"Rewriting Endings"

THE WORD:

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."

Ecclesiastes 7:8

DEVOTION:

Some people probably don't agree with this Bible verse. After all, there are movies that start out with laughter and happy bubbles and ends in tears and goodbyes. There are relationships that started out blissfully and ended in resentment and anger. There are stories in our life that begin with such promise, only to end in brokenness. But patience, endurance and perseverance through such trials build strength. And at the end of all this, you will come out stronger and better than you were at the beginning.

This verse also echoes Ecclesiastes 7:1 where the writer says, "the day you die is better than the day you are born." This is because the writer knows that after we breathe our last breath, we will finally see God's glory - which is so much more than everything we endured in the chapters written in our life story.

Have you ever read a book where so many terrible things are happening to your favourite characters and you flip quickly to the end of the book, just for a brief glimpse to see that it all turns out okay? I have done that many times because I was too impatient to endure the trials with the characters in the book. By skipping to the ending, I miss the growth process of the characters or the revelations revealed to them that led them to the conclusion.

There have been many times where I wish I could just read the last page of a certain chapter in my life, just to see how it all turns out. If I had a time machine, I probably would  gladly send notes to a "younger me" telling myself not to freak out, everything will eventually be okay.

But it's during these hard chapters in our life where we grow most. Facing the difficulties of life builds our character, our strength, our perseverance - and best of all, our faith in God. God is the one who knows every ending to every chapter in our lives. We need to be patient and wait on Him to reveal His purpose and lesson in that chapter,

"Patience is better than pride" because it is better to be patient with God, then to keep demanding about His reasons for everything happening to us. When you find it difficult to wait on God and you're wishing to just skip to the ending already, remember that "waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be" (John Ortberg).

"Life has many different chapters of story. One bad chapter doesn't mean it's the end of the book." Each day, God gives you a new chance to rewrite your ending. And for Christians, no matter what the previous chapter is in our story, we all share one finale - eternity in Paradise where the chapter is filled with endless joy.

PRAYER:

Dear God,

You are the Author of life. All my days have already been written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). Thank you for always being near to me when I am going through the difficult chapters in life. I am sorry that sometimes I am not very patient with Your will and I just want to take things in my own hands. But You always have a better plan for me than anything I can come up with. Help me to grow stronger and more faithful in You during my periods of waiting. I pray that Your hand will be present through every last page of my story.

APPLICATION:

Can you think of a chapter of your life where God led you somewhere different than where you had intended to be? What is the most difficult part about waiting for a chapter to end for you?

WORSHIP:

"Story of your life" - Matthew West

"You Are Worth More"

THE WORD:

"You know that is was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."  1 Peter 1:18-19 

DEVOTION:

When you are feeling down, useless, or worthless - remember that the Creator of the Universe thinks that you are more than what you think you are. He paid the price for your freedom with His blood. He made you a little lower than the angels, and crowned you with glory and honour (Hebrews 2:7).

It's easy to get down on yourself when you constantly reflect on the brokenness in your life…broken hearts, broken relationships, broken decisions. Maybe you think, "What is the point of continuing when everything is meaningless?" Maybe you think, "Nobody loves me - I am worthless. How can anyone ever love me?"

The Creator of the Universe loves you, and He believes that you are worth more than silver or gold, you are worth paying for with the price of His blood. You are valuable…you are precious in God's eyes and therefore you are significant. God has adopted you into His family and being a child of God is worth so much more than silver or gold.

So don't let anyone bring your spirit down with harsh words and cruel intentions. Don't let your confidence be shaken. When God is on your side, nobody else can bring you down.

PRAYER:

Dear God,

Your love is indescribable. I am sorry for sometimes forgetting how much You love me and paying too much attention to other people's words that should not mean anything to me. Thank You for thinking of me worthy of Your blood, which is incomparable next to silver or gold. Please help me to daily see myself through Your eyes, as a worthy child of God. Please heal the brokenness in my life caused by hurt words and torn relationships.

APPLICATION: 

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" - Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Write on a sticky note, "You are loved by the Creator of the Universe" and place it somewhere where you can see it everyday.

WORSHIP:

"You are More" - Tenth Avenue North

'Cause this is not about what you've done, 

But what's been done for you.

This is not about where you've been, 

But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel, 

But what He felt to forgive you, 

And what He felt to make you loved. 

