Category: 260 Devotional

Worship in the Splendor of Holiness

¹ Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth!
² Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
⁴ For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

⁷ Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
⁸ Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering, and come into his courts!
⁹ Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth!

¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.”

¹¹ Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
¹²     let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
¹³     before the Lord, for he comes,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

 

Reflection

• This psalm is vibrant with shouts of joy as God approaches to “judge the world in righteousness”. It is a portrait of God’s children lining the streets, with arms open, jumping up and down in excitement as the Lord approaches.
• If our own relationship with the Lord is warm and close, this psalm will excite us too. The Lord is near! He’s coming back soon! And we are lining the street, eager to meet him and filled with a great job!
• In light of this universal call to worship, think of those around you and on the other side of the globe. What does this psalmist prompt you to do about those who don’t know God?
• Pray for someone who does not yet know God. Pray about inviting that person to join you in worship.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

Let Us Sing Songs of Praise

¹ Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
³ For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
⁷ For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
⁸     do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
⁹ when your fathers put me to the test
    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
¹⁰ For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
    and they have not known my ways.”
¹¹ Therefore I swore in my wrath,
    “They shall not enter my rest.”

 

Reflection

• This psalm celebrates God as the great king. We acknowledge his lordship by responding when we hear his voice. Only by showing respect to God as king and lord, and obeying his voice, can we find rest.
• This psalm recalls Israel’s refusal during the Exodus to obey God and enter the Promised Land. That failure to obey led to 40 years of wandering in a wilderness until an entire generation died.
• Imagine life for you without God’s promised rest. If your life and well-being were constantly threatened with adversaries in the land where you live and work, what would you be praying for? During those times in your past when your heart strayed from God’s ways (v. 10), how did God bring you back to himself?
• As you listen to God’s voice “today” (v. 7), what is he saying to you?
• Whatever the past or present circumstances of your relationship with him may be, this psalm invites you to come into God’s presence today. Try kneeling in his presence, acknowledging him as Lord of your life, even during those times you have strayed. Soften your heart and give him the praise and thanksgiving he deserves.

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

The Lord Will Not Forsake His People

¹ O Lord, God of vengeance,
    O God of vengeance, shine forth!
² Rise up, O judge of the earth;
    repay to the proud what they deserve!
³ O Lord, how long shall the wicked,
    how long shall the wicked exult?
⁴ They pour out their arrogant words;
    all the evildoers boast.
⁵ They crush your people, O Lord,
    and afflict your heritage.
⁶ They kill the widow and the sojourner,
    and murder the fatherless;
⁷ and they say, “The Lord does not see;
    the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

⁸ Understand, O dullest of the people!
    Fools, when will you be wise?
⁹ He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
¹⁰ He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who teaches man knowledge—
¹¹     the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,
    that they are but a breath.

¹² Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,
    and whom you teach out of your law,
¹³ to give him rest from days of trouble,
    until a pit is dug for the wicked.
¹⁴ For the Lord will not forsake his people;
    he will not abandon his heritage;
¹⁵ for justice will return to the righteous,
    and all the upright in heart will follow it.

¹⁶ Who rises up for me against the wicked?
    Who stands up for me against evildoers?
¹⁷ If the Lord had not been my help,
    my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
¹⁸ When I thought, “My foot slips,”
    your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
¹⁹ When the cares of my heart are many,
    your consolations cheer my soul.
²⁰ Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
    those who frame injustice by statute?
²¹ They band together against the life of the righteous
    and condemn the innocent to death.
²² But the Lord has become my stronghold,
    and my God the rock of my refuge.
²³ He will bring back on them their iniquity
    and wipe them out for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will wipe them out.

 

Reflection

• How do you feel about injustice? Is it our job or do we wait for God to intervene and set the record straight?
• In the Old Testament, the idea of “vengeance” does not point to revenge, getting even, but to justice, acting to set things right to overcome the distortion of reality that oppression brings. Ultimately it is God’s job.
• The arrogant wicked crush and kill the vulnerable people believing themselves unseen by God. But the one who created the eye does see and will discipline. When evil threatens and seems to prevail, God is still our sure refuge.
• In many places, victims of political and economic oppression have only God to rely on. Faith says God will set things right.
• Identify one group of people who are under oppression right now. Read this psalm again. And pray and petition to God on behalf of these people in order to identify with them and to overcome your own indifference and numbness to evil in society and in the world.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

The Lord Reigns

¹ The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;
    the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
² Your throne is established from of old;
    you are from everlasting.

³ The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
    the floods have lifted up their voice;
    the floods lift up their roaring.
⁴ Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
    mightier than the waves of the sea,
    the Lord on high is mighty!

⁵ Your decrees are very trustworthy;
    holiness befits your house,
    O Lord, forevermore.

 

Reflection

• The living God is the King from the beginning of time (vv. 1, 2). As King, he exercises authority over all. He does not fear a resurgent sea (vv. 3, 4). Not only is the Lord omnipotent, but he is truthful and holy (v. 5).
• God’s power demonstrates that he is alive and active. God’s throne was established in eternity. He is the one and only stable element in the universe. Consequently, everyone should submit to him and obey his commands.
• The Lord’s kingship is established here through the creative power that makes the world unshakable. And God’s power is greater than that of the tumultuous seas that move with irresistible force and great noise.  Therefore, when chaos rattles our foundation, admiring God’s power in creation can strengthen our stability and hope.
• Is it sometimes hard to believe that God controls nature and history? What does this belief imply? What might obscure it?

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

How Great Are Your Works

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.

¹ It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
² to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
    and your faithfulness by night,
³ to the music of the lute and the harp,
    to the melody of the lyre.
⁴ For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

⁵ How great are your works, O Lord!
    Your thoughts are very deep!
⁶ The stupid man cannot know;
    the fool cannot understand this:
⁷ that though the wicked sprout like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
⁸     but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
⁹ For behold, your enemies, O Lord,
    for behold, your enemies shall perish;
    all evildoers shall be scattered.

¹⁰ But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
    you have poured over me fresh oil.
¹¹ My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
    my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

¹² The righteous flourish like the palm tree
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
¹³ They are planted in the house of the Lord;
    they flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ They still bear fruit in old age;
    they are ever full of sap and green,
¹⁵ to declare that the Lord is upright;
    he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

 

Reflection

• This psalm proclaims God’s love, praises God for the goodness of his acts and the righteousness of his character. We too can exalt God, and sing for joy as we contemplate God’s works and his thoughts.
• Palm trees symbolize fruitfulness, and cedars stood for long life. Both types of trees were also beautiful and desirable. The godly are like these trees planted in the temple environs who delight in drawing near to God.
• Which of God’s deeds brings you joy? How do you express such joy?
• How can you stay fresh and “flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar” as the time goes by? What fruit do you bear?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

My Refuge and My Fortress

¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

³ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
¹⁰ no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
¹² On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

¹⁴ “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
¹⁵ When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

 

Reflection

• God himself our security. The psalmist described him as the Most High (Sovereign Ruler) and the Almighty (one having all power). Those who rely on him find that he is a shelter from the storms of life and a shadowy place of security, much like the area under a bird’s wing. He is a refuge where we can run for safety in times of danger and a fortress that will provide defense against attacking foes.
• What are you particularly anxious about these days, for which God is waiting on you to call his name and acknowledge your need?
• How can you make God your dwelling place, your refuge, and your shield in times of trouble?
• God is waiting to hear from his people who love him and acknowledge their need of him. Tell him whatever is on your mind, whatever fears you have and whatever terrible circumstances you are facing. Trust him to answer.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

From Everlasting to Everlasting

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

¹ Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
² Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³ You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
⁴ For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.

