Matthew 6-8

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

I think everyone is in search of the true meaning of life. Some say it is helping the poor, others say gaining wealth and fame. We know that there is no life outside of Jesus Christ. God is the one who gave us life and he is the only one who knows what makes us happy and satisfied.

But this passage says many do not want this life which is Jesus Christ because it involves self-denial and suffering. And I am not an exception. I find myself wanting to have nice things and looking for pleasure. God is reminding us this day to follow him and his ways only and also to pray for those who are headed for destruction.

I am so thankful that God has made himself known to us and he calls us his children. Let us gladly follow God for he has given us a new life.

Proverbs 7-9

I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment. He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. (She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home; now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said;

"I have fellowship offerings at home; today I fulfilled my vows. So I cam out to meet you; I look for you and have found you! I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let's drink deep of love till morning; let's enjoy ourselves with love! My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till hull moon."

With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like and ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till and arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

This description of the adulteress (the devil) made me shudder as I read it. I mean, talk about how he temps us!! He pretty much gives us every single excuse for us to give in to our fleshly desires. The longer we dwell and allow ourselves to be enticed by the devil, he will gives you more and more reason to commit sin.

I did notice that the "youth who lacked judgment" was walking in the direction of the adultress. Many times, we put ourselves in situations where we can be more easily enticed. And many times, we do this knowingly.

The adulteress lurks at every corner. God has been reminding me over and over again the reality of the spiritual warfare that is happening all around. I must be aware of this, so I am ready whenever the adulteress comes out to meet me (or finds me).

Thanks God I can be victorious in Christ Jesus. I don't have to be like an ox going to the slaughter house, helpless and not in control. In Jesus, I have the power to overcome and be victorious before my enemies. It is always a question of whether I utilize that power that is always available to me.

But I cannot be double-minded. I cannot already make up my mind that I am going to sin and be walking toward the adulteress.

Let's choose God this day over ourselves. We are so blessed to be loved by him. Praise God:)

Proverbs 1-3

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

I've been struggling lately with the idea of fearing God. I mean, the reason that I so often choose to do things my way over God's way is because at the moment of choosing, I do not fear God.

This passage makes it very clear what it takes to understand the fear of the Lord our God. It is a commitment on our part to seek God. Reading and studying his word and storing them up within us, desiring God's wisdom and understanding even to a point of calling out and crying aloud for them, and to do this as fervently as though it is the most valuable thing we can ever pertain. Then the bible says, we will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

That makes sense. I can't be praying constantly for God to show me how to fear him. Understanding the fear of the Lord comes from me seeking him. The more I seek him, the more God will reveal himself to me. And when I see more of God, that is when I will naturally learn to fear him. If I'm not filled with the Holy Spirit and God is not real to me, how can I ever fear God?

Let's, again, humble ourselves before God this day. May we seek him with all of our hearts so we may understand the fear of the Lord, because the "fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge".

Matthew 1-3

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Have you ever wondered why God chose Mary and Joseph as Jesus' parents? As I was reading the account of Jesus' birth, I realized how they obeyed God 100%. Whenever God spoke to them, they did not doubt or hesitate but completely obeyed and did what he told them to do. And I don't think they did that because everything made sense. When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant before they came together, he was gonna quietly divorce her. However, God told him to marry her. Do you think you can do that??

More and more I think about how God's ways and our ways are so different. Yet if we choose to obey him, beyond our limited understanding, God is going to use and bless us just like he did to Joseph and Mary. What does God want us to do this day? Let us obey him, his words wholeheartedly.

Psalm 144-150

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;
the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Am I putting my hope in God's unfailing love today? Am I placing God in his rightful place this day so it causes me to fear him out of my reverence for him?

It really is one thing to say or pray these things, and another to live it. In the back of my mind, I keep thinking that somehow God is pleased with my works. But he really isn't. He cares about my intentions. If I have truly lived this day by fearing God and putting my hope in his unfailing love, that humble commitment would have automatically produced good works.

But how hard is it to have the right intentions in my hearts in all that I do... Such a struggle. Sometimes, I can totally feel my flesh fighting against and resisting God's love. My hope truly is in his unfailing love only. I will never find it anywhere else.

God's unfailing love. How sweet that sounds. Praise him!

Malachi 2-4

"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?' "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty. "You have said harsh things against me," says the LORD. "Yet you ask, 'What have we said against you?' "You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.' "Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.

This is a rather long passage, but I want to share two things. One is giving tithes and offerings to God. If we don't give our time, money, and everything we have onto God as an offering, we are robbing God. He is telling us to test him this day to see whether he will bless us or not if we give to him.

Pastor Tim often says no one can out give God. I think that is so true. Sometimes, I say to God 'God, I am doing this and that for you, isn't it enough? Why do I have to serve and give to you and others?' just like the Israelites here. They said 'It is futile to serve God.' This shows how prideful they were. And we say this to God thinking we are sacrificing so much of ourselves in serving God. But if we truly remember what God has done, is doing, and will do for us, we cannot complain to God. In fact, being given an opportunity to serve God is such a privilege and honor one can ever have. Who are we that God should choose us to serve him?

Let us thank God this day for his provision and grace in our lives. How joyful we are because we are in Christ!