On the Couch With God - Daily Devotional

Bible Reading - Mark 16 If you have been through the demise of a beloved parent or grandparent, or experienced the tragedy of losing a child, you would know that the death of someone you love can bring great grief. This was probably how the women who followed Jesus felt. They had experienced His power and kindness. They had heard His amazing teachings. They loved Him as their Teacher and Lord. They were crushed by His death. Three days after Jesus’ crucifixion, the women went to His tomb to prepare His body for a dignified burial. To their shock, they met an empty tomb and a strange being who declared that Jesus was no longer dead. Jesus has risen and is alive! You would think that the women would be relieved or happy to have Jesus back. Instead, they ran away and kept quiet, for they were greatly puzzled and afraid (v8). They were not the only ones who struggled to believe that Jesus has risen. Even His disciples rejected the testimonies of those who had seen the resurrected...

Bible Reading - Mark 15:33-47 Hanging on the cross with the sins of all mankind upon Him, Jesus cried out to God. Spurned by the very people He came to save, He drew His last breath and died (v37). Jesus was determined to save us from sin even though it would literally kill him. Why the need to go to such extreme measures? Why did Jesus have to die? The answer is righteousness. God is holy and just – He cannot tolerate sin and rightfully punishes those who persist in it. When we sin, we deserve God’s anger and are unworthy to have a relationship with Him. Yet out of mercy, God does not want to leave us like that. He wants to cleanse us of sin so that we can be with Him. Sin is dirty. Just as a single ink blot mars a clean sheet of paper, so sin stains our life. Just as carelessly discarded waste chokes up a drain, so sin pollutes our relationship with God and obstructs our access to Him. Sin is deadly. Many trivialize sin to a harmless wrongdoing or a joke. However, the Bib...

Bible Reading - Mark 16:16-32 Were you ever wrongfully accused of something you did not do? Or humiliated by family members, classmates or supervisors though you were innocent? How did you feel? Do these experiences still haunt you today? Jesus understands how it feels like to undergo verbal abuse. If words could kill, He might have died many times. After His disciples deserted Him, Jesus was left alone to face the insults and ridicule of men. Soldiers mocked Him insolently (v16-20) and passers-by sneered at Him while He hung on the cross (v29-30). The Jewish religious leaders taunted Him for saving others but not Himself. Even the two robbers crucified alongside Him piled on insults (v31-32). Jesus was disrespected and mocked by people from all levels of society, from the high and mighty Jewish leaders to the lowly and disgraced criminals. The verbal barbs hurled at Him did not diminish Jesus’ resolution to go to the cross for mankind. He even forgave those who hurt Him. W...

Bible Reading - Mark 14:53-15:15 Hardly anything is more surprising than an underdog beating a frontrunner in a competition. Rarely is a match more exciting than a losing team scoring a hat trick and claiming victory in the end. Jesus, with his normal appearance and gentle spirit, looked like the underdog who was up against the powerful political and religious leaders of His day. As He stood before the Jewish leaders and Roman authorities on trial, many gave false testimonies in desperate attempts to pin a crime on Him. Though no evidence of wrongdoing was found (14:55-56), Jesus was wrongly accused of blasphemy (14:64) and sentenced to death by crucifixion (15:15), a capital punishment that was highly cruel and humiliating. What a terrible injustice! Was Jesus defeated by His opponents? Had He succumbed to their evil schemes? Absolutely not! The truth is that Jesus willingly endured suffering out of surrender to God the Father, not to men. Jesus chose to fulfil God’s plan wh...

Bible Reading - Mark 14:27-52 If you had to give up a promotion at work because you refused to make unethical decisions, would you still choose to honour God at the workplace? If you had to score worse in a project because you refused to cheat, would you still stand firm on godly values? If people you love were to cut ties with you because of your faith, would you still follow Christ? Choosing to obey God can cost us our achievements, resources and relationships. Understandably, we struggle with discomfort, disappointment and discouragement. Jesus knows how that feels like. Facing impending death, He experienced the betrayal of a disciple (v43-46), immense sorrow (v33-34) and abandonment by His closest companions (v27, 50). He was in so much distress that He asked God if there was a way out of His suffering. Yet Jesus chose to remain in God’s will. He understood that complete obedience was necessary. He would not consider an easier alternative if it was not aligned to God’s p...

