Fresh Start Daily

Above is a snippet of the intro of our three-hour synchronous, hybrid class tonight (or today for those in Ottawa). I agree with Ali about the holiday being too short. It’s like it just started and now it’s already the winter semester.

I am soooo grateful for the holiday. I was able to get my mind off of things school-related. Since I started with my studies in September last year, I have always been preoccupied with my deliverables (lesson plans, individual and group presentations, discussion boards, practicum reports, textbook evaluation, reflection paper, etc.). Working part-time and studying full-time do require commitment and…a lot of motivation! Multitasking is not a problem for me. I guess I’m just overwhelmed by the change in my routine. Functioning in three different time zones is something else. My energy is already depleted by the time I start my classes at night.

I’m not complaining. I am happy to be part of this program. I like learning new things. Not everybody is given this opportunity and I am super grateful. There were so many things I learned in the previous semester. I was introduced to concepts that I never would have learned had I not taken this program. They’re very practical. However, this is going to be another semester to conquer! I just pray that God will sustain me to finish the program well.

It’s the first time since the start of the pandemic that our family is complete again. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time with them. 💗

I read these verses yesterday but I didn’t have enough time to really study it. Verse 9 was not very clear to me so I thought I’d read it again. However, I wasn’t able to do it yesterday because I had two final quizzes to finish.

I was only going to look for the meaning of that one verse this morning but when I read the commentaries from enduringword.com (which I like because it’s very clear and detailed), I was surprised to discover things beyond the words. I’m glad that I delved deeper. There truly is so much more beyond the surface.

Ezra, the scribe and priest, read the Book of the Law before the people of Israel. It says in the story that the “ears of the people were attentive.” It’s amazing how they listened intently from morning until midday (apparently about 6 hours). They had the desire to listen and know what God had to say. Many of us cannot even listen to God’s Word for one hour without being restless. Many cannot even listen at all! I’m not quite sure if the people remained standing the whole time. The only thing it says in verse 5 is that when Ezra opened the Book, everybody stood up. Such honor and respect!

In verse 1 it says, “…they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD has commanded Israel.” Even before Ezra read the Book, people’s hearts were already conditioned to receive the Word of God. It’s true that God is the one who gives us the desire to listen to His Word. It is when God moves in our life and touches our heart that we come to Him.

“This demonstrates that the Spirit of God was at work even before the reading of God’s Word. People do not gather together as one man for the things of God unless the Spirit of God has moved them, and they do not desire God’s Word unless the Spirit of God has moved them.

If you attend to the hearing of the Word of God, it is evidence the Spirit of God is working with you. But it is still important to cooperate with that work and to not resist it. We need to cooperate and flow with the work of God’s Spirit if the Word of God is going to do its full work in us.”

In verses 7 and 8, it says that there were some men who stood beside Ezra and supported him in his ministry. They also helped the people to understand the Law. It is important that we listen to God’s Word but it’s more important that we understand it. Reading and listening to the Word of God are useless if there’s no comprehension. That is why God appoints people to help us decipher His Word.

Teachers of God’s Word are accountable to Him and it is vital that people really understand the message. Their main goal is to deliver God’s Word (not theirs) as clear as possible—not to amuse and entertain. I remember the tag line of the new preaching series in our church: “They entertain, they teach, but there are those that tell of the truth that saves.”

“First, because the things of God are spiritually discerned and not intellectually discerned. The Holy Spirit uses gifted teachers to bring spiritual discernment to us, helping us to understand what God’s Word says.”

The Word of God is obscure to people who don’t have the Spirit of God because His Word is Spirit. It is only discerned by those whose spiritual eyes have been opened by God. Also, even believers sometimes have a hard time comprehending God’s Word. Believers have different gifts and not everybody has the gift to understand everything to a T. This is my second round of reading the Bible but every single time, I discover something new. There’s always a fresh revelation.

“Understanding isn’t only necessary for those who haven’t become familiar with the Bible. Sometimes if we have heard it ten times before, we really don’t understand it for right now. When an art restorer cleans a painting, he reveals things that were always there, but the colors weren’t as bright, and the details weren’t as clear, because they were obscured — then the real impact of the painter’s work can be seen.” enduringword.com

Papa woke us up around 5 for us to see the thick fog today. I walked outside to savor the moment because it doesn’t always happen. The birds’ chirping and our neighbor’s friendly morning greeting were melodic. 😊

“Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.

He commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest.

Therefore he said to Judah, ‘Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.” – 2 Chronicles 14:2-7

King Rehoboam made foolish decisions which caused the division of the 12 tribes of Israel into 2 kingdoms (2 Chronicles 10). He also forsook God’s law and influenced all Israel to do the same (2 Chronicles 12:1) so the king of Egypt came up against them.

