 2010
I just want You
Mat 5:8
"Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God."
A daunting task for humans! Pure heart?
MSG puts it this way...
"You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world."
Desiring to have a deeper relationship with You has been at the top of the agenda. More understanding on life, a better grasp of what's thrown at us constantly, how the Word takes effect in me... ... A list of answers I'm seeking. The exact same ones I had when I first met You, answered, but revisited upon facing a complex growing life.
Keeping a pure heart in the midst of growing up is not easy, yet not unattainable.
Riches & glory - It's a goal that's set before us. Getting them is part of shining for You. But keep my heart pure Lord. I don't want to lose sight of what's most important.
Rom 7:13
"I can already hear your next question: “Does that mean I can’t even trust what is good [that is, the law]? Is good just as dangerous as evil?” No again! Sin simply did what sin is so famous for doing: using the good as a cover to tempt me to do what would finally destroy me. By hiding within God’s good commandment, sin did far more mischief than it could ever have accomplished on its own."
Someone once told me, that if we have set in our hearts on wanting to do something, we can always find enough reasons (even scriptural ones), to justify our actions - Preoccupancy in my own ambitions.
Is what I'm doing eventually going to destroy me? That's probably one of the cues to evaluate my path.
It's truly a daunting task. Moving from salvation into commission while keeping a pure heart.
You're important to me. A pure heart, that's what I long for - one that follows after Thee
Labels: Daily Devotion
Posted by Kenneth at
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tame the tongue
Pro 10
"The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse... The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words. The speech of a good person is worth waiting for; the blabber of the wicked is worthless. The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart."
Mastering of the tongue could very well be the toughest to achieve out of all the body parts we have.
It's takes wisdom, patience, long-suffering, love to have control over our speech.
All that life throws at us justifies & tells us to blabber on & feel better about it. But never underestimate the devastating effect it can have on the people around us.
"The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it."
The power of the tongue is indeed formidable. May we all grow to be better encouragers, edifying one another & building up our spiritual family.
May our words help clear the air & not further pollute it.
Labels: Daily Devotion
Posted by Kenneth at
Friday, June 18, 2010
Rom 3
"So, what if, in the course of doing that, some of those Jews abandoned their post? God didn't abandon them. Do you think their faithlessness cancels out his faithfulness? Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth... ... Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be... ...
What we've learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade... ... But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don't we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it."
A pure gift You have given to me =)
Being a lover of mathematics, it's more often than not, scriptural reading gets linked up with the subject, it's formula & their application.
In life, I live by the laws that govern my everyday life; gravity - 'what goes up, comes down' & friction - 'helps me reach my destinations'... In mathematics, a right application of its law (formulas) to the appropriate problem sum helps me arrive at the answers.
The formulas & its application did not derive from me, but it was simply taught. It's not the formula's response to me that brought me to solving the issue, but simply a right application - A right response to what the formula does.
With all the ups & downs life throws at me, I thank You that all the Promises (formulas) have been clearly spelt out in Your Word - He has already done it all. Now, I just have to figure out how to solve my messed up life (problem sums) with the right responses. Not what I can do, but simply standing upon what You've done. Really blessed by what I've been reminded over the weekend.
"We live by Promises, not explanation"
Rom 4:16
"This is why the fulfillment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, & then simply embracing him and what he does."
Jas 2:18
"Faith & works, works & faith, fit together hand in glove."
Faith without works is dead. Lord, I seek to live a joy-filled life! I pray that as I sit in this big exam hall facing all these questions, my embracing of Your ways, workings & answers will truly confirm that your Promises are yes & amen!
Making Your Promises my entire way of life - back in its proper place
Results: 100/100, A1 for life! Woots
Labels: Daily Devotion
Posted by Kenneth at