You are more than the choices that you've made, 

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, 

You are more than the problems you create, 

You've been remade. 

"When Hope is Blind"

THE WORD:

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

" For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Romans 8:24 (NLT)

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

 

DEVOTION:

Some people give up on hope because they lose focus on the possibilities. They give up and claim that it is a "lost cause" because they are tired of hoping for something they cannot see.

With a rare and incurable neurological disease, I live each day with the possibility that my illness can return at any time. Maybe with new symptoms. Maybe with permanent brain damage. Maybe the next time God will call me Home. Despite all these possibilities, I continue to hope that I will get better, and that one day - a cure can be found…even for such a rare illness as mine.

Some people give up on hope because it has disappointed them too many times. I was diagnosed with my illness at the age of 17, and it has struck me two more times since then with different symptoms. There was a point when I thought, "Will I ever be rid of this illness? Will it always be haunting my life?"

Hope is the desire that there is something better around the corner. When hope is blind, you cannot see what awaits you around this corner. That is why hope holds hands with faith…because faith "gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (Hebrews 11:1).

I don't know if a cure will ever be found for my illness in my lifetime. I don't know if I might be hospitalized again this year. But I continue to hope that the sun will still rise even after the darkest and coldest night.

For Christians, our hope is fueled by God's love. No matter what happens in this lifetime, our hope in God will never disappoint us. When life brings tears and pain, God says, "Hold on. I have much better things waiting for you."

So during the times of trials, we hold on to hope that God's purpose in this pain will be revealed to us. We remember that only God sees the full picture, and He knows what is around the corner. Blessings can spring out of burdens. Hopefulness can come from helplessness. Love can bloom from what once was lost. And when you have trouble keeping hope in God, remember "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). 

So you don't have to worry when your hope is blind, because God is omniscient and has a plan for you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

"God is the reason why even in pain, I smile; In confusion, I understand; and in fear, I continue to fight." (Unknown)

PRAYER:

Dear God, You know everything about me and about my life. I am limited but you are an unlimited God. When I am ready to give up hope when life brings me down, please remind me that Your ways are higher than my ways, and that Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. I may not understand now why I am going through this pain, but I understand that You work everything for Your glory. Although my hope is blind, help me to be patient for Your answer, Your rescue, and Your coming kingdom. Amen.

 

APPLICATION:

What do you hope for right now? How can you remind yourself to keep holding on? How would you encourage someone to hold on to hope when he or she is ready to give up? Do you think that faith in God makes a difference in hope?

WORSHIP:

"Before the Morning" - Josh Wilson

"Would you dare, would you dare, to believe,
that you still have a reason to sing,
'cause the pain you've been feeling,
can't compare to the joy that's coming

Would dare you, would you dare, to believe,
that you still have a reason to sing,
'cause the pain you've been feeling,
can't compare to the joy that's coming

Com'n, you got to wait for the light
press on, just fight the good fight
because the pain you've been feeling,
it's just the hurt before the healing
the pain you've been feeling,
just the dark before the morning"

"All who are Thirsty"

THE WORD:

"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 4:14

DEVOTION:

Everyone knows that drinking water is important. It is essential to living and health. Our survival depends on how much water we drink. In movies and TV shows where people are stranded in unknown land, you watch them search for water and see their relief when they finally find a source.

Health officials say that people should be drinking at least eight glasses of clean water every day to maintain good health. For people who are on chemotherapy such as myself, we should be drinking even more water to help wash away the toxins in our body.

Water also helps determine the quality of life. There are many countries in the world who do not have instant available clean drinking water. Even in North America, there are places where water is being contaminated.

Jesus describes himself as "living water." He is the spiritual water that quenches our spiritual thirst and gives life. When you have this living water, you can survive anything that life brings you. You may be stranded in a desert of problems and illness, but Jesus' living water satisfies your spirit and gives you the will to continue and persist. This living water also helps you cleanse away toxins in your life such as pessimistic thinking, hurt feelings, and bitterness. Jesus' living water is available everywhere and at any time, you simple have to ask Him for His water, and He will pour it into your life and make you stronger.

Sometimes in life, we think that if a certain problem goes away, we will be happier. Some think, "If I didn't have this illness, I would be happier. If I was richer, I would be happier. If I had a nicer family, I would be happier. If I hadn't made that bad choice, I would be happier." Instead of asking God for all these problems to leave you, ask for His Living Water instead…to give you strength and wisdom to go through any problems you have. You may thirst for better health,  a better job, a better life…but  Jesus can satisfy every thirst in your life, so that you no longer seek these earthly things because Jesus has quenched your thirsts.

