Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Corinthians+006

 

CHAPTER 6 (ESV)

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

 

REFLECTION:

1. The newspaper, television and roadside billboard are all covered with sexual images. How do I see these things?  Nothing wrong? Uneasy but couldn’t help it? Disgusted and turned away?
2. Silently think of my own body. It’s for God and belongs to God and united with God.  Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to me, pointing out any unclean, unjust behaviour or thought.  Ask for forgiveness and God’s help to “glorify God in my body”.

 

PRAYER:

Be still before the holy and just God, may God illuminate the darkness within me, forgiving all my impurities. May God cleanse my heart, enabling me to obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that in any circumstance, I may stand firm and not succumb to the temptations of the devil. May God grant me strength to cast away all impure and unjust thoughts.

 

HYMN:

Lord Prepare Me To Be A Sanctuary – youtu.be/tXHVGXwkS8w

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Corinthians+005

 

CHAPTER 5 (ESV)

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

 

REFLECTION:

1. The Word of God is relentless. It insists that we face up to our sin.  Whether that sin is indolence, idolatry, or immorality, we must face it squarely and deal with it decisively.  For if that diseased part of the body is not dealt with, not only is the individual member of the body at risk of dying, but it also puts the entire body at risk.  Paul urged them to sever all relationships with those sinning people.  His purpose is for the protection of the church lest they be led into the same sinful trap.
2. When I wanted to point out inappropriate behaviours of someone in the church or cell group, Lord God, please remind me to examine my own behaviour and thought first. Then, give me a deep mourning for them and their sins.
3. What will happen to my attitude when I mourn for them and others? How would this affect the prevention of sin’s “yeast effect”?

 

PRAYER:

Be still before God, attentively listen to His voice; may God deepen my understanding of His holiness. May God establish my heart and give me the strength to live a holy life. With honesty and love, I pray for the church’s behaviors that lack holiness, asking God to have mercy on our weaker brothers and sisters.

 

HYMN:

Refiners Fire – youtu.be/SQclw7Ptxwc

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Corinthians+004

 

CHAPTER 4 (ESV)

8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Paul mocks the Corinthian Christians’ claim that they’ve achieved spiritual perfection by contrasting their condition with his suffering for the gospel. Spiritual pride is an indication that we are insecure or afraid of life’s uncontrollable ambiguities.  Trust in God’s absolute reliability will aid in times of sorrow and serves as a guide when all is well.
2. What does “trust in God’s absolute reliability” mean to me? Have I experienced God’s faithfulness?  What was it?  Thank God for that experience again.  Pray for the increase of my trust in God.

 

PRAYER:

Be still before God, examine whether you still lack a sense of security within, and whether you still trust yourself more than you trust God. If so, approach God with a humble heart and confess. May God make me strong and courageous, allowing me to experience His faithfulness, and may my faith be built upon this solid foundation.

 

HYMN:

I Will Trust My Saviour Jesus – youtu.be/SDi-4Gp7By0

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Corinthians+003

 

CHAPTER 3 (ESV)

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

 

REFLECTION:

1. The metaphor of the building indicates that, first, we’re workers with God. And second, we’re worked upon by God.  We’re both the builders of the church and simultaneously part of the church that is being built.  We’re constantly in a state of both being the church and becoming the church.  When we pour our lives into God’s work, we become the actual materials for the church that God is building.  Under the direction of the Master Builder, we are being transformed.  An insignificant and even a rather ugly brick becomes a significant part of a beautiful structure, built to the glory of God.
2. Pray — Ask God help me to be His faithful worker in building His church, also to cooperate with His formation work in me to become more and more like Christ.

 

PRAYER:

May God help me to willingly devote myself to building His church; may God make me even more humble and help me understand that everything I build is not for my own glory, but to seek God’s pleasure; may God establish the foundation of my life, leading me to complete surrender, and may I willingly take up my cross to follow the Lord.

 

HYMN:

Build This House – youtu.be/v3P9H8ERw9w

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Corinthians+002

 

CHAPTER 2 (ESV)

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Are there some non-Christians around me who don’t know God and refuse God’s message? No matter how smart they are, it’s difficult for them to understand the meaning of Christ’s salvation.  They may often think my decision to follow Christ is foolish.
2. How do I face these people, especially my family and relatives?

 

PRAYER:

May God grant me a gentle heart and a peaceful spirit, to obediently follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and not cause the Holy Spirit to worry. May God give me a spiritual discernment, to see through all things amidst the worldly glamour and noise. May God make my spirit wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove, so that in my daily life, I can convey God’s love to my family and friends.

