17th June 2025

Reliance on The Lord

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

   2 Corinthians 4:7

Today's Bible Reading:  2 Corinthians 4:7–18.

The apostle, Paul, was a man that relied on God. In many parts of the world, Christians suffer persecution. We may not all experience imprisonment or torture, but our culture does not always have much respect for what we believe. We may be ignored, mocked and rejected—even by our loved ones. That is why we need the same resilience on the Lord that Paul did.

Paul was qualified to talk about struggle and hardship. He endured many things; blindness, slander, beatings, stoning, shipwreck, imprisonment, and ultimately execution for the sake of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9), Paul uses four pairs of ideas, each linked by the phrase “but not”—to express both the difficulty we may experience when we choose to follow Christ but also the hope of our faith. “Hard pressed . . . but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” Even though we may experience difficulty or persecution, nothing can touch the eternal hope we have in Christ. Is your reliance on the Lord?

Prayer: My Heavenly Father, You know the challenges I face when it comes to living out my faith openly. Help me to keep my heart set on Your Son, Jesus, so that even when I face hardships or persecution, people will see You living in me. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

16th June 2025

Chains of The Past

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

   Psalm 147:3

Today's Bible Reading:  Luke 4:16-21.

One of life’s hardest lessons to learn, is that we cannot change the past. We can regret it … we can learn from it … we have to live with its consequences … but we cannot change it. As the Bible says, “You have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil” (Hosea 10:13). All of us carry the burden of the past around with us, and we can not change that fact.

However, You can change the future, with God’s help. If today you are living with the burden of guilt, regrets, remorse, or perhaps you are haunted by the past. In 1 Peter 5:7, the Bible says: Casting all your care upon the Lord, for He cares for you.

What should you do? First, take your burden to the cross of the Lord Jesus—and leave it there. Turn your life over to Christ today, and put your future into His hands. Then ask Him if you are not already in a church, to guide you to a church where you will hear God’s Word, and also find encouragement from others who can help you grow spiritually. Read the Bible and pray every day, and trust on the Lord to provide for you.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your tender, loving care each day. In Jesus name. Amen.

15th June 2025

War, Conflict and Strife

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off

have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  

 Ephesians 2:13

Today's Bible Reading:  Ephesians 2:13-16.

We live in a world of unending conflict. Lawlessness is in conflict with the law. Intrigue and dishonesty are in conflict with truth and honesty. Intolerance is at odds with tolerance and understanding. Lust and pleasure are in conflict with propriety and purity. Godlessness is at odds with righteousness. Disorder is at war with decency and order. As long as sin exists, conflict will continue to rage. 

The Bible mentions three enemies that bring about conflict: the world, the flesh and the devil. They combine to form a powerful foe to defeat mankind, but God is still in control, working in the lives of people. 

First: Worldliness is an attitude of the soul, never lifted upward in recognition of God. Its gaze is manward—never Godward. It is a materialistic, sensual view of life, centring its attention on gratification of human appetites and desires, completely blind to the things of God. This is why the Bible says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). 

The second enemy is the flesh, which speaks of sin’s nature. The apostle Peter wrote: “I beg you… abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). But there is hope, because when Christ died on the cross for man’s sin, He made the nature of sin inoperative by offering us forgiveness and salvation (Romans 6:11).

The third enemy is the devil, the commander-in-chief of the powers of evil. He accuses, tempts, deceives and lies, working through his allies—the world and the flesh.

But the Christian can know peace even in the midst of conflict if we turn to the God of peace, through His Son, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. 

Prayer: Lord God, Thank You for Your Son, the Prince of Peace. Thank You, that because of Him, I can have Peace in a troubled world. Amen.