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[Persevering] Day 7: Always Rejoice
Reading: Psalm 40:16-17
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.
Reflection:
I remember this line from the movie, Facing the Giants – “If we win, we will praise God. If we lose, we will still praise God.”
As we seek God, we do not only praise Him when things are going well with us. Our rejoicing and gladness with the Lord should not be dependent on our current condition. It should be constant and continuous regardless of. Though, this is never easy especially when we feel so trapped and hopeless. But just like David, he still chose to praise and worship God despite of his current situation.
Every time I feel down and start to question God, I just go back to His Word and remember the love He has given to us through Jesus. I am then reminded that everything in this lifetime is temporary. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) And that I can look forward to eternity in heaven, someday. This gives me hope and restores my joy.
I would also remember the things that God has done for me in the past. How He never failed me on the lowest points of my life. At times, we may feel that God does not hear us. But He does. His delays as we thought they are strengthen our faith, which makes us more dependent on Him and not in our selves. We just have to keep fixing our eyes on Jesus. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” – Hebrews 12:1. With this, we can have the faith and confidence to a BIG God and say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)
Starting today, may you face each day having peace and joy regardless of the trials, challenges and problems you will be facing. Again, fix your eyes on Jesus. You can say this prayer to the Lord.
Prayer:
Dear Father,
Thank you for the promise that you will never forsake us especially on the times that we feel so down and hopeless. I ask that you give me strength through Jesus that I may endure each day with joy and peace in my heart. Help me to trust and always fix my eyes on Jesus that my faith will not be shaken. Thank you for the trials as they make me more dependent to You and mold my character. I entrust to you my day to day, knowing that you will be my helper and refuge. This I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Song:
[Persevering] Day 6: Stand Firm
Reading: Psalm 40:13-15
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
Make haste, O Lord, to help me.
Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.
Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
Reflection:
David was seeking help from the Lord because of his enemies who wanted to destroy his life. He had no one to run to but only to God. Are you in the same situation right now like David was? You feel like no one likes you or everyone is against you? Or perhaps, you feel like your life is so messed up that people don’t care anymore about you? Or, you experienced being humiliated and belittled? Or if not, maybe you just feel burned out with your day to day things in life that you have to force yourself to get up from bed every morning?
If you are experiencing any of these, I want you to remember two things. One – God loves you. Two – God cares for you.
David surrendered to God those people who wanted to ruin him. He did not fight back and took matters into his own hands. Instead, He let God handled this trial in his life. And, God wants it the same for all of us. Whatever trial you are going through right now, God wants you to surrender it to Him. The Bible said that our enemies are not of this world. Ephesians 6:11-12, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” The enemy is the devil who uses people or situations to tempt and provoke us that we may disobey God. But Satan will never win with God. When Jesus died on the cross and resurrected, Satan was defeated. That’s why what he can only do is take more souls with him to his destiny in hell.
When someone is trying to test your patience or has hurt you or doesn’t like you, always remember, that person is not your enemy. All you can do is to surrender it to God and just continue doing good to that person, even pray for that person. If you feel so tired and worn out with your work, remember that your boss is not your enemy. The devil uses this situation to make you hate your boss and even steal your time away from God. So instead of complaining, spend more time with God and give all your concerns to Him. The devil trembles when we do these things with God.
To be able to overcome the works of Satan, indeed, we must put on the full armor of God. What are these? These are mentioned in Ephesians 6:14-18.
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
You alone dear God is powerful, mighty and sovereign. There is no one like You and no one can defeat You. Thank Lord for your Son Jesus, because of His death and resurrection, the devil was defeated. Thank You for the victory we have through Jesus Christ. Help us Lord to overcome temptations and attacks of the devil. I can’t do it on my own strength Lord. I need your power to enable me to walk each day without being defeated. I surrender all of my problems, my worries, my concerns to you dear God. I’m letting you take charge of my life from this day on. Thank You for giving us a full armor that we can stand firm for you. This I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. ( 1 Corinthians 10:13)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)
Song:
[Persevering] Day 5: Sins No More
Reading: Psalm 40:11-12
You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your loving-kindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.
Reflection:
Failures, mistakes, wrong choices, bad decisions – all of us are not excused from all of these. But we don’t have to continue living a life full of these. Not that life will be perfect and we will never make mistakes, but it will be a life with less.
God has promised forgiveness once we have received Jesus in our life. “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more”. (Hebrews 10:17) And aside from the gift of salvation and eternal life, God has given us a Helper, a Counselor – the Holy Spirit. Once you start having a serious walk with the Lord, your life will never remain the same. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) The role of the Holy Spirit is to help us each day to choose and obey God as our response of our love for Him, that we may become a new person. “For Christ’s love compels us…” (2 Corinthians 5:14). The love of God is just irresistible not to love Him back.