However when he and the leaders of Israel humbled themselves before God, He granted them some deliverance and did not destroy them completely (2 Chronicles 12:6-12). Despite God’s deliverance, King Rehoboam eventually did not seek God. As a result, there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days (2 Chronicles 12:14-15).

King Abijah also revered God in his heart. However, Jeroboam, Solomon’s servant, rebelled against King Abijah and made gold calves as gods. So God struck Jeroboam and he died. King Abijah and the children of Judah, on the other hand, prevailed because they relied on God (2 Chronicles 13).

King Asa also did what was right in the eyes of God. He removed all the idols in Judah and commanded the people to seek God and to observe the law and the commandment. Therefore, there was no war in those years. God gave him rest because he sought the Lord (2 Chronicles 14).

Later on in the story, however, Asa relied on a man (King Ben-Hadad) instead of God when the king of Israel came up against them. Hanani the seer told him, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” – 2 Chronicles 16:9

King Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, reigned in his place. Jehoshaphat walked in the ways of the Lord and delighted in Him. He also removed the high places and wooden images in Judah. He also sent his leaders to teach people the Law of the LORD. So the Lord delivered him and the people from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.

“And the fear of the God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.” – 2 Chronicles 20:29-30

In the latter part of his reign, however, he allied with the wicked king of Israel, King Ahaziah. Therefore the Lord destroyed his works (2 Chronicles 20:37).

God shows us in these stories that God blesses obedience and curses disobedience. There is peace when we seek and follow God and there is chaos when we forsake and disobey Him. We read that God gave rest to the people when they sought the Lord and removed all their idols.

The stories also show how important it is to have a godly leader. Many people choose those who qualify according to the world’s standards even if they are spiritually corrupt. They may be morally good but are spiritually poor.

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

Each morning is a proof of God’s goodness to me. Yes, to me. God is a personal God. He knows each of His children intimately. I am always grateful to wake up to a brand new day because it is God’s message that He did not forget to watch over me the entire night and that He always looks after me because He cares about me.

A lot can happen when we are asleep. It’s the time when we are most vulnerable. I am happy to be given another chance—to witness His creation, to praise and worship Him, to enjoy my family’s presence, to serve Him even in little ways. I owe Him another day. I live and breathe and have my being because of Him.

(Pacol, Naga City)

This is what I read for my devotion today. I didn’t understand some parts in the chapter so I turned to a commentary. I started reading commentaries since the start of the pandemic. I realized how much of a gem they are. I would’ve missed a lot had I just read it and not looked for the scholarly explanation of some chapters/verses. This chapter is so rich!

Yes, David sinned against God—yet again—but he also humbled himself to God and was forgiven—yet again! David was considered by God as a man after His own heart but it doesn’t mean that David was sinless. In fact, David committed tremendous sins in his lifetime. However, every time he was made aware of his sins (through the prophets), he would immediately repent and ask God for forgiveness. That was always his attitude. It dawned on me that God called him a man after His own heart because David truly loved the Lord. His heart truly belonged to HIM. Though he was not sinless, he strived to be pleasing to the lover of his soul.

Despite his many sins, the Lord forgave him because He saw his repentant heart. God cannot be fooled by fake repentance. God sees beyond our action—He sees our heart. God wouldn’t forgive David every single time if He did not see his sincerity.

David always wanted to seek the Lord before making any decision. He always desired to inquire of God before taking any step, and because of that, the Lord was always with him—guiding him and prospering him. David had lapses but he had an intimate relationship with God. I especially love what Morgan said on enduringword.com:

“The chief interest of this chapter for us lies in the revelation of the true character of David. His sins were the lapses and accidents of his life. This is not to condone them. It is, however, to emphasize that the habitual set of his life was far otherwise than these sins suggest, and the deepest truth concerning him is revealed, not by the failures, but by his action afterwards.”

David obeyed God’s command to put up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan. He offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to God and the Lord answered him and stopped punishing the people. It’s beautiful how sin and punishment turned to worship—which is a sweet aroma to God.

This chapter also shows God’s mercy and love. He is holy and just but is also merciful and gracious. God did not condone his sins. It was the love of God towards David that overflowed. It says in Romans 5:20, “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”

I relate with David because I, too, have difficult moments. I, too, have lapses. If not for His grace, I don’t know where I would be now. It is my heart’s desire to live a life that’s pleasing to God. I do have dreams but my greatest dream is to put a smile on God’s face. I want Him to be pleased with me. If my dreams will grieve His heart, then I don’t want it. He is my redeemer, my hiding place, my haven… In Him, I feel secured, confident, loved, complete, and valued.

It’s impossible to live a perfectly sinless life because we are still in this world where temptations lurk. Our perfection will be in heaven. However, it is not a license to keep sinning. Willful sin is inexcusable. Christians are not exempted from temptations. In fact, Christians are under the greatest attack. However, we sin less and less as we grow closer to God. We become more and more sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.