On the Couch With God - Daily Devotional

Bible Reading - Mark 8:34-9:1 Think of something you really, really want. Is it the latest gadget, an exciting job opportunity, or a relationship with that great man or woman? Now ask yourself this: would you be willing to give it up in order to follow Christ? Why? According to Jesus, if we want to be His disciples, we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him (v34). We make ourselves smaller and enlarge Christ. We say no to our self-centred ways and yes to what Christ commands. We place more importance on Christ’s interests and desires than our own. Jim Elliot was an American missionary. His love for Christ and people motivated him to bring the Gospel to the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador. Tragically, he and his teammates were killed by the very people they wanted to reach out to. Jim Elliot remains an inspiration to Christians today. He once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” His words echoed one great paradox o...

Bible Reading - Mark 8:22-23 Signs and wonders abound in Jesus’ ministry. The people He touched were healed immediately. But not this blind man at Bethsaida. The first time Jesus touched him, he could only see partially. Jesus had to touch him again before he fully restored his sight. It’s not that Jesus did not love this man as much as He loved others. Nor was Jesus having a bad day at ministry. Rather, the Bible is using the blind man to depict the spiritual state of the disciples. They had only partial insight into who Jesus really was. It would take some time before they could clearly see that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. Though Peter once proclaimed that Jesus is the Saviour (Messiah), he couldn’t accept that Jesus would have to suffer a terrible death (v31-32). Peter was blinded by his lim- ited perception of the Messiah; he too only had partial insight into Jesus’ identity. He was unable to understand God’s plans for mankind. Similarly, we may not be able to see c...

Bible Reading - Mark 7:24-8:21 In Spain, expats often gather at public places during the summer. If a Spanish joins them, he or she would stand out among the crowd right away! When Jesus, a Jew, entered a Gentile (non-Jew) region and interacted with the people there, He stuck out like a sore thumb too. It is highly unusual for a Jew to hang out with Gentiles, because Jews traditionally thought of Gentiles as ‘unclean’ and of lower status than them. Clearly, Jesus did not follow the norm. He did a few unthinkable things in the eyes of people at that time. He went into the house of a Gentile to help the people there and meet their needs. He cast a demon out of a Gentile girl, healed a deaf Gentile, and fed a crowd of four thousand. From this, we know that Jesus’ heart is not just for people of a single culture but for the whole world. His desire is for Jews and Gentiles alike to know the powerful and loving God. In Christ, all are equal, regardless of their culture, background,...

Bible Reading - Mark 7:1-23 What would you do if you see dirty water flowing out of your tap? Most of us would call the plumber to find out the cause and solve the issue as soon as possible. Perhaps the inner lining of the tap is rusty, or the water pipe is covered in unwanted chemicals and bacteria. In any case, the water has become undrinkable and unusable because of a problem that happened on the inside. Sin works like that too. It contaminates our hearts before it pollutes our thoughts, words and actions (Luke 6:45). If we do not deal with the sins in our lives, the infection of our hearts will worsen. Everything else that we think, do and say will be stained with sin. Jesus taught that evil starts from the heart, which leads to wicked behaviours such as sexual immorality, greed, pride and hatred (v20-23). Yet not all agreed with Him. The Jewish authorities insisted that as long as they fulfilled their man-made traditions, they would be considered ‘clean’ and good people ...

Bible Reading - Mark 6:31-56 Those of us who play the guitar would notice that after some time, the fingers we use to play the instrument would become rough. If we do not do anything about them, the regular friction between our fingers and the guitar strings would create a layer of hardened skin. Seeing or hearing about Jesus’ signs and wonders is like strumming a guitar. Our hearts may come into contact with the miracles that demonstrate Jesus’ power. But because we do not anything about what we see or hear, our hearts may become hardened after some time. The disciples were in a similar situation. Though they had seen Jesus’ miracles, they did not understand the significance of these signs and wonders. They did not exercise faith. In one instance, the disciples were struggling to row their boat against the strong wind (v45-48). When they finally saw Jesus miraculously walking on water, they weren’t happy to see Him at all. Instead they were frightened because they thought He w...

