Daily Devotion
CAN TWO WALK TOGETHER UNLESS THEY ARE AGREED? (AMOS 3:3)
God speaking to the Israelites poses this question. The Israelites whom He loved had a contradiction with Him. They differed on their loyalty to God, their treatment of their neighbors and their obedience to His word.
Today, however, we focus on a more sublime message in the passage -that God wants to walk with men. He who is the creator of heavens and the Earth together with all that is in it desires to walk with you as one walks with a friend. The Lord is not interested in influencing the heart as He does the forces of nature; rather, He wishes for a covenant, an agreement with you. He condescends Himself and binds Himself whereby the only relationship that can work between Him and man is one of love.
He awaits your response to His advances of love. Will you accept to walk with him as Abraham and Enoch did? Be in agreement with Him.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
DAILY DEVOTION
But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. (John 2:24,25)
Jesus, the creator of all men, was not bothered by the opinion of men. He had no need of man's testimony. He was secure in only having the testimony of heaven. He knew that the heart of man is flawed in its judgment and its testimony is unreliable.
Man judges according to the flesh; either according to the emotions elicited, the experience of the past, human knowledge, or risk and rewards. This then makes the testimony of man as reliable as the direction of the wind.
Our lesson is that we should seek neither the approval nor the testimony of man. The only one who can judge righteously and truly is God. To Him should we be satisfied to commend our lives and indeed the final say over our lives. Our performance is for and audience of ONE.
But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. (John 2:24,25)
Jesus, the creator of all men, was not bothered by the opinion of men. He had no need of man's testimony. He was secure in only having the testimony of heaven. He knew that the heart of man is flawed in its judgment and its testimony is unreliable.
Man judges according to the flesh; either according to the emotions elicited, the experience of the past, human knowledge, or risk and rewards. This then makes the testimony of man as reliable as the direction of the wind.
Our lesson is that we should seek neither the approval nor the testimony of man. The only one who can judge righteously and truly is God. To Him should we be satisfied to commend our lives and indeed the final say over our lives. Our performance is for and audience of ONE.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
WHAT A VALENTINE?
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said,
I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed
the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I
was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and
shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She
was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage.
But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to
Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she
could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten
years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted
time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved
Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had
expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of
divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer
now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the
table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast
because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.
When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so
I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything
from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in
that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her
reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want
to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how
I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our
bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to
make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought
it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce,
she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was
explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both
appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms.
His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then
to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes
and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling
somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I
could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this
woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There
were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its
toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning.
This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing
again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month
slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but
could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown
bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why
I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart.
Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him,
seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his
life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I
turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last
minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the
sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally.
I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my
arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly
and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I
was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane
opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce
anymore.
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever?
She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My
marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of
our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that
since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her
until death do us apart.
Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the
door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The
salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you
out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up
stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even
notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the
whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the
divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is
not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an
environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So
find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other
that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.
If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to
success when they gave up and for those of us not married, we can learn the art of sticking together with your relationship partner despite the odds. You are both stronger than the odds only when you agree.
A CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS A MARRIAGE THAT IS SURE TO LAST A LIFETIME.
So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined
together, let not man separate.
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said,
I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed
the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I
was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and
shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She
was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage.
But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to
Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she
could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten
years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted
time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved
Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had
expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of
divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer
now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the
table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast
because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.
When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so
I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything
from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in
that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her
reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want
to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how
I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our
bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to
make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought
it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce,
she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was
explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both
appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms.
His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then
to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes
and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling
somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I
could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this
woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There
were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its
toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning.
This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing
again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month
slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but
could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown
bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why
I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart.
Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him,
seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his
life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I
turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last
minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the
sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally.
I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my
arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly
and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I
was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane
opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce
anymore.
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever?
She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My
marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of
our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that
since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her
until death do us apart.
Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the
door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The
salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you
out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up
stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even
notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the
whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the
divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is
not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an
environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So
find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other
that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!
If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.
If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to
success when they gave up and for those of us not married, we can learn the art of sticking together with your relationship partner despite the odds. You are both stronger than the odds only when you agree.
A CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS A MARRIAGE THAT IS SURE TO LAST A LIFETIME.
So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined
together, let not man separate.
This is a prayer made in desperation and in the belly of a fish. After refusing to go to his assignment, Jonah was thrown into the sea where God had prepared a whale that swallowed and in there, ensues this cry to God.
Jonah 2:2 - I called out of distress to the Lord, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depths of Sheol, You heard my voice.
Jonah acknowledges his present condition, but it only serves to highlight the strength of God. He is sure that even in the grave (Sheol), the Lord would hear his voice. Faith is not denying reality, it is accepting that all reality is subject to the word of God. It is the knowledge that there is the report of sight and the report of faith and allowing faith to conquer sight. Faith knows no boundaries, no height or distance. Faith hopes against hope.
Jonah 2:2 - I called out of distress to the Lord, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depths of Sheol, You heard my voice.
Jonah acknowledges his present condition, but it only serves to highlight the strength of God. He is sure that even in the grave (Sheol), the Lord would hear his voice. Faith is not denying reality, it is accepting that all reality is subject to the word of God. It is the knowledge that there is the report of sight and the report of faith and allowing faith to conquer sight. Faith knows no boundaries, no height or distance. Faith hopes against hope.
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