 

HYMN:

Show Us Christ – youtu.be/YN3QCV9T5QA

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=1Corinthians+001

 

1 Corinthians

Introduction

The book of Acts describes how Paul brought the royal news about Jesus the Messiah to Macedonia (northern Greece), but then had to flee to Achaia (southern Greece) for his own safety. He visited the city of Corinth there, a wealthy and cosmopolitan commercial center. Many people became believers, so he stayed for a year and a half to teach them.

After he left, the Corinthians wrote to Paul (in a letter we no longer have) with some key questions. The Corinthians had adopted the common Greek idea that physical things are bad, so they wanted to free the human spirit from the body. This affected the way they saw such things as marriage, attendance at ceremonial meals for pagan gods, and even the resurrection of Jesus. In the letter we know as 1 Corinthians Paul addresses all of these concerns, as well as questions about worship.

Paul writes that this world in its present form is passing away, but the Corinthians can give themselves fully to the work of the Lord since their labor in the Lord is not in vain. The coming resurrection of the dead, and the new world that will accompany it, will show the value of all their current efforts. Paul’s practical advice for how to consistently embody the new life of God’s kingdom during a particular scene in the biblical drama gives us great insight as we seek to take up our roles today.

www.bible.com/zh-TW/bible/111/1CO.INTRO1.NIV

 

CHAPTER 1 (ESV)

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

 

REFLECTION:

1. What pictures come to mind when thinking about powerful, successful people? How do these ideas sometimes conflict with following Christ?  How have I confused the world’s wisdom with God’s wisdom?
2. Have I witnessed a situation where God used the weak, lowly, and despised to fulfil his plan of salvation?

 

PRAYER:

In the presence of God, I seek His transformation of my mindset, that I may understand what true wisdom and folly are; I beseech God to grant me more heavenly wisdom, enabling me to more clearly discern His divine purpose; I implore God to bestow upon me greater courage and strength to walk the path of heaven, obediently following His guidance in all matters.

 

HYMN:

Perfect Wisdom of Our God – youtu.be/hSnzYnOe6kI

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ruth+004

 

Ruth Chapter Four (ESV)

14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Ruth, the Moabite, had married an Israelite living in her homeland. When her husband died, Ruth walked away from her Moabite heritage, her own parents, and the religion she had learned from childhood and never turned back or wavered in her decision: “Where you go, I will go…your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (1:6).  Ruth and Naomi journeyed back to Bethlehem, and upon arriving, she followed all of Naomi’s instructions as the two sought their survival.  Ruth didn’t demand things go her way, but allowed God to guide her life through Naomi.
2. Ruth married Boaz, and their son, Obed, became the grandfather of King David and ancestor of Christ. At that time, Ruth had no idea of all this.  She knew only that God had called her to Himself, and she pledged to follow His lead.  Now, Ruth, a foreigner and a woman, would also share in God’s plan to save all people.
3. Ruth lived out one of Jesus’ essential teachings: that we must be willing to renounce family for the sake of Christ, or plans, rights, comfort, safety, heritage, or status in order to follow God’s lead without, perhaps, ever seeing the fruit of their sacrifice.  Ruth gave up much, yet experienced Christ’s truth that “those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Matt 10:39).

 

PRAYER:

Lord, I thank You that this story which began in tragedy and apparent hopelessness ended in joy and hope.  In Your grace, You took this Gentile woman and made her a direct part of the Messianic line.  You accomplish far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.

 

HYMN:

Your Ways are Higher than Mine – youtu.be/6TARne4hZik

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ruth+003
 

Ruth Chapter Three (ESV)

5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.” 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” 10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.” 14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

 

REFLECTION:

1. The exact meaning of Naomi’s counsel to her daughter-in-law to “uncover his feet” after Boaz had retired for the night is not clear to us now. However, Boaz understood the request to be covered by his garment as a proposal of marriage.
2. Because of Ruth’s faith in the Hebrew God and because of her loyalty to her mother-in-law, Boaz praised Ruth as a “worthy woman”. This loyalty was demonstrated in her daily labor in the fields and her acts of kindness.  Ruth’s submission to the advice of Naomi teaches us that our spiritual formation is rooted in a posture of obedience.  This response of obedience to the commands of God is one of the injunctions that bridges the Old and New Testaments.

 

PRAYER:

Lord, the drama of this chapter points beyond itself to the greatest drama of Your creative and redemptive work on behalf of the people upon whom You have set Your love.  Like Ruth, let me be obedient to the role You call me to play.

