Month: April 2023

God Promises Good Outcome!

As Job agonises over his situation,
his three friends explain that he
must be suffering because of
some terrible sin he committed.
They try to persuade Job to repent
of his sin. When Job argues that he
hasn’t sinned enough to deserve
such suffering his friends respond
with even harsher accusations.

Lord, we will Keep to Your Way:
Then Job answered and said:
Even today my complaint is bitter…
Oh that I knew where I might
find Him… I would present my
case before Him (Job 23:1-4).
But He knows the way that I take;
when He has tested me, I shall
Come Forth As Gold… I have
Kept His Way… I have treasured
the words of His mouth (J23:10-12)
Whatever He wants to do, he does.
He’ll Do for me all he has planned.
He Controls my destiny (v13-14).

Lord, You love to speak to Your
people; but sometimes, like in Job,
You maintain long silences and
that can be rather uncomfortable.
For You are tuning our ears to Your voice & teaching us to wait on You.
Lord, when I cannot really sense
Your presence or hear Your voice,
keep me drawing me towards You.
Give me the patience & persistence
to keep seeking Your face. Amen. ok

Lord, I praise You for faithfulness
& for knowing the way that I take.
Thank You that when I have been
tested, I will Come Forth As Gold.
Lord, it’s painful not to hear Your
voice & wonder where You’ve gone;
but my eyes are still fixed on You.
Let me not waste the pain Lord;
instead use it to draw me deeper.
And show me treasures of Your
ways and Your kingdom. Amen.

Lord, You control my destiny
and I fully trust in Your goodness.
So fill my vision with hope, which
is the expression of Your goodness.
You have given me promises,
and offered hope, even when
I can’t see all the way ahead.
Help me Lord to walk in the good purposes You have planned for me.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

God In Control of the Situation

Backgrounder to Job 15-19:
Job agonises over his situation.
His three friends explain that he
must be suffering because of
some terrible sin he committed.
They try to persuade Job to repent
of his sin. When Job argues that he
hasn’t sinned enough to deserve
such suffering his friends respond
with even harsher accusations.

Lord, we’ll Put out Trust in You:
Then Job spoke: I have heard
all this before. What miserable
comforters you are! Won’t u ever
stop your flow of foolish words?
I could say the same things if
you were in my place. I could
spout off criticisms against you
…but that not what I would do.
I would speak in a way that
helps you. I would try to take
away your grief (Job 16:1-5).
Then Job spoke again: How long
will you torture me? You are
trying to use my humiliation as
evidence of my sin (Job 19:1-5).
For I know that my Redeemer Lives,
& He shall stand at last on the earth;
My flesh may be destroyed, yet from
this body I Will See God (v25-26)

Dear Lord, help us from the painful
experience of Job how to be a true
friend and Encouraging Comforter.
Lord, whilst we sometime cannot
understand troubles that befall us
we know You’ve awesome power,
and You are In Control of situation.
Help us never doubt You but
have unwavering faith like Job
that Our Redeemer Lives. Amen.

Lord, help me learn from the
painful experience of Job not
to sermonise, accuse, criticise,
or even talk for sake of talking to
someone who is in pain and grief.
Help me instead to put myself
in the other person’s place,
offer help and encouragement,
thereby Be A Comforter. Amen.

Lord, whilst sometimes just
like Job, we could not explain
troubles that beset us, we will
purpose not to forget You God.
Whatever happens, we like Job,
Trust You God Is In Control,
Trust You will never forsake us &
Trust You God in Your kairos time
will come as a redeemer. Amen.

God Is Merciful & With Us

Job agonises over his situation.
His three friends explain that he
must be suffering because of
some terrible sin he committed.
They try to persuade Job to repent
of his sin. When Job argues that he
hasn’t sinned enough to deserve
such suffering his friends respond
with even harsher accusations.

