1 Peter 2:9  But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Whenever feelings of low self-worth threaten us with discouragement, we need to rely on the truth of God’s Word rather than on our emotions. Today we are going to examine four phrases that describe how the Lord sees every believer.

1. A Chosen Race. God chose you and me to be part of His kingdom and family because He wanted us. No one who has been specially selected by almighty God is insignificant.

2. A Royal Priesthood. As believers, we are children of God and, therefore, part of a royal family. In other words, we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). Just as Jesus fulfilled the roles of both king and priest, so God has also entrusted us with priestly responsibilities of worship and intercession for others.

3. A Holy Nation. The church—or body of Christ—is a group of people who are holy, which means “set apart” for the purposes of God. Our lives are never meaningless, because living for the Lord is the greatest purpose one can have.

4. A People for God’s Own Possession. You and I are the heavenly Father’s personal possessions. (See Deut. 14:2; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 2:9.) Because He sees us as precious, He sent His Son to die on the cross in our place so we could belong to Him.

Each of these descriptions shows the high value God places on you. Satan may whisper lies of condemnation and criticism, but he can’t change who you really are. Begin today to demonstrate the truth of Scripture by remembering your real identity and living out your high calling from the Lord.

- https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions -

In our lives, we spend much time making choices. We ask God to show us the way so that we can obey Him, sometimes we keep on praying but it seems that God just keeps silent. So what should we do in that kind of situation? Have you ever been in that situation? I am in that position now.
 
My assurance however, is this, for people who knows that there is hope in knowing Christ Jesus, we know that we are given choices with God watching each and our steps. It is then our calling to share this good news to people who doesn’t know Christ Jesus.
 
Though God may seem silent, I could proceed and go out there to be a blessing witnessing to hopeless people who doesn’t know they too could have hope. I could listen to their cry and read on God’s word whilst waiting on God for my own direction on making right choices/steps. Are not we are called to love and care for the oppressed and to heal the sick as to follow Jesus’ step to constantly be in communion with the Father?
 
As we wait on the Lord’s direction, let us continue on to remind ourselves of God’s everlasting love for us and His faithfulness in the past for us. Let us not be far from His words. Only by doing so, we can step forward and be a blessing to others. Though God may seem silent, we can be assured that He is moving and working behind the scene. We then could agree and conclude together with what Habakkuk says: 
 
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights
​Habakkuk 3:17-19

- Jenni Wang
​

 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. (Psalm 63:1–2)

Only God will satisfy a heart like David’s. And David was a man after God’s own heart. That’s the way we were created to be.

This is the essence of what it means to love God — to be satisfied in him. In him!
Loving God will include obeying all his commands; it will include believing all his word; it will include thanking him for all his gifts; but the essence of loving God is enjoying all he is. And it is this enjoyment of God that glorifies his worth most fully.

We all know this intuitively as well as from Scripture. Do we feel most honored by the love of those who serve us from the constraints of duty, or from the delights of fellowship?

My wife is most honored when I say, “It makes me happy to spend time with you.” My happiness is the echo of her excellence. And so it is with God. He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.
None of us has arrived at perfect satisfaction in God. I grieve often over the murmuring of my heart at the loss of worldly comforts. But I have tasted that the Lord is good. By God’s grace I now know the fountain of everlasting joy.
​
And so I love to spend my days luring people into joy until they say with me, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).

- http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/what-it-means-to-love-god -

Muhammad Ali was known as the prize fighter who couldn’t be beaten. It was said that his picture was featured in sports magazines more than any other athlete in history, earning him the title – “Sportsman of the Century.” Wherever he went, the camera will follow him. He had it all; recognition, wealth, fame and all that stardom could offer.
​
All that he had couldn’t buy him good health and Ali fell victim to the death grip of Parkinson’s disease.

Gary Smith, a sportswriter spent some time with Ali during this period and wrote on how he recalled Ali escorted him to a dark, damp barn where he saw a board displaying mementos – posters of ‘Thrilla in Manila’, pictures of Ali lifting champion-belts he had won over his heads and pictures of Ali in the ring fighting. What Smith noticed was the pictures were smeared with white marks caused by pigeons’ droppings. Ali picked up the board and Smith heard him mumbled, “I had the whole world but it was nothing. Look at me now.”

​The psalmist wrote,” We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You.” (Psalm 39: 6-7 NLT). Fame and fortune are may prove to be futile but it is a blessed thing to have our hope set on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

- John W.

Do you ever read Luke 10:38-42 or John 12:2-3 and think - ‘Yes! I’m I know how you feel Martha!’

Like Martha, I have always had the tendency to serve and ‘work hard for God’, rather than to be still and rely on God’s grace. This attitude of mine has its pros and cons. I love to feel like God is using me to build His Kingdom. I love being ‘busy for God’. But sometimes I forget to do tasks with Him.

Sort of subconsciously, I say to God - ‘Don’t worry, I can handle this one’, rather than being still and resting in His presence. And today I had a thought, "would I be happy if I died today to begin eternity in Heaven in the sweet presence of God 24/7, without another opportunity to ‘serve the Lord here on Earth? OR, do I desire working for God more than I desire God Himself?"
 
Philippians 3:14 - I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
 
Being in heaven with Jesus for all eternity is the be all and end all of one's life! It is my purpose, my ultimate calling, and my goal; my one desire. Jesus is my heart’s pursuit and my prize. Healing, provision, miracles etc are all things of God and from God. Just like my Mum’s lasagne is from my Mum. But it’s my Mum herself who I love most of all, not the lasagne.

