Which Way Am I Growing?

Galatians 6:7-10

7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature^[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Reflection of Bee:

Tonight we are reminded of the principle of retribution or reaping what we sow. It is a comfort to those who seek to do right despite all odds.

There were many times I felt being unjustly treated but each time God reminded me that vengeance is His, He will repay accordingly. Whoever treated me unjustly will receive what they sowed. Sometimes, the ones that do that to me may be Christians whom I have trusted. Yes, I felt very disappointed, hurt and sad. But then again, they are still my brothers and sisters in Christ and I will leave it to God to due with them. I am to do good to them instead.


Dear Lord,
Though it may seems hard to accept that even Christians can do things to hurt me badly, yet I know that I am to do good to them. I pray for your strength and grace to forgive and bless those who hurt me. May You lead them to the path You want them to go and may Your love touches them.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Evening

Ephesians 5:6-17

6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.

8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."

15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Reflection of Bee:

To be wise - make the most out every opportunities (v15), share Christ with others

To be foolish - not knowing God's will (v16), reading the bible and pray is how God can speak to us.

Dear Lord,
Speak to me tonight that I know what You have in store for me. Teach me to choose the options wisely to Your glory.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

Never Lack

Psalm 23 (Amplified Bible)

A Psalm of David.

1THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

2He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.(A)

3He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake.

4Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [a]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

6Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

Reflection of Bee:

I was so thrilled when I saw tonight's passage, as I had been pondering over v1 during my bath before my devotion. So it seems God is confirming with me that I shall not lack or need anything more than I have, regardless of my situation. In fact, when I reflect on the things that God allowed to happen in my life I see God's hands and blessings in disguise.

Yes, whenever I make Jesus "my shepherd" to guide me, I shall not lack. He constantly refreshes me and protects me from harms. Yes he prepares "a table before me in the presence of my enemies". This really takes place. Praise God!

Dear Lord,
I see Your goodness, mercy and love in my life all these years. Thank You very much. I pray again that the things I do, the decisions I make, the words I say will be to Your glory. Guide me, my Shepherd, lead me to Your green pasture.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Morning

Lamentations 3:19-32

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.

20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.

21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.

28 Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.

29 Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.

30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

31 For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.

32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.

Reflection of Bee:

Very often, my anger for someone never last. Before the morning comes, my anger would have been dissipated. For the Lord has taught me to forgive. Yes, though I may still wonder why that person hurt me, but I don't bear grudge against that person.

As follower of Christ we just reflect the image of God. It is God's work in our hearts, not our own doing. In the same way, God's anger upon us will not last forever. He is full of compassion and mercy towards His children. However, we should not take that for granted.

Dear Lord,
Thank Your for your Your compassion upon me all the days of my life. Thank You that You did not give up on me but continue to transform my life to be more like Yours. May I continue to show compassion and mercy to others as well.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Unlikely Heroes

Judges 2:7-19

7 The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.

8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres [a] in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

16 Then the LORD raised up judges, [b] who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD's commands. 18 Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

Reflection of Bee:

History repeats itself, so is our generation of people as stiff-necked as the people of the Old Testament's generation. There is nothing new under the sun, just a different expression of sins. Yet those who continued to seek God dispite of these sinful environments are 'heroes' through the grace of God. We need to stay strong in our faith and resist the temptations that surround us daily.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for keeping me despite being in such environments. Thank You for Your grace the saw me through my life's journey. Even as I continue to travel without my special companion now, I pray that You will keep me strong. I pray for my new career venture that You will guide me as I have to make many new decisions. May each decision I make brings glory to You.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Number Our Days

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.

2 Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You turn men back to dust,
saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."

4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death;
they are like the new grass of the morning-

6 though in the morning it springs up new,
by evening it is dry and withered.

7 We are consumed by your anger
and terrified by your indignation.

8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

9 All our days pass away under your wrath;
we finish our years with a moan.

10 The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span [a] is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

11 Who knows the power of your anger?
For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

12 Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.

