A Righteous Life

Job 31:1-40 

I do not know how long Job suffered before God answered him and blessed him again.  In the meanwhile, Job’s days groaned with unceasing tears as he grieved over the loss of his 10 children (Job 29:2-6), all his servants, all his wealth and property, the loss of his health (Job 30:16-17, 30), the loss of his dignity and respect in his community (Job 29:7-25,30:1-15).  He felt he lost hope and favor with God (Job 30:20-23).  Yet through all of this, Job never doubted his righteous life before God.  He made a very clear and detailed examination of his life:

Job 31:

v 5- “If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit—

v 7- “if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled,

v 9- “if my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

v 13- “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me,

v 16- “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

v 17- “if I have kept bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless—

v 19- “if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments,

v 21- “if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court,

v 24-  “If I have put my trust in gold and said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’

v 25- “if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained,

v 26-27- “if I have regarded the sun in its radiance and the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

v 29- “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him—

v 31-  “if those of my household have never said, ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?—

v 32-  “if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart

v 38-  “if my hand cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears,

v 39-  “if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,

Job did not commit any of these sins.  If he did, he quickly took care of it before God.  Suffering as Job did, most of us would question how we lived our lives before God and if God was punishing us for some sin we had done.  But Job lived a righteous and exemplary life, and no one in his community could question that. 

How about my life?  Is my life without fault before God and people?  Have I settled my accounts with everyone?  Lord God, examine my life and my heart for any wrongs I need to clear up and ask for forgiveness.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

inspirational verses from Job

I have been reading the book of Job using “Living Life” devotional journal every day for several weeks now.  This is my first time reading Job in-depth, and I was so struck by the beauty of many verses in this book.  God also had moved me recently to write a short song to help me memorize one of the verses.  In all, the Lord inspired me to pen four worship songs from various passages of Job out of my quiet time reading Job.  May you meditate on these Bible verses bore from the pain of Job’s suffering before God:

Job 1:21b-“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” 

Job 5:9 & 9:10- “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”

Job 5:17- “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.”

Job 16:20-21- “My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.”

Job 19:25- “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth.”

Job 23:10- “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

Job 23:12- “I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.”

Job 28:28b- “The fear of the LORD—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”

A Complacent or a Convicted Life?

Luke 19:1-10 

1         Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

2         A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

3         He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.

4         So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5         When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at our house today.”

6         So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly.

7         All the people saw this and began to muttered, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8         But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord!  Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9         Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

10     For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus’ salvation was evident by his lifestyle change.  Here he was, a grown man, wealthy and notorious in his community, climbing a tree!  He wanted to see Jesus so badly that he humbled himself like a little boy!  In verse 8, he proclaimed to the crowd, promising to offer half of his net worth to the poor, widows, orphans, homeless.  The crowd might have murmured half-hearted approval or disbelief, and then Zacchaeus cemented the evidence of his true faith by reminding the community whom he had swindled money out of.  Perhaps it was the poor old widow struggling to pay $100 in taxes; now Zacchaeus will repay her $400.  Perhaps it was that man whom he had a personal conflict with and slapped him with a $1500 tax bill; now he’s going to cough up $6000.  Multiply this by 10, and the total amount of money would be pretty staggering.  Zacchaeus might have to sell his possessions and even his house to repay all that debt!  He would be considerably poorer by the time he was through.  But I believe these are not just mere words but real actions, or else they would not have been recorded in the Bible.  His words were backed up by his actions.  Some years later, James thundered to this audience with these words, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”  (James 2:18)  Jesus recognized that Zacchaeus’ change of heart was proven by his actions, and He forgave him of his sins.

I’ve been re-reading Francis Chan’s first book Crazy Love, and I’m convicted, especially the chapters about lukewarm people.  Ouch!  True believers offered to God the first and the best, and that’s what Zacchaeus had done.  So often, we give God our leftover time, money, energy, and devote the best to ourselves.  Malachi 1:8 “When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong?  When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?  Try offering them to your governor!  Would he be pleased with you?  Would he accept you?”  says the LORD Almighty.   If you haven’t seen “Flywheel,” the first movie made by Sherwood Pictures, I’d highly recommend it!  The main character had to go through what Zacchaeus had gone.  He was a Christian who had to repent from cheating God on his offering (he puts an empty envelope on the offering plate), and then repaying back all the customers he had cheated and being honest with his business dealings.   Does my lifestyle reflect a true change of heart and real gratitude to God?  What is hindering my testimony to others?

