Unworthy Yet Loved: The Reason We Love Him

 We love Him because He first loved us. – 1 John 4:19

No one can love God if they do not know that God loves them. Most people either ignore Jesus or oppose Him. Few love Him because few truly know His love. He loved us first, and that's why we love Him.

We love Him; not only the good things, gifts, and blessings He has given us.

We love Him and long for His presence.

We love Him and obey His Word.

We love Him and think of Him.

We love Him and love the things He loves.

We love Him and rejoice in Him.

We love Him and prefer Him above all.

We love Him and His loved ones.

We love Him, and we love to talk about Him. We love to talk with Him.

The One who loves us is wonderful, and we, His loved ones, are unworthy, so it is not surprising that we love Him.

His love is unchanging, indescribable, infinite, sacrificial, saving, and never-ending.

Love for Him is the most effective and strongest of sin-killers.

That’s why I want my love for Him to increase day by day, so that I may put to death all the works of the flesh, sins, and wrong desires. The more I love Jesus, the more easily I will overcome temptation, and the more easily I will kill the things He hates.

From my diary,

September 30, 2024

Job's Friends: Comfort or Condemnation?

How then can you comfort me with empty words, since falsehood remains in your answers? —Job 21:34

I have always been puzzled by the behavior of Job's friends. Did they come to comfort or to cause more pain? They accused Job of sins he had never committed, despite the fact that God Himself testified about Job, calling him "a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil." Job was right—his friends' comfort was empty.

When someone is sick and you don't have the right medicine, it is better to give nothing than to offer the wrong remedy, which not only fails to help but can also cause harm. This is what Job's friends did. How could their comfort be genuine when there was falsehood in their answers?

Instead of empathizing with Job’s suffering, they approached him with the biased belief that the righteous should never face hardship and the wicked will never prosper. True comfort comes from being inspired by the Word of God and speaking it with conviction. A comforter must believe the words they offer, not just recite Scripture without faith. Job's friends, in this sense, were false comforters.

From my diary,

September 29, 2024

Sanctification and Strength

 … And the one with clean hands will grow stronger and stronger. Job 17:9

Spiritual growth is a gradual process, and true progress requires a life of holiness. Where there is holiness, there is increasing strength. The desire for holy living leads to greater holiness, a heart committed to prayer becomes more fervent, and resistance to sin brings ever-growing strength in the battle against temptation. What a wonderful  promise for those with clean hands—they will grow stronger with each passing day.

From my diary,

September 28, 2024

Preventing the birth of sin

“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:15

To prevent an unpleasant birth, we must take the necessary step of mortification. To stop sin from being born, we must kill the desire that conceives it. I am reminded of John Owen’s quote, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” Every Christian must put sin to death. But sin must be killed before it is born, while it is still only a desire, a thought. Negative thoughts need to be eliminated before they grow into hatred and envy. Dissatisfaction must be uprooted before it turns into a complaint.

I am reminded of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. He plucked baobabs on his planet every day. When the narrator remarked that baobabs are very large, the Little Prince responded simply and wisely, “Before they grow so big, the baobabs start out by being little.” They had to be pulled out while they were still small. Sin must be dealt with while it is just a thought. Once it grows, it becomes much harder to remove

From my diary,

September 27, 2024

No Unemployed in God’s Kingdom: Work While It Is Day

 

"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work." (John 9:4)

Jesus didn’t say, “I will work when I see fit” or “I will do God’s works when I want to.” His followers speak like Him and work like Him, understanding that the day does not last forever. Night will surely come, so we must work while it is still day.

Daytime is not for sleeping. Every person born into God’s kingdom is called to work; there are no unemployed in God’s service. Lately, I have been praying for more opportunities to serve and to participate in God’s work. May I labor heartily and diligently for His glory.

From my diary,

September 26, 2024

The Heart's True Landlord: God's Word

 “… because My word has no place in you.” (John 8:37)

I don’t want these words of Jesus to apply to me. There is a place for God’s Word to dwell, and that place is the heart To make room for it, I don’t just need to rearrange things — I need to empty my heart completely, so that God’s Word occupies not just a part of my heart, but my whole heart. His Word must be the sole Landlord. The Word of God doesn’t seek a temporary lodging but a permanent home in my heart. Only when God’s Word fully resides there will sin have no room in my life.

From my diary,

September 25, 2024

In Every Season, His Care Preserves Us

"You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit."

— Job 10:12

Job was able to speak these words in the midst of immense suffering, loss, and sorrow, bearing witness to the Lord's constant care. All the heroes of the Bible who trusted in Him could offer the same testimony. Every child of God can bear witness to God's care. If someone does not, it is either because they are blind or ungrateful. For it is impossible to recognize God's care and not be thankful.

From my diary,

September 24, 2024

 

A prayer journal filled with God's children's names

"I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers." Philemon 1:4

In my prayer journal, there are the names of about seventy Christians for whom I pray. I imagine that if the apostle Paul had kept a prayer journal, he wouldn't have been able to write down all the names. Paul's prayer list must have been very long, as he wrote that he prayed for the Christians in the churches of Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica, and Philippi. He was grateful to God for them and faithfully lifted them up in prayer.

Paul preached, healed, prophesied, spoke in tongues, and did many things I cannot do, but there are two things I can certainly do: pray for God's children and encourage them to remain in God's Word.

This is why I desire a stronger prayer life, a consistent prayer habit, and friendships with sisters who love to pray.

From my diary,

September 23, 2024

 

Answered Prayer: Encouraged to Return

 "And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? Luke 18:7" - Luke 18:7

The answer to Jesus’ rhetorical question is clear: yes, the Lord will give justice to His elect.

