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...