Lord, convict us when we start to think we’re pretty good in Your eyes.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Serve or Not to Serve

Luke 10:38-42     

38  As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him.

39  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He said.

40  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”

41  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,

42  but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Often, I’d encountered Christian women who said they’re the Martha in the church, and they say this a little grudgingly.  I’m no slouch when it comes to Christian ministry, often juggling 6-7 different areas of service while raising my family.  I admit that serving God is like my full- or part-time job.  Some of my church sisters are indeed overworked and desperately need an extended time of renewal.  Others seems to be enjoying one conference after another, hopping from one Bible study and fellowship to another, or retreating from church life.  Why work?  Why rest?  Are we supposed to be a Martha or a Mary?  Jesus seemed to favor the restful Mary, and that doesn’t sit too well with the hard-working Marthas out there.  Perhaps I can offer another perspective, as one obviously in the Martha camp.  Inside, I’m a Mary, and I had to make time to be a Mary or else I can’t serve effectively as a Martha. The purpose of rest here on earth is to renew our passion, strength, and vision to serve God and extend His kingdom on earth.  But being finite frail human beings, if we don’t rest regularly, our bodies break down, as well as our souls, and in worse cases, even our families.  We’re not in heaven yet, so we’re not entitled to “rest” the rest of our lives away.

So ladies (and gentlemen too!), are we to be both?  Let’s know how to rest like Mary so then we can serve like Martha.

Who am I?

Luke 7:24-28   

24  After John’s messenger’s left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed swayed by the wind?

25  If not, what did you go out to see?  A man dressed in fine clothes?  No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces.

26  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

27  This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’

28  I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

When John the Baptist was imprisoned by King Herod for his bold messages about repentance, he began to doubt about who Jesus was.  But Jesus was never in doubt about who John the Baptist was at all!  John was not a weak man shaken by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14), and he was definitely not a rich man living in finery.  According to Jesus, he was the greatest prophet ever born! 

When we’re faced with an identity crisis, we should ask the Lord for His view of who we are: 

·         We are beloved children of God (1 John 3:1)

·         We are sinners saved by His grace (Romans 8:23-24, 11:18-20; Eph. 2:8-9)

·         We are disciples in the path to spiritual maturity (Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 4:14-15, 22-24)

·         We are His branches in need of pruning (John 15:1-4)

·         We are God’s workmanship created for good works (Eph. 2:10)

·         We are an important part of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:14-20)

·         We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14)

·         We are ambassadors for God (2 Cor. 5:18-21)

I could go on and on, but do you see the point?  God has the highest and most accurate view of ourselves, not what we or what others think of ourselves.  We may think of ourselves too lowly or too highly, but God’s view of us is 100% correct!

Father God, thank You for knowing us intimately.  You see potential for Your kingdom in us, and You see the areas where we need pruning.  Make us useful instruments in Your sight, and help us be fruitful in the kingdom of God.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Having the Favor of God

Luke 1:24-38 

25  “The Lord has done this for me,” she [Elizabeth] said.  “In these days He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

28  The angel went to her [Mary] and said, ”Greetings you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you.”

29  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

30  but the angel said to her, “do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

36  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

37  For no word from God will ever fail.”

38  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”  Then the angel left her.

Few people recorded in the Bible have a true abiding relationship with their Creator.  Not many enjoyed the Lord’s favor. Abraham was titled the father of faith (Heb. 11:8-12, 17-19).  Moses saw the face of God and lived, and God spoke to him as a friend! (Ex. 33:9-17) David was said to be a man after God’s own heart (Ps. 51:10, 17).  Daniel was considered highly esteemed by God (Dan. 10:11).

For a long time, Elizabeth must had felt that God passed His favor over her and bore the shame from the community, even though she was righteous and followed all the Lord’s commands (Luke 1:5-7).  Now, Elizabeth was ranked with the holy women of the past—Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah—by conceiving a son by the hand of God destined to be greatly used by God.  God did favor Elizabeth, but he did so in His time and in His way (Is. 55:9). 