Bible Reading - Mark 14:2-26 At a wedding, the bride and groom pledge their faithfulness to each other before God and witnesses. They promise to stay together “for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part”. What a serious commitment that is! In God’s eyes, the wedding vow is a covenant between a man and a woman that is binding for life and more intimate than any other relationship. Christ has also made a marriage covenant with the Church. The Bible likens our relationship with Christ to that between a husband and wife (Ephesians 5:25-27) and encourages us to look forward to the day when we will have a glorious wedding with Christ (Revelation 19:7). This covenant that Christ has established with us is also known as the New Covenant. The New Covenant is built on Jesus’ blood. As Jesus observed His last Passover with His disciples, Jesus prophesied that His body would be broken and His blood spilled for many (v22-24). Traditio...

Bible Reading - Mark 14:1-11 We often hear the phrase, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” It’s an advertising line targeted at men who will buy the expensive gemstones for their girlfriends or wives. Love is a powerful incentive to loosen the purse strings, and advertisers know it. Some of us are very willing to spend a bomb on people we love. Think of parents who shower their children with toys, or the smitten husband who splurges on flowers and jewellery for his wife. Giving gifts is a natural way to communicate love and appreciation. In Mark 14, there is a woman who loves Jesus so much, she presents Him a gift of really expensive perfume (it’s worth more than a year’s salary!) By pouring the perfume on Him, she is expressing her adoration and thanksgiving to Him. Her extravagant gesture of love, however, draws criticism from those around her (v4-5). Jesus jumps to her defence and openly praises her for her “beautiful” act of blessing Him and preparing for His burial (v6-...

Bible Reading - Mark 13 The National Geographic Channel runs a series called “Doomsday Preppers”. It features people who go to extreme lengths to get ready for the end of the world. Think underground weapons arsenals for fear of zombies, or large medicine stashes in anticipation of an outbreak. The word “doomsday” sounds like something terrible will happen as the age that we live in comes to an end. In some sense, it’s true. There will be widespread persecution of Christians as Satan fiercely attacks the Church (v9-13). A man of lawlessness will brazenly call himself God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Evil beings, with fake signs and wonders, will deceive those who reject God and choose wickedness (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Distress, fear and chaos will be the order of the day (v14-22). But evil won’t have the last say. Jesus will return in His glory to save His followers (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) and punish those who reject God’s truth and mistreat God’s people (1 Peter 4:17-18). Whi...

Bible Reading - Mark 12:38-44 For many people, life is like a giant masquerade ball. They pretend to have joy from seeking pleasures. They fake smiles of satisfaction from their achievements. Yet when they are alone and take off their masks, they feel empty. God sees beyond our external appearance, achievements and acquisitions to our hearts. He knows our secret thoughts and deepest longings. He understands the depth of our emptiness. In Mark 12:38-44, Jesus looked through the external acts of people and zeroed in on their inner intentions and attitudes. Here we see two contrasting sets of characters. The scribes (teachers of the Law) were dressed in flowing robes and uttered long prayers (v38-40). They looked good, spoke well, and enjoyed high status among the people. They loved receiving honour from others while exploiting poor and helpless widows. Their goal was to gain greater prominence for themselves. The scribes might have fooled their fellow men, but not Jesus. The So...

Bible Reading - Mark 12:13-37 Going for an interview can be a nerve-wracking experience. You are scrutinised for what you wear, how you carry yourself, and where you studied and worked previously. And then there are those difficult questions that cut into you and drag out your inner thoughts and insecurities. Feeling dissected and vulnerable, you struggle to answer more questions. During his ministry on earth, Jesus had to answer difficult questions several times. He wisely handled them, some of which came from people who tried to trap and discredit Him. In Mark 12:13-37, Jesus was questioned by three different groups of people in three areas: 1) His allegiance to God (v13-17) 2) His understanding of the faith with regards to the resurrection (v18-27) 3) His approach to God’s Law (v28-34) Jesus’ answers were so wise and thought-provoking that His listeners gasped with wonder (v17). Besides being corrected in their wrong understanding (v27), they gained a deeper insight int...

Bible Reading - Mark 11:12-12:12 Think back to the time when a teacher or instructor corrected you. Their remarks probably stung. Their rebukes could have been harsh. They might even have ended up on your “Most Hated” list. But more likely than not, they were concerned about the mistakes you were making and wanted you to learn to do what was right. Similarly, because He cares, Jesus warned and scolded the Jewish chief priests, scribes and elders for their faithlessness towards God. Though they claimed to worship God, their religious system had failed to make known God’s salvation to the nations (11:15-17). Though they had the Scriptures (God’s revelation), they refused to accept that God had sent Jesus to save the world. Instead, they plotted to get rid of Him (12:1-12). Jesus’ harsh rebuke towards the Jewish religious authorities reflected His frustration with their stubborn hearts. He was disappointed at their lack of faith in Him (Luke 13:34, Matthew 23:37). He even delive...