⁵ You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶ in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.

⁷ For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹ For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰ The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹ Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?

¹² So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³ Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶ Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷ Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

 

Reflection

• Death is not a popular subject. We live in a society characterized by the denial of death. However, most people who have lived on this earth have given a great deal of attention to death. Preparing for a good death has been, in centuries past, an accepted goal in life. Psalm 90 has been part of that preparation for millions of Christians.
• Death sets a limit to our lives and stimulates reflection on the context of life, which is not death, but God. Acknowledge our weakness and frailty is a step toward wisdom (v12).
• Read meditatively verses 14-17. What emerges as most important for you—what you do for the rest of your life or what God will do in your life?
• When you think about your own death, what do you think about? What do you feel? How long do you expect to live? How do you plan to live the years left to you?
• Express your awareness that you will die. In your prayers be conscious of Christ’s death.

 

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

Longing for Her Beloved

 

¹ Oh that you were like a brother to me
who nursed at my mother’s breasts!
If I found you outside, I would kiss you,
and none would despise me.
² I would lead you and bring you
into the house of my mother—
she who used to teach me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the juice of my pomegranate.
³ His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces me!
⁴ I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.

⁵ Who is that coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on her beloved?

Under the apple tree I awakened you.
There your mother was in labor with you;
there she who bore you was in labor.

⁶ Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the Lord.
⁷ Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
he would be utterly despised.

Final Advice

Others

⁸ We have a little sister,
and she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day when she is spoken for?
⁹ If she is a wall,
we will build on her a battlement of silver,
but if she is a door,
we will enclose her with boards of cedar.

She

¹⁰ I was a wall,
and my breasts were like towers;
then I was in his eyes
as one who finds peace.

¹¹ Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
he let out the vineyard to keepers;
each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver.
¹² My vineyard, my very own, is before me;
you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,
and the keepers of the fruit two hundred.

He

¹³ O you who dwell in the gardens,
with companions listening for your voice;
let me hear it.

She

¹⁴ Make haste, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.

 

Reflection

• The language of vv6-7 is rich and beautiful. What qualities of love are named? How are these qualities unique to the long-term commitment of marriage?
• In what ways does marriage require a willingness to give one’s self to your partner (v12)?
• The woman desires that the man take full possession of her. She surrenders herself to him, yearning for “one flesh” union. The “seal” (v6) in ancient Israelite society was typically a stamp that was pressed on soft clay to leave an impression that served as a person’s identification. She wants to be marked as belonging to her beloved, with all her inward (“your heart”) and outward (“your arm”) being. However, our sense of individuality often rebels against this idea, and the danger is great in a fallen world. But the woman expresses a desire that we all have to be intimate and safe in the presence of another. Therefore, the ideal relationship between a man and a woman serves so well as a metaphor for our relationship with God.
• When is it difficult for you to surrender yourself to those who love you? When is it difficult for you to surrender to God’s love for you?
• Ask God to make you responsive to his unending love for you.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

¹ How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O noble daughter!
Your rounded thighs are like jewels,
the work of a master hand.
² Your navel is a rounded bowl
that never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is a heap of wheat,
encircled with lilies.
³ Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.
⁴ Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are pools in Heshbon,
by the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon,
which looks toward Damascus.
⁵ Your head crowns you like Carmel,
and your flowing locks are like purple;
a king is held captive in the tresses.

⁶ How beautiful and pleasant you are,
O loved one, with all your delights!
⁷ Your stature is like a palm tree,
and your breasts are like its clusters.
⁸ I say I will climb the palm tree
and lay hold of its fruit.
Oh may your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
and the scent of your breath like apples,
⁹ and your mouth like the best wine.

She

It goes down smoothly for my beloved,
gliding over lips and teeth.

¹⁰ I am my beloved’s,
and his desire is for me.

The Bride Gives Her Love

¹¹ Come, my beloved,
let us go out into the fields
and lodge in the villages;
¹² let us go out early to the vineyards
and see whether the vines have budded,
whether the grape blossoms have opened
and the pomegranates are in bloom.
There I will give you my love.
¹³ The mandrakes give forth fragrance,
and beside our doors are all choice fruits,
new as well as old,
which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.

 

 

Reflection

• The lover offers his beloved praise in exquisite detail in vv1-9. What does this reveal about their love?
• In v10 we see another variation of the refrain of 2:16 and 6:3. What truth about love and desire do you find here?
• How does sexual love within a marriage involve discoveries “both new and old” (v13) that a one-night stand does not? In what situations are you likely to be led astray by the media’s depictions of love?
• Married love is exclusive. Spouses belong to one another in a way they do not belong to any other person on earth. The exclusive fidelity of a marriage is a form of chastity, a sacred commitment. However, this exclusivity can sometimes be eroded as time passes and betrayed.
• Here is a suggestion: copy out your marriage vows or this verse v10 on an index card or piece of paper. Place it somewhere that you will see it often – in your Bible as a bookmark, in your wallet, on your smartphone, etc. Each time you see it, reflect on how well you are honoring your vows.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Others

¹ Where has your beloved gone,
O most beautiful among women?
Where has your beloved turned,
that we may seek him with you?

Together in the Garden of Love

She

² My beloved has gone down to his garden
to the beds of spices,
to graze in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
³ I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;
he grazes among the lilies.

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

⁴ You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love,
lovely as Jerusalem,
awesome as an army with banners.
⁵ Turn away your eyes from me,
for they overwhelm me—
Your hair is like a flock of goats
leaping down the slopes of Gilead.
⁶ Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
that have come up from the washing;
all of them bear twins;
not one among them has lost its young.
⁷ Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
behind your veil.
⁸ There are sixty queens and eighty concubines,
and virgins without number.
⁹ My dove, my perfect one, is the only one,
the only one of her mother,
pure to her who bore her.
The young women saw her and called her blessed;
the queens and concubines also, and they praised her.

¹⁰ “Who is this who looks down like the dawn,
beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun,
awesome as an army with banners?”

She

¹¹ I went down to the nut orchard
to look at the blossoms of the valley,
to see whether the vines had budded,
whether the pomegranates were in bloom.
¹² Before I was aware, my desire set me
among the chariots of my kinsman, a prince.