Mary now had the distinction of being the only mother in human history to give birth through a truly supernatural phenomenon to the Savior of the world!    The Lord has chosen her for this awesome spiritual responsibility.  She humbly accepted her unique calling and bore all the joys and burdens that came with it.  If she did not have a close relationship with the Lord or have a deep knowledge of His Word and His ways, she could not have lived through the weight of Simeon’s prophecy (Luke 2:34), the wonder of Jesus’ future ministry starting at age 12 (Luke 2:45-52), the miracle at Cana (John 2:1-12) and all the other miracles that followed, the horror of seeing her son nailed on the cruel cross (John 19:25-27), the shock and unspeakable joy of His resurrection and His ascension (John 20:19-20. Luke 24:50-53), and finally the founding of the first Christian church in Jerusalem (Acts 1:12-14).  What a spiritual roller-coaster journey Mary must had traveled through!  This favor from God carried much sorrow and opposition from evil men, but through her humble obedience over many years, the world is blessed with a Savior, and countless many have found favor with God through His salvation.

Do we find favor with God?  What prevent us from being used by God in a great and mighty way?

Being Faithful with Everything

Exodus 39: 32-42 

32  So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed.  The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses.

33  Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses:  the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases;

34  the covering of ram skins dyed red and the covering of another durable leather and the shielding curtain;

35  the ark of the covenant with its poles and the atonement cover;

36  the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence;

37  the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the olive oil for the light;

38  the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent;

39  the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand;

40  the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting;

41  and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests.

42  The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

For the past several days, my mind was filled up with Scripture about building the Tabernacle and setting up the system of worshipping God.  I cannot help but think that everything was done by hand.  After all, the Israelites were doing this in the middle of the desert, with no sophisticated tools or even sewing machines.  I can’t imagine sewing all those curtains by hand, along with the intricate designs of the priestly clothes.  I can’t even begin to fathom what it’ll take to mold and fashion all that gold, silver, and bronze for the altars, clasps, bases, pegs, etc., out there in the hot desert.  Wouldn’t it be easy to cut corners?  Also, it was a little tiring to be reading everything the Israelites were making in order to carry out God’s commands, right down to the tiniest detail.  I’ve counted at least 35 separate items, each demanding the greatest of care to make.   Does God really care about all that?  You better believe it, or else it wouldn’t be recorded in the Bible!  What we think is important is not what God thinks is important (Isaiah 55:9).

The Israelites were faithful with everything the LORD had entrusted to them to make.  Am I faithful to do everything God has called and entrusted me to do?  Are there spiritual responsibilities that I’m neglecting?  Are there tasks, calling loudly and urgently, that shouldn’t be on my to-do list at all?

Lord, help me be wise in living my life for Your glory.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Is it a Virtue to Work 24/7?

Exodus 20:8-11  

8  Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

9  Six days you shall labor and do all your work.

10  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.  On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.

11  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day.  Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

God designed his laws for us to work 6 days and rest on the 7^th day.  When companies, computers, and most of the world are going at break-neck speed to accomplish the latest project and meet the latest deadline, God’s law contradicts the 24/7 mentallity.  When multi-tasking seems like a must-have virtue in today’s society, God commands His people to follow His pattern of work and rest.  But most of the world blatantly disobey this law:

·         I remember someone telling me that one time Japan was trying to implement a 10-day work-week in order to squeeze more productivity out of its workers.  The result?  People were even more stressed out, and productivity lowered drastically.  Japan couldn’t tamper with God’s design for the human body and mind. 

·         When I had visited my relatives in Taiwan as a college student many years ago, I was shocked to find out my aunt was required to work every Saturday morning, in addition to the 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday work-week.  This was not overtime, by the way.

·         During our short-term missions trip to Israel, our hostess told us most Israelis would drive to the beach on the Sabbath, but few actually went to the temple to worship God.  (We witnessed this by the long line of cars heading to the coast in Tel Aviv).  How sad.  They kept the Sabbath technically, but they failed to keep it holy, as God had commanded.

·         How many of us as parents strive to get our kids into every conceivable extracurricular activity on Saturday and Sunday?  I had heard of a teenager who went to Chinese school on Sunday mornings due to the parents’ wishes, but she would like to go to church.  This is only one out of many examples.