Bible Reading - Mark 6:14-30 Everyone is following someone or something. Some follow in the footsteps of people they admire. Some follow fashion brands. Some follow certain philosophies of life. Some follow social media influencers. Who or what we follow will eventually show in our actions and speech. We dress and speak like the influencers we follow. We make decisions based on the philosophy of life we subscribe to. How about you? From the actions and decisions of John the Baptist, it is obvious that He was a follower of God. He was a prophet sent by God to urge people to repent and seek forgiveness for their sins (Mark 1:4). John even baptised Jesus in water (Mark 1:9). John’s life is a clear example of how following God can sometimes lead to a tragic end. John was jailed and killed by King Herod for speaking out against the latter’s sin of taking his brother’s wife for himself. One significant characteristic of a follower of God is the bold decision to live by God’s truth....

Bible Reading - Mark 6:6b-13 Imagine, one day, the most powerful person in Apple now calls you to his office. He shares with you all the latest iPhone and MacBook products, even those that are yet to be released to the market. Thereafter, he gives you a task – to manage his company on his behalf! How would you feel? Perhaps you would embrace the task with enthusiasm, especially if you’re a geek or Apple fan. Or you may hesitate and ask, “Can I really do it? What if the company collapses under my watch?” When Jesus told His disciples that they were going to do what He had been doing – preaching, healing and casting out demons – they might have had different reactions. Some might have gleefully grabbed at the opportunity to participate in the work of God. Others might have struggled with doubt because they weren’t sure they could accomplish the task. In any case, Jesus gave His disciples the power and authority to complete the mission. Power is the ability to do something, and ...

Bible Reading - Mark 4:35-6:6 What might Jesus have accomplished if He hadn’t departed from the earth? Perhaps He could have advised presidents and prime ministers, united North Korea and South Korea, settled border disputes and stopped terrorists. He could have gone to the hospitals and healed the sick. The list goes on. If we had seen these acts of Jesus, what would our response be? In Mark 4:35-6:6a, Jesus demonstrated His power on different occasions. He calmed the storm, restored a demon-possessed man, healed a woman and raised the dead. All of these demonstrations are supernatural, spectacular and stunning. Yet what is more interesting is the different responses of the people towards Jesus when they saw His works. Responses ranged from fear to faith. In one incident, a bleeding woman was desperate for healing. By faith, she reached out for Jesus’ clothes, believing that she would be healed just by touching His garments (5:25-34). Jesus honoured her faith and freed her fro...

Bible Reading - Mark 4:21-34 Night falls, and the house is in darkness. If you were the owner of the house and have a lamp, would you hide it under the bed or bowl? Probably not, as that would dim the light and defeat the purpose of having a light source. Would you put the lamp on a lampstand? Held up high, the lamp would easily light up the whole house. Surely any owner would place the lamp where it can shine the brightest without hindrance! God is eager to shine His light into the world of darkness too. He has generously revealed His heart, thoughts and instructions to anyone who needs His light. The lamp (v21-23) represents God’s life-giving message which He has freely made known to us. He does not hide His revelation. Rather, He has put His truth out there, making it easily available to those who want to know it. Some of us may think that God only discloses important stuff to those who are “super Christians”. But God has already made His truth known through the Bible to e...

Bible Reading - Mark 4:1-20 The heart is one of the primary organs in the body. It is responsible for pumping blood to the head right down to the toes. It ensures the proper circulation of essential nutrients such as oxygen throughout the body. Without the heart, we cannot function effectively. One reason you can read this now is because your heart is sending oxygen-rich blood to your brain. Just as the heart is important to our physical wellbeing, our heart condition towards God’s teachings is crucial to our spiritual health. Mark 4:1-8 is a parable about a farmer sowing seeds on different kinds of ground. The seed represents the Word of God (v14), and the grounds represent the different heart conditions of the listeners. The first three grounds – the path, rocky places and thorns – are unsuitable for the growth of the seed. Characteristics of people with such heart conditions include a shallow understanding of the Word, failure to persevere in times of trouble and persecuti...