Others

¹³  Return, return, O Shulammite,
return, return, that we may look upon you.

He

Why should you look upon the Shulammite,
as upon a dance before two armies?

 

Reflection

• In verse 3, the woman says, “I am my lover’s and my lover is mine,” while in 2:16 she says, “My lover is mine and I am his.” What does this statement and the variation in wording tell you about the relationship?
• Think of someone close to you, perhaps your spouse, a parent, a child, or a very close friend, that you need to affirm. How can you do this?
• Ask God to make you a channel of love and affirmation to those you meet.

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

He

¹ I came to my garden, my sister, my bride,
I gathered my myrrh with my spice,
I ate my honeycomb with my honey,
I drank my wine with my milk.

Others

Eat, friends, drink,
and be drunk with love!

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

She

² I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is knocking.
“Open to me, my sister, my love,
my dove, my perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
my locks with the drops of the night.”
³ I had put off my garment;
how could I put it on?
I had bathed my feet;
how could I soil them?
⁴ My beloved put his hand to the latch,
and my heart was thrilled within me.
⁵ I arose to open to my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
on the handles of the bolt.
⁶ I opened to my beloved,
but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he spoke.
I sought him, but found him not;
I called him, but he gave no answer.
⁷ The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
they took away my veil,
those watchmen of the walls.
⁸ I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
I am sick with love.

Others

⁹ What is your beloved more than another beloved,
O most beautiful among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
that you thus adjure us?

The Bride Praises Her Beloved

She

¹⁰ My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
distinguished among ten thousand.
¹¹ His head is the finest gold;
his locks are wavy,
black as a raven.
¹² His eyes are like doves
beside streams of water,
bathed in milk,
sitting beside a full pool.^[a]
13 His cheeks are like beds of spices,
mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are lilies,
dripping liquid myrrh.
¹⁴ His arms are rods of gold,
set with jewels.
His body is polished ivory,^[b]
bedecked with sapphires.^[c]
15 His legs are alabaster columns,
set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as the cedars.
¹⁶ His mouth^[d] is most sweet,
and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.

 

Reflection

• Sometime after the wedding, the woman failed to respond encouragingly to her lover’s demonstration of affection. This led him to withdraw from her. And she realized that a gap had opened up between them. They were no longer as intimate as they had been.
• Prompted by the friends in v 9, the beloved describes her lover in vv10-16. If he did hear her words, how would this have been meaningful to him? Why is it important to make praise specific and concrete as in 10-16?
• This is a picture of a couple who is actively adoring, courting and pursuing each other. What is the value of this in a marriage? What have you seen happen when this aspect of the relationship is neglected?
• What does this passage speak to you about your attitude toward those you love? How might you ask God’s help to change?

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Overview: Song of Solomon

This book, taken by some as an allegory of the believer’s relationship with God, is better understood in its plain sense as a collection of love poems that celebrate and caution concerning human love. The joyful and sometimes erotic portrayal of the relationship between a lover and his beloved reminds us that intimacy within marriage is a gift, given by the God who created human beings male and female.

However, when read in the context of the Scripture, the Song has a clear and obvious relevance to the divine-human relationship. Throughout the Bible, our relationship to God is likened to a marriage. Therefore, this book is a resource not only for our understanding of male-female relationships, but also for a more profound understanding of the intimacy and exclusivity of our relationship with God.

Song of Solomon 4

English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Solomon Admires His Bride’s Beauty

He

¹ Behold, you are beautiful, my love,
behold, you are beautiful!
Your eyes are doves
behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
leaping down the slopes of Gilead.
² Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes
that have come up from the washing,
all of which bear twins,
and not one among them has lost its young.
³ Your lips are like a scarlet thread,
and your mouth is lovely.
Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
behind your veil.
⁴ Your neck is like the tower of David,
built in rows of stone;
on it hang a thousand shields,
all of them shields of warriors.
⁵ Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle,
that graze among the lilies.
⁶ Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
I will go away to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.
⁷ You are altogether beautiful, my love;
there is no flaw in you.
⁸ Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;
come with me from Lebanon.
Depart from the peak of Amana,
from the peak of Senir and Hermon,
from the dens of lions,
from the mountains of leopards.

⁹ You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
¹⁰ How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much better is your love than wine,
and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
¹¹ Your lips drip nectar, my bride;
honey and milk are under your tongue;
the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
¹² A garden locked is my sister, my bride,
a spring locked, a fountain sealed.
¹³ Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates
with all choicest fruits,
henna with nard,
¹⁴ nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
with all trees of frankincense,
myrrh and aloes,
with all choice spices—
¹⁵ a garden fountain, a well of living water,
and flowing streams from Lebanon.

¹⁶ Awake, O north wind,
and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my garden,
let its spices flow.

Together in the Garden of Love

She

Let my beloved come to his garden,
and eat its choicest fruits.

 

Reflection

• What do the lover’s explicit words describing his beloved’s physical beauty (vv. 1-7) reveal about their relationship? What words and phrases help you understand how Solomon feels about his beloved (vv. 9-15)?
• How does the woman respond to the praise and adoration that is lavished upon her? What does their dialogue reveal about their attitude about themselves as sexual beings?
• If God’s view of sex in marriage is conveyed here, then why do so many couples experience nothing like it? What does it say to you in your relationship with your spouse?
• God pursues you like the lover pursues the beloved in this passage. Praise God and thank him for his love that never lets us go.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Overview: Song of Solomon

This book, taken by some as an allegory of the believer’s relationship with God, is better understood in its plain sense as a collection of love poems that celebrate and caution concerning human love. The joyful and sometimes erotic portrayal of the relationship between a lover and his beloved reminds us that intimacy within marriage is a gift, given by the God who created human beings male and female.

However, when read in the context of the Scripture, the Song has a clear and obvious relevance to the divine-human relationship. Throughout the Bible, our relationship to God is likened to a marriage. Therefore, this book is a resource not only for our understanding of male-female relationships, but also for a more profound understanding of the intimacy and exclusivity of our relationship with God.

Song of Solomon 3

English Standard Version (ESV)

 

The Bride’s Dream

¹ On my bed by night
I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him, but found him not.
² I will rise now and go about the city,
in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.
I sought him, but found him not.
³ The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
⁴ Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go
until I had brought him into my mother’s house,
and into the chamber of her who conceived me.
⁵ I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.

Solomon Arrives for the Wedding

⁶ What is that coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?
⁷ Behold, it is the litter^[a] of Solomon!
Around it are sixty mighty men,
some of the mighty men of Israel,
⁸ all of them wearing swords
and expert in war,
each with his sword at his thigh,
against terror by night.
⁹ King Solomon made himself a carriage^[b]
from the wood of Lebanon.
¹⁰ He made its posts of silver,
its back of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior was inlaid with love
by the daughters of Jerusalem.
¹¹ Go out, O daughters of Zion,
and look upon King Solomon,
with the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
on the day of the gladness of his heart.