·         How many working in shops, malls, movie theaters, restaurants, etc can enjoy either a Saturday or Sunday off?  The managers dare not close their establishments on weekends, their busiest and most profitable days.  One notable exception is Chick-Fil-a, which is closed on Sunday to allow employees to rest.  The size of their company cannot be compared to McDonald’s, but God has kept them in business over all these years and has blessed them.

When we go against God’s Sabbath law in our lifestyle, our bodies would break down prematurely, tempers would flare up inside the home, among other terrible consequences.  Do we trust God to help us do what we need to do without working extra hours?  I know some of your bosses and professors don’t think so, so they schedule meetings and classes early in the morning, late at night, and weekends.  Don’t you think the increase in cancer in industrialized societies recently is not just due to lack of organic food and clean water, but lack of rest?  We may not get much ahead in this world, we may turn down certain jobs in detriment to our careers, our kids may not have a lot of activities listed in their “school resume,” but we can choose to honor God and His laws with our lifestyles and bear testimony to others who are observing us as Christians.

Lord, help us not to conform to the standards of this world but to live in respect to Your Sabbath laws.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Praise the LORD!

Exodus 15:1-21          

1  Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted.  Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.

2  The LORD is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.  He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

11  Who among the gods is like You, LORD?  Who is like You—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

20  Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.

21  Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted.  Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.”

The Israelites had just taken part in one of the greatest miracles of all time—deliverance from their enemies, the Egyptians.  During the Passover, they left hurriedly in the middle of the night (Ex 12:29-42).  Did they burst into songs of praise when they left Egypt?  Perhaps when preparing the Passover, they were too tired and too busy (sounds like most of us!) to get ready to leave that they didn’t give God the praise and honor due Him.  No praises or thanksgiving to God from the Israelites were recorded. This was unacceptable to God, who deserves our praises.  After several days, the LORD disclosed to Moses, “..I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”  (Ex 14:4)  The weary, battle-hardened Israelite slaves, who long ran out of hope before God showed up, experienced an unforgettable display of God’s power when crossing through the Red Sea and then witnessing the deaths of their enemies when the sea came crashing down on them.  THAT did it, and the praises poured forth from their mouths, their hands, and their hearts, starting with their leaders Moses and Miriam.  Now they truly realized that God was fighting for them and that He can be trusted with their lives!  They finally started to know Who God is!

Does it take a huge cataclysmic event to move us to finally praise God?  We can praise the LORD for everyday little blessings—God’s Word and His Holy Spirit, peaceful lives, health, family, friends, freedom, church, job, clean air and water, food, opportunities, etc.  It shouldn’t take a disaster to fall on our knees before God!

the Long Road from Pride to Humility

Exodus 8:1-24 

1  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘this is what the LORD says:  Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

6  So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.

8  Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.”

15  But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

16  Then the LRD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.

18  but when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.  Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere,

19  the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.”  But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.

22 “But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies, will be there, so that you will know that I , the LORD, am in this land.

23  I will make a distinction between My people and your people.  This sign will occur tomorrow.”

The beginning of Exodus sets the stage for a climatic showdown between the LORD God and Pharaoh the king of Egypt.  After 430 years of slavery with not a word from the LORD and Pharaoh’s power reigned supreme, the LORD decided that now is the time.  Chapter 8 brings us to the middle of this battle, after turning staffs into snakes and water into blood.  Pharaoh’s wise men, sorcerers, and magicians came up short when trying to make little creatures called gnats; they are no match for the living God.  Earlier, they were able to produce frogs (v.7), but they could not make them disappear, and Pharaoh had to summon Moses and Aaron for the job.  But Pharaoh refused to give up his pride and his hunger for power again and again.

I think earthly rulers get cocky and proud too if no one is contesting them and their reigns.  We are going through some of the worse crises of our time—dire famine, extreme poverty, strained international relations, economies buoyed by borrowed money, increased natural disasters, prolonged wars, unemployment, etc.  with no real end in sight, yet our rulers refused to turn to the LORD. Instead, they either shut out the LORD completely, or they blame God for their problems.  They refused to believe that their sin and unrepentant hearts are the cause of all their troubles. 

America was great because the LORD’s hand of protection and blessing was on her:  keeping relations with other nations peaceful, making wars short and decisive, increasing crops and harvests, limiting natural disasters to a minimum. 