14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.

16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
your splendor to their children.

17 May the favor [b] of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.

Reflection of Bee:

God's term of reference is different from ours. He is immortal, we are mortal. He is eternal, we are transient. His 1-day is our 1000x365-days (v4). That explains why we can't see what He sees. We tend to see the present but He could see our future and have allowed things to happen in our life for our good. For this we could sing for joy.

Yes, we also need God's favour, otherwise the things we do may not be established (v17).

Dear Lord,
I commit all my works and plans to You now. Teach me to number my days and walk in Your favour.
I pray for Your unfailing love to be with me every morning too, that I may sing for joy throughout the day.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Hearing The Sermon Again

Matthew 4:12-17

Jesus Begins to Preach
12When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."[a]

17From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Reflection of Bee:

Many of us are quite 'hard of hearing' when it comes to spiritual things. That's why Jesus has to say "my sheep hear my voice". He did not say "my lamb hear voice". That means there is a process of growth needed in our Christian life before we can recognize the voice of God when He speaks to us. What God tells us to do will never deviate from the biblical principles. Therefore, we need to study the bible to know what they are and start following them first. When we are obedient to what is obvious and clear, we will be able to hear God's voice and know His direction.

Repentance can only take place when we know our wrongful ways. So again it is necessary to know right from wrong as we read the bible and allow the Holy Spirit of God to prompt us to do what is right.

Dear Lord,
Please remove all blockages that made 'hard of hearing' to Your voice. Let me be still and know what You want to tell me. Give me strength to obey You even though at times it may seems painful at the beginning. For You promised to work all things together for good to those who loved You and are called according to Your purpose.

Thank You for today's Sunday message that help me see why You have taken me out of certain situations or removing certain people from my life. For You want to bless/promote me and to protect me from harms.
Thank You for so many exciting things and plans that are coming my ways. Thank You for opening the doors for me. I pray for more guidance and wisdom to make the right decisions.
In Jesus' name I pray.Amen.

Hearing The Sermon Again

Matthew 4:12-17

Jesus Begins to Preach
12When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, along the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."[a]

17From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Reflection of Bee:

Many of us are quite 'hard of hearing' when it comes to spiritual things. That's why Jesus has to say "my sheep hear my voice". He did not say "my lamb hear voice". That means there is a process of growth needed in our Christian life before we can recognize the voice of God when He speaks to us. What God tells us to do will never deviate from the biblical principles. Therefore, we need to study the bible to know what they are and start following them first. When we are obedient to what is obvious and clear, we will be able to hear God's voice and know His direction.

Repentance can only take place when we know our wrongful ways. So again it is necessary to know right from wrong as we read the bible and allow the Holy Spirit of God to prompt us to do what is right.

Dear Lord,
Please remove all blockages that made 'hard of hearing' to Your voice. Let me be still and know what You want to tell me. Give me strength to obey You even though at times it may seems painful at the beginning. For You promised to work all things together for good to those who loved You and are called according to Your purpose.

Thank You for today's Sunday message that help me see why You have taken me out of certain situations or removing certain people from my life. For You want to bless/promote me and to protect me from harms.
Thank You for so many exciting things and plans that are coming my ways. Thank You for opening the doors for me. I pray for more guidance and wisdom to make the right decisions.
In Jesus' name I pray.Amen.

For Her and Him

Ephesians 5:22-33

Wives and Husbands
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[b] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Reflection of Bee:

Although the above passage seems to be talking more about a marriage relationship, the implication goes beyond that. It talks about true love and submission in a healthy relationship, which can also be applicable to singles.

