Bible Truth Daily Devotion

August 7, 2010

Putting Trust In God

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 56

 

 

The background of this psalm is in 1Sam. 21:10-15. David was captured by the Philistines in Gath.  God gave him the wisdom to act as a mad man, so king Achish despised his presence and let him go. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 56:1-2. David said that he put up a fight against his enemy all day long.  He was overwhelmed by the sheer number of foes.  After he was captured, they trampled upon him and oppressed him. 

Psalm 56:3-4. David greatly feared the king Achish (1Sam. 21:12).  But he knew who the sovereign King is.  God was in control of everything, so David chose to trust in God instead of following his fear. 

Psalm 56:5-6.  The enemies would attack David.  They would attack with words by distorting his words.  They would devise a wicked scheme against him.  They would take actions against him.

Psalm 56:11. David repeated his refrain in v. 4 here, “In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” 

Psalm 56:12-13. Instead of thinking of the attacks of the enemies, David dwelled on God’s words and how to give thanks.  He knew that he would be delivered.  He just meditated on God’s words and knew that God’s word would triumph.

 

Meditation:

What do we depend on?  No one is advising that Christians should ignore our circumstance here.  But too often we pin our hope on what is happening around us.  We begin to live with limited vision and hope.  We fail to see the big picture and fail to depend on the Almighty God.  We take shortcuts and make compromises in order to get by.

David made a declaration here that he would put his trust in God.  Though his circumstance looked bad, being captured by a sworn national enemy, he chose to trust in God rather than his circumstances.  He chose not to be afraid of man but afraid of God.

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that your word will always remain, while the world will not last.  Please give us the faith to trust in You and Your word always.  We pray that we have that trust no matter what happens in our circumstance.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

August 5, 2010

The Miraculous Deliverance

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 1:00 am

Psalm 54

 

 

Have you experienced an event that you are looking at death in the face?  For believers, do you welcome that opportunity to be with the Lord or do you yearn to be delivered?  Longing to live more is not necessary a sign of unbelief or weakness.  In fact, David shows us in this psalm and in many others of how he wanted to be delivered from death. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 54:1. The story of the near capture of David in the hill of Ziphites is recorded in 1Sam 23:19-29.  With a tip from the Ziphites, Saul and his men came to search for David.  David first escaped to the other side of mountain but later was surrounded.  He had nowhere to run, and his situation was dire.  So he pleaded with God to save him. 

Psalm 54:2. David could have lost faith in God.  He could have complained that God put him in this bind.  He could have wondered why God just did not put Saul away.  But instead of doubting God, David just kept trusting the Lord and petitioned God in the prayer. 

Psalm 54:3. The Ziphites who reported the whereabouts of David were strangers to David.  The violent men were the men of Saul.  Although Saul saw them as messengers or helpers from God, they were clearly not discerning the will of God who anointed David to follow Saul as king. 

Psalm 54:4. God would work in a miraculous way.  As Saul had David within his grasp, he had to withdraw because the Philistine attacked Israel. 

Psalm 54:6. David would give a public testimony of the faithfulness of God.  He will give a thanksgiving offering.  He would praise the name of the Lord. 

 

Meditation:

Of course, we have to be delivered from death in order to read this commentary.  What have we done to give God the honor publicly?  What did we offer to God? 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for your deliverance in many things.  We ask that the Holy Spirit continue to guide us in sharing your grace with others.  n Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 28, 2010

Becoming Immovable

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 46

 

 

I was teaching some kids the Frisbee game this afternoon.  There was a lot of bumping around.  In fact, some big sized kids just moved the small ones out of positions by their sheer weight.  Life can be like that some times, we can be moved out of our positions by the sheer size of the problems.  The positions can be our convictions, our goals, or even our faith.  How do we keep our “positions” in the midst of adverse circumstances?  Today’s psalm teaches us how not be moved by our problems. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 46:1-3.  Trouble is inevitable.  It is just how big the trouble is.  Some people get annoyed or become fearful by little trouble; others take a much bigger trouble before they crumble.  Here the psalmist describes the trouble as big as the mountain sliding into the sea, with the earth shaking.  Surly the sight is scary.  Yet God’s people who look to God for help will not be moved because they trust in an omnipotent God. 