 

 

Reflection

• True love requires time—and hard work. It may even include times of searching and insecurity. Verses 1-3 describe some of the insecurities that love can bring. Why would love make us feel this way?
• Do not “stir up or awaken love until it pleases” (v5) is repeated from 2:7. What wisdom do you see in this saying? When are you likely to feel insecure about those you love?
• The wedding procession (6-11) in this passage is a time of publicly declaring love before others. What experience in your life confirmed the love someone (that is, the romantic love of a spouse or the love of a friend or family member) has for you? How should you better show your love to those you care about?
• What factors enter into an engaged couple’s decision about how BIG to make their wedding? What was (or would be) the determinative factor in your case?
• On your Big Day, what made your heart skip? Do you still feel that way? Why?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Overview: Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs)

This book, taken by some as an allegory of the believer’s relationship with God, is better understood in its plain sense as a collection of love poems that celebrate and caution concerning human love. The joyful and sometimes erotic portrayal of the relationship between a lover and his beloved reminds us that intimacy within marriage is a gift, given by the God who created human beings male and female.

However, when read in the context of the Scripture, the Song has a clear and obvious relevance to the divine-human relationship. Throughout the Bible, our relationship to God is likened to a marriage. Therefore, this book is a resource not only for our understanding of male-female relationships, but also for a more profound understanding of the intimacy and exclusivity of our relationship with God.

Song of Solomon 2

English Standard Version (ESV)

 

¹ I am a roseof Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.

He

² As a lily among brambles,
so is my love among the young women.

She

³ As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
With great delight I sat in his shadow,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
⁴ He brought me to the banqueting house,
and his banner over me was love.
⁵ Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apples,
for I am sick with love.
⁶ His left hand is under my head,
and his right hand embraces me!
⁷ I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.

The Bride Adores Her Beloved

⁸ The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
⁹ My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Behold, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
looking through the lattice.
¹⁰ My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
¹¹ for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
¹² The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
¹³ The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.
¹⁴ O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the crannies of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
¹⁵ Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.”

¹⁶ My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he grazes among the lilies.
¹⁷ Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle
or a young stag on cleft mountains.

 

 

Reflection

• “His left hand is under my head” (6). Throughout the Song, the woman does not hesitate to express her hope for physical intimacy with the man and vice versa. The whole book of Song of Solomon acknowledges human yearning for intimacy – in community with others. After all, God created Eve to dispel Adam’s loneliness. And this song illustrates this yearning at its deepest and most intimate level.
• Verses 10-13 talks about the coming of spring “the winter is past; the rain is over and gone”. Springtime is the time for love. It’s a time to be outdoors in a private garden. It is a time of new growth and fertility, as well as fragrant smells. Again, the desire to be with the beloved is expressed.
• How does knowing that the Song of Songs is included in Scripture affect your view of married relationships?
• If this lover’s song were an allegory, what image of God and Israel, or Christ and the church, do you see here? Are you camped under his banner of love (v4)?

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

Overview: Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs)

This book, taken by some as an allegory of the believer’s relationship with God, is better understood in its plain sense as a collection of love poems that celebrate and caution concerning human love. The joyful and sometimes erotic portrayal of the relationship between a lover and his beloved reminds us that intimacy within marriage is a gift, given by the God who created human beings male and female.

However, when read in the context of the Scripture, the Song has a clear and obvious relevance to the divine-human relationship. Throughout the Bible, our relationship to God is likened to a marriage. Therefore, this book is a resource not only for our understanding of male-female relationships, but also for a more profound understanding of the intimacy and exclusivity of our relationship with God.

 

Outline

1. Falling in Love                     Song 1:1-2:7
2. Growing Desire                    Song 2:8-3:5
3. Wedding Song                     Song 3:6-5:1
4. Separation                            Song 5:2-8:4
5. United Again                        Song 8:5-14

Reading Song of Solomon during Passover

The Song of Solomon is associated in Jewish thought with spring because of chapter 2, verses 11 and 12:

“For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds has come, and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land.”

The rabbis interpreted this book of the Bible as an allegory of God’s love for His people, and saw the Passover redemption as the springtime of that love expressed in the words: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (2:13). Besides that, Passover is chronologically a spring holiday. Therefore, it is customary for the Jews to read the Song of Songs at Passover in the synagogue and sometimes in Jewish homes after the seder service.

(Passover 2014 begins in the evening of Apr 14 and ends in the evening of Apr 22.)

(Adapted from: http://www.jewsforjesus.org/judaica/resources/scripture-readings-associated-with-passover)

 

Song of Solomon 1

English Standard Version (ESV)

 

¹ The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

The Bride Confesses Her Love

She

² Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
³     your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
therefore virgins love you.
⁴ Draw me after you; let us run.
The king has brought me into his chambers.

Others

We will exult and rejoice in you;
we will extol your love more than wine;
rightly do they love you.

She

⁵ I am very dark, but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
⁶ Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
because the sun has looked upon me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
they made me keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have not kept!
⁷ Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
where you pasture your flock,
where you make it lie down at noon;
for why should I be like one who veils herself
beside the flocks of your companions?

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

⁸ If you do not know,
O most beautiful among women,
follow in the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
beside the shepherds’ tents.

⁹ I compare you, my love,
to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
¹⁰ Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
your neck with strings of jewels.

Others

¹¹ We will make for you ornaments of gold,
studded with silver.

She

¹² While the king was on his couch,
my nard gave forth its fragrance.
¹³ My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
that lies between my breasts.
¹⁴ My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
in the vineyards of Engedi.

He

¹⁵ Behold, you are beautiful, my love;
behold, you are beautiful;
your eyes are doves.

She

¹⁶ Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.
Our couch is green;
¹⁷     the beams of our house are cedar;
our rafters are pine.

 

 

Reflection

• This chapter begins the love song between two lovers. What sense do you get from this passage about how the “Beloved” and the “Lover” regard one another? From the images they used to describe each other, what do they reveal about their relationship?
• What fears and insecurities does the Beloved feel (3-4, 5-7)? How does the Lover reassure her (9-11)?
• This demonstrates a wonderful way to celebrate God’s good gift of sexuality to us. The entire book of Song of Solomon is a beautiful description of young lovers taking great joy in each other. Take some time writing down or telling your spouse how you delight in and appreciate him or her.
• Reflect on your own sexuality and how you respond to this picture of passionate physical love. Talk to God about how you are feeling.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.

 

Glory to our Lord Jesus Christ, because as we read in the scriptures at the Easter Sunday Service yesterday, death could not keep Jesus, and though he endured the crucifixion and descended into hell, he defeated death and resurrected on the third day.