"We believe that God's purpose for the body of Christ is that it should provide the context for deep and satisfying relationships. Marriage is one context for meeting our needs, but not the only one by God's design."
- FIND OUT WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR YOUR MARRIAGE

The command is for a wife to "submit" to her husband, not so much as to love her husband. Why? Women, by God's design, tend to love their men or husbands without being told when they can feel and see the men's love for them. However, submission might be a bit of a problem when they have more knowledge than their men. Submission and respect also go hand in hand. If the women find it hard to respect their men, it will be hard to submit. Yet women need to learn submission.

As for the men, the command is to "love" their wives. Men have the tendency of falling head-over-heel for their women during courtship or initial marriage. Yet time will tell if the men actually love the women in their lives or it was just some emotional infatuation. Therefore, men need to learn to truly love, just like Christ loves (sacrificial and unconditional).

The love of the men for their women will pave the way for this to happen. Mutual love, submission, and respect are what God wants us to have in a healthy Christian relationship with each other.

Dear Lord,
Teach us, your sons and daughters in Christ, to learn to truly love and submit just like Christ did. Turn our eyes upon Jesus so that we can model after Him. Teach us not to be selfish, but to love unconditionally. Teach us to submit to the authority You have ordained.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Keep On

Psalm 66:1-10

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth!

2 Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!

3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.

4 All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name."
Selah

5 Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in man's behalf!

6 He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.

7 He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Selah

8 Praise our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;

9 he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.

10 For you, O God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.

Reflection of Bee:

Tonight's devotional title, "Keep on", and the article that followed it struck me hard. For they echoed my thought today and was inspired to write my poem "Stay Strong In The Rain".

Very often, we may crumble when the 'rain' of broken hopes, dreams, trust, love, friendship, or relationship falls on us. We tend to see all things we do in life as "meaningless" just like what Ecclesiastes 1 says. Yet despite the 'rain', despite the fact that our pains mean nothing to anyone, and no one care about us, we have to "keep on" and "stay strong in the rain".

Some Christians may become too 'heavenly' or 'spiritual' that they do not feel their own or others' pains anymore. Instead of being in touch with their own emotions or that of others, they begin to quote scriptures to tell themselves and others that they shouldn't feel sorrowful about the pains and hurts they or others experienced.

Tonight's devotion shows us that God is the one who "preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping". That means, we do go through times of doubts and sadness. He is the one who "tested us" and "refined us like silver" (v9 , v10). We should be able to feel our emotions and that of others, but we take heart that all trials are under God's control.

However, knowing this fact does not make us 'robot' and have no feeling for others since God will be caring for them. In fact, a truly spiritually matured Christian is one who is able to empathize with others. Jesus was 'earthly' and human when He was on earth. He could empathize and weep with those who felt hurt and sad. He did something about their sorrows and not just tell them not to feel sad.

So what is meaningful in life? Ecclesiastes 12 concludes that....

1 Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
"I find no pleasure in them"-

13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for helping me find back my soul instead of just pretend to be 'heavenly'. As I begin to feel my emotion once again, I remember I need to rely on You. Thank You for keeping me from falling and moulding my life. Your "tests" helps me understand others better so I can console them when they need a listening ear and a shoulder to cry. Give me a heart of compassion always.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Pain Machine

Acts 24:16

16 So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Ephesians 4:31-32

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Reflection of Bee:

How can one forgive, be kind, and compassionate when one has been hurt over and over again by the same person? How can one not feel angry or bitter in such situation? Yet the above passage is asking us to do what seems impossible.

Yes, it is really impossible if we do it in our strength. The above passage says we can do it because God has first forgiven us (though we have hurt Him over and over again too). Because of Christ, we can forgive, we can do the impossible just like what the poem, Forgiveness, by Brenda Terrell says.

I do feel hurt and very sad each time I think of the past and present hurts. Yet when I think of Jesus, forgiveness is the word that rings in my heart. Forgive just as I have been forgiven. I can't forgive in my own strength, I have to rely on God's strength to do it.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for forgiving me. Thank You for giving me strength to forgive too. Teach me to release all past and future hurts to You. Teach me to forgive and bless those who have hurt me, betrayed me, and made me miserable.
I raise my hands now to give You all of them. Please take over and do what is necessary that Your name may be praised.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Rivers Of Living Water

John 7:37-44

37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

40On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."