Psalm 46:4-7. The city of God is Jerusalem.  True to the saying in this passage, when God dwelled in the city, Jerusalem did not fall.  But when the apostasy of the Jews reached its limit, God’s glory then literally left Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:14-25).  Afterward, the city fell at the hand of Babylonians in 605 BC.  The earthly Jerusalem did not last forever. 

Nevertheless, there is an everlasting Jerusalem in the future.  It is not the present Jerusalem in the land of Israel on the map.  The book of Revelation describes a heavenly Jerusalem to descend on earth in the future.  That Jerusalem is the one that has the presence of our Lord and will last eternally.

Psalm 46:8-11.  The previous and the current portions of the psalm are in prophetic language.  When God rules in the heavenly Jerusalem, there will be no war on earth.  Although it is prophetic, the psalmist invites us to trust in the Lord and to live a life consistent with our faith.  In knowing that we will have a victorious future, we ought to give up strive in this life.   Giving up strive does not mean that we do not have struggles.  It means that we will not hold onto the world and the desire of it as if it is the only thing that matters.  We should have confidence that God will provide and should stop making sure that we got our fair share.  When God, who is  our stronghold, is with us, we will never be moved.

 

Meditation:

The psalmist said that Jerusalem will not be moved when God was in it.  Likewise, if God is in us, we too will never be moved.  Surely God did not dwell in Jerusalem forever because of sins; that is why it crumbled.  Similarly, when we sin by stopping to put God first in our life, we will be on shaky ground.  From our faith to our health and from our witness to our mind, none will prosper. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, following God whole-heartedly is a choice that we have to make and to keep.  The reward is tremendous despite the seemingly difficult steps ahead.  Keep trusting and doing the work of God and see how God becomes the stronghold in our life. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you will be the refuge and strength to those who trust you and follow your will.  We thank you that you will let us be in the heavenly Jerusalem when it comes.  Let us not be ashamed and let not our enemies triumph over us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 24, 2010

Overcoming Despair

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 42

 

 

Despair can be debilitating.  When people have no hope in a relationship or a situation, they would stop working at it.  What should the people of God do to overcome despair?  This psalm gives us some guideline in going about it. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 42:1. David was prompted to write this psalm by his circumstance and surrounding.  David was probably in Mount Hermon fighting a war.  Mount Hermon is located north of Jerusalem; the mountain had river stream. 

Verse 1 was a picture of a deer drinking from river.  David was moved to write the psalm because he saw how the deer was attracted by the water and was not deterred even by his presence.  There at that moment, David realized that he too longed for God just as much as the deer thirsted for the water.

Psalm 42:2. David wanted to be before God.  In the context of his days, he was not thinking about having a quiet devotion time, but he was longing to worship God in the temple in Jerusalem (v. 4). 

Psalm 42:3.  Why did David cry?  It was unlikely to be caused the enemies’ taunting.  Rather David was feeling despair because of the lack of the evidence of God’s presence in his current situation.   

Psalm 42:4-6. What did the psalmist do with his despair?  There are three things here that we ought to take notes.  Firstly, he said he called out to God in his situation (v. 6).   Secondly, he remembered the good time that he had in serving God (v. 4).  Lastly, he relied on his faith in God to administer to his soul.  In verse 5, David’s spiritual mind spoke to his emotional soul.  He was determined to trust in God not based on the current circumstances but based on his faith.  God’s provision in the past was the strong indication that God cared about him. 

Psalm 42:10-11. Circumstance might not have changed, but David was determined to hope in the Lord.  He just wanted to give praise to God, for the Lord was his help.

 

Meditation:

Life is a roller coaster.  It has ups and downs.  When we are going down, we can feel like we are never going to go up again.  In times like that, people need to do the three things that David did. 

People need to turn to God.  He is the unfailing strength.  Others may fail, but the Lord can come through.

People need to start counting on the service that they have given in God’s name.  This is not just about performance, but about God remembers what we give in Jesus’ name.  God never forgets our dedication to him.  Our labor in God is never in vain. 

