6 July 2021 – Psalm 24:1 (NIV)
Scripture
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
Reflection
Some scholars believe that this Psalm was written by David to celebrate the moving of the Ark of the Covenant from Obed-Edom’s house to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:10-12). These words continue to echo and resonate with us as we sing of songs of worship and praise that proclaim His rule over all the earth.
David proclaims: God is the Creator of the whole world, so all of it, including its inhabitants, are His. In that perspective, we are called to be good stewards of all that surrounds us. God’s sovereignty is not limited to one nation of country: the earth is His, everything in it is His, every living creature is His.
As good stewards, we are called to care, to protect, to respect. It’s a privilege and a responsibility.
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How can you apply this message in your current situation
Prayer
Remembering the way that Jesus had compassion upon Mary even from the cross, I think now of people who are particularly fearful at this time -the elderly, the unwell and those without work -presenting each one to Christ on the cross and entrusting them to his love.
5 July 2021 – 2 Samuel 6:14,15 (NIV)
Scripture
14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
Reflection
As I dropped by to visit some friends and knocked at their door, I was greeted by their 3 kids. All 3 of them looked so happy to see me, but it was the youngest one that started jumping up and down, like a little bouncing ball, before giving me my welcome hugs. It was like happiness couldn’t be contained! In today’s passage, David’s joy translated into spontaneous dancing.
A linen ephod was the usual clothing of the priests and Levites in their sacred services. For King David to let go of his royal robes signified and declared that although he was the king, he was presenting himself as one who was there serving the Lord. Because of David’s actions, he was judged and criticized by his wife, Michal, who was also King Saul’s daughter. David than replies, in v.21,22:
21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
That we would not be concerned about the criticism and judgment of others when we present ourselves to God and celebrate before Him!
In the song ‘Undignified’ David Crowder Band sings the following:
(…)
I will dance, I will sing to be mad for my King
Nothing more that’s hindering, there’s passion in my soul
I will dance, I will sing to be mad for my King
Nothing more that’s hindering, there’s passion in my soul
[Chorus]
I’ll become even more undignified than this
Some may say it’s foolishness
But I’ll become even more undignified than this, oh yes
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How can you apply this message in your current situation
Prayer
I focus my thoughts upon the image of Christ upon the cross, acknowledging its terror but also allowing thanks to arise in my heart for this tangible proof that love wins.
25 June 2021 – 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
Scripture
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Reflection
In today’s verse, we read about a portion of the first letter of the apostle Paul to the church in Corinth. Paul, after explaining earlier in the same chapter, how useless it is to express spiritual gifts without love, he finishes by saying “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Faith, hope and love are so essential to the Christian life, we cannot talk about Christianity without these three virtues, however love is the greatest. The agape love for God and for our neighbor is the first virtue which should be at the core of everything we do, as God is love (1 John 4:8).
May faith, hope and love never lack in our lives.
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How can you apply this message in your current situation
Prayer
Wherever you are, take time to acknowledge God and trust in Him again. Give God your worries. Take a moment to give each thing you are worrying about back to God
24 June 2021 – John 16:22-23 (NIV)
Scripture
“So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
Reflection
The presence of the Lord in our lives brings joy, in His presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Though there are times we may experience grief or sorrow, but the Lord turns our sorrow into joy.
As children of God, we are privileged to receive from God the Father anything we ask according to His will in Jesus’s Name (1 John 5:14-15). May we be encouraged and confident to ask anything to God our Father.
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How can you apply this message in your current situation
Prayer
Ask God to help shape your prayers – countries you should pray for; situations which need God’s power and transformation; lift them up in confidence and faith. “Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns’” Psalm 96:10
23 June 2021 – John 16:16-19 (NIV)
Scripture
“Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’?”
Reflection
Jesus, on the night of His arrest, giving His last instructions to His closest disciples, was also prophesying what was going to happen. In verse 16, Jesus was prophesying most likely about the period of time of His death and the period of time between His resurrection (John 20:19) and His ascension (Acts 1:6–9). The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant by “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me”, so they were wondering. At that time, it was still a mystery that they would understand well later.
It may happen that we find ourselves in a season wherein the Lord is speaking to us but we don’t fully understand or don’t see the full picture yet. Let’s wait on the Lord until the time He makes things plain to us.
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How can you apply this message in your current situation
Prayer
Take time to pray Psalm 96. Allow it to shape prayers of thanksgiving as you are reminded of who God is
22 June 2021 – 2 Kings 6:17 (NIV)
Scripture
“And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Reflection
Today’s verse falls in a time when Aram’s King sent an army to capture prophet Elisha, because he was responsible for the failure of Aram king’s plans to ambush Israel. When Elisha’s servant saw the army sent by the king of Aram surrounding the city, he became afraid. So Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened to see the supernatural or spiritual reality of the situation, to literally see that God’s heavenly army that was with them was more numerous than the army which was against them.
The spiritual realm is real, sometimes we may be too much aware of the physical realm and forget about the spiritual or unseen realm from which the physical realm came from (Hebrew 11:3). God had already provided an army in the spiritual realm to protect Elisha and his servant though the servant couldn’t see it at first.
When we face tough situations or challenges, the fact that we don’t see God’s provision with our physical eyes yet, doesn’t mean that God has not already provided. Though the Lord can open our eyes to see spiritual realities like He did for Elisha’s servant, may we believe that God is our provider, protector and deliverer even before seeing the physical manifestation of it. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Thoughts for the day
- What does this passage tell you about God or Jesus?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How can you apply this message in your current situation
Prayer
Invite the Holy Spirit to be present with you in this moment. And then, wait. Allow God’s peace to draw near.