Samuel was dedicated to the Lord. He was a product of a prayer that was made in heartfelt sorrow by his mother Hannah. He was a child of the Lord, so he was given back to the Lord. Samuel grew up and served in God's house under the Eli the Priest. He did everything right, being faithful and diligent. Even so, Samuel did not personally know the God that he was serving. Not until one morning.

"Samuel". At the sound of his name, Samuel got up and attended Eli, "Here I am… You called me".
"I did not call you, go back and lie down."

Two more times this happened: Samuel heard his name, he rose and attended to Eli. The third time, Eli realised what was happening and instructed Samuel: "Go and lie down, and if he called you say 'Speak Lord for your servant is listening.'"

The fourth time, Samuel responded to the Lord and "the Lord came and stood there".
Samuel, as an adolescent, now had his own personal encounter with God. He knew the Lord's presence!

It’s not enough for us to go day by day serving God and reading His word without the personal relationship with Him. Our heart and our spirit yearn for that intimacy with God on the account that He is our Creator. Samuel's life wasn't the same after his encounter with God; just like our lives are not the same until we truly encounter Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

Today I encourage you not to just read the word of pray a 'shopping list' prayer but shift your eyes on the cross. Shift your thinking to Jesus. Ask Him to meet with you where you are. Respond to God and be aware of any feelings, pictures, visions, colours, scriptures and words that you may experience. Just like Samuel we can have our own personal experience with God.

"The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word"
1 Samuel 3:21

-Sandra Iliev

Don't you love those Bible verses which say how God loves us and will bless us? However, Hebrews 12:6 also reveals God as a parent who disciplines His children.

In real life, parents discipline (and punish if necessary) their children to help them develop a better character, so that they can grow into responsible adults that will be useful in the society.

So does our loving Heavenly Father. He disciplines those whom He loves (that's us), to help us grow a proper character, that can be useful in God's hand and helpful towards others.

So, if you're placed in an uncomfortable situation, which is totally outside your comfort zone, there might be something that God wants you to learn. Here are few examples of God's discipline:

• If you are an impatient person who demands everything fast, He will give you no choice but to wait...and wait for something that you desire. And you'll have no peace until u develop patience and surrender to God.
• If you are an unforgiving person, God might surround you with annoying and inconsiderate people that wrong you. And you'll have no peace until you learn to forgive them.
• If you fear something, you might come face to face with your fear, and that will cause your faith to grow.
• If you are so proud of yourself and your accomplishments, you might fail, loose what you've accomplished or meet some people who continuously look down on you and don't appreciate you. In the end, you'll learn about humility, and become a humble person, just like our Lord Jesus is humble.

Let's not forget that the Lord who disciplines us is also the One who loves us the most and gave Himself for us, suffered and died for our sake. He disciplines us because we are His children.

Hebrews 12:6
because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.

- Diven

While flying from London to Qatar, I found myself sitting next to a man who never stopped talking from the moment he sat down. He told me about his grandchildren, the history of his family and everything else under the sky, at least that’s what I thought. He’d comment on many things around; the glass, the paper coaster, the remote and I remember thinking, “Oh God, 8 hours of this will make this a very long flight.”

The chat went for awhile till he finally got quiet and pulled up the blanket. Excited, I thought, “this is my time to put on earphones and read my book!” but before I could reach for both, I felt a tap on my shoulder and I looked to the man. He sincerely smiled and said, “Thank you for listening, you are very kind.” I finally learned that this man has a fear of flying and talking is his way of distraction.

In midst of our ever busy life, when we think all we want is to be left alone, there may be someone who needs a helping hand or a listening ear. We have a choice: to keep to ourselves, or extend ourselves for whatever we do for anyone that Jesus has placed on our path, we do to Him as well. Sow kindness not because you are obliged but because you see Jesus in everyone one of them and that He loves every one of them.

Matthew 25:40
The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

- Irene Soon

There is only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself.

If you give your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you – and His experiments always succeed.

In the life of a person dedicated to God, there is this amazing Well, which is a continual Source of original life. The Spirit of God is a Well of water springing up perpetually. He or she realizes that it is God who engineers his circumstances; consequently there is no complaints, only unrestrained surrender to Jesus.

No matter the mountains or the valleys, the seemingly impossibilities or difficulties of relationships or circumstances, will you come to the Well today?

John 4:13 Jesus answered, “…whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Adapted by Jo Voon from  "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers

It was a beautiful night in the Amazon. Not a sound could be heard but the humming of the boat engine. Looking at the night sky it was something that I had never seen before, unpolluted, not obscured by man made lights or clouds was the pure sky as God had intended it to be, in all its glory. It was a magnificent sight. There were thousands or millions of stars twinkling brightly. It took on a new form, in awesome 3D. I’d never seen the night sky in 3D before, it had always seemed rather flat.

For people like me who live in the southern hemisphere can only see part of the constellations God has created and for those living in the northern hemisphere your constellations will be different from ours. We are only seeing half or part of what God wants us to see. For those at the equator or near the equator can see so much more. That is why in the Amazonian jungle in Ecuador, meaning equator in Spanish I could see so much more than I could on the exact same night in Australia. It would also conversely be different for those living in England or Canada because we all see things from a human perspective, from our own view point.

When we are far from God, we cannot see things clearly or only partially. However, the closer we are to Him, the more that we can see. More of His glory, more of His power, more of His will, more of Him. Draw near to Him. He will show you infinitely more than you can ever hope for or imagine. The opportunities are endless. Look to Him.

Psalm 105:4 
Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Isaiah 40:26
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.