 

And Jesus is so much more than just a God. Jesus longs for a personal relationship with us. He wants to be our best friend, he wants to hear how we feel, and he wants to be there for us when we’re down. As we see from the scripture today – on this morning after Jesus resurrected, he went back to the Sea of Galilee to find some of his disciples …

 

 

Scripture Reading: John 21:1-14

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.^[a] It happened this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus^[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ³ “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

⁵ He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

⁶ He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

⁷ Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. ⁸ The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.^[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

 

Devotion Questions

• Jesus did not rise from the death and then left his disciples alone. Instead he went back to find them, to prepared breakfast for them and to care for them. That is how loving and caring our almighty Lord is. Is it not amazing? That the God who created heaven and earth would die on the cross for our sin? And not only that, he resurrected, and comes to seek us. He would be by our side, prepared breakfast for us. That is our dearest shepherd, our greatest teacher, our best friend – and our God, Jesus Christ the risen Lord!

 

• On the night Jesus was betrayed, Peter denied Jesus 3 times, and let Jesus down. Imagine how Peter felt when he saw Jesus not only came to seek him, but met him in the exact same way when Jesus first called Peter to follow him. Can you put yourself in Peter’s shoes and feel how he felt? Have you also felt you let Jesus down sometimes? Why do you think Peter jumped into the sea to run towards Jesus when the rest of the disciples only followed on the boat?

 

• Over the last 3 weeks, we have devoted on Jesus’s sacrifice for us. We have devoted on Jesus’s journey to the cross, from predicting to his disciples about his death to entering the ancient city of Jerusalem; from the Last supper to the Gethsemane prayer, from the trial to the cross, and from the cross to hell, but from hell to resurrection and the ultimate glory. Did you find out more about Jesus over these 3 weeks? Did you find out more about yourself, and what Jesus’s calling for you? Did you feel Jesus’s love for you? And did Jesus touch your heart? Meditate on this journey, and pray to Jesus our great shepherd!

 

 

Brothers and sisters, thanks for joining our devotion over these past 3 weeks! I hope you were inspired by the devotion, as much as we were when we prepared the materials. Let us all be ignited by Jesus’s love, faithfulness, obedience on His journey to the cross, so that we can all pick up our own cross and glorify our Lord! God bless!

 

 

 

In the ancient Roman Empire, the Romans used various tortures and terror in order to control various colonies of the empire. Of the different tortures, crucifixion was the most excruciating (the word excruciating comes from the word “crucifixion”) of them all – with medical precision to avoid any major artery, the Romans nailed the completely naked person on big wooden cross, slowly draining the his blood, usually for days, when the person would scream and moan in pain. They put these crosses high on mountains and also near city gates, to put them on display to send a public message. This, my dear brothers and sisters, is how Jesus has chosen to die for us.

 

As we will all went through the scriptures of crucifixion at the Good Friday service earlier today, we will read an article on Good Friday by Haug & Walker instead:

 

Devotion Reading: Good Friday, “Journey to the Cross” by Haug & Walker

 

Today is called Good Friday, which is not really good because “good” is too neutral a term.

 

The events of Good Friday are the ultimate paradox—at once atrocious and wonderful, scandalous and beautiful, the worst kind of hate and the best kind of love. On this day we were convicted and pardoned, condemned and freed, cursed and blessed.

 

It was the darkest day. Many who had followed Jesus up to now fled from the events of Friday. And those who stayed to watch wept in horror: the phony trial, the mob that cried out for the blood of the man who was unbending in the weight of their demands and expectations. The brutal beating, the savagery of the soldiers, the grueling walk through the city he had entered to cheers just five days before. Finally, the nails pounded into flesh, the tortured body slouched over, the naked man died as his enemies jeered.

 

To his disciples – those that had forsaken everything in order to follow Jesus – this day was anything but good. This man, in whom they had put all of their hopes, was hanging dead on a tree. This was the death of their faith, the crushing of all their hopes for a new kingdom, and the end of all they believed in. Or so it seemed.

 

As his followers laid Jesus in the tomb on that same dark day, Easter Sunday lied in wait for them, but on Friday they couldn’t see it. They couldn’t see the defeat of death, the glory of the resurrection, or the advancement of God’s kingdom. They couldn’t see the whole story. There was no way around Good Friday, only the way through—through pain and death and burial.

 

It is the same for us; we cannot get around this day. We must go through the pain and death and burial to get to the resurrection. We must go through the darkness of Good Friday to get to the light of Easter.

 

God is a God of light: darkness cannot survive in his presence. We, who have dark hearts full of sin, should tremble at this fact. But Jesus, who was completely good, cloaked himself in the darkness of our sin and stood under the wrath of God for us. On the cross, he was destroyed and cut off from his Father. It was to have been our fate. On the first Good Friday, in the midst of our darkest hour, God did not cut us off. Jesus Christ, our true light, plunged himself into the darkness so that we might live in the light.

 

We can go through the darkness of this day because Jesus went through it before us.

 

He is saving us and bringing about our everlasting joy, in a way only God could have chosen. Easter is not far away

 

 

Devotion Questions

 

• Imagine if you were one of Jesus’s disciples, mixed among the crowd watching Jesus’s crucifixion, how would you feel? The shock of seeing your teacher hanging on the tall, big cross? Sorrow in seeing His pain, his body broken apart and his blood dripping from all the puncture wounds? Fear you might be caught and prosecuted? Doubt in seeing the son of God tortured by human and seemingly cannot do anything to save himself? Can you imagine how dark this day would be if you were Jesus’s disciple?

 

• What happens to all the teachings by Jesus to his disciples in such dark hours? What about the fact Jesus has predicted his own death before, and that also he would resurrect? They all forgot about Jesus’s promises when they were fixated on the shocking scene in front of their eyes. How about ourselves? What has been the darkest hour in our lives? Did we also forget God’s promises for us in the Bible? How weak is our faith, when we face storms we lose sight of Jesus’s promise and easily fall into the raging sea as Peter did.

 

• Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, and all promises were broken on this very dark day when Jesus died, the happiest day in human history – the Easter Monday was just around the corner. Our God is a God of light, and darkness cannot defeat Him. Are we going through any darkness in our life today? Do we have confidence that by faithfully following God, relying on God, He will guide us out of darkness?

 

Jesus was arrested by the Roman soldiers at Gethsemane, and from there he was questioned and trialed all night long until early morning when he got brought to the Pilate for the final trial …

 

Scripture Reading: Mark 15:1-15; John 10:11, 14-18

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

² “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

³ The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

⁵ But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

⁶ Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷ A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, ¹⁰ knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

¹² “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” they shouted.

¹⁴ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

———-

 

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. … I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”

 

Devotion Questions

• How absurd was it, for the Jewish people to ask to release Barabbas, a convicted criminal, and to crucify Jesus? Yet as we read the scripture, take a minute to reflect if we have always chosen Jesus in our lives? Or do we choose sin sometimes? Don’t we often choose out of our own comfort or leisure, something that we know God doesn’t like, or even something that we know is sinful, instead of choosing Jesus?

