"Leaning on My Rock"

WORD:

"From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. "  (Psalm 61:2)

DEVOTION:

When we are overwhelmed, it takes so much just to keep standing. I know that when I am physically overwhelmed, it takes all my energy just to walk to the nearest place to sit and rest. When I am mentally overwhelmed, I need to rest my brain and take a break from "thinking" so much. When I am emotionally overwhelmed, I need a place where I can break down and just cry, and release all the emotions I have had pent up inside.

Isn't it wonderful that we have a God - who is a Rock - that is higher than we are? He is strong when we are not. He is sturdy when we are ready to collapse. He lets us lean on Him when we are ready to fall down.

When your heart is overwhelmed, remember that Jesus' yoke is light, and He is always willing to exchange burdens with us. We just need to pray to God and ask for His hand in our heart, to bring rest and peace. I have felt strongest with God during my weakest hours, because that was when I was leaning on God as my Rock, and He helped me survive the storms and crashing waves in life.

"We can give thanks for everything because even the worst of situations will drive us right to God. And He promises that His peace will stand guard over us." —Buddy Riddle

PRAYER:

Dear God, You are strong, sturdy, and almighty. Thank you for being there as my Rock when my heart is overwhelmed and life seems to be crashing all around me. Please give me peace and rest when I feel like I can't get up anymore. Help me remember that You are always there for me to lean on when I feel heavy. Thank You for guiding me through the dark times of life even when I can't see you or feel your presence, but You are always there watching over me.

APPLICATION:

What is it that easily overwhelms you? Is it family problems, financial issues, personal stress? When you feel overwhelmed, take a "pause" each day with God and spend some time leaning on your Rock.

WORSHIP:

Shining - Phil Wickham

You guide me through the dark

You calm my fearful heart

I will rest in You

You give me perfect peace

You fill my deepest need

I will rest in You

God, shining like the sun

Let Your kingdom come

I want to be with You in Your presence

I'm here to give You praise

You take my breath away

And now I'm here with You in Your presence

"On Fire"

THE WORD:

"So that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. "

1 Peter 1:7

DEVOTION:

Have you ever felt like you were on fire - in a metaphorical way? People get "fired up" when they are excited about something or doing the activities that they are passionate about.  When people say, "Wow that person is on fire!" -  they usually mean that the person is in his or her own zone and can't be touched. That person seems unstoppable.

Sometimes when you're living with an illness, it's hard to feel "on fire" about anything. It's easy to lose interests or passion because you feel like everything that is happening to you keeps turning against you. In May 2011, my illness had flared up and I was put back on the much-despised steroid medication again after five years. I hated the side effects it gave me - the bloating, the moon face, the insomnia…by the time it was September, I was excited to be tapered off it. I only had 12.5 mg to go and then I would be done with this medication.

But in September, my illness flared up again and I went back on a high dose of the steroid medication. I was frustrated and angry with my illness. I started making terrible assumptions about my life, thinking that my illness will always haunt me until it kills me and that there was no point in looking forward to life, when life kept giving me lemons. No matter how many times I tried to make lemonade, everything just kept turning sour.

Then one day, it dawned on me that I had a choice - I had a choice about how I can live my life, regardless of whatever happens to me next. I can live my life with hope and trust in God, and look for the purpose in the pain. Or I can shun God and dwell in my pain.

The trials we face are fire testing our faith. Our faith is "more precious than gold" - and when gold goes through fire, it becomes pure and brand new.

We are God's children and He sees as like jewels in-the-rough. He wants to mold us to the person He wants to be so that He can better use us to serve His purpose. He knows every instant in our life, and knows how we will come out when we are tested by fire.

Maybe you think, "I keep going through so many fires - and I still don't  see any blessings from the Lord!" Maybe you are experiencing a blessing in disguise right now. Maybe your blessing will come later when you have emerged from your cocoon of waiting. Maybe the blessings that God planned to come out of your period of fire are not meant for you in this lifetime, but for a greater purpose that you do not know.

For even heroes in the Bible went through many periods of fire to test their faith. "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised" (Hebrews 11:39). These heroes of faith never got to see the promise of the Cross, but their faith and lives were stepping stones on the path to the Cross, God's ultimate plan to save the world.

I went through many period of fire in my life. I struggled with family stress during my childhood. I battled with a neurological disease. At the time while I was going through these periods of fire, I prayed to God to release me from it. I did not want this experience. But looking back now, and seeing who I am today because of the fire I went through and the blessings that accompanied it - I am thankful for my time in the fire and I would not give it back.

So when you are going through fire, remember that: "...God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28). We may not know exactly what this purpose is, but we can trust that God's way is higher than our ways, and He knows the best way to use our fire.