Lord, we know You are With Us:
Eliphaz replied: Stop and think!
Does the innocent person perish?
When has upright been destroyed?
My experience shows that those
who plant trouble and cultivate evil
will harvest the same. They perish
by a breadth from God. They vanish
in a blast of his anger (Job 4:1-9).
Affliction does not come fr dust…
Yet man is born to trouble…
But for me, I would seek God.
And to God I would commit my
cause – who does great things,
and… marvelous things (Job 5:6-9)
Job: What is man that you make
so much of him, that you give
him so much attention. Have I
sinned? What have I done to you,
O watcher of all humanity? Why
have you made me your target?
Why not just pardon my sin and
take away my guilt? (Job 7:17-20)

Dear Lord, help us learn from the
painful experience of Job how to
be a true friend & not be careless in
words basing on wrong assumption
that suffering is a result of sin.
Help us to Be Careful With Advice
& lead us to listen empathetically.
Help us when under trial, to learn
from Job: Claiming You’re With Us
and believing in Your mercy. Amen.

Lord, help us to be careful of
what we say lest our words only
serve to increase pain of others.
Help us avoid come to conclusion
too readily or take a truth and
simply apply to someone’s life.
Help us realise that You can use
suffering to transform character.
Help us look at suffering as test
of our faithfulness to You. Amen.

Lord, it is hard to comprehend
the depth of Your love and why
You care about details of my life.
Where bad things have occurred
and I have blamed You Lord,
I humbly ask for forgiveness.
Thank You O God for working
things out for my good. And
Grateful that even in difficult
times You Lord are with me;
and draw me close to You. Amen.

God Watches Us in Tough Times

Job, a godly and wealthy resident
of Uz, watches helplessly as his
health, blessings and prosperity
collapse around him. Unknown to
him, Job’s problems do not begin
on earth, but in heaven. With God’s
permission and within divinely
imposed limitations, Satan launches
devastating attack in an attempt
to force Job renounce God. In the
midst of each trial, Job’s faith in
God shines brightly, tho personal
turmoil tears at Job’s heart as
he asks repeatedly: Why God?

Lord, we purpose to Trust You:
The Lord asked Satan: Have you
noticed my servant Job? A man
of complete integrity & fears God.
Satan replied: Yes Job fears God
but not without reason!Take away
everything he has & he will curse
you! The Lord said: You may test
him. Do whatever with everything
he possesses, but don’t harm
him physically (Job 1:8-12).
Job shaved his head, and said:
Naked I come from my mother’s
womb, and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has
taken away; may the name of
the Lord be praised (Job 1:20-21).
And the Lord said to Satan: Do
with him as you please. But spare
his life. So Satan struck Job with
terrible boils from head to foot.
His wife said to him: Are you still
trying to maintain your integrity?
Curse God and die. But he said:
Shall we indeed accept good
from God and shall we not
accept adversity? In all this Job
did not sin with his lips (Job 2:6-10).

Lord, we Trust Your Sovereignty
even in the midst of suffering.
Although we don’t know why
bad things have to happen but
You’re in control of the situation
and You’re able to carry us through.
Lord, when under time of testing,
lead us to look up to You, and
deliver us from fears. Amen.

Loving Lord, I want to praise You
no matter what happens in my life,
in good times and in bad times.
Even in midst of disappointment,
loss, or failure, I will purpose to
continue to praise and thank You.
As I wait upon You Lord, help me
to hold on to trust You will work
powerfully in my situation and
be glorified in the process. Amen.

Lord, just as the teacher cannot
speak during a test, You God
often remain silent in testing times.
I don’t know why the bad things
have to happen but You know best
and I purpose not sin with my lips.
As I look to You Lord, restore me;
for in Your strength will I breakthru.
And by faith I will walk on Lord;
then I’ll be complete in You. Amen.

God’s Word Is Trustworthy

Through both His words and works,
Christ proclaims His true identity
to the disciples and the multitudes.
At 1st even His closest companions
are perplexed by His power and
authority, wondering: What manner
of man is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey Him (4:41). But
patiently through the miracles of
exorcism, healing and even raising
the dead the Master Servant works
to convince His followers of the
nature of His person and mission.