- Rebecca Ng

"Rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'." Romans 8:15b

The name 'Father' has the ability to conjure up all sorts of emotions. To some it may offer feelings of security and love; to others, betrayal, or hurt. No matter what your image of a father may be, God the Father loves and cares for his children.

One of my favorite childhood memories is riding up on top of my dad's strong, broad shoulders. This is not unlike the way that the Bible describes God the Father. He is a defender of the vulnerable and he carries the weak. God is even described a father to the fatherless (Ps. 68:5). 

When we love and believe in Jesus, God's son, we are adopted into God's family. We  become his sons and daughters. With joy, we can cry 'Abba, Father' because he has become our spiritual Father. With hope, we can put our trust in his sovereign ways because he cares for us. Remember that God the Father is not like an earthly father you may have experienced. He does not treat us unfairly or mock us for our fumbled attempts to follow him. Nor does he toss aside our requests while attending to more important business.

Jesus himself spoke these words of the Father in Matthew 10:29 and 31, saying, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care... so don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

We may not know why God waits to answer a specific prayer or why he feels distant for a time, but we do know that he is watching over us. We are incredibly important to God our Father. In joy or in sorrow, we can cry out to our Father in heaven and he will hear us.

TAKE ACTION:

​Picture yourself as a small child once again. Think of the candid way you asked questions, let your thoughts spill out, and even felt confused at times. Now, think of yourself this way in relation to God, your Father. Picture him standing there next to you, smiling down at you, holding your hand as you walk side by side. Then pray to him verbally or in written form with this image in mind; ask him questions, tell him about your day, share your struggles and thank him for your joys.

- http://www2.aws.org/dailydevotions/we-cry-abba-father -

On top of the Corcovado Mountain overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, stands one of the tallest statues in the world – Christ the Redeemer. Weighing at 635 metric tons, the statue stands 30 meter with its arms spreading approximately 28 meters. It is undoubtedly a distinct monument one would lift up their eyes to see when they are near.

The New Testament tells us that Christ is not only our Redeemer but He is also the Maker of Heaven and Earth. The psalmist wrote his reflection in Psalm 121 reminding us to lift our eyes to the hills and remember where our help comes from. He continues to write that the Lord God is our constant source of help who will guard us, keep us from slipping and shield us from evil.

This is our assurance, we are able to lift our eyes in faith to the One who is our constant redeemer who is mighty and all-knowing for He Himself is the Maker of Heaven and Earth. He is our help and our constant hope. Where do you lift your eyes to today? Would it be to the hills, to remind you of   Christ our redeemer?

Psalm 121: 1
I lift my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?

- Irene Soon

The apostle Paul wrote, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” Not me. There have definitely been times when I wished I had some of the extras I saw others enjoying. I haven’t always been satisfied. Could we be satisfied with just food and clothes as many claim is sufficient?

As I was pondering the question, my attention was drawn to my ten-month-old niece, Lily. She played quietly and happily gummed a slice of apple. She definitely looked content, I thought to myself and  it showed me the illustration peace and happiness. She practically only had a diaper and a slice of apple that she happily gummed, she was content and smiling.

Lily wasn't worried about whether or not she would have food tomorrow or if she may not have a diaper tomorrow. She had her food and her clothes for the day and she was perfectly content knowing her mother or father to take care of her needs.

I should be the same way, happy and satisfied with what God gives me. I have not only food and clothing but also other material comforts are not necessarily basic needs. I have Jesus and His gift of salvation. I have my family, my health, friends. In all practically, it is evident I have all I need to be content and that I should be grateful for the blessings God has given to me as it is more than food and clothing. Let us thank the Lord for the abundance of more than just food and clothing.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 ESV
Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

- Anonymous

“Be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good.” (Ephesians 5:15-16 TLB)

Everyone has a dream. Maybe you’ve had it since you were a child. Maybe it came to you more recently. Desires, wishes, and ambitions should be a part of all of our lives. You may have hidden it deep inside of you, but you have a dream.

The question isn’t whether you have a dream. It’s “What are you doing with your dream?”

Most dreams never come true. It’s not that we’re not smart enough, not outgoing enough, or not spiritual enough. Usually, our dreams don’t come true because we’re unwilling to take the necessary risks to reach them.

The Bible shares a sad one-sentence commentary about a king who failed to achieve an important ambition in his life: “[King] Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail — they were wrecked at Ezion Geber” (1 Kings 22:48 NIV).

While it’s a tragedy for your ship to never come in in life, it’s a greater tragedy for you to build a ship and never set sail. Imagine the energy and expense expended by King Jehoshaphat. He built an entire fleet of ships to go after the gold, and not one of them set sail. They never got out of the harbor. Evidently a storm came up and, while these ships were in the harbor, they slammed against the rocks and were destroyed.

Some people spend their whole lives waiting for their ship to come. But God isn’t waiting for your ship to come in. He’s waiting for you to sail your ship out of the harbor.

I know a man who for 30 years had a dream of starting a ministry. He talked about it, dreamed about it, and planned it. He spent a great deal of time on this dream, but he never took the risk to do anything more about his dream. He never got his ship out of the harbor. Eventually, the man died — and so did his dream.

The Bible’s antidote to that kind of tragic procrastination is as simple as an overdone catchphrase but excruciatingly difficult to apply at times: Just do it. The Bible says,“Be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good” (Ephesians 5:15-16 TLB).
​
The Bible urges us to seize the moment and act now. To live a life with unfulfilled dreams is a tragedy. Ships aren’t made for the harbor. They’re made to set sail.    
So are you ready to set sail?

- http://rickwarren.org/devotional/english/full-post/seize-the-moment!1-