People need to recall the good times God has provided.  Faith is not blind but is built through the encounters of God over the years.  Faith starts when we put our trust in Jesus Christ for our eternal life.  Knowledge that we did not work for our salvation but that we are saved through God’s grace is our assurance that God loves us.  When the Heavenly Father can love us with the life of His Son, there is nothing else that He would withhold for our good.  Faith is then built through the provision that God has given over the year.  Every provision, miracle, and encounter affirm that God cares for us.  With that faith, we can assuredly tell our soul that God will provide.

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have given your Son Jesus for our greatest need.  We thank you that you have continually provided for us.  Forgive us for our lack of faith when we become despair.  We pray that we seek after the Holy Spirit and follow the prompting.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 23, 2010

The Trusted Friend

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 41

 

 

Friends are important to everyone.  Some even treasure them more than family.  Indeed, friends can sometimes be better than family.  But friends are not always dependable.  When friends become untrustworthy and turn against you, the experience can be very painful.  Today’s psalm touches on this issue of shaky friends.

 

Commentary:

Psalm 41:1-3.  These verses describe how much God loves a cheerful giver (2Cor 9:7).  Nothing will knock him down.  Though he may have troubles, enemies, illnesses, God will deliver him from all.  

Psalm 41:4.  In consideration of the previous verses and the following verses, we can inference that David considered himself a cheerful giver.  On that basis, he petitioned God to forgive his sins and rescue him.  

Psalm 41:5-9.  What is the most painful experience?   Perhaps one of the most painful ones is to be sold out by someone that you have trusted.  They sold you out when you least expected them to.  They sold you out when you needed them the most.  This would be breaking your heart, let alone killing you.    This is what the psalmist experienced.

Psalm 41:10. When all hopes are lost, where do people turn for help?  Others may be discouraged, but the people can count on God to the rescue.

 

Meditation:

Who is a “real” trusted friend?  A trusted friend is someone who will not depart amid our sorrow and pain and who will help when we are down and out.  The one true friend, as David found out, is God Himself.  God is faithful and does not change his covenantal love.  Though we are faithless, the Lord remains faithful.

This character of God is much emphasized today.  We have songs like “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” to remind us that Jesus is the true friend.  He will lift our load while we have burden to heavy to carry and will care for us when we are sick and hurt.  Songs like “Great is Thy Faithfulness” speaks of the unchanging character of God.  The Lord is a friend that does not change His love regardless of the circumstance. 

Have you come to know Jesus as the trusted friend?  He is trustworthy because he came to die for us on the cross.  There is no greater love than this. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have provided Jesus for us in times of our greatest need.  We can never get out of the eternal punishment of sins on our own.  Thank you for the blood of Jesus and the salvation freely given to us who received Him.  Let’s who know Jesus as our trusted friend and savior tell others of your great love. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 7, 2010

The Power to Overcome Heartache and Hopelessness

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 27

 

 

Vulnerability often brings out the open attack from the enemies.  This situation is often the most difficult one for people suffering.  The enemies are many, and people once thought to be trustworthy would abandon you.  Heartache and hopelessness are inevitable.  How do we overcome this?  This psalm empowers us to overcome the heartache and hopelessness.  

 

Commentary:

Psalm 27:1-3. The psalmist begins with a proclamation of his fearlessness as a result of God’s protection.  Unlike the taunting we see at our sport games, this is not about the psalmist.  Its focus is on God.  It is a genuine praise of God from the heart. 

The situation for the psalmist was dire though.  The enemies had come out of the shadow and intended to maim or kill.  They numbered in many, and they surrounded him.  Yet the psalmist was confident that God would destroy his enemies. 

Psalm 27:4. The desire of the psalmist is to be in the presence of God.  This is true for this life and the eternal life to come.  The glory of God is in the temple. 

There is no longer any temple in Jerusalem.  There is a reason for that.  Jesus proclaims that we will no longer worship in certain place because God is a spirit (John 4:21-24).  Instead of an earthly place, we worship in spirit and in truth.  We look forward to the heavenly temple in heaven (Revelation11:19). 