This Living Water is not a temporary solution, it's an eternal solution…His water gives you eternal life. And the joy that awaits you in eternity is so much more than everything you will face in this lifetime.

PRAYER:

Dear God, You are a wonderful and merciful Father. Thank You for your gift of eternal life through Your Son, and this gift of living water that satisfies every thirst in my life. I confess that sometimes I have sought to satisfy my thirst in other places. I ask You now to bless me with Your living water, to quench all the thirsts in my life so that the only thing I have left to desire is more of You.

APPLICATION:

Are you thirsty for certain things in life? Have you tried to satisfy this thirst in an earthly way or through God's fountain of life?

WORSHIP:

"All who are Thirsty" - Kutless

"Blessings in Disguise"

THE WORD:

"I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."
Philippians 4:12-13 


DEVOTION:
If the trials of life came with a note from God about all the blessings it will bring about, would we be able to endure them better? Would we be more willing to be content in whatever circumstance life puts us in?


In his letter to the Philippians, Paul describes about how he has learned the "secret of living in every situation." What is this secret? Wouldn't we all benefit from knowing this secret? Life is a journey of mountains and valleys, storms and rain. The secret of being able to endure whatever life throws at you is knowing that you can do everything through Christ who strengthens you (4:13). Christ endured the worst of it all - the flogging, the mocking, the nails on the cross…Jesus also asked God if He could take away this cup of suffering, but because this was all part of God's plan to save the world through His son, God allowed it all to take place.


When we are in the midst of trials and pain in our lives, we can also rest assure that God is in control. God can use storms in our lives to move us from one place to another, and use it according to His plan. Remember the story of Joseph, and how his brothers sold him into slavery out of their jealousy. Joseph was even thrown into prison because he refused to fall into sin and have an affair with Potiphar's wife. But while he was in prison, he was able to interpret Pharaoh's dream and thus saved Egypt and other countries from starvation. When Joseph's brothers saw him again, he said, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people" (Genesis 50:20).


Joseph couldn't have seen what God's hand was doing during his time in prison, probably expecting to die at any time. In the children's movie, "Joseph, King of Dreams," Joseph sings a song while in prison, a song that describes how Christians can face their trials:


If this has been a test
I cannot see the reason
But maybe knowing I don't know
is part of getting through
I tried to do what's best
But faith has made it easy
To see the best thing i can do
Is to put my trust in You.


For, You know better than I
You know the way
I've let go the need to know why
I'll take what answers you supply
You know better than I


Sometimes it's hard to persist through trials when we can't see what it will bring to us, but as Paul says, we can do everything through Christ who strengthens us, and He gives us the strength and patience to persevere.


Joseph Addison said, “Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses, and disappointments; but let us have patience, and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.”


Looking back on my life, I see that the greatest storms in my life has brought me the greatest blessings:


1. When I was 17, I was diagnosed with a rare and incurable neurological disease called central nervous system vasculitis. While I was recovering, my mom urged me to move to the west coast so I can leave stressful family situations behind. In the west coast, I found a great university to attend and eventually met the love of my life who became my husband.


2. When I was 23, I was getting ready to move back to the east coast to attend graduate school but then my illness returned. My husband and I decided to stay in the Seattle area where he eventually found a job he loved that provided great stability and security for our family that we did not expect to have at this time.


3. Later in 2011, my illness returned again and I was hospitalized for three weeks. This flare up encouraged me to start using my story to encourage others who also live with an illness and encourage those with daily struggles. I started the HOPE support group, my HOPE blog and grew a bigger heart for others.


Blessings can come in many disguises…we just need to be patient until God can reveal what the blessings are. We are not God and therefore we are not omniscient. As mere humans we have a limited perspective on our lives and that makes us feel like that the trial we are going through is all we'll ever see. Some people face trials until their last breath and the blessings are not revealed until they are gone. There is one girl, Lauren Currie, who died from vasculitis also at the age of 17. But God has brought blessings through the legacy she has left behind. In her honour, Lauren's parents started the Lauren Currie Twilight Foundation to research and spread awareness about this rare disease.


So during the pains, losses and disappointments, don't give up hope because God is always in control - and while we wait for His blessings to reveal themselves, we have Christ who strengthens us to persevere.