Bible Reading - Mark 3:20-35 You have just come to know Jesus and you’re excited to share about His goodness with a friend or family member. After hearing you politely for about 20 seconds, they interrupt you and say, “Sorry I’m not interested.” Your mum and dad advise, “It’s okay to believe in a religion but don’t get obsessed with it.” Your friends poke fun at your faith, “How can you believe in something as dumb as the Bible? Are you ‘holier’ than us now?” If any of that happened to you before, know that Jesus had it worse. When He was surrounded by the crowd at His home, His family thought He was crazy and tried to restrain Him (v20-21). More insulting than being called a lunatic, Jesus was also accused of being a lackey of Satan, the devil. The scribes, who were teachers of the Law, claimed that Jesus could cast out demons because He was possessed by the prince of demons (v22)! This was such a severe accusation that Jesus strongly told them off for blaspheming (saying disr...

Bible Reading - Mark 3:7-19 What do Olympic champ Michael Phelps, celebrity Kim Kardashian and business heavyweight Jack Welch have in common? They all love the book The Purpose Driven Life written by preacher Rick Warren. The book has sold tens of millions of copies to date. People around the world are looking for a purpose greater than themselves. To Christ-followers, Jesus has given the greatest purpose of all – to be his disciples who will make more disciples. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, there were many people who were part of the crowd. They came to Jesus because they needed His help, or they might come to hear Jesus’ wise teachings. They came, heard, received and went on with their lives. In other words, they were spectators who watched from afar but did not get involved. They never really experienced what it meant to follow Jesus. However, there were some who became Jesus’ disciples. The disciples shared in Jesus’ life and ministry. They knew Jesus intimately as the...

Bible Reading - Mark 2:1-6 All of us have a past. We may have been selfish and hurt others along the way. We may have done things we are not proud of. We may regret some terrible wrongs. We may have secrets so deep and dark that we wonder and even fear how people would react if they knew what we were hiding. Would they still accept and love us? For some of us, our past is a chokehold making us breathless with insecurity and anxiety. Let us come to Jesus. He demonstrates God’s love for us who have sinned against God in one way or another. His mercy destroys the stranglehold of sin over us. During His time on earth, Jesus ate with tax collectors, who were widely despised because of their profession. There were also “sinners” at the dinner table, who were shunned by society (v15-16). Jesus reached out to them and offered forgiveness. Jesus’ ministry is about bringing forgiveness, healing and restoration to people. Does this mean that Jesus doesn’t care whether we sin or not? Abs...

Bible Reading - Mark 1:21-45 Most of us probably have individuals in our lives whom we call the “all-rounders”. These people are good at everything – academics, sports, cooking, singing, you name it. They seem to excel at whatever they are doing. We may wonder, “How can someone so capable and smart exist?”. Jesus is the ultimate all-rounder. He taught with such authority that it awed His audience (v21-22). He chased evil spirits out of people with ease (v22-28, 34). He healed many people at such a rate that it would put the best doctors to shame (v32-34). Jesus impressed and surprised people so much that they couldn’t help but think, “How can this guy be a mere man?” Clearly, Jesus was not your average guy next door. No ordinary man could so freely exercise authority over every kind of sickness and evil spirit as Jesus had done. Jesus is more than a miracle worker too. His understanding of God and the Scriptures amazed His listeners. Even the evil spirits recognised His divine ...

Bible Reading - Mark 1:1-20 Remember the last time you waited eagerly for something to happen? Perhaps it’s the release of the latest cell phone, or your favourite pop star’s concert, or the birth of your first child. At the beginning of the gospel of Mark, people were buzzing with excitement too. Jesus Christ, the Saviour foretold by ancient prophets, was finally coming! His arrival would change history for ever because He was not just a man but the beloved Son of God (v10-11). Pause and chew on this amazing truth – God, the supreme and limitless Creator of heaven and earth, took on the finite flesh of a man. Jesus slept, ate, breathed, moved and hurt like you and me. This transformation is as drastic as a man shrinking to look and live like an ant. Jesus was 100% man, but He is 100% God as well. His ministry (what we do for God out of our faith in Him) was unique, powerful and mind-blowing. People prepared for an encounter with the Saviour by turning away from their sins (t...