 

• Did you know – when Mel Gibson made the movie “Passion of the Christ”, it was Mel Gibson’s own hand that held the hammer and put the nail through Jesus’s hand into the cross in that scene. He later explained “I decided to do that shot myself because it is my own sins that nailed Jesus on the cross”. Is it not also our sins that put Jesus on the cross? Do we sometimes blame the Pharisees and the Jewish teachers for killing Jesus, without realizing Jesus also died for OUR sins?

 

• Take a moment to slowly read the extracted scriptures from Gospel of John above and meditate on it. Re-play the scenes at Gethsemane, the trial and now sentenced to crucifixion in your mind, and meditate on these scriptures.

 

• With a quiet and humble heart, pray this to Jesus “Jesus, you are the almighty prince of peace, you have authority over this entire world, present, past and future. Nobody could take your life away from you, but you chose to lay it down – only because you love me. Jesus you are my great shepherd, my great protector and my dearest teacher. Lord I am not worthy of your sacrifice, but may your love ignite my heart, so that I always seek your voice, so that I may know you like a sheep knows its shepherd, and that I follow you to expand your nation as one flock, one shepherd. I pray this in your holy name – Amen.”

 

** Tomorrow is Good Friday, the day Christians around the world gather at church to remember Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for us. If our loved ones pass away we get together at the funeral to remember his / her life. When our beloved shepherd and teacher lays down his life for us, we have no reason not to set this day apart, and to remember our Lord in His temple. Good Friday is not an extra holiday for us to go on enjoy ourselves. It is not a long weekend for us to go on get-away trip. It is a remembrance service for our Lord. Come join us at GCGC tomorrow.

 

 

After dinner Jesus knew Judas has already left and he would return with Roman soldiers to arrest him. He goes up to a place called Gethsemane with his disciples and prayed …

 

Scripture Reading: Mark 14:32-42

 

³² They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴ “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them.“Stay here and keep watch.”

³⁵ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶ “Abba,^[f] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

³⁹ Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

⁴¹ Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

 

Devotion Questions

• Facing the biggest and toughest challenge in His missionary journey on this world, Jesus knows full well this is the moment of no-return, for once he is arrested there is no going-back. Even Jesus struggled with this ultimate sacrifice. 3 times he prayed to the heavenly Father to take the cup away, yet despite his extreme distress to a point he was sweating like bleeding, in all 3 times he immediately followed his ask with “But follow your will, not my will.” Take a moment to meditate on Jesus’s challenge, his fear, his reluctance, yet his obedience, his faithfulness, and his determination.

 

• Some say Jesus’s humanity is fully revealed like His Gethsemane prayers like no other scripture in the Bible. Jesus is every bit as human as you and I, and he fully understands our weakness and our challenges too. Are you also struggling with obedience in your life, and your heart just wants to take the easy way out instead of following God? Maybe it has to do with God’s calling for you? Area of ministry work? Or offering your time to serve God? Financial offering? Personal time? Or it’s your relationship or career choices? Whatever it is, spend a minute to reflect on Jesus’s example and pray to God for strength to make the difficult choice.

 

• Jesus told us “You did not choose me, but I chose you .. I no longer call you servants … instead I have called you my friend. There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for his friend.”  Meditate on these verses and pray to Jesus “Dear Jesus, as I reflect on my life, I am truly unworthy of you paying such a dear price for me. You had your chances to remove this bitter cup but you did not, for you love us to a point you laid down your own life for us. You chose the cross over your own life. Lord there is nothing I can do to ever repay your love for me. But teach me to follow your examples to the best of my ability, so that others can see your love in me, not to glorify me, but to glorify you and my father in heaven. Teach me, and guide me, so hopefully I can make you proud, and be worthy of you calling me your “friend”. In your most holy name I pray – Amen.”

 

 

After returning to Jerusalem, Jesus knows his time on earth was coming to an end. Before he gets arrested and taken away by the Roman soldiers, Jesus chose to spend his last, precious hours with his disciples over a Passover dinner…

 

Scripture Reading: Luke 22: 14-20; John  13:2-7, 12-17

Luke 22

¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. ¹⁸ For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.^[a]

John 13

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

 

Devotion Questions

• Jewish culture is very similar to Chinese culture in which friends and families love to dine together, not just for the food, but for the fellowship over dinner table. Take a moment to reflect on your church and cell life today, do you give thanks for the fellowship you have with the brothers and sisters at PGC? Or are you still praying for God to lead you to closer relationship with them? Love is always a 2-way street, would you be willing to show more love and care for your cell members to further strengthen our relationship?

 

• At the last supper, Jesus knew full well this would be the last time he put food in his mouth – the final hours when his flesh is still in whole, for soon he would have to endure the most excruciating physical pain, emotional stress and shame known to men. Close your eyes and try to imagine yourself in this little room where Jesus and his dearest disciples have their last supper.

 

• In his final hours with his disciples, Jesus gave his final, lasting message to them, by wrapping a towel around his waist, getting down on his knees and washing his disciples’ feet. Jesus told them “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Meditate on this for a while, how does this impact your life? Do we have Jesus’s heart today? Do we sacrifice ourselves and our resources for others? Or do we get served by others more? Do we humble ourselves for the good of others? Or do we wait for others to do good to us?

 

• Holy Communion is a religious practice that started with the Last supper and has endured almost 2,000 years. Inevitably sometimes we forget its meaning and simply go through the motions, yet this is the only thing Jesus asked us to do in remembrance of him, for the kind of love we can never repay. Let’s try to sincerely and genuinely observe the holy communion from now on!

As we start the week of Good Friday, our Lent Devotion also enters the final section: During this week, we will try to walk the final journey on to the cross together with Jesus – the painful, torturous road to crucifixion which Jesus consciously chose because of his love for us about 2,000 years ago. By revisiting what Jesus saw, what he did, and what he said during his last week in Jerusalem, hopefully we’ll feel closer to Jesus.

 

Let’s get started with the scripture today, when after a long, tiring, but amazing 3-years missionary journey Jesus finally enters the final stop – the city of Jerusalem. The old, holy city where Jesus will give up his life …

 

Scripture Reading: Mark 11:8-11,15-18

⁸ Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!^[a]”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[b]

¹⁰ “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

¹⁵ On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷ And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’^[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’^[b]”

¹⁸ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

Devotion Questions:

 

• Throughout his 3 years of ministry on earth, Jesus has performed many miracles, healed, fed preached to many people. Thus Jesus receives a glorious reception when he entered the ancient city of Jerusalem. Yet as Jesus has told his disciples many times, he knows he comes back to this city to be crucified. Imagine the city gate into Jerusalem, the busy crowd going to the Holy city to observe Passover, the horses and donkeys, the noises … and people chanting “Hosanna” when Jesus riding on his colt enters the city. Imagine the scene, and how Jesus may feel knowing in his heart the most painful death awaits him in this city.