41Others said, "He is the Christ."

Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? 42Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family[b] and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" 43Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Reflection of Bee:

It's a promise that Jesus will give us the living water when we come to Him. All He asks us to do is, "come". Sometimes we may feel dry in our spiritual walk. That's the time we need to turn to the living water and drink till we thirst no more.

Dear Lord,
I want to drink of Your living water... quench my thirst now, heal my body, soul and spirit. Let me once again be filled with Your life and overflow Your goodness to those come in contact with me. I need You now.
I pray too for Your living water to flow to my special friend.... to cool his stressful body, soul and spirit. That's he will know Your will for his life and follow Your leading. May Your love, joy and peace fill his soul tonight.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

This Is A Warning

Deuteronomy 28:58-63

58 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God- 59 the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. 60 He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. 61 The LORD will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. 62 You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the LORD your God. 63 Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.

Reflection of Bee:

The God we serve is one that is both compassionate and just, loving and righteous. Because of His these opposite attributes in God's character, Jesus has to die on the cross to fulfill both of them. Our sinfulness calls for God's punishment on us because He is righteousness. Yet His love calls for Jesus to die on the cross on our behalf so that those who accept His redemption can be saved from the wrath of God.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your love, but let us not forget that You are also a righteous God who cannot tolerate sins. I want to ask that right now You will search me and cleanse me from all my unrighteousness. May all my thoughts and words be acceptable in Your sight.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Full Pockets

Ephesians 1:3-12

Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he[a] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he[b] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

11In him we were also chosen,[c] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Reflection of Bee:

Tonight's passage has reminded me of my position in Christ and His blessings. God has plan for me that I may glorify Him. What is this plan?

When God closes a door He will open another, or even a few, as in my case. I pray that I will know God's will for my life and obey Him as He shows me.

Dear Lord,
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). Speak to me as I read Your word each day. May Your peace rests in my heart when I take the part You want me to go. I pray for Your discernment and wisdom as I speak to others.
I pray too that You will restore back my health soon that I may go to Your house to worship You this Sunday.
I pray too for few of my brothers and sisters in Christ who need Your guidance in their career. May You make Your will clear to them too.
In Your name I pray. Amen.

He Is There

Psalm 139:1-12

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

Reflection of Bee:

Who will be there for me
when I need words of comfort?
Who will be there for me
when I need a shoulder to cry?
Who will be there for me
when I need to pour my sorrows?

Who will be there for me
if I were to lose my vision?
Who will be there for me
if I were to lose my voice?
Who will be there for me
if I were to die tonight?


Dear Lord,
As I look back to my past I see Your hands upon me keeping me all the way. Sometimes You used people to help me along the way. Sometimes You hide Yourself from me so I will learn to live by faith and not by sight.
But now You hide others from me so that I will know that You are the only one for me when others go their ways.
In my sickness, I want to praise you still. For my life is in Your hand. Guide me in the path that I should go.

Who Is To Judge What’s Right?

Romans 2:12-16

12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Reflection of Bee:

God made us with a conscience. Whenever we are about to do something wrong, our conscience will e pricked so we would pause to think if we should proceed. However, we may also numb our conscience by disobeying it. After sometimes, this conscience might be dead and we will sin w/o even feeling guilty. That's the case for the hard-core convicts.

We need to be careful not to impaired the conscience God has given to us. In fact, for Christian our conscience becomes very sensitive as we let the Holy Spirit fill us. We would have discernment in situations we come across.

Dear Lord,
I pray that my conscience will be sharp so that I may do what is right all the time. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will grant me the discernment to judge right from wrong.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Fox Trouble

1 John 1:5-10

Walking in the light
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.