Psalm 27:5-6. God’s protection was a real experience for David.  When David was on the run, he sought out refuge from the priest.  The priest gave him the bread for sustenance and the sword for protection.  David would give a thanksgiving offering for what God has done in his life.

Psalm 27:10. David felt a great abandonment.  Although his parents never really turned against him, he felt like he was largely forgotten.  Yet he was comforted because he knew that God would always be by his side and would be ready to pick him up when he fell.

Psalm 27:11. Like a son loving his father by wanting to learn his way, the psalmist asks God to teach him His way.

Psalm 27:12-14. Trusting God is a persistent, continuing effort.  In fact, if we stop believing, we will be despaired just like the psalmist said he would. We will be hopeful if we keep trusting God.  The word “waiting” is a faithful watch, believing that God will come through in the right time.  (See the commentary in Psalm 25:3). 

 

Meditation:

Have you been a situation that God has rescued you from?  If so, you have a thanksgiving to give in public.  Only then, you would complete the cycle of getting the power to overcome heartache and hopelessness.

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you rescue us in many ways.  We pray that we have power to live out as the light of the world.   In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

May 26, 2010

The Virtue of Patience

Filed under: Devotion in Genesis — Tags: , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Genesis 47:1-31

 

 

The virtue of patience is fast becoming extinct in our microwave culture.  We want everything at our fingertip instantaneously.  That is why instant noodle is popular.  Cell phone and iPod feeds into our need to connect to what we want instantly.  The problem is that we expect everything to be quick as well.  But many things do not work like that; for example, instant gratification seldom works when it comes to human relationship.  Patience is a timeless invaluable virtue.  This chapter shows us an example of that. 

 

Commentary:

Genesis 47:13-26. Joseph had a plan for Pharaoh.  The plan required a lot of patience.  In the year or following the year that Jacob arrived, the Egyptians used up their money to buy food.   Then the next year, they gave up the livestock for food.  The year after that, they sold their land and themselves to Pharaoh to avoid starvation.  Eventually, Pharaoh owned all the land.  He was able to rule over the feudal lords and to run the country as he fit.

 

Meditation:

Joseph was patient in carrying out his plan.  Despite the number of years it took, it was finally complete.  His patience paid off because people were grateful to Pharaoh for saving their life instead of taking their land.  Without patience, people probably would rebel instead of being grateful.  Once the plan was complete, Pharaoh got to move people to where he wanted them to be. 

We all need patience.  We need to trust in God in working out His plan.  Sometimes, it may be longer than we like.  When that happens, we are tempted to use our wisdom or our own scheme to accomplish the goal.  If we can’t wait for the Lord, we will not get the blessings from God. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, grant us the patience in the midst of difficulties.  Help us trust without seeing the result.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

April 21, 2010

The Unilateral Covenant

Filed under: Devotion in Genesis — Tags: , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 4:44 pm

Genesis 15:13-21

 

 

There are times God made promises.  And then there are times God made covenants.  What are the differences?  We can probably recognize that promises do not require us to do anything and that covenants most likely require some work on our part.  By and large this is correct.  But there are incidences where covenants are unilateral.  Today’s passage is one of them. 

 

Commentary:

Genesis 15:13-14. The prophecy of the sojourn of Israelites in Egypt has five parts: Their identity in the land, how they would be treated, when they would leave, their manner of leaving, and God’s judgment on the Egyptians.

What does it mean for the Jews to keep their identity for 400 years? In order to do that, they had to maintain their worship, culture, language, and customs distinct from the Egyptians.  This would also be a major reason for why they would be considered as strangers in Egypt.  For being the Israelites, meaning a people prevailing with God, they were oppressed by the Egyptians. 

Genesis 15:15. Unlike his descendents, Abraham would not have to go to Egypt.

Genesis 15:16. The reason for the sojourning is about the timing to levy judgment against the Canaanites. 

Genesis 15:17-21. The covenant was made by God alone.  Only God has walked between the halved animals.  God would fulfill it unilaterally.  No failure of the Israelites could stop them from occupying the land after the sojourning in Egypt. 