We are also to blame, because we often failed to call on God about all calamities happening around us.  O LORD, awaken us! Open our eyes and our hearts to see what You see and feel what You feel.  In Jesus’ name,  Amen.

the God of my fathers

Exodus 3:1-22    

4  When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”  And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5  “Do not come any closer,” God said.  “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

6  then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”  At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

15  God also said to Moses,” Say to the Israelites, ’T he LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’  “This is My name forever, the name you shall call Me from generation to generation.

16  “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘’T he LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.

The Israelites knew about the LORD God by how He related to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  They would have no problem identifying which God Moses was referring to.  Up to this point, they knew God had performed miraculous births on all their behalf, led small-scale victories over their enemies, and initiated life-changing relationships with each patriarch.  Now they were going to know God as the God of power and might, worthy to be praised and worshiped, able to take on the most powerful ruler in the ancient world.  They were going to experience His awesome deliverance and jaw-dropping miracles—something the patriarchs never saw for themselves.  They were going to know another side of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

When we pray to God, He just may reveal to us another side of His holy character.  That’s why God was given so many names and titles throughout the Bible: the God who sees me(Gen. 16:13-14), King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16), wonderful Counselor (Is. 9:6), Emmanuel(Matt. 1:23), etc.   Through our experiences with God and our God-given answers to prayer, we can know another dimension of God.

the Blessing of Children

Psalm 127 

1         Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.  Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

2         In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those He loves.

3         Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from Him.

4         Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.

5         Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

I had often thought of my children as my spiritual weapons, ever since a few years back when I last read this psalm.  All 4 of my children have expanded my personal ministry base and broaden my spiritual outlook considerably. 

My daughter Christine, who had lived only 11 days after being born, had opened up the emotional issue of abortion, the hidden grief of miscarriage, and the secret guilt of a mother in my life.  I would not have known a little of the hearts of so many mothers if it wasn’t for Christine.  Now looking back 18 years after her passing, I still have a part of the grief, but even more, I have joy knowing how God had used her life as a testimony to help so many. 

My son Wesley introduced me to the world of boys.  When other moms talked about their sons, I can find common ground to share.  From trains to Transformers to swords and Star Wars to Lego’s to Rubik’s Cubes and various puzzles, he’s my first-born.  He loves math and science but despises art and drawing.  He turned from one who doesn’t care much for learning music to one who wants to worship God on his guitar.  He also went through 10 years of dental treatment, and this experience made him fearless of dentists and needles.  His faith journey changed him from the inside out.

My daughter Stephanie turns out to be the opposite of her brother in both interests and personality.  She’s my sensitive artist and musician, a loner who needed lots of encouragement, my prayer warrior and partner.  Her earlier interests in dolls and dresses has matured into fashion and cartooning/doodling.  She’s the most consistent out of all my children and the most caring and loyal.  Stephanie struggles more with academics and helps me empathize more with parents who have similar struggles.

My daughter Esther is my youngest “cute as a button, sharp as a whip” child.  Whatever she puts her mind to doing, she’ll do it and do it well.  The key is whether or not she wants to!  Her interests spans from stuffed animals to stickers to fused beads to erasers to clay to drawing anime to YouTube videos to…(I can’t keep up because they change or get added on every 1-2 years!).  She’s also my animal lover, talented and sociable to boot!  She’s a born leader, with a group of girlfriends almost everywhere she goes.  She’s keep me up late many nights with her endless questions.  Esther helps me relate to parents with the challenges of raising a gifted child.

I would not be involved in children’s ministry if it weren’t for my kids.  I am shaped uniquely by each of my children.  They make me appreciate the differences and individuality of the people I directly minister to now.    I would be such a narrow-minded woman if I didn’t become a mother.  In this day and age when children are seen more as liabilities than assets, I am grateful for my children and the different worlds they have introduced me to.  I have become a richer Christian because of them!

Idol Worship vs God Worship

Psalm 135 

1         Praise the LORD.  Praise the name of the LORD; praise Him, you servants of the LORD,

2         You who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.

13   your name, LORD, endures forever, your renown, LORD, through all generations.

19   all you Israelites, praise the LORD; house of Aaron, praise the LORD;

20   house of Levi, praise the LORD; you who fear Him, praise the LORD.

