Joyous Battle

Imagine joyfully confident soldiers with smiles at the frontline.
What a radical thought.
Yet, that may not be completely far from what God had in mind for us.
For does not scripture say that God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control?
Why then should we be timid, reluctant soldiers?

Verse
Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ
and manifests through us the odor of the knowledge of him in every place.
-2 Corinthians 2:14

Thought
We each have our own struggles and battles to face everyday.
Whether big or small, God delivers us from every one of them.
This is because God loves us and wills for us all to know Him.
Knowing that we are walking into a battle assured of victory,
would there be any reason for fear?
Joyful people are contagious.
If we choose to rejoice in the Lord and allow Him to work through us,
we will in turn draw others and inspire them to know God more with us.

Prayer
Father God, I know You are with me,
delivering me from every difficult situation today.
I choose to rejoice and to press on in claiming these victories that You are winning with me, in my life.
Lord, renew my mind today, and make it different.
Through my life, help me to make a difference in someone else’s life today,
and prepare me to be always ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks me a reason for my hope

-Grace Lin

____________________________________________

Sunday, August 2

Christ in Me

“Christ understood that we have a terrible hunger for God…
that we have been created to be loved, and so he made himself a Bread of Life
and he said, ‘Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you cannot live,
you cannot love, you cannot serve’
…He also wants to give us the chance to put our love for him in living action.
He makes himself the hungry one, not only for bread, but for love.
He makes himself the naked one, not only for a piece of cloth but for that understanding love, that dignity, human dignity.
He makes himself the homeless one, not only for the peace of a small room,
but for that deep sincere love for the other.
And this is the Eucharist.
This is Jesus, the Living Bread that He has come to break with you and me.”
- Mother Teresa

Verse
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
- John 6

Thought
God is available to you wherever you are.
Come to Him in prayer and ask him for spiritual communion.
Pray for those around you. Pray for every member of your family and all your love ones.
what if we can adopt a ministry of intercession in our lifestyle.
Embrace it – Christ in you.

Prayer
I offer up my every thought, word and action to you Jesus.
May my life be one fueled with faith and filled with prayer.
May this day be the best of days, because it was spent with You.

_____________________________________

Monday, August 3

Fall-In and Check-Strength

You are right where you are today
because it is the calling of every male in this country to be enlisted,
to serve and defend our nation.
likewise.
when we think of our final destination in heaven
it is then that we also know, that we are all chosen.
our names written on the palm of God’s hand.
for eternity, for forever.

Verse
Rejoice that your names are written in heaven
- Luke 10:20

Thought
The call of country – two and a half years
The Kingdom of God – NEVERENDING!

Prayer
Father i thank you for reminding me that this world is not my true home.
i praise you for the knowledge that you are expecting me
into your glorious kingdom
and i stand on the promise of eternity with You my God.

______________________________________________

Tuesday, August 4

Inspection

Bunk inspection, rifle inspection, gear inspection, toilet inspection..
boy can they be a real pain!
We slog to get everything tiptop, uniformed, cleaned and ready,
Inspection time comes around
and the only things that ever gets highlighted
are dirt hidden in the corners,
the mis-aligned item, the tarnished, crumpled and rusty.
a thankless task it is.
sure die, is the mentality.
and it will never be ‘good enough’ – we groan.

Now stop and think about this : a soul inspection.

Verse
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did:
sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us,
who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit
- Romans 8

Thought
What do you feel condemned about today?
How is it that sin-sick individuals like you and me
can be found blameless in the eyes of God?

we were all once condemned.
but God sent Jesus to die FOR US on that cross,
freeing us from the law of sin and of death.

- amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me -

Prayer
Lord i pray that you will lift any condemnation i feel in my heart.
Thank you for the cross
where my every guilt, shame, sin and failure
has been removed from my life and wiped free
For this my soul sings, to praise you, to love you.

_____________________________________________________

Wednesday, August 5

New Every Morning

The army is not the place to get yourself into the bad books of higher authorities.
because you will get marked – with extra duties, punishment, weekend confinements, and a earful of expletives from your commander.
simply put, every mistake and fault is remembered,
recorded and you are penalized accordingly.

Verse
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
- Lamentations 3:22-24 -

Thought
God is all-knowing, and He sees all that we are.
He has never been outwitted or outsmarted.
In our daily routine, nothing is hidden from His sight.
His ways are fearful and powerful and more..
Yet He comes to us, and shows Himself
as a God of love, mercy and kindness.

Prayer
Father, i praise You for You are powerful, loving, strong, kind and wise.
I thank you for meeting me with your love, compassion and kindness every day.
even when it is undeserving, unto someone like me.