God’s love and compassion is unconditional and endless. He is patient with you as you desire to become better. You just have to depend on the Holy Spirit and listen as He convicts your heart when you are about to make wrong decisions. And as we desire a deeper relationship with Jesus, we also have to do our part to get to know Him more.
Here are the things that we need to start including in our day to day walk with the Lord.
1. Pray – This is our way of communicating to God. Our prayers need not be memorized or repetitive. You just have to pour out what’s in your heart to God. A format you can follow is the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Or, you can also do this simple format as you are just starting to learn how to pray (ACTS). Eventually, you can speak from your heart whatever the Holy Spirit is leading you.
- Adoration – acknowledging who God is and giving Him praise (loving, kind, forgiving, etc.)
- Contrition – confessing to God your sins and asking Him for forgiveness and to help you repent
- Thanksgiving – giving thanks to God for everything that He has done for you
- Petition – asking God for your daily need, protection and for other people
Every end of the prayer, we always say, “This we ask (or pray) in Jesus’ Name.” As Jesus said in the Bible, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:12-14)
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. (1 Timothy 2:5)
2. Read the Bible – If we talk to God through prayer, God talks to us through His Word – the Bible. As you start your day in prayer, it would also be nice to start your day hearing what God has to say to you for that day. You can read the Book of Psalms for your morning quiet time and you can start with the Book of John as you learn more about Jesus. Just like in any battle, the Word of God is our weapon for any temptation that would come along our way for that day. It would also be nice if you have a journal notebook where you can write what God has been speaking to you for that day.
3. Be part of a community. God created us not to be alone. We are made for relationships. It is important that we also become a part of a community that shares the same belief. One way of being a part of is to be a part of a small group or a Bible study group. This way, you can also learn from others, pray for each other and be an encouragement for one another. You will realize that you are not alone in the journey that you are going through. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24)
Are you excited with this journey with the Lord? You can pray like this as you start on with this journey.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
You are so loving and full of compassion. Thank you for the gift of forgiveness that you will remember my sins no more because of Jesus. Thank you for giving me another chance to become better as a person. Help me to become more dependent on the Holy Spirit as He leads me to do the right things. I am excited as I desire to know and love Jesus more. I ask that you would strengthen me each day, that I will always have time for prayer and reading of the Bible. I ask also Lord that you would bring me to a group of people who shares the same love for You. From this day on, I entrust my spiritual journey with you. This I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Song:
Now That You’re Near by Hillsong
[Persevering] Day 4: Go and Tell
Reading: Psalm 40:9-10
I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You know.
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your loving-kindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
Reflection:
When something good happened in your life, are you excited to tell it to people?
I always share my victories to my family and friends because I want to celebrate it with them. But then just like David, I am more excited in sharing to them the love and faithfulness of God in my life. Since I came to know Jesus more, I can’t help but speak of His goodness and greatness. Words are not even enough to proclaim how awesome God is. I always run out with words.
Have you encountered Jesus in a way that you can’t help but tell everyone about Him? If you haven’t, I hope you won’t allow yourself to miss it out. Jesus’ very words, He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17) The good news is, Jesus came to this earth for you and me, sinners. And, He said also, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) That is a promise that will never fail.
How’s your life today? Are you living a life that is full of peace, joy and love even in the midst of your problems? Or, are you feeling empty and unsatisfied? Only Jesus who is loving, righteous, faithful and kind can satisfy you and make your life complete – as He promised. God loves you so much that He wants you to be part of His family. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)
Are you excited to have a life that is full and abundant? Do you want to experience content, joy and lasting peace? Are you thrilled to proclaim to the world how much God loves you that He sent His Only Son, Jesus for you and for everyone? If you have sincerely received Jesus Christ in your life, do you know that there is a party in heaven for you? “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10) I’m excited on how God will continue to work in your life and how He will use you also just like David to proclaim His amazing love to others.
As you made a commitment today of loving Jesus, may this prayer guide you.
Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank you for your sacrificial love that You have sent Jesus for all of us that we may be a part of your family. Thank you for your patience that it took me awhile to receive Your Son, Jesus in my life. I’m looking forward to an amazing journey with you as I desire to love you, know you and share your love to others. Teach me and guide me to live each day a life that will speak of your love to others. I pray that I will not restrain my lips or be afraid of proclaiming you to my family and friends who still do not have Jesus in their life. This I pray, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Songs:
Shout to the Lord by Hillsong
All of My Days by Hillsong