 

HYMN:

Teach Me to Obey – youtu.be/F2Jt5C1qm-E

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ruth+002

 

Ruth Chapter Two (ESV)

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

 

REFLECTION:

1. Ruth’s words and posture (face to the ground) in response to the generosity of Boaz indicate the social distance between the Israelite man and the Moabite woman. Ruth identified herself as a “foreigner”, a person of lesser status than that of the socially disadvantaged like widows, orphans and aliens.  The kindness of Boaz helps us understand the “second great commandment”: loving our neighbor as ourselves (Matt 22:39).
2. The sovereign and purposeful hand of God is behind each of the scenes in the Book of Ruth.  When Ruth sought to glean in the fields after the reapers, she “happened” to come to the portion of the field belonging to Naomi’s kinsman Boaz. Impressed by what he had heard about Ruth’s commitment to her mother-in-law, Boaz promised to protect her.  In addition, Boaz provided for her through his instructions to his men, and it was obvious to Naomi when Ruth returned from the field that someone took notice of her.  When she heard it was her kinsman Boaz, the formerly embittered Naomi blessed the Lord for His kindness.

 

PRAYER:

Lord, this wonderful story reminds me that You are at work in ways I cannot predict or imagine.  When I am tempted to be embittered at my circumstances, let me remember that You are working all things together for my good and that the only safe refuge is under Your wings.

 

HYMN:

God Will Make A Way – www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ruth+001

 

RUTH

Introduction

The short book of Ruth is a bridge between the two major parts of Israel’s covenant history. The first part (Genesis–Judges) focuses on how Abraham’s descendants became a nation and on the covenant God made with Israel. The second part (Samuel–Kings) tells the story of the nation’s kings and the covenant God made with David as the head of Israel’s royal line. Ruth helps the transition by opening in the days of the judges and ending with the genealogy of David.

The book appears to have been written to defend David’s right to be king. He was the great-grandson of a Moabite named Ruth. Because the people of Moab didn’t help the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, the law didn’t permit any descendant of a Moabite to join Israel, down to the tenth generation. If they couldn’t even join the community, how could one of them serve as king?

The book is set up like a drama or stage play. Each scene features a short introduction and then dialogue between the characters. The book ends with a ten-generation genealogy leading up to David. So the form of the book mirrors its purpose, which is to show that genuine faith was present in a woman from a nation whose descendants were normally excluded for ten generations.

The book also shows how God’s purposes are accomplished in the world. God’s good laws (allowing the poor to collect grain in the fields), his providence over events, and the personal kindness of people all combine to help the story find a redemptive conclusion.
 
www.bible.com/zh-TW/bible/111/RUT.INTRO1.NIV

 
Ruth Chapter One (ESV)

15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

 
REFLECTION:

The backdrop of this story of Ruth is the period of the Hebrew judges, an era marked by apostasy, lawlessness, and savagery.  By contrast, there are no murders and no villains in Ruth.  Rather, the story portrays life in a peaceable village setting among hardworking agrarian peasants.  Neither are there supernatural events in the story.  The Spirit of God descends upon no one and the angel of the Lord visits no one.  Instead, we see God working behind the scenes – a God of “coincidences”, accomplishing His purposes through ordinary people who overcome adversity by means of personal initiative, ingenuity, and acts of selfless devotion.

1. Naomi is formally releasing her daughters-in-law from any future responsibility toward her. She entrusts these women to God’s care through her prayer since she is unable to provide for them.  Despite her own distress, Naomi also recognized the need to look to the welfare of others and through her prayer, she entrusted these women to God’s care (vv8-9).
2. Ruth’s vow of loyalty to Naomi and the Hebrew God is certainly a countercultural decision by this Moabite widow. She willingly exchanges her ethnic and religious heritage for the people, culture and religion of Naomi.  Perhaps Ruth sensed a faith in Naomi that Naomi herself had lost sight of.  At any rate, Ruth made a commitment – to Naomi and to Naomi’s God.  This reflects the process by which men and women today often find their personal relationship with God.  Individuals are drawn to a Christian or to Christians and through them come to know Christ.
3. When we share our lives with others, even when we’re having troubles as Naomi was, something about the reality of our relationship with God shines through and draws others to the Lord.

 

PRAYER:

Lord, I thank You for the love of Ruth for Naomi and for her willingness to abandon her old life so that she may receive the new life from You.  May I too abandon myself completely to You and Your loving purposes. May my life reveals the loving relationship You and I share so that others may be drawn to You.
 

HYMN:

Take My Life and Let It Be – youtu.be/y3gWwGDGgVA