God With Us

In any moment, event or place, God is with us.
He is always here, and He is able to make grace abound to us.
And the grace that is freely given is always sufficient in any circumstance.
But most times we need to get stripped away from comfort zones to really ‘get it’.
By this, I mean the loneliness, the homesickness, the distance from everyday luxuries/food/company.
When we are found in this state of brokenness, God’s grace meets us right where we are, lifting our minds and hearts toward Him.

Verse
Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you.
He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.”
1 Chronicles 28:19-20

Thought
God is never far away, He is all-powerful, all-loving and absolutely amazing.
He is for us, with us and can never fail.

Prayer
Nothing and no one compares or even comes close to you, God.
Today, help me lean on you when I am unsure, when I fear, when I am sad
and know that You are holding me.
I praise You Father for You are great and You are strong.

______________________________________________

Sunday, July 26

Faith Like A Child

We are all wired to make sense of things logically.
Because of that, we often end up placing our own theories and reasoning higher and above the ability of God.
Why is that?
When our God is the Star-Breather, Mountain-Maker and Life-Giver and Sustainer – even at this very moment.
In what do we place our trust in our daily walk: our worldly intellect? Or a child-like faith?
With a child-like faith, we can make a difference today… even with the little that we have.

Verse
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”
So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
John 6

Thought
God’s providence endures, even when things look hopeless or do not make sense.
‘God is God and I am not.’

Prayer
Father, give me the faith I need to trust You in any and every circumstance that comes my way.
Let me be a vessel that You can work through.

___________________________________________________

Monday, July 27

Communion

The quality of the conversations can be littered with profanities
and the general mood of the company you are in – sullen.
How do you respond?
The God we worship longs to be in close contact with us.
He longs to have a relationship, one that is close and dear.
If we draw toward Him, He runs to meet us.
When we stray, He draws us back with loving kindness.
What shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Nothing.

Verse
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by You, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:12-14a

Thought
We call, He listens. We seek Him, and He finds us.
It is an amazing thought, that we can have such freedom to fellowship with our very maker.

Prayer
Father God, you are interested in my coming and going. You choose to be close to me and commune with me.
Help me be aware of that throughout this day, and as I sleep,
let me be constantly reminded of this wonderful love You have for me.

__________________________________

Tuesday, 28 July

Made New
 
What is today going to be like? Same old like yesterday?
Consider every fine and microscopic detail, and the vast span of the universe.
God crafted today to be unique and beautiful.  

And you are a part of what He is making new.

Verse
This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
- Psalm 118

Thought
“The universe is centered on neither the earth nor the sun.
It is centered on God.” – Alfred Noyes

Prayer
As i look at my friends, all of creation in earth and sky, and everything that You have made Oh God.
Let me be reminded how amazingly creative and powerful You are.
Let me be rejoice and glad in these.

_______________________________________________

Wednesday, 29 July

Shine

Your buddy eats with you, sleeps with you, sweats with you, laughs with you, bleeds with you.
Does He know about Jesus?
There are opportunities to allow Jesus into your conversations and into a person’s heart.
- your mp3s, your bible, your weekends, your testimonies..
You do the talking.
Let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

Verse
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
- Matthew 5

Thought
God is Light.
The darker the place in which we stand,
The brighter He will shine through us.

Prayer
Father, for the wondrous things You have done for me, how can I keep silent.
Let me shine !
– just by my loving you, and my desire for You to be loved.

_____________________________________________________

Thursday, 30 July

Seek

Uncomfortable? Restless?
Understandably so.
There is a world out there waiting for you,
but for the moment, you are stuck here.
On the flip side..
There are millions of civilians out there who are uncomfortable and restless about their spirituality.
And understandably so.. they simply have not had time for God.
Turn your situation of confinement into a wonderful blessing.
Let the time you have today, be spent on dwelling in His presence.
And be glad in it.

Verse
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
- Psalm 84:5

Thought
Don’t look ‘out’ today.
Look up.

Prayer
Jesus, i wait and i long for you.

______________________________

Friday, 31 July

Give

What’s in your locker? What’s for lunch?
How much will it hurt to hand that chicken drumstick over to your buddy?
Or the tin of biscuits you have to your bunk mates?
Yup
Painful.. ouch
Let your action be with much cost, and cover it over with prayer.
You can do it.

Verse
“And do not neglect doing good and sharing with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
-Hebrews 13:16

Thought
It can seem like a small thing, what you are doing,
Producing very little impact and requiring much cost.
How can you be truly rich ?
For God’s ways are radically different from man’s.
up is down
to honour is to be humble
His way to joy leads through pain. His path to life leads through death

Prayer
Jesus, for your glory – in the simple things.
By my actions, may they see and know your love.