8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Reflection of Bee:

Our God is a compassionate God and ever ready to forgive us if only we confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness. Yet we tend to accumulate them, thinking they are too small or too big to confess to God.

Tonight's passage shows us that no one is sinless, therefore it is only normal to come to God for cleansing daily or whenever we sin. He is always faith and just to forgive us.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your cleansing blood. Thank You for Your love and forgiveness of all the sins I may have committed, knowingly or unknowingly. Thank You for the assurance.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Slow Down

Genesis 2:1-3

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Reflection of Bee:

The Seventh Day is supposed to be a day of rest God intended for us. Yet some of us just do not know how to rest but continue to work, work, work.... till we collapse one day.

I am also a workaholic and find it so hard to rest on weekends. I still do work on my off days. Such lifestyle is actually a 'time bomb' waiting to be exploded. In my case, it has 'exploded'... I have fallen very ill now because of my accumulated long hours of work and little rest. Stress built up gradually and my immunity level started to drop. I have never been so ill as now with full blown flu and chronic cough.

Thank God that I left my job at the right time. At least I could rest at home now when I am sick and still be paid for this month. I guess God is telling me that I have to "slow down". Whatever is God's plan for me, I want to know and follow.

Yes, Sunday is a day we should rest by going to church to worship God with fellow believers, and also spend time with loved ones whom we are too busy to give attention to during the weekdays. We need to learn to put down our work and relax so we can charge up our energy for work on Monday.

Dear Lord,
Thank You that You know what is best for me. I am learning how to rest on the sabbath day instead of working, which is contrary to what is best for me. I have broken down physically because of lack of rest. I have missed church services 3 times in a row due to my sickness. I pray for a speedy recovery so I can go back to church to worship You again on Sunday.

I pray too for my special friend that he will also learn to rest on Your Sabbath Day instead of working so hard. I pray You will help him complete his assignments soon. I pray he will have Your wisdom in not taking up more assignments than he could complete during the weekdays. Keep him in good health Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

God’s Secret

Romans 6:11-23

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reflection of Bee:

The amazing grace of God had saved us from the guilt of sins when we accepted His salvation. After being saved, we need to know that Satan has no more power over us, unless we allow him to control us (v14). "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." —1 John 4:4

The wages of sin is death (v23). This death not only refers to the physical one but also the spiritual death and death to our soul. When we continue to sin our conscience may becomes numb to guilt and therefore will not repent.

We need to learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit prompting in our heart so that we will not fall into the trap of the devil.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for the fact that sin has not power over me. Therefore, I can have the choice to be Your 'slave' and do what is right in Your sight. Yes, though there may be struggles in obeying You, yet You always win. Let me be sensitive to Your Spirit and know Your will for me in my life.
I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

No Longer Young

Psalm 37:23-31

23 If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;
24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.
27 Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
29 the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

Reflection of Bee:

As I learn to live as a Christian from the day I gave my heart to Jesus at the age of 12, I stumbled many times. The stumbling blocks could be others or myself. Yet through all those years I did not fall away from God. God kept my feet firm and my faith strong and upheld me with His hands (v23, 24).

God will watch over His children and will not allow them to become beggars. In fact, God told us not to worry about our future, for He knows our needs. We are more valuable than the lilies or the birds. He will watch over us as we keep our faith in him and obey His words. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Yes, as I grow older and reflect on how God have kept me and supplied my needs, my faith grows stronger each day.

Dear Lord,

Without You I can do nothing.
Without You life is just a dream.

Without You I will stumble and fall.

Without You I may lose my all.

Thank You for keeping me safe.

Thank You for guiding my way.

Thank You for supplying all my needs.

Thank You for the place in eternity.

In Jesus most wonderful name I thank You. Amen.

Jesus Cried

John 11:21-35

21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,[a] the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

35Jesus wept.

Reflection of Bee:

Jesus wept because of the living (v34), not because of the dead. For He knew that Lazarus will resurrect again if he is a believer of Christ (v25, 26).