Lord, we’ll Wholly Trust Your Word:
Listen, a sower went out to sow…
The one sown among thorns; they
are the ones who hear the word
and the cares of this world…choke
the word and it becomes unfruitful.
But the ones sown on good ground,
those who Hear the Word, Accept
It and Bear fruit (Mark 4:1-20).
When evening had come,
Jesus said to his disciples: LET US
Cross to the east side (v35).
Suddenly a storm struck the lake.
Waves started splashing into the
boat and it was about to sink. Jesus
was in the back of the boat asleep.
His disciples woke him and said:
Teacher don’t You care that we’re
about to drown? Jesus got up and
ordered the wind and waves to
be quiet. The wind stopped and
everything was calm. Jesus asked
His disciples: Why are u So Fearful?
How is it you hv No Faith (v37-40).
And they said to one another:
Who can this be, that even the
wind and the sea obey Him (v41).

Lord, worldly worries and desire
for things can affect us, especially
when our routine is overcrowded.
For material pursuits can easily
distract & deafen us to God’s Word.
Help us Lord to be focussed so that
we can Hear God when You speak.
Lead us not to have divided heart
but instead be Wholehearted to
You by Responding to Your Word.
Mold our hearts Lord to see things
from Your perspective so that we
will be ready to produce fruit. Amen

Lord, help us to remember clearly
Your Instructions like what You
told the disciples: “Let US Cross.”
Remind us to Rely On Your Word
and Not Focus on situation we’re in.
Remind us Lord Your Presence and
help us to say focussed on You.
Remind us no storm can take us
off course, for You Can Do all things
& Your plan can’t be thwarted. Amen

Lord, Thank You for Mark gospel,
which captures two purposes of
Christ coming to earth: to minister
and give His life a random for many.
Grant us the grace to be like Jesus
in having a servant mindset.
Grant us the grace to Love the
Word of God and to Respond to it.
Grant us the grace to Trust Fully His
Word for it’s powerful & trustworthy.
Lord, we’ll Live By Your Word. Amen.

Trusting God thru His Promises

The purpose of the Gospel according to Mark is to present
the person, work and teachings of Jesus, portraying Him as the perfect Servant who come to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.
On Monday, we learn from Mark 1
that God Empowers & Directs Us.
On Tuesday, we learn from Mark 4
that God’s Word Is Trustworthy.
On Wed, we learn from Mark 8
that Christ Is the Bread of Life.
On Thursday, we learn from Mk 10
that God Enables & Rewards You.
On Friday, we learn from Mark 13
that Christ Promises to Return.
On Sat, we learn fr Mk 14-16 that
Christ Obeys Father’s Will For Us.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who trust You;
for You truly keep Your promises;
for You’re trustworthy & can satisfy our deepest needs and longings;
for You direct us, enable us, and
obeys Father’s will for us. Amen.

Christ Obeys Father’s Will For Us

The time has come for Jesus
to demonstrate the full extent of
His servanthood. For the Passover
Lamb of God, the long-awaited
hour has arrived. Conspired against
by His enemies – betrayed by one
close follower and denied by another
– tried and finally executed, Jesus’
life of service seems to be finished.
But in the greatest of all miracles,
Easter dawn reveals an empty tomb,
setting the stage for Jesus to
commission His followers to
bear the glad tidings worldwide.

Lord, having thoroughly prepared
the disciples, your actions in the
Final Day on earth shows you are
Fully Obedient to the Father’s Will
to Give Yr Life as ransom (Mk10:45)
At the Last Supper, You said one of
you who eats with me will betray me
(M14:18) & yet You did not stop him.
You greatly desire to get out of
the intense suffering and yet You
went to Gethsemane to pray: Not
what I will but what You will (v36).
Thank You Lord Jesus and really
grateful for choosing to surrender to
the Father’s will in loving obedience.
Whilst Your sacrificial love is
really very lofty, we are challenged
and purpose to be more obedient
to God and His mysterious ways.