 

• Apostle John said “(Jesus) Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1). Reflect on ‘to the end’, and how deep is Jesus’s love for us. In response, how is our love for Jesus?

 

• Gospel of Mark records upon entering the busy city of Jerusalem, the first thing Jesus did was to enter God’s temple, and Jesus was absolutely angered by the all the buying and selling in the temple. Jesus called them ‘robbers’. Today in our lives have we maintained ‘worshiping God’ as the corner stone of our lives? Or have we allowed all the buying and selling, all the money and finance matters to take priority in our lives?

 

• Pray to our Lord with this prayer “Dear Lord, I thank you for entering Jerusalem despite you knew what awaited you in that city was pain, torture, shame, and ultimately crucifixion. Let your love for me be a motivation for me as I try to serve you and others. Let me feel you anger for those doing trades at God’s temple, so that in my heart I can have the same longing for justice and righteousness, and same hatred towards greed. And Jesus, please let me feel how you felt in this Good Friday week, as I try to revisit your path in the journey towards the cross, because only then I can understand how your love for us really has no end. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.”

 

 

For the last devotion of this week, we will continue with repentance before our Lord. Let us quiet our heart before we read the Scripture when 2 of Jesus’s dearest disciples – James and John, goes ask Jesus for something …

 

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:35-45

³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³⁷ They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

³⁸ “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

³⁹ “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

⁴¹ When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Devotion Questions:

 

• What is “glory” to you? Is it building a successful career? Winning in a sports tournament? Driving a luxury car or carrying a brand-name handbag? Being able to accumulate enough wealth to retire at a young age? Or seeing your children do well in school? The disciples also misunderstood Jesus’ glory when they asked to be by Jesus’s side when he receives his glory. Little did they know “Glory” takes on a different meaning for Jesus – to answer God’s calling, as difficult as it may be.
• Jesus then tells John and James “You will drink the cup I drink”. Are we ready to drink Jesus’s cup? Are we prepared to make sacrifices and suffer for the soul of our loved ones?

 

• Jesus teaches us to be a great man, we must lay down our lives and serve others. Glory is not to be served by many, but to serve many more. How often have we humble ourselves to serve others? At work? Among our family and friends? And at PGC?

 

• Pray to Jesus – “Lord, you have set a great example for us, showing us how to humble yourself, how to serve others, and how to sacrifice yourself for the good of many others. Despite your great example Lord you know I have been weak, I have been self-centered, and I have been too proud. Lord Jesus, shed your light on me so I can see my flaws. Give strength to me so I can glorify you and follow you to be humble and selfless. In your holy name I pray. Amen.”

Today we will continue to devote on repentance. Are you ready? Let’s quiet our heart, turn off the TV, phone, and any other external distraction as we prepare to meet our Lord in His words. Today Jesus and his disciples goes into a town where a young, well-respected man actively seek Jesus and asked him a very important question …

 

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:17-31

 

¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’^[d]”

²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is^[e] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

²⁸ Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰ will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

 

Devotion Questions:

 

• Jesus was about to pay a dear price so that we may receive the salvation freely. Though salvation is ‘free’, truly following Jesus requires us to change our lifestyle, to give up things we may leisurely enjoy in this materialistic world, to sacrifice on worldly things that give us a false sense of security.

 

• Let’s reflect on: Are we more like Jesus’ disciples, who gave up what they had and followed Jesus? Think of what material or leisure things we have given up since following the Lord, and give thanks to Jesus for showing to us how He is so much better than anything we can give up on this world. Read the scripture again – do you see Jesus’s promise to all of us when he answered Peter? Yes indeed, Jesus said whatever we give up on this world we will receive a 100 times more in heaven!

 

• Or, are we more like this rich young man, who despite seeing Jesus was the only true way to eternity, could not give up his comfortable lifestyle and his worldly assets to follow the Lord? His wealth, which should be a blessing, has now become his curse because it is holding him back from salvation. Reflect on what may be holding you back in your life. Pray to God to give you the strength, the courage, and the perseverance to truly follow Him on these things.

 

• Repentance is much more than simply saying sorry. Saying sorry only implies we know we were wrong. Repentance requires a heart-felt understanding of our flaws, that causes an outward reaction of change. Are there bad habits, or even addictions that you have struggled to give up? Pray out-loud to Jesus to walk with us and free us from this chain so that we can be truly free.

 

• For those of us participating in Lent, have we felt the emptiness of physical needs? When we step out of our comfort zone, can we root our needs in Jesus and Jesus alone?

Part of Lent is repentance. Our culture has attached a negative meaning to “repentance”, in which it is often thought of as a sign of weakness, lack of confidence, and lack of determination. That is really the self-centered, self-righteous modern culture speaking to us. In fact, repentance is a beautiful thing all Christians should continually do. Repentance is realizing we are flawed individuals, and the inner confession of our sins triggering an outward reaction to change our behavior so we can be more like God. Repentance is what every Christian needs to do continuously to truly follow.

 

Are you ready to repent? We’ll spend the next few days reflecting, confessing and repenting to Jesus. Let us quiet our hearts before we begin with today’s reading. Today’s reading starts with Jesus and his disciples crossing Galilee, and they are yet another step closer to Jerusalem; and, another step towards the cross and the crucifixion for Jesus.

 

 

Scripture Reading : Mark 9:30 – 37

³⁰ They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, ³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”³² But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

³³ They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

³⁵ Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

³⁶ He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

 

Devotion Questions:

 

• Isn’t it sad when Jesus is revealing to his dearest disciples that he was going to be killed, and then he would resurrect, but this fell on deaf ears because his disciples were too busy arguing who was the greatest among them? How would you feel if you are to reveal to your family about a major health problem you are faced with, yet they are too busy to hear you out? Can you try to put yourself in Jesus’ place and feel how he felt? Yet, this did not stop Jesus from loving his disciples, and it does not stop Jesus from loving us today. Lord, how great is your love?!!

 

• Has the same thing happened to us? Has the Holy Spirit tried to speak to us but we are too busy fighting for trivial things of this world? Have we been sensitive to the Spirit’s voice? Or have we told Jesus to shut up because we are too busy with our career, or relationship, or leisure, or family … Take a moment to reflect and confess to Jesus.

 

• Jesus doesn’t want us to repay His love by covering his churches with gold, or decorate the Bible with diamonds. Instead, He wants us to respond to His love by loving others around us, loving strangers, and even loving our enemies. Can others see Jesus’ love in how we receive them? Is there any person that God has put in your heart today, that He wants you to love and care for? What kind of action can you take to extent God’s love to him / her?

 

• Think of anything that took priority over your personal time with Jesus over the past week when you were trying to devote / read Bible / pray? Take a moment to reflect and confess to God in your prayer.

