Psalm 77:13
Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God?
From C.S. Lewis Daily - August 11, 2015
On self
The more we get what we now call “ourselves” out of the way and let Him take
us over, the more truly ourselves we become. . . . I am not, in my natural
state, nearly so much of a person as I like to believe: most of what I call
“me” can be very easily explained. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give
myself up to His Personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of
my own.
John 3:30 - He must become greater; I must become less."
At times we think that it is 'we' that have to work hard to display all of these characters of Christ. While it is true that we have to display such characters, it is not actually about 'us', it's about Him that is in us. It's about us allowing Him to take our lives over so that He can use us to do whatever it is that He wants to do.
Philippians 1:21
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
I remember thinking of this verse while I was in a mission trip in Sulawesi. How awesome it is to live a life with such confidence! Paul clearly stated that whether to live or die, Christ is his reward. He served God wholeheartedly with all his might, but should he die doing so, it was to his benefit as well, for he would soon meet his Creator. Such courage inspires me to do and live by the same principle: To live is Christ! To die is gain!
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Have we truly surrendered ourselves to Christ? Do we still hold back on certain 'habits' that we think defines us?
3 Ways Christians Turn People Off from Church
I found this article on my FB feed, and got really interested.
1. We don't lead with love
2. We ask people to behave before they believe
3. We base community on shared beliefs instead of shared brokenness.
Point 3 particularly struck me; it's true. A church is a community of believers. However, we should not only wander off with pride of the grace that has been given to us. It's a gift, not something that we acquired. Yet sometimes we forget the reason why Jesus gave us this beautiful grace in the first place, which is the fact that we were sinners. We were broken, and He saved us. When we start living by this principle, I believe we will start to see people with compassion and sincerity that in turn will touch other people who might've not believed in Him before.
3 Things the devil wants you to be:
1. Bad
2. Bitter
3. Busy!
Just by being one of these, you can be 'used' by the devil not to bless others! So release kindness, receive & give forgiveness, and stay fruitful instead of busy!
Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
This two verses are the beginning of a very lovely song that I love since I was really young. The song reminds me of 'a miracle', and still touches me every time I remember it.It's still the prayer of my heart.
Oh, Lord, how Your presence is all that I want! All I want is to know You more, for nothing's more lovely than YOU.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
I find it somewhat encouraging: 'Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage..... They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.'
Psalm 85
13 Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.
Psalm 86
11 Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Psalm 16:8
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 91:21
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
This shall be my new declaration because He is indeed my refuge and my fortress!
Psalm 92:4
For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
Joy class' verse! ^^
Love it!
Psalm 94:18-19
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
God did not ask much of us to do; He just tells us to be joyful, patient, and faithful! :)
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
On our iCare, we talked about worries even when we believe in God already. These Bible verses becomes our conclusion. It's okay to be anxious, as we are humans. But, do our best in every situations and surrender to God. The peace of God will fill your heart; His plan is always the best for us, anyway!
Psalm 104:34
May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.
Lord, let all my devotion, worship, and praise, all my actions and thoughts be pleasing to You and glorify Your name.
John Piper: "We were made to be prisms refracting the light of God's glory into all of life. Why God should want to give us a share in shining with his glory -- shekinah -- is a great mystery. Call it grace or mercy or love--it is an unspeakable wonder!"
NIV Devoctions for Women: Prisms themselves are not the light; they merely reflect the light produced by the chandelier. Yet they are capable of throwing hundreds of sparkling rainbows throughout a room.
Why did He call us to 'shine' for Him, it's an absolute mystery, for it's an honor and a privilege for people who were sinners like us. So, let's be prisms that can refract God's glory & show others the beauty of His love.
Psalm 119:64
The earth is filled with your love, LORD; teach me your decrees.
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
As I was recalling the two verses, I notice how it is related! David continuously asked God to teach his heart. He knew that God is the source of all wisdom and knowledge; but he particularly understood as well that His wisdom is the beginning of all other understanding!
Let's seek God first in everything that we do; seek Him and His wisdom, for it shall open our mind and give us good understanding.
Psalm 119
I was reading this chapter a few days ago, and I was blown away! It is David's prayer that God would teach him and show him His statutes, because all that David wanted to do was His will. What a humility shown by David! He was the king of a nation, yet he submitted himself to The Almighty!
His sincerity is truly inspiring, it makes me just wants to chase after Him and His Truth even more :')
Psalm 142:3(a)
3 When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who watch over my way.I was struck by this verse. David states that when his soul grows faint, when he has no strength to discern what to do, God is near to us, and He shall see us through. It's incredible to know that He watches over our way; He is going to guide you and help you through.
We don't need other excuses not to trust in Him!
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