‘The Lord said to me, ‘You have been travelling around this mountain country long enough. Turn northward.”’ Deuteronomy 2:2–3 ESV A biologist experimented with what he called ‘processional caterpillars’. He lined up caterpillars on the rim of a pot that held a plant...
Paul’s Thorn And Yours (3)
‘My power works best in weakness.’ 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT Paul writes: ‘Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the...
Paul’s Thorn And Yours (2)
‘To keep me from becoming proud.’ 2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT The Bible doesn’t tell us what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, but Paul tells us why God permitted it: ‘To keep me from becoming proud.’ Increased achievement and success can lead to increased pride and...
Paul’s Thorn And Yours (1)
‘I was given a thorn in my flesh.’ 2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT Bible scholars disagree as to what Paul’s ‘thorn’ was. Some think it may have been poor eyesight, others a speech impediment, and others a physical challenge. Why doesn’t the Bible tell us? Well, if his problem...
Developing Patient Endurance
‘Suffering produces endurance.’ Romans 5:3 ESV Isn’t it interesting how as we get older, we tend to become more patient, even though we have less time left? Why is that? Perspective! Our problems haven’t changed that much, but our perspective has. Things that once...
Trust God’s Timing (2)
‘What I have said, that I will bring about.’ Isaiah 46:11 NIV God has a plan for your life that requires certain things to happen at a particular time. And since He sees the big picture and you’re working with limited information, it’s wise to trust Him—even when you...
Trust God’s Timing (1)
‘When the right time came, God sent His Son.’ Galatians 4:4 NLT God doesn’t consult us to make sure His plans line up with our timetable. God sets the schedule. Sometimes we have to run to keep up, and other times we have to slow down in order to get in step with Him....
Christmas symbols
‘In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.’ Ephesians 1:7 NKJV Today, some people are trying to remove any public mention of Christ at Christmas, while others seem bent on secularising it completely. So...
Confessions of a Secret Sinner
‘The Lord looks at the heart.’ 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT Pastor and author John MacArthur says: ‘Jesus’ exposition of the law is a devastating blow against the lie that image is everything. Secret sin is especially abhorrent [detestable] because: (1) God sees the heart. In...
Undercover Boss
‘I sat among them for seven days.’ Ezekiel 3:15 NIV Ever seen the reality TV show Undercover Boss? In it, the company owner goes undercover disguised as a regular staff member, and works alongside the other employees. He or she gets to experience their daily pressures...
Most Recent Devotional Readings
Belajarlah untuk tidak setuju, secara menyenangkan
‘Kenakanlah belas kasihan, kemurahan, kerendahan hati, kelemahlembutan dan kesabaran.’ Kolose 3:12 John Gray menulis buku laris Pria dari Mars, Wanita dari Venus. Ide dasarnya adalah ini: untuk bergaul dengan seseorang, Anda harus mencoba dan melihat kehidupan dari...
Learn to disagree, agreeably
‘Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.’ Colossians 3:12 NLT John Gray wrote the best-selling book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. His underlying idea is this: in order to get along with someone, you have to...
Menempatkan orang lain terlebih dahulu
‘Hendaklah kamu saling mengasihi sebagai saudara dan saling mendahului dalam memberi hormat.’ Roma 12:10 Dosen Amerika Ralph Waldo Emerson berkata, 'Tidak ada batasan untuk apa yang dapat dicapai jika tidak masalah siapa yang mendapat pujian.' Kebanyakan...
Putting the other guy first
‘Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.’ Romans 1 2:10 NIV American lecturer Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.’ Most people know about Isaac Newton’s...
Menurunkan untuk meningkatkan
‘Satu hal telah kuminta kepada TUHAN, itulah yang kuingini...’ Mazmur 27:4 Anda mungkin harus menurun secara material untuk meningkatkan secara rohani. Jika memiliki sesuatu, memeliharanya, dan khawatir kehilangannya merampok hal-hal yang paling penting bagi Anda...
Downscale in order to upscale
‘One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek ...’ Psalm 2 7:4 NKJV You may have to downscale materially to upscale spiritually. If owning things, maintaining them, and worrying about losing them is robbing you of the things that matter most like peace, joy,...
Selalu bersyukur kepada Tuhan
‘Adalah baik untuk menyanyikan syukur kepada TUHAN.’ Mazmur 92:1 Wartawan Fulton Oursler bercerita tentang seorang perawat tua bernama Anna. Dia telah menghadiri kelahiran Fulton, ditambah kelahiran ibunya. Dia menghormatinya karena mengajarinya pelajaran terbaik...
Always be thankful to God
‘It is good to give thanks to the Lord.’ Psalm 9 2:1 NKJV Journalist Fulton Oursler tells the story of an elderly nurse called Anna. She had attended Fulton’s birth, plus that of his mother. He honours her for teaching him the best lesson he ever learned about giving...
S.T.R.E.S.S. (3)
‘Sesungguhnya, Akulah TUHAN, Allah segala makhluk; adakah sesuatu apapun yang mustahil untuk-Ku?’ Yeremia 32:27 Ingatlah kemenangan masa lalu. Perhatikan bagaimana Raja Yosafat berdoa: ‘ Bukankah Engkau Allah kami yang menghalau penduduk tanah ini dari depan umat-Mu...
S.T.R.E.S.S. (3)
‘I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?’ Jeremiah 3 2:27 NKJV Remember past victories. Notice how King Jehoshaphat prayed: ‘Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the...