Bible Reading - Mark 11:1-11 One of the top grossing, most critically acclaimed trilogies in Hollywood history is J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. In Tolkien’s fantastic universe of humans, hobbits, elves, wizards, dwarves and monsters, a great evil threatens to cover the world in darkness and make every living being its slave. Chaos is the order of the day. Fear rules the hearts of most. Hope is faint. Yet amid the darkness, there are flickers of light in the love, unity and courage of a few heroic characters. One of them is Aragon, who is destined to be king. The trilogy ends with his long-awaited return to the throne and triumphant deliverance of his people. In the real world today, we are also waiting for the return of King Jesus. Mark 11:1-11 tells of Jesus entering Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd. His arrival on a donkey fulfilled a 500-year-old prophecy about the King of Jerusalem (Zechariah 9:9). This was a big deal for the Israelites, who had been looking forw...

Bible Reading - Mark 10:32-52 If you’re a fan of superhero movies, you would notice that the good guys share these traits: 1) They have a special skill or talent. 2) They are regarded with honour. 3) They have a mission to save the world. Jesus might very well be the superhero of biblical times. People were awestruck by His great wisdom and unusual boldness in the face of opposition. They were stunned by His supernatural works. It’s no wonder that his disciples James and John desired to claim the prestige of being His top followers (v35-37). Little did they know that before they could bask in Jesus’ glory, they would have to suffer pain and humiliation like He would as He served others (v42-45). Today, Jesus calls us to follow in His footsteps of selfless service. Some of us may gamely take on Jesus’ invitation. Others may hesitate. Perhaps it’s because we gladly receive Jesus as our Saviour but we are not ready to call Him our Lord. Calling Jesus our Lord means that we ...

Bible Reading - Mark 10:1-31 What makes a true disciple? Do we have to be perfect in all that we say and do? Are we supposed to serve others till we drop, not giving a care for ourselves? Through interactions with three different groups of people, Jesus reveals what it takes to be a true disciple. A true disciple seeks God’s will - The Pharisees were the A* scholars of their day. They could easily recite Scripture by heart, and knew just about every religious ritual there was. Intending to trap Jesus, they asked Him a question regarding the Jewish law and divorce. Instead of focusing on divorce, Jesus directed the Pharisees back to God’s original intention for marriage (v6-9). A disciple yearns to discover and do God’s will. He or she wants to know and follow God’s unchanging intentions for how we ought to live our everyday lives. A true disciple has childlike faith - People were swarming Jesus, wanting Him to bless their children. The disciples decided that their Lord had ...

Bible Reading - Mark 9:30-50 How would you define success? Is it getting straight A’s at school or scoring a spot on the national team? Or does it lie in possessing the 5C’s – car, cash, credit card, condominium and country club membership? In a society that prioritises results, many pursue achievements that rank them above others. In this game of survival of the fittest, being the best in academics, sport and our careers is everything. Many define success as being stronger, smarter and richer than the rest. Similarly, Jesus’ disciples were looking to beat one another in the game of “who’s the best” (v34). They desired the recognition that came with the title of Jesus’ greatest disciple. Jesus grabbed the opportunity to teach them God’s definition of success. Instead of acting like they were better than others, or looking down on those they thought were unimportant (v36-37), disciples of Jesus should serve everyone else (v35). They should humble themselves and place others’ n...

Bible Reading - Mark 9:2-29 “I need to see it before I can believe it.” This is a common statement that many make when they are asked to trust in a person, idea or concept. Their experience determines their faith. Sounds like a fool proof way to make sure that we don’t just blindly believe in something? Perhaps. But our senses are limited. We may misinterpret the signals we are receiving. Places like the Trick Eye Museum use the fact that our brains can “deceive” us to see things that aren’t real to create optical illusion paintings and installations. Led by Jesus up a high mountain, Peter, James and John probably thought that their eyes were playing tricks on them too. They witnessed Jesus, dazzling white in His glory, talking to Elijah and Moses, prophets who supposedly lived and died ages ago in Israel. No wonder the disciples were afraid and at a loss for what to say and do (v3-6). Then a thundering voice from a cloud commanded them to do what Jesus said and suddenly, they ...

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 ...