 

Are we ready to continue the journey towards the cross in this year’s Lent? Let’s prepare our heart by turning off any distraction like the TV, cellphone, computer etc., and silent ourselves before we begin to read. Here Jesus gives a very important teaching to his disciples, and his disciples of the modern day – us!

 

 

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

 

 

Devotion Questions

 

• Jesus said if we are to be a true follower of His, we must deny ourselves and pick up our cross. This may be difficult to understand at first, but think about this – can we follow someone and follow our own heart at the same time? If we are to truly follow someone, don’t we have to stop following our own heart and our own desire? This is what Jesus means by denying ourselves.

 

• In our society sometimes it is so difficult to truly follow Jesus because our culture teaches us we matter the most to ourselves. Our own life is centered around ourselves – what works for us, what is in our benefit, our pleasure … This is a problem even among Christians. Our own interest is too important, our ego too big. Our preference get twisted into our needs, and our needs continuously expand and it gets so big we have no space in our heart for our faith and what Jesus wants from us. Even for many of us who serve at church what we want takes priority over what the church needs from us. Take a moment to reflect, is that true? Is that us? Remember, Jesus tells us “Deny yourself.”

 

• Quiet before the Lord and ask ourselves – Are we ready to deny ourselves and make sacrifices to truly follow our Lord? Are we ready to say “No” to some of our desires, and say “Yes” to God’s calling? Are we willing to make sacrifices when it comes to our time? Our money? Or even our career, our relationship with family and friends?

 

• Pray to Jesus “Dear Jesus, I know you love me, to the extent you consciously chose the cross to redeem me. Jesus I am not ashamed of your words, but forgive me as I am weak. Give me courage, and grant me wisdom, so that I can stand up for you and your teachings – first with my deeds, then with my mouth. I ask for these in your holy name. Amen.”

 

 

Background: At the time of the scripture, Jesus is getting close to the end of his 3 years of ministry on earth. During this time he has performed many miracles with his disciples, and built a very close relationship with them. Yet his disciples did not know Jesus was the son of God. Some thought he was a prophet like Moses or Elijah, some thought he’s a great rabbi. On his way back to Jerusalem Jesus started disclosing his identity to his dearest disciples …

 

Scripture: Mark 8:27-33

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

 

Devotion Questions

 

• During Jesus’ 3 years of ministry on earth, many people followed Jesus, but few knew he was the Messiah. Even among His 12 disciples, only Peter realized Jesus was the Messiah in the above scripture. Today do we truly realize the Lord we are following is the almighty God? In our heart do we have faith that the Jesus Christ we follow is bigger than any challenge and any storm we may face in our life?

 

• Peter tried to persuade Jesus from the painful crucifixion, but Jesus scolded him “Satan” because any suggestion to go against Heavenly Father’s will is evil to Jesus. Today do we care more about the concerns of God? Or do we merely care about human concerns? In our lives what are our human concerns? What are God’s will for us? Take a minute to reflect.

 

• Would you like to follow Jesus and start caring more about what concerns God? Pray to Jesus “Dear Jesus, I want to thank you for walking down that painful road towards the cross, because of that I am saved today. I would like to follow you, I pray that you can reveal God’s wishes to me more. Especially over the next 2 weeks during the Lent period, I pray that you guide my heart as I spend time with you in devotion. In your name I pray. Amen.”

 

 

 

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for
you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him
and have seen him.”

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you
believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I
say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and
they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Reflection:
14:3-4 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
God’s promise never change, Jesus already prepare a place for us, do we truly understand the meaning of this promise? Do we prepare ourselves enough to meet God one day?
Thomas and Philip is Jesus’s disciples, they experienced Jesus’s almighty power and know He is God. But there are times when they do not understand God. Our prayer life always make the same mistake, we always put God as a listener and do not listen to God. We should quiet down ourselves and to be a listener more frequent in order to understand Him.

Slowly read the follow passages and practice to listen God. Do not rush and put down your burden inside your heart.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me……. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
(John 14:27)
These were Jesus’ last words to His disciples. Last words are usually very important words. Imagine a dying father exhorting his children repeatedly on his deathbed. These words not just express the broken
heartedness at having to leave, but also deliver some very important messages that are not easily conveyed. In this Scripture passage, Jesus spoke the final words to the disciples He loved and told them the most important thing they needed – peace.
Although Jesus was going to be arrested and killed, He still cared for His disciples and provided them the comfort and teaching they needed.
Most people believe that peace is leading a stable and comfortable life, or everything happens according to their plan. When there is difficult situation, their peace will leave. The peace from God is “His peace.”
This peace will never change under any situation and you can still have it in suffering and pain. Thank the Lord for leaving us such wonderful peace. Have your heart been excited to love God and to love others
when you remember the love of your saviour on the cross? Will you serve the Lord wholeheartedly so that others could also receive this true peace from God?
True peace can only be received when your life is connected with Jesus. It is not because of external circumstances. That is why even when Paul was put into jail in Rome, he could still write the following words, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7)

Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.
12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance
13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”
And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Slowly read the Scripture: Take time to read and allow God to speak to you. Look at verse(s) that stood out to you and touches your heart.
Observation: Write the scriptures down in your own words. Meditate write down just your thoughts.
Application: Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to you and your life. Perhaps it is an instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular
area of your life that applying to you today or believe that God is showing you through the lives and situations.
Prayer: Ask God to help you using this scripture for your daily life and understand His will.
Devotion Sharing: At all times, Samaritan and Jews keeps distant to each other. But their difficulties bring them together. God healed both of them in different way, pretty amazing.
Blessing: A person asks for Jesus’s help would not be put in vain. If you are one of them from the story, how would you respond to God?

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Reflection:
When Jesus was betrayed by his disciples and put to trial, Peter denied Jesus three times. Peter felt so sorry and unworthy that he could no longer love the Lord and follow Him. Did you have similar
experience that you were discouraged and felt sorry after you denied Jesus in your life? How did you feel?
Jesus did not give up Peter. After his resurrection from the dead, he once again took the initiative to find Peter. Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus also asked Peter three times: “Peter, do you love me?”
Jesus let Peter know that He still longs for his love. This shows us that the salvation Jesus accomplished for us on the cross is effective, not only at the beginning when you pray for repentance and accept Jesus as your Lord, but also at times when you determine to follow Him again after you have been weak and fell back to the Lord. This is the love of the cross, which loves you, loves me till the end and never changes. At this moment are you willing to tell the Lord, “Yes Lord, I love you”?
After Peter met the Lord Jesus, his life changed dramatically. He responded to the Lord’s love by preaching the Gospel and being a good shepherd to the churches. How about you? How would you
respond to the Lord’s love? Starting today in which areas you are willing to be better equipped yourself so that you will be able to tell the Lord: “Lord, I am ready, please use me.”?