 

Meditation:

When a covenant is made unilaterally, it is like a promise.  God intends to fulfill it.  There are many unilateral covenants in the Bible.  They all show how much our God loves us. 

The giving of His son Jesus Christ is a unilateral covenant of God.  God is willing to give us His Son despite our failures.  That is why John 3:16 said for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.  We do not have to do anything in order for God to send us His Son.  It is entirely rooted in the love of God. Man can respond to this love with two choices: accept it or reject it.  There’s not any work we can do to enter into this covenant.  No there is any standing we need to be in.  We come as we are without one plea.  We can either take it or leave it.  What is your choice?

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us and giving us the grace.  We don’t deserve it and we cannot earn it. So thank You that we only have to trust in Jesus to obtain the salvation.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

March 26, 2010

The Unreasonable Faith

Filed under: Devotion in Hebrews — Tags: , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 9:28 am

Hebrews 11:1-22

 

 

What is faith?  How do people live out the faith?  Does faith always follow reasons?  These questions and more are answered in today’s devotion.

 

Commentary:

Hebrews 11:1-3. Verse 1 is perhaps the best definition of faith in the Bible.  Faith is not based on observable events.  It is the assurance one has based on the word of God.  The criteria of salvation do not change between the Testaments; all men must come to God by faith.  Faith is the substance that made the world. 

Hebrews 11:4-12. From Abel to Sarah, the saints of old demonstrated their faith in different ways. 

Hebrews 11:13-16. It is important to note that these giants of faith never got to see the promises coming true.  They waited for Jesus but never saw Him.  They had reasons to doubt but did not waver and were persistent to act out their faith.  They professed to be strangers and exiles on the earth.  They desired not the home on earth but the home in heaven.  They certainly demonstrated what faith is all about.

Hebrews 11:18-22. Faith is beyond reasons.  That was how, in the face of apparent paradox, Abraham could offer up Isaac, the heir to the promise.  Abraham believed in resurrection.  This unreasonable faith carried on from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and then onto Joseph. 

 

Meditation:

Where is our unreasonable faith?  Do we have to have visible causes to act for God?  Or do we step out because it is God’s will? 

 Living for today requires the faculty of reason.  Living for heaven requires unreasonable faith.   We preach the gospel to a stubborn person not because we have reasons to figure how the person would change but because we have faith.  We host evangelistic meetings not because we know certain persons will come forward but because we have faith that God will save.  We labor for the ministries not because some people are worthy to enjoy them but because of faith.  These are just some ways of being faithful.  We act out our faith not based on reasons but because we trust that heaven is a real place.  Therefore, we can follow Abraham’s footsteps of faith to trust God when His will is revealed to us.

 

Prayer:

Father, grant us the courage to live in faith, no matter where it takes us, in Jesus’ precious name, amen.

February 16, 2010

Complaining to the Right Person

Filed under: Devotion in Job — Tags: , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Job 23:1-17

 

 

When we go and make a complaint, the first thing we should do is to find the right person.  Don’t complain to a clerk for something that only a manager can give you.  Job got that first thing right.  In this passage, he reiterated his desire to go to God to complain.  

 

Commentary:

Job 23:1-7. Amid all these “good” advice from his friends, Job resorted back to his theme.  He wanted to complain to God directly.  He wanted God to answer his contention and not just show his great power. 

Job 23:8-17. Job said that he could never find God, but God knew where he was.  In fact, Job has followed God’s way.  The thought of God’s omnipotence and omniscience terrified Job. Despite the fear of being God’s presence, Job insisted that he would contend with God.

 

Meditation:

Now that we have Jesus as our mediator, followers of the Lord can take everything to God in prayer.  We can go to our Lord and tell Him all our sorrows and pains.  We have a Savior who understands and who has compassion for our weaknesses.

We can also directly ask our Lord for answers of things we do not understand.  Just like Job, who finally had a chance to talk to God, God will show us the reason in times.  Knowing that our God knows all things in the past and in the future and that our God has power to do anything, We just have to trust and obey.

 

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I give you my burden because it is tough to bear.  I pray that you give me the peace that I need at this time.  I also pray for the strength and the vision for the work of today, amen

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