On the Couch With God - Daily Devotional

Bible Reading: Romans 12:9-21 We may think our culture is not as hospitable as it could be towards Christians. We see many reasons to be grateful to God, compared to the early church’s trials. Paul delivers a clear message to the church in Rome. He encourages them to rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15a), as he did with the Christians in Philippi. There is something beautiful when we celebrate the victory of others. It is hard in such a competitive world. Envy seems to reign around us. It is for such reason that we must learn to celebrate when something good happening to someone else. Paul is not saying we should only rejoice when things are going well for us, but it says we should rejoice when it goes well for others, even if things are not going as well as we want for ourselves. I had the experience to rejoice with others when my life felt it was falling apart. It did not come easy. However, I felt the transforming power rejoicing with those that rejoice. Doing so, we recog

Bible Reading: Philippians 1:4-6 The Lord God carries on His work until the final day. Paul is an example of what Jesus accomplished in our lives. The apostle is an example of God’s goodness being reflected in his life. He used to persecute Christians. After his encounter with Jesus, he became a champion for the cause of the gospel. Paul grasped what Jesus had achieved for us on the cross. Paul saw how Jesus changed his whole being. He knew if the Christians in Phillippi were able to grasp this truth, they would be changed as well. For this reason, he wrote to them, “ … he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus ” (Philippians 1:6b). There are many reasons to be grateful. One of them is God’s radical generosity. Jesus went to the cross for us, and His teaching would transform us. If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already has redeemed you and brought you into God’s family. He is working to transform us into the likeness of Jesus. G

Bible Reading: Genesis 1 The world we live in is just beautiful. I have travelled around the world, and I have been in awe of God's creation. I can only imagine how the world was the day that the Lord God finish His masterwork. God's grace is expressed throughout creation. Recently, a lady in our church post a photo of the most stunning rainbow that we could imagine. God acknowledged the goodness of the earth. "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day" (Genesis 1:31). It should not be a surprise because the creation talks about the Creator. King David wrote about it on the Psalms, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalms 19:1). A joyful heart recognises God's goodness and the beauty around us. We are always tempted to see the negative side of things. I think it is because we are overwhelmed by 24-hour negative information. It is hard to s

Bible Reading: Philippians 4 Today’s reading has one of the most known verses in the Bible, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). This verse lifts our souls. We love to be glad, joyful, happy and to rejoice. Would it not be fantastic to be able to rejoice always? It is not easy. One day, we will, when the Lord comes back. Paul wrote these words when he was in house arrest, chained to a Roman guard and awaiting a trial that could be a death sentence. Paul had all the arguments to feel sorry. Christians in Philippi were neither in a comfortable situation because they were poor and outcasts. They could have reasons to complain. Yet, Paul’s word was “rejoice”. It is never easy to rejoice when we face difficult circumstances, or our family suffered injustice. Life is unfair. There are reasons to feel distressed. However, a joyful heart is such good medicine when we face hardships. A joyful heart revives our hopes when it points to God’s good works in

< Read: Psalm 107 Last week, we wrote down various reasons why we are thankful for: our friends, family, jobs, health. Each one of us had a list of motives that we were grateful to our gracious God. It makes such a difference when we realise all the things that the Lord Almighty has done in our life. This week I would like to invite you to continue thinking about thankfulness. Though, we could look to who we are thankful. Let us look to the loving Heavenly Father and recognise Him as the source of our physical and spiritual blessings. We can approach our Abba and thank Him for what He has done in our lives. He is waiting for us to come to Him. Today’s reading starts with the following words, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1). It invites God’s people to give thanks to the Lord God for His redemption from the Babylonian exile. We have so much to be thankful to Him. Out of His love, God has chosen as His people. The Lord has delivered us

Bible Reading - Ephesians 1:3-14 “ Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ ” (Ephesians 1:3). If you have written down the three things to be thankful every day; may I ask you to take the list and look at it? How many are everyday things (food, family, job, health or good weather)? There is more to a thankful heart than we think. There is a spiritual reality that too often we forget about it. We should be grateful to God for spiritual things that have become in our daily life: salvation, forgiveness, spiritual gifts, faith. We don’t think in the spiritual blessing because we are often conditioned to believe materially. Paul writes his list of things that he is thankful. He lists many of the spiritual blessings that are available for all of us. Paul starts saying, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” and finish it with “...to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:3, 14). Paul

Bible Reading - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “ Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus ” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) In God, there is always a way forward. Whatever you are facing, there is a place of rest and peace. A door that can bring joy, even when there is so much evil around. A thankful heart towards God drives away all the negativity, worry and envy. On the other hand, if we dwell on negativity, we soon discover the world becomes a darker place. Worry grows when we focus on what could go wrong, and we don’t see other options. Envy arises when we begin to be more concerned about others’ blessing that ours. It is too easy to fall into one of those traps. We must resist following the path of negativity, worry and envy. We find God’s blessing when we grow closer to God and become more like Jesus. It may seem impossible right now; however, the way of the Lord is one that is walked one step at the time. A life of thankfulnes

