Day 06 #DailyDevotionals
Monday, May 1, 2018
This morning I was reading my one-year devotional book that talks about the Christian history. I read a passage about a humble yet brave Christian martyr, a farmer and a Covenanter named John Brown who died in the hands of a Scottish officer. So, Presbytarianism was outlawed during the episcopal reign of Charles I, Charles II and James VI but Brown continued his passion to teach Bible to the local youth in his farm. Because of that, many young people came from afar to attend his class although it was forbidden. He and his wife, Isabel, truly loved each other, but they knew that a time will come when Brown will be killed for being a follower of Christ. Then, on May 1, 1685, that day finally came. After saying a prayer, kissing his wife and baby goodbye, Brown was shot dead in front of them. Isabel laid her baby on the ground, bound her husband’s head, straightened his body, covered him with a plaid blanket, and sat down and wept (E. Michael & Sharon Rusten, The One Year Book of Christian History, p. 245).
The child on the moss she laid
And she streched the cold limbs of the dead,
And drew the eyelid’s shade,
And bound the corpse’s shattered head,
And shrouded the martyr in his plaid;
And where the dead and living slept,
Sat in the wilderness and wept.
(Poem by Henry Inglis)
The excerpt soon ended with a Bible verse taken from Revelation 2. I read from that chapter, and found another verse that really spoke to me:
...Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. - Revelation 2:10
From that passage, I soon scribled down my insights on my 200+ page journal book.
First of all, I realized that faith comes with a reward, because it’s not an easy task to do, especially to believe in things that haven’t seen. The scripture is talking about the persecuted church in Smyrna (now in Turkey), that was going through a tough time. They were persecuted by the society around them yet God asked them to hold their ground and put their trust in Him.
When we succeed to finish the race of faith, just like John Brown did, God will crown us as a victor or even a royal heir who comes to claim his right on an everlasting life. The world has been picturing that to have faith in uncertainity, or something without prove, means a dead end or suicide. I think that is why many people are afraid to put their faith in God, because they will obtain nothing through it. However, what the Bible is saying is pretty paradoxical.
There is an everlasting, victorious life after the long run of faith—where death only acts as a door for us to step into what God has promised.
From this verse, I was reminded to hold on tight to my faith. I’m not talking about the kind of religious faith here, but the faith (as in trust) that you’ve given it to someone. For the past few weeks, I felt that everything I did has no meaning, or in vain. I was tired and angry at my self sometimes, and even doubted my own life.
However, I came to the conclusion that searching God with my own power is an impossible thing to do. It’s like determining the direction of north by my own instincts. Of course I will eventually get lost without a guide. What I need is a compass. Faith is like a compass, pointing towards the invisible direction we have been searching for. We will not see the destination yet, but believe that it is the right direction to go. And, of course, faith always finally points out to Jesus himself.
I have to remember that in everything I do, it is for the Lord. It is to honor Him and glorify Him in my life. I need to hold on fast to Jesus everyday by listening to His voice in every possible way, either it’s from the word of God or through my personal worship (like, literally singing worship songs with guitar in the room alone). Just like John and Isable Brown, I will believe and keep my faith in God despite all the troubles I’m facing. I will also remember that one day my race of faith will end, and I will receive the crown of life.
***
Additional Notes:
Hey guys! This week I was challenged by my pastor to read the Word of God thoroughly, and to keep the commitment to do it everyday. I noticed that every time I did not stick to my promise to read the Bible or search for God daily, I became quite weary and quite emotionally unstable (lol this sounds like psychology class). Anyways, he recommended a good way to read the Bible, like, literally the simple process of meditating on the Word of God and applying to our life. After following these steps, I encourage you to write what you got from the Bible in a special book. If you don’t have any, get one. Buy a nice, small book where you can scribble what God has said to you. In fact, write everything that you’re praying for. By the end of the year, look back at the prayer points. You’ll be surprised to see how God has answered all that you’ve prayed for and see that He is always faithful (this happened to me btw so I can guarantee it). I hope these steps of reading the Bible can help you to grow everyday in Christ.
SOAP
1. S – Scripture
Read the sripture. Read it aloud, if can, to encourage our faith to be stronger by hearing what God has promised you. Replace your name in a verse to help you go through tough times. For example, Philippians 4.13 says “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”. Replace ‘I’ with your name.
2. O – Observe
Analyze or see carefully what the Word means. Write down the meaning that you get from certain verses that really hit you or spoke to your current situation. If you are confused with the meaning of a particular verse, I encourage you to ask your mentor or someone who is spiritually mature to ask them to explain to you. Googling the meaning also helps, but sometimes we need to make sure if the interpretation is not some random thing (lol I can’t believe I’m writing a Bible-reading tutorial).
3. A – Apply
Think about the relation of your highlighted verse with your life. How can this verse change your way of living or mindset? How will you apply it to your life? Write it down too!
4. P – Prayer
Scribble your prayer points in your personal Bible journal. Then, pray for it. Ask someone you trust to pray for you too, especially when you’re going through rough times and need backup.
So, that’s all you needed to read the Bible effectively. Don’t forget to write the date on your Bible journal pages. It’s extremely important, so you can look back how much you’ve grown in Christ. That’s all from me. I hope that what I’ve shared in this article really speak to your life and help you to figure out some of your problems. See you at my next post!
Comments