In the parable, Jesus tells of an unjust judge who grants justice to a widow because of her persistence. “Yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not wear me out by her continual coming.” (Luke 18:5) The unjust judge grew weary and granted justice simply to be left alone.

The persistence of that poor widow should humble us, as we often fail to persevere in prayer. When we don’t receive an immediate answer, we tend to stop praying. Let's reflect on the discouraging circumstances the widow faced, and the encouraging circumstances we have. She was a widow, poor, without a husband to care for her. The person she sought help from was a stranger, indifferent to her plight. He was not only a stranger but also unjust, heartless, unashamed of people, and unafraid of God.

But the One we turn to is no stranger—He is our Father. He desires to solve our problems, never tires of hearing from us, and rejoices when we come to Him. Yet, the widow had something many of us lack: persistence. She obtained what she sought because she refused to give up. The unjust judge granted her request just to keep her from returning, but our Father grants our requests so that we will come to Him again.

From my diary,

September 22, 2024

Joy in Heaven, complaints on earth

 

“This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” – Luke 15:2

"I say to you, there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." – Luke 15:7

While there were complaints on earth, there was joy in heaven. The hypocrites grumbled because Jesus welcomed sinners, yet the repentance of those very sinners brings celebration and joy in heaven. Jesus shared a meal with them, and one day, they will share a seat at His heavenly table. He accepted sinners, and in return, they accepted Him as their Savior. The Pharisees may always find reasons to complain, but we should rejoice that the Lord seeks out and rescues the lost.

From my diary,

September 21, 2024

Unseen Faithfulness: Job’s Heavenly Praise

 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” – Job 2:3

Job’s life circumstances had drastically changed—he had lost his great wealth and all his children—yet his faith in God remained unwavering. God’s opinion of Job had not changed either. He continued to call Job His servant and praised him for his steadfast integrity. People may have thought that God had abandoned Job, but they didn’t hear what God was saying in heaven about him. Even today, people often make wrong judgments based on external appearances, unaware of what God may be saying in heaven.

From my diary,

September 20, 2024

Mordecai: A Ruler Who Served

"...seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen." – Esther 10:3

Only Mordecai's position had changed. The former captive, once a common man, had become the second most powerful figure in the kingdom, yet he remained the same. As before, he sought the good of his people. Though a man of great power, he was humble, God-fearing, and committed to doing good. It surprises me that some "Christians" claim it is normal or natural for a ruler to seek his own gain. Mordecai, however, never sought his own benefit.

From my diary,

September 19, 2024

 

The Presence that Brings Joy

 "...and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad." – Esther 8:15

Who could have imagined that the cause of such great joy in the city was the sight of a man clothed in royal robes and wearing a golden crown? This man, second in authority only to the king, brought joy because he served the King of Kings and sought the welfare of his people. His presence brought peace. If the appearance of Mordecai could bring such joy, how much more does the presence of the King of Kings fill the hearts of God’s people with joy and peace.

From my diary,

September 18, 2024

Choosing prayer over anxiety

 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

Worry or Pray?

Unfortunately, I often do the former. It is impossible to do both at the same time. No matter how many reasons there are to worry, we can make them all subjects of prayer.

Prayer is always necessary, always possible, and always effective. Worries must be dealt with as sins are: brought to God's mercy seat. Anywhere the throne of grace is near, at any time God is available, and any concern is a subject of prayer.

Our Father knows our needs and has promised to provide for them. He knows our enemies and delivers us from them. He knows our temptations and gives us victory over them. He knows our fears and removes them. He knows our desires and delights in granting them. He does not forsake His children but has given them the great privilege of free access to the throne of His grace—the opportunity to bring unlimited requests. When we take our cares to Him in prayer, He rejoices because it means we trust Him; we do not doubt His love, His promises, or His power.

God never grows weary of hearing our concerns. He will not scold us for bringing every worry—whether large or small—to His feet. So, I will use this privilege. I choose not to be foolish but to take all my cares to Him in prayer.

From my diary,

September 17, 2024

For Such a Time as This: Your Divine Appointment

 "And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this ." – Esther 4:14

Anyone who has a work to do in the kingdom of God will eventually come to a moment in life when, like Mordecai, they are able to recognize the gifts given to them and see how the circumstances of their life were planned by God to fulfill the assignment given to them. Mordecai correctly discerned that Esther became queen not for her own glory or to enjoy wealth, but to save her nation from destruction.

When you recognize that the circumstances of your life—your gifts, your position, and your location—are determined by God for a specific purpose, you should use the opportunities, talents, and resources He has given you. Now, I can apply Mordecai's words to myself: "Who knows if perhaps you have become a translator for such a time as this?" Yes, I believe that God placed it in my heart to learn French and planned for me to learn English as a second language, because years later, I would need that knowledge to serve God and His people.

From my diary,

September 16, 2024

Scriptural Symphony: Hymns in Harmony with the Word: He's Coming Soon

Sing "He's Coming Soon"

Reflect on Revelation 22:20

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" — Revelation 22:20

He's coming soon, He's coming soon,

With joy we welcome His returning;

It may be morn, it may be night or noon,

We know He's coming soon.

This song is joyfully sung by those whTopical meditation 2024

September 14o eagerly await the promise of Jesus: "Yes, I am coming soon." Their hearts and treasures are not bound to this earth but are fixed in heaven. They have heard Jesus' promise, "I am coming soon," and with great anticipation, they respond, "Amen, come, Lord Jesus." Their greatest joy lies in the hope of His return, and their most important task is to prepare for that glorious day.

Topical meditation 2024

September 15

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