Bible Reading - Philippians 4:8-9 “ Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things ” (Philippians 4:8) We go to God more often, when things don’t go how we expect them to go. It is in such situations that we seek the Lord. We desire our heavenly Father to help us when our world has become turbulent. Circumstances change so fast that one minute things are great and the other we face trouble. Our hearts go from joy to anxiety in a moment. Paul invites us to embrace a new lifestyle focus in godly aspects of life. If we want to increase joy and decreases anxiety, we must learn to bring our requests to God and trust the Lord that He will answer in good time. Trust is such a keyword. It means to rely entirely on the wisdom and decision of somebody else. Additionally, we must have a thankful heart.

Bible Reading - 1 Philippians 4:6-7 “ Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus ” (Philippians 4:6-7) Today, we start a new devotional series called “Faith over Fear.” To find faith and overcome fear, it requires to develop a thankful heart. Paul was a prison when he wrote to the Philippians. It is one of the least expected places to nurture a spirit of gratitude. However, it is precisely what Paul asked the Philippians to do, even when the church in Philippi faced persecution and poverty. He wrote, “strive together for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you” (Philippians 1:27- 28). A thankful heart brings joy, and joy is a wonderful medicine against anxiety. We don’t learn it overnight, either in a weekend. It grows as we spend time with God, and form in G

  The Bible is such a captivating book. There are over 300 times that Jesus' birth is being prophesied in the Old Testament. All the details surprise us, as there are so much. It is astonishing thought to consider the infinite and everlasting God was born and lived among us. The whole story is a miracle. We miss it because we are so used to hear the story every Christmas. It is the reason that we should consider the miracle in a different season and be overwhelmed by His grace and love. John explains Jesus' birth in the following words: " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning... The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth " (John 1.1-2, 14). A simple event in history that changed history, forever. Jesus is born, and God became human and dwelt among us. God never left us, even when Jesus returned to

   Bible Reading - Hebrews 4.15-16 Jesus was not another King. He was a king that identified with His people. Jesus knew what it was happening and was determined to help us. In doing so, He did not try to come as a higher overall. The Lord became one of us. He underwent the same things: troubles, temptations and pain. Identifying himself with humankind. Jesus was a different kind of king for those found in the world. Not only because he identified with us, but also he understands each one of us, personally. Earthly Kings and Rulers speak about their people; however, they are in another class. God knew we need it a Saviour. It was going to be impossible, otherwise. He sent His best, God’s only Son. Jesus understands He was one os us because He laid his life. His love is what gives us the real assurance that we can approach the throne of grace. We are not alone when we come closer to the Father. We must not fear, because we have Jesus, who is our representative. He intercedes in our beha

Bible Reading: John 1.14-18 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1.14). The whole intention for Jesus was to prove God’s love and the desire to overcome the separation between the Father and us. God, who created men, came to be one of them. Jesus wanted to put things right where they were not, because of sin. The Lord probed He wanted to be our friend, and help us to reconcile with his Father. He loves us so much that laid His life to accomplish his goal. Men would never create the idea that the creator wanted to spend time with the creation. This idea is what makes all the differences. Friendship is developed over time. You may want to spend time with him in a walk, on the couch, having a cup of tea or a coffee. He is always available. Jesus spent time with the people that He met in his daily life. He touched the ill and cure the sick, even shed tears when he walked to his friend’s tomb in Bethany. Being a friend with God is a lifechanging experience because f

Bible Text - Colossians 1:15-23 People have all kind of ideas about God. The Lord knew it was going to be the case. For this reason, the Father wants us to understand what He is like. Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1.15). People can know God if they come to Jesus because He is the image of God. If we turn to Jesus and believe in Him, we turn to God and believe in the Father (John 12.44-45, John 14.9). Jesus is God dwelling and being visible manifested in a human body (Colossians 2.9). Jesus declares He was God in ways that modern reading find difficult to identify. Jesus said, “I AM” (John 8:58). He used God’s name to say who he was (see Exodus 3:14). Moses received the answer from the Lord when he asked what His name was. We can know God when we walk with Jesus. He is fully man like us. Also, He is fully God: His attributed and essence. Today, I want to invite you to think about the men

Bible Text - John 1.1-14 Young people are in search of true love. We may think back, and remember when we were looking for the first time our spouses and think if he/she was the one. Love is something that we desire and thirst for. True love is hard to find today. We see reflections of love, but real love is a precious gift. We have read in the last couple of weeks about the God who reveals Himself to us. The perfect revelation of God is Jesus the Christ, who is both fully man and fully God. This is the single most significant revelation of God because God becomes a man. God—who created man—becomes a man, and live in with us. We are so familiar with Jesus being fully man and fully God that we forget the Lord God became a man. Jesus is the perfect and pure love beyond imagination. The world never has seen, neither will see, another greater love. We celebrate Christmas a couple of weeks, although it seems long ago; because we desire to remember and celebrate the essence of love. God has