PRAYER
Dear God, You know everything in my life before I even know it. Help me to trust in Your wisdom and plans for me in every situation I am in. Please give me strength and perseverance to endure whatever trials I need to go through to end up where You want me to be. 


APPLICATION
Looking back on your life, can you see any trials in your life that were blessings in disguise? Do you believe that you can survive anything through Christ who strengthens you? Why or why not?


WORSHIP:
"Blessings" by Laura Story


"What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise"

"Broken but Bandaged"

THE WORD: 

Psalm 147: 3 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit."

DEVOTION:

Some have said that there is no worse ailment than a broken heart. According to the dictionary, to be "brokenhearted" means   "having the spirits depressed or crushed by grief or despair."

Everyone has suffered from a broken heart to a certain degree, and some have suffered worse than others. It could be the broken heart of seeing someone you love pass away, or it could be the broken heart of having been the victim of terrible circumstances.

When people are physically wounded, a bandage is usually used to protect the wounds from infection or getting worse. In some translations, Psalm 147:3 says God "bandages up their wounds." A bandage is a "piece of soft material that covers and protects an injured part of the body."   God bandages our wounds with His love and grace so that our wounds do not get worse, and infect the hope and joy in our heart.

How can you have joy when you have a broken heart? As Christians, we have joy in knowing that one day - God will bring us to His Home where there are no tears, no pain, no broken hearts.   Do not forget that joy and happiness are different. Happiness is a temporary emotion that is a result of how this world satisfies us,  while joy is our inner spirit based on knowing that God has saved us.

God is the Healer of the brokenhearted who binds our wounds  - this includes physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds. You may be suffering from many wounds, but God is near to the brokenhearted - and when you are near to God, that is the best time to strengthen your spiritual life.

My heart has been broken by illness, by harsh words, by loneliness,  by relationships. When we are broken, God feels our pain when nobody else can. He is there ready to bind our wounds when we give them to Him.

PRAYER:  

Dear God, You are the Healer of the brokenhearted. You have promised to be near me whenever I feel like life cannot get any worse. Help me remember that my sad times on this earth are temporary, and the pain I am facing today cannot compare to the times of joy awaiting for me when You bring me to Your Home.

APPLICATION:  

How do you sense God's presence when you are brokenhearted?

WORSHIP: 

"Esther" by Esterlyn

"He heals the broken Hearted

He binds their wounds

He is Love"

"Your Grace is Enough"

THE WORD: 

 2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

DEVOTION:  

Paul wrote this Bible verse after describing that he had a thorn in his side… a thorn that he had asked God three times to remove, but instead God's response was, "My grace is sufficient for you."

What is grace? Last Sunday at church, my pastor referred to C.S. Lewis who said that Christianity differs from the rest of world religions because it is a story of grace…Christianity is about how God decided to give His free gift of eternal life - not because we deserve it - but out of His love. This is grace.

Imagine a criminal waiting for his punishment on death row. He must have committed terrible crimes to be sent to death row. Right as his name is called for his final walk down the famous "Green Mile," someone - a total innocent stranger - stops everything and says, "I will take his place. Let him go free."

That is what Jesus did for us - on Easter Sunday we celebrated His resurrection and His triumph over death - because He took our punishment in His place, so that when we die, we too can have life afterward with Him.

So when troubles come and we pray and beseech God to take our pain away, remember that God's grace is always sufficient for us…His grace is stronger than anything we are facing. And with  that, we can boast about our troubles…because God's strength shines best in our weaknesses, and that is a great thing to boast about.

PRAYER:  

Dear God, you are always strong even when I am weak. Thank you for your gift of grace which I do not deserve. I am sorry for when I doubt you and forget to bless Your name in times of suffering. I pray that you be with me through my times of trial and continually remind me that I don't need anything more than Your grace.

APPLICATION: 

 Have you ever been like Paul, where you have prayed to God many times to take away a certain problem from you? Perhaps you prayed that God take away your financial troubles, or your physical pain. What can you boast about God based on these experiences?

WORSHIP:  

"Your grace is enough" - Chris Tomlin

"Great is Your love and justice, God

You use the weak to lead the strong

You lead us in the song of Your salvation

And all Your people sing along

So remember Your people

Remember Your children

Remember Your promise, oh God

Your grace is enough

Your grace is enough

Your grace is enough for me"