- Zhen Ang

Gideon carefully considered whether the Lord wanted him to rally an army and attack the Midianites. Twice he set out a fleece (a clump of wool) to make sure of God’s intentions (Judges 6:36–40). On this basis, some have argued that before Christians make major decisions with long-range consequences, they should “put out a fleece before the Lord,” seeking some tangible sign that indicates His will with certainty.

It is also worth noting Gideon’s extreme hesitation, doubt, and fear. The Lord had already told him what to do through the Angel of the Lord (Judges 6:11–16). In fact, the Angel had already given Gideon a confirming sign (Judges 6:17–22).

Is there a more reliable way? Yes, God has clearly and objectively told us what He wants throughout the Bible. For example, the Ten Commandments give straightforward instructions to guide our behavior in numerous areas of life. Likewise, one of the New Testament letters to the Thessalonians says plainly, “This is the will of God” (1 Thess. 4:3). Thus when it comes to making choices in life, God calls us to clear thinking—thinking that is based on our relationship with Him and our allegiance to His values, which are clearly spelled out in Scripture. 

God has made us to be thinking, discerning, analytical persons who assume responsibility for working our way through life in accordance with His general plans and purposes. He challenges us to learn all that we can about any situation, relationship, responsibility, or opportunity that we have, weigh it in light of His precepts and principles, and then act. As we act, we can take comfort from the fact that He is at work within us, “both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).

(Taken from: The NKJV Study Bible. Nashville, TN : Thomas Nelson, 2007)

Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Judges 6:23-24

For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians  2:13

-Sandra Iliev

You may be very discontented with yourself. You are no genius and you deem that you have no special gift or talent. Mediocrity is the law of your existence. Your days seems to be remarkable for nothing, just same old same old. Yet you may live a great life.

The apostle John did no miracle, but Jesus said that among those born of women, there had not appeared a greater person than John.

John’s main calling was to bear witness to the Light, and this, may be yours and mine. John was content to be a voice for God. Be willing to be a voice; heard but not seen; a mirror whose surface is lost to view, because it reflects the dazzling glory of the sun or a breeze that springs up just before daylight.

Maybe what you can do for God feels common and small but have you ever thought that you may be doing more good than you know. Sowing seeds, starting streamlets, giving others true thoughts of Christ, to which they will refer one day as the first things that started them to think of God.

“He was a good man; he wrought no miracles but he spake words about Christ which led me to know Him for myself “– George Matheson

John 10:41
… They said, "Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.

- Anonymous 

All of us have had to make decisions in our lives, wondering which option to take, weighing up the pros and cons. Some people may not even think before they make a decision. Others may use alternative methods to make decisions like heads or tails.

One of my favourite poems is by Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken. I have provided a snippet of the poem. It is an account of a man who had to make a decision, it doesn’t state what it is, but it was definitely something major, a life altering decision. Perhaps Frost was writing from his own experience. The poem reflects on a dilemma that we all face, should I take this way or that. With any decision, may it be minor or major we need to bring it to God. 

Ask Him for His wisdom, discernment and guidance before making a choice. I have always interpreted the poem to be about the freedom to choose, to be different, to stand out from the crowd and not follow the norm. It may not be the easiest path, it may not promise the same things as the other path, such as job stability, excellent wages, a nice car etc, but if it is the way the Lord leads you to, take courage and walk along that path. However, others have interpreted the poem differently. They translate the sigh as a sigh of regret that he didn’t take the other path, the easier road, perhaps the road full of promise. As it is often said the grass is always greener on the other side. He may even be trying to convince himself and others that he has made the right choice. 

Whatever your circumstance is or what choices you have made in the past, choose God. Look to Him when making your decisions, no matter how trivial you may think it seems. Don’t live in regret. If you walk according to His will He will make your path straight.

Proverbs 3:6 
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

- Zhen Ang

Partnership is defined as an ally or companion. Companies partner up to co-labour to achieve their missions or increase influence beyond what one company can do alone. Governments partner up to amplify their powers or work to support each country. People partner up for companionship and love, to share purpose and have children. Partnership is not forced but it must be a mutual agreement. The purpose of partnership is to meet a need, increase ability, achieve or reach a goal, all which cannot be done by one entity alone.

We were created to have a partner. His name is the Holy Spirit. He isn't just any ordinary human bring, but He is God with us! Doing life on our own can prove to be challenging, tiring, confusing, hopeless, worrisome and lonely. When we partner with him, lean in him, rely on him, He gives us true rest. He enables us to be greater and do far more than we can ever do on our own! 

During the moments where you think you've come to the end of yourself, let your Almighty never-failing partner carry you!

John 14:16 
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. 

-Jo Voon-

If you are wise, when God talks you'll listen. And He will talk to you through the Bible. The reason the Bible has outsold every other book is because it is God's Word on the issue.

It takes approximately 56 hours for most people to read the Bible through. If you read 40 chapters a day you would complete the Bible within a month. If you read nine chapters of the New Testament each day you would complete it within 30 days. But you must read it systematically, regularly, and expectantly.

 When Satan attacked Him in the wilderness, Jesus quoted the Scriptures to him. That's why the Psalmist said, 'Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.' (Psalm 119:11 NKJV) The book of Proverbs has thirty-one chapters. Here's an idea: since there are thirty-one days in most months, why not read a chapter in this wisdom book every day.

Can you imagine what you'd learn? The Word of God will build your faith. 'Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.' Your faith grows when you hear God speak, and it works when you do what He says. If you struggle to lead a victorious Christian life, read these words carefully: 'How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word.' (Psalm 119:9 NKJV) The solution to every problem you face is contained in Scripture. To be wise you must study it. To be strong in faith you must believe it. To be successful in life you must practise it.

Romans 10:17 NKJV
“..Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

- Bob Gass (Word for Today)