Bible Text: Galatians 5.16-26 To hear God's voice is such a sweet experience. It is like a child that hears the parents calling him/her. Children enjoyed talking with their parents and sharing what they have done during the day. They want to know there are loved and care for. On the other hand, when we speak to our parents, we receive wise counsel and wisdom from their age.  Being next to God is exactly like those two illustrations. We feel loved by God, and the Lord gives guidance and strength in our everyday life. The Holy Spirit can speak anywhere; however, there is something special to take quality time to be next to Him. My daughter rightly wants my full attention when we are together. The Lord also desires to have our full attention. Otherwise, we may miss what the Holy Spirit is saying. His directions help us to follow Jesus' steps in every situation. Today, our bible reading describes the qualities of a believer who is seeking to be more like Jesus and demonstrate the f

Bible Text: 1 Timothy 4.12-16 Timothy is a young man. Probably, he has dreams, as has seen what the Lord has done through Paul's life. He also knows the risks involved following Jesus. Timothy has been a follower of Jesus all his life, even though he is young. Timothy receives now letters from his mentor. They are honest letters, drawing a clear picture of his future work. Paul does not desire Timothy to lose focus. For this reason, he writes, ". . . devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching" (1 Timothy 4.13). Life quickly takes our mind from the Lord to our circumstances. Doing so, it seems we are facing giants incapable of overcoming. It brings worry. Our mind tries desperately a way out. It is hard to find a way forward. We lose sleep, and our life seems out of control. STOP!!! It is so easy to go back to our old patterns of thinking and behaviour. It is not what the Lord has for us. A new devotion brings a new look to our lives.

Bible Text: 2 Timothy 3.1-5 We face unprecedented times in our lives. Indeed, they have been more challenging times in history, but it is not the same when we encounter it. Changes seem to be part of our routine, even when we don't perceive it. Last year, we discovered Zoom or Team for the first time. It is part of our life. Novelties seem to bring fresh new air; however, there are not without challenges. Even the unwanted changes help us to prepare for new horizons. Paul was aware of his time and seasons. He wanted to warn Timothy about the new normal. A time where Paul would not be able to be there any longer, but the life goals would have to be carried on by a new generation. In five bible verses, Paul describes 18 characteristics of the new normal. For us, it seems the culture that we have been living all of our lives. We have heard about corruption; or people losing their control; or people doing terrible things for money. We should know better. However, we seem to find it har

Bible Text: 2 Timothy 3.16-17 Paul writes two letters to a young bishop called Timothy. He desires to leave godly advice and wise counsel to a younger brother. They worked together to advance the gospel. Have you ever imagine what you would say to another more youthful brother or sister? Paul wrote these letters from prison. He knew he had to give the best possible advice, as it could be the last letter he wrote to Timothy. The final words were crucial. Paul said the most important advice we could ever give to anyone: hold to the Scriptures. “ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work ” (2 Timothy 3.16-17). We hold to the Living Word because it is the Word of God that comes to us from the mouth of God. In such sacred writings, every good work is fulfilled through the equipping work of the Holy Spirit. God wants us to grow deeper in understanding

  Bible Text: Psalm 1 Before Christmas, we meditated about creation reveals God. He desires to be in a close relationship with us. The Lord wants to walk with us, as He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. His heart is that we discover who He is through His revelation: Creation and the Bible. Doing so, it becomes natural to worship God and learn how to follow Jesus. Things worth living for, they don't just happen by accident. It requires time to develop within us before they become part of ourself. The same can be said of an oak tree. It takes a long time to become majestic. It requires the right conditions. Psalm 1 invites to search for a "blessed life." He compares such stage to a tree with deep roots. A healthy tree produces an abundance of fruit. This is also God's desire when we delight with His Word (Psalm 1:2). The Bible helps us grow deep roots into God because we get closer to Him and understand who He is. It does not always come easy. It is something that

Bible Text: Psalm 19.14 After a short break, we return to our daily time "On the Couch with God." Prayer is an essential part of our relationship with Jesus. Interestingly, prayer reflects much of what it is in the heart. The Lord knows what we think and consider the deepest secrets of our thoughts. He is not surprised. Our thoughts are known by Him. King David realised this fact. He knew when He wrote Psalm 19 that the Lord knew him, insight out, as God knows us. This is the reason why David finished this psalm with a prayer. "May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19.14). These are the words that many ministers start their sermons today. The reason is the significant meaning of this verse and the implications for our lives, even 3,000 years later. Jesus spoke openly about the same concept when He said, "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of" (Luke 6.45). David