I also have the tendency to weep when I see others weep. To Christians death is considered "asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). When Jesus comes back again, "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This is comforting for those whose loved ones are dead, if they have believed in Christ before they die.

Dear Lord,
Thank You that You can feel our sorrows. When I was weeping, You wept too. Thank You for the hope that we will be with You when we die. I don't know exactly how heaven will be like, but I know that I will be with You and that's enough for me.
Come quickly, Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

We belong to God

Job 41:1-11

10 No one is fierce enough to rouse him.
Who then is able to stand against me?

11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
Everything under heaven belongs to me.

Reflection of Bee:

God has created the heaven and the earth, so all things under heaven belongs to Him. If so, we also belong to God and we need to submit ourselves to Him.

Dear Lord,
Since I belong to you, surely you will take care of me. Once again I want to commit my life, my future, my career ad relationship to You. Thank You for loving me.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

Trampling Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]"

5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[b]"

7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[c]"

8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'[d]"

11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Reflection of Bee:

The devil tempted Adam & Eve (Genesis 3), and then Jesus, in 3 different ways: body (v1-4), soul (v5-7), and spirit (v8-10). Adam and Eve fell into the temptations of the devil, but Jesus overcame all the temptations.

Today, the devil still uses the same tricks to temp us. We need to learn from Jesus how to overcome these temptations.

1. Temptation of our physical needs:
Jesus told the devil that we need to live by God's word (Bible) and He quoted the scriptures to overcome Satan. That means, we need to know God's truth to win the battle.

2. Temptation of our emotional needs:
Jesus told the devil that we should not test God into giving Him what He wants. We must not test God in order to feed our emotional needs, such as telling God that if He is God He will bring us a spouse, etc.

3. Temptation of our spiritual needs:
Jesus told the devil that we should only worship God and no one else. We are not to fall into the trap of worshiping material things and recognize that God is the only one deserve our worship.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for the reminder tonight that I can conquer the temptations of the devil by following Your example. You know all my needs and You will be the One to supply them in Your time.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Inner Turmoil

1 Samuel 1:9-18

9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. [a] 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."
15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."
17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."
18 She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Reflection of Bee:

Who will know and see our inner turmoil, except the Lord God? Even our closest friends may not understand us and may even pass judgment on us in times of needs. Yet we know that we can always cry our to God for what men can't understand or ignored

Dear Lord,
Teach me to pray earnestly like Hannah did that You may answer my prayers and show me your path. Thank You for loving me
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

A Family Thing

Mark 3:31-35

Jesus' Mother and Brothers
31Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."

33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.

34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Reflection of Bee:

Our life on earth has family ties, both natural and spiritual. At times, we may be closer to our spiritual family than to we our natural family. The reason is that we may spend more times to share and to pray together with our spiritual brothers and sisters who do the will of God. Relationship are formed and develop though spending time together. There is no shortcut to it.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for the big family of God You have given to me. Yes, we want to do Your will to fulfill the Great Commission You have for us. That Your family may get bigger.
Amen.

Rescue And Response

Psalms 107-150

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south. [a]

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.

5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.

6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.

7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.

8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,

9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

Reflection of Bee:

Dear Lord,
Thank You that Your love for me never fail and Your kindness never cease. As I look back my life as a little child and now as an adult, I see Your faithfulness in my life. I commit my life to You again tonight... whether I live or die, may my life shows Your love story to others.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Reborn Identity

2 Corinthians 5:14-21

14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Reflection of Bee:

What can you do if you are dead? "Nothing", you may say. Right, when you are dead you can no longer do anything. However, if someone die on your behalf then the life you have now is no longer your own. That's precisely what v15 is saying... we who are saved by the blood of Jesus should live for Him.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me that my life is not my own but Yours. Teach me to leave a life worthy of You. I pray that You will guide me in the work I may do that it will help bring others to Your kingdom.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.