Lord, at trial before religious leaders
You chose to remain silent when
false charges were thrown at You.
And yet when high priest asked:
Are You the Christ, the Son of the
Blessed? You said I am. And you
will see the Son of Man coming
with the clouds of heaven(Mk14:62)
At trial before political authority,
when Pilate asked: Are you King
of the Jews? You said: It is as you
say. And yet when Pilate asked
about priests’ false accusations,
You answered nothing (Mk 15:1-5).
Jesus in all Yr previous encounters
where religious leaders accused
You of wrong doings, You had no
problem defending Yourself. And
Yet this time You chose not to do so,
having received triple confirmation
from the Father of His will for You.
Grant us discernment on God’s
will and tender heart to yield to it.
Whilst there may be challenges,
we know the almighty, all loving and
all faithful God is on our side. Amen.

Lord, at the cross when teachers
of the law mocked You; He saved
others but He can’t save himself?
Let this Christ come down now
from the cross, that we may see
and believe (Mark 15:27-32).
You who Calm the sea (Mk4:39) &
yet chose to remain at the cross.
And then there was darkness over
the whole land for 3 hours (v33).
And You cried: My God, My God,
why have You forsaken me ?
Then the veil of the temple was
torn in two from top to bottom.
So when the centurion saw that
He cried out like this & breathed
His last, he said: Truly this Man
was the Son of God! (Mk15:34-39).
Thank You Lord Jesus for Your love
enduring suffering on our behalf.
We love You in deep gratitude!
Grant us the grace to deny self,
take up the cross and follow You
in obeying to do Father’s will. Amen.

Lord, we purpose to Trust Yr Word:
We note You appeared to the eleven
and rebuked them for their lack
of faith and their stubborn refusal
to believe those who had seen Him
after He had risen. Then He said:
Go into all the world and preach
the good news. Whoever believes
and is baptised will be saved,
but whoever does not believe
will be condemned (Mk 16:14-16).
Lord, we should trust You without
doubt for You’ve good plans for us &
You as faithful God fulfils promises.
Lord, with Your resurrection,
we have good news to proclaim
in obedience to Your commission.
Help us carry out our assigned tasks
out of love of You and others. Amen.

Christ Promises to Return

The final week of Jesus’ earthly
life dawns; that period of time
which occupies more space in
the Gospels than any other stage
of Jesus’ ministry. His arrival in
Jerusalem coincides with the
preparations for the Feast of
Passover. Though events move
quickly, Jesus is never hurried.
There is time to clean the temple,
watch the widow contributes
her two mites, and give final
instructions to the disciples.

Lord, we’ll Prepare for Your Return:
Nation will rise against nation…
And there will be earthquakes… and
there will be famines and troubles…
These are beginning of sorrows…
The gospel must 1st be preached
to all the nations (Mk 13:8-10).
Everyone will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds with great
power & glory. And He will send out
his angels to gather his chosen ones
from all over the world(Mk13:26-27)
Since you don’t know when (these
things) will happen, stay alert and
keep watch. The coming of the Son
of Man can be compared with that
of a man who left home…(for) a trip.
He gave each of his employees
instructions on the work they were
to do, and He told the gatekeeper
to watch for his return. So keep a
sharp lookout! For you do not know
when the homeowner will return…
Don’t let him find you sleeping when
he arrives without warning (v33-36)

Lord, the events of the end times
are still to come in world history.
The signs are already here with
raised frequency of earthquakes,
pestinences and lawlessness.
And surely Lord the day will come
when You will appear in the clouds.
Help us be prepared for Your return,
know Your Word, be weary of false
prophets & share the gospel. Amen.

Lord Jesus, You have promised
to come back for Your church.
Help us not lose sight of what You
have called us to do as we wait Your
return with hope and expectation.
Help us be diligent in Your assigned
tasks as we anticipate that day.
We purpose to share the gospel
with our friends and loved ones.
Lead us sow seeds of love & prepare
their hearts to receive You. Amen.

These are the days of Elijah,
Declaring the word of the Lord.
And these are the days of Moses,
Righteousness being restored.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in Yr world.
We are the labourers in Yr vineyard
Declaring the word of the Lord!
Behold He comes riding on t clouds
Shining like the sun at t trumpet call
Lift yr voice, it’s the year of jubilee
Out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.