PRAYER:

Dear God, You are amazing and indescribable. I am sorry for the times when I have doubted your plan for me. Help me see Your purpose in my pain, and give me Your strength to persevere through these periods of fire. I ask that you help me keep my faith "on fire" - passionate and burning to know more of You. I thank You that you always cause everything to work together for the good of those who know You, even if we cannot see what that "good" is right now. Amen.

APPLICATION:

How have you been tested by fire? How can you be more "on fire" for God in your daily life?

WORSHIP:

"On Fire" - Switchfoot

You are the hope I have for change

You are the only chance I'll take

When I'm on fire

When You're near me

I'm on fire

When You speak

And I'm on fire

Burning at these mysteries

"Fighting Fraudulent Fear"

THE WORD:
"So do not fear, for I am with you; 
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."


~Isaiah 41:10


DEVOTION:
This is a powerful verse that speaks to us about how God cares for us. We need not fear or be dismayed because of who He is.


1. "I am with you"
We do not need to have fear, worry, or anxiety in our lives because God is with us. He has a plan to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). When we spend time worrying and being anxious, we are telling God: "I don't trust that you have everything in control." Instead of wasting time wondering where life will go next, be thankful that God is with you wherever you are.


Recently I had brain scans that showed that there is no sign of my illness. My rheumatologist told me that I can now transition off the chemotherapy and move on to a new medication. While this was supposed to be really great news, I thought, "What if I still get sick again in the future?" My illness can flare up at any time. Just because there isn't any activity now does not mean it will never come back. But why spend time worrying if it will come back? If it does come back, I trust that God will be with me - just like He was with me during the last three times this illness had flared. And if I get sick again, I trust that God has a purpose greater than my illness.


2. "I am your God"
A lot of people often forget who God is. God is the Creator of the Universe. He is omniscient. He is power and glory. And even with all this, He chooses to love us as our Father. J.B. Phillips is the author of the book, "Your God is too Small." In this book, he showed how many people forget the greatness of God, and then they become dismayed.


3. "I will strengthen you"
God will strengthen you. What a great promise! A friend of mine posted the reference to this Bible verse on my Facebook wall several months ago, and it brought so much encouragement to me during that time in my life. I had just been released from the hospital and struggling to return to regular life. I felt weak and tired all the time. But this verse says that God will strengthen you. Maybe He won't give you superhuman powers to move mountains, but he will provide strength for your heart and mind to persist through your current circumstances, so that you can continue to run the race He has set forth for you.


4. "and help you"
God is our Helper. All we need to do is ask. There is a popular quote that talks about God's answers to prayer:
"Yes,"
"not now,"
Or
"I have something better in mind."


When I was younger, I struggled with living in a stressful family situation. I prayed to God and asked Him to rescue me. To provide a way for me to escape. I asked Him to help me get top grades in school so I can get a great scholarship to attend the university of my choice and finally leave home. Instead, in my last year of high school, I was diagnosed with my neurological illness - something that will affect me for the rest of my life.


When I got sick at 17, I thought that was it. God forgot about me and instead of rescuing me, He made me even more dependent on my parents. But this trial ended up being a blessing in disguise. Because I got sick, my mom sent me to live with my aunt in the west coast because my mom knew I couldn't fully recover while living in a stressful home environment. And this turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life. Moving to the west coast was definitely not what I had in mind when I prayed to God for my rescue, but this move led me to attend a great university, meet new best friends, and through them - I met my husband.


Sometimes God helps us differently than how we imagined He would - we just need to trust Him and be patient for His plan to be revealed to us.


5. "I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Don't worry about falling down, because God will hold you up. In His righteous right hand, there is no room for fear. Fear is the opposite of everything that God wants for you. Fear and joy cannot coexist. Neither can fear and love, fear and peace, fear and hope. Someone said that fear is :


False
Evidence
Appearing
Real


Give your fears to God in exchange for joy, love, peace and hope in His hand.


Prayer:
Dear God, You are great and wonderful. You know everything about me, even when I sit or when I stand. I am sorry for the times when I have made You too small and doubted Your goodness. I thank you for being with me in everything through out life, and that You carry me when I am too weak to carry myself. I thank You for strengthening me and helping me in times of need. I ask that You reveal Yourself more to me  so I can feel Your presence in my times of trouble.


Application:
How does knowing that God is here to help and strengthen you bring you comfort? Someone said that fear is "false evidence appearing real," can you think of any parts of your life that is presenting fear? How can you replace fear with love, joy, peace, or hope?


Worship:
"My Savior My God" - Aaron Shust
I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior 


I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior


That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior 


My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be

"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