This psalm starts and ends with praising the LORD many times.  The beginning of Genesis started with praises to God for the goodness of His creation.  The end of Revelations finished with triumphant praises to the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).  Praises to the Lord are sprinkled all throughout the Bible, with generous helpings here and there (especially Psalms), but they are muddled with sin and idol worship.  So in Psalm 135, the middle recounts what the Lord did to some idol-worshipping nations and reminds Israel what idols really are—lifeless man-made craft/art projects.  The priests and Levites, the spiritual leaders of Israel, who ministered in the house of the Lord, were commanded to praise the Lord and to draw close to Him, leaving no room in their hearts for idols.  As goes the leader, so goes the nation.

What are the idols in our lives today?  I asked my children this morning, and my youngest piped up, “Technology.”  How true.  So are money, status, education, lust, pop stars, athletes—anything that competes with God for our attention and adoration. (I’m writing this as Jeremy Lin finally has the attention of the world as a basketball superstar, and whom I admire for his faith and athletic ability). No one and nothing should overshadow God.  On the other hand, how much do we really praise God?  Most of my prayers are for me or for others, rarely about praising God for who He is.  (Ouch, this hurts even as I’m writing this!).

Father God, I haven’t praised You nearly enough, definitely not to the extent that You deserve.  You are awesome and mighty, yet kind and good.  You are the majestic God, and everlasting Father, the Ruler of all nations, and King of the universe.  Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that You are Lord (Phil. 2:10-11)!  You embodied perfect mercy and grace, at the same time perfect justice and righteousness.  You possess the perfect balance of love and justice.  We do not need to fear that You’ll slip up or make a mistake, for You are the honest Judge.  You do not give us a spirit of timidity, but of love and power and discipline (2 Tim. 1:7).  Words are not enough to describe all that You are!

 In Jesus’ name, Amen.

the Classic Battle

Romans 7:13-25 

13  Did that which is good, then, become death to me?  By no means!  Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin night become utterly sinful.

14  We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

15  I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

16  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

17  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

18  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

…

22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;

23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

24  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

25  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!...

It’s a classic battle, even immortalized in classic Disney cartoons—the battle between good and evil inside all of us.  Even though I’ve been steeped in Christianity for most of my life, I’ll readily admit that I continue to struggle to do what God wants me to do vs doing what I want to do (eat, sleep, spend too much time on the internet, etc).  Every day, it’s a war, choosing the way of discipleship.  I want to serve, evangelize, get up early to pray, read the Bible, help the poor and homeless, etc, but the spirit of fear and timidity (2 Timothy 1:7) within me keeps me away from doing these good things.  The sin nature chooses man’s praise and fame, but the Spirit chooses humility.  The sin nature puffs up the sinful man, but the spiritual man seeks the narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14).  Only the overflowing power of the Holy Spirit can overcome my fear and pride.

Lord, help me not to succumb to my sinful nature, but fill me with more of You every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Peace and Prosperity

Romans 1:18-25
18  The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
25  They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.  Amen.
How is the wrath of God revealed in our society today?  I don’t think I’m that old, but I do remember a time in my childhood when almost everything was peaceful and prosperous in America:
 Elections were calm and predictable, not like the circus we’re having right now.
 Unemployment was down.
 Property value was up.
 Schools did not need metal detectors or policemen.
 We were not at war with anyone.
I also remembered an older Chinese Christian lady who had worked her way up from serving as a waitress to climbing the corporate ladder in a successful career to enjoying a comfortable retirement now.  Several years ago, when we were discussing about the sad state of our country, she recalled back in her era when the interest in her bank accounts hovered around 15% (not 1% like it is today) and customers showered her with generous tips that were almost equal to the price of the meals themselves!  She had lived through a peaceful and prosperous America.  I could not forget her next words: “America is falling apart.”  Though I am an immigrant in this country, here was where I found my faith in God.  If I had remained in my birthplace Taiwan, I doubt that I would become a Christian.  But that was God’s blessing to me when America was more ”Christianized.”  I had written a song some time ago based on Hosea 14:1-2 that’s the prayer of my heart:
Turn back, O Israel, from your idols.
Turn back, O Israel, to the Lord your God.
Turn back, O church, from your sins.
Turn back, O church, to the Lord your God.
Turn back, O America, to your faith.
Turn back, O America, God loves you.