When Jesus first called His disciples, He told them, ‘I will make you fishers of men.’ (Matthew 4:19 KJV) Yet after hearing His promises, they went back to what they were doing before they met Him: fishing. God will use your past experiences to teach you, but He always leads you forward, never back. When fear and uncertainty make you want to go back to the security of what you know, you end up like the disciples: "That night they caught nothing."
 
But the good news is: if God has called you, you’re still called. In spite of your lacklustre performance, you’re still God’s redeemed child.

In the Bible, Jesus approaches the discouraged disciples and instructs them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. "When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish…Then, as soon as they come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it and bread (John 21: 9 NKJV). Despite the disciples going back to 'their ways', Jesus provided them abundance including cooking them breakfast. Jesus then ate breakfast with the disciples and renewed their fellowship. Jesus knows what you need before you even asked Him to, He has you always in His minds; He is your provider.
 
When you work outside God’s will, it’s like fishing on the wrong side of the boat; you wear yourself out and end up having little to show for your efforts. Are you struggling? Things will start to change when you submit to Christ, renew your fellowship with Him, and allow Him to direct you.

John 21: 3 NKJV
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat and that night they caught nothing.

- Bob Gass - Word for Today Devotional 

Most likely all of us have been through the season of waiting.

In my own season of waiting, I imagine the people of Israelites during the time in Babylon. They might be wondering when it would end. Will it really end just like Isaiah had spoken hundred years before that? Waiting for them probably is a mixture of many feelings summed up through expectation, anxiety, hope, dismay and it may reel them into a cycle of restlessness.

In seasons such as that, I wondered if the Israelites faltered the way I do, did they ever doubt that it was God who spoke to them, or if they have listened well, did they disobeyed God or will God bless them as He said He will? In the midst of my own doubt, God’s powerful message of hope to His people suddenly spoke to me: fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God: I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

When I become discouraged in in my own waiting, He has reminded me that even when I am tired and prone to dismay, He has strengthened me daily; help me not to lose sight of Him as His grace and His love envelope me surely. 

- Jenni Wang

During one of my plane flights, a violent turbulence occurred from bad weather. It caused the plane to lose its altitude in one sharp drop whilst on air. Drinks and foods were spilled on the plane floor and some passengers were visibly nervous. The silence that followed was uncomfortable until two kids giggled loudly and yelled, “yeah, again! Do it again!”

The Bible reminds us to receive the Kingdom of Heaven like a little child (Mark 10:15). Children are fearless, they are bold in asking and highly expectant, they are receptive to any changes and have an unrivalled sense of wonder; they believe in magic and miracles, they laugh and have full joy in daily life.

As adult, life throws us challenges and issues that could defeat us and most of us could relate to Jeremiah in his anguish yet he has hope.

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.

Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (Lamentation 3: 19 – 23)

Jeremiah finds comfort in the Lord’s unfailing love every morning; nothing will be able to consume us. This is where we could embrace a childlike expectation that the Lord’s mercies and love are new every morning, fresh for our weary soul to receive. We could ask boldly without fear knowing God’s goodness and faithfulness is ever-flowing and with that renewed faith, we wait in expectation daily for our miracles; for the good He will do next in our lives.

- Irene Soon 

The birth of Jesus was not just a difficulty; it was an impossibility. Mary was a virgin but God could breathe life into her womb. And just as God caused Mary to conceive the sinless Saviour who is fully God and fully human, He too can accomplish through you, those things that seem impossible in your life.

There are many times where we feel it is impossible to see a change nor there are ways for us to surface out of the metaphorical water signifying the trials we are drowning in but these are the times we have humanized God. We have brought His Sovereignty down to our own level of understanding and abilities to figure a way out.

The Lord our Saviour is above all of our circumstances, externally and internally; He is the creator of Heaven and Earth and even the devil obeys the Lord’s authority and sovereignty.  Would all these facts comfort you? Would you be tempted again to box the Lord in our own confined understanding and comprehension of His ability to be our Deliverer and Saviour?

Dear blessed friends, the Lord has given His words to grant us peace and wisdom when we ask of Him. He has promised a heritage that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. His promises are as solid as His credibility through the Ages as the Living Lord who works miracles through and through again. Just as Mary conceived a child through a way that is outside of our understanding, we need to believe the Lord has a way out for us and grant us victories in situations we claim to be impossible. To you, it would be impossible but to the Lord, He is always victorious. He is a God who sees no impossibilities.

Isaiah 54: 17
no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.

- Irene Soon

When we are faced with an unfavourable situation, the thought that is often the loudest in our mind tends to be why.

Life is like being in a boat and when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, we can and should be assured that we have him in the boat with us.
At times we think that having Jesus, the sail would be easy. Then the waves hit, the storm rages, we think this should not be happening. Jesus is in us, with us and for us but why is this happening? Everything is against me, I am overwhelmed, why Lord, why?
 
Remember what Jesus says in John 16: 33
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth
you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have
overcome the world.”
 
Yes, we have trials and sorrows but His promise is that He has overcome the world for us. This is where our faith in Him and His promises matters. Our faith in Him navigates through the waves and storm of our life. We are never alone and we have Him in the boat with us. It means that even though the storm hit, it will not sink our boat.

- Annie Pisca

I’ve recently watched a documentary on Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch woman who persevered in her Christian faith. She helped many Jews into hiding in her house, got captured and survived the concentration camp in World War II.

She displayed an extraordinary forgiveness to everyone who have wronged her and her family and even when she loses her ability to speak in her old age, she remained faithful to the Lord in her ministry. She penned a famous poem titled ‘the Tapestry poem’ in which it revealed the bittersweet truth of faith with God being the weaver of threads in the canvas of our lives. What we see as tangled threads and disarray of colours are due to our limited human ability to comprehend God’s perspective from above.

Our Omnipotent God is able to oversee all patterns of weavings to His purpose; He is making all things work for good for us. Ten Boom trusted the Lord in all her sufferings and tribulations. She worded ever so beautifully, “He gives the very best to those who leave the choice to Him.”

Dear blessed ones, the Lord loves and cares for you more than you could fathom. Even if anything does not make sense, know that the Lord is for you and He is making all things work for good for you.

Romans 8: 28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

- Irene Soon

​In one old movie, I watched a story about a shrewd businessman who eagerly helped to restore a nunnery which was damaged during the WWII. When asked why he did it, the unbelieving businessman simply said, “just in case!” It made me ponder aren’t we all like this businessman at some point?

We do things for God because of “just in case” too. If you were asked, “what would you willingly do for God without any ‘repayment’?” Would you have done it whole heartedly?

The businessman wanted to do good just in case there is a God and he believed his good deeds would earn him an eternal place in Heaven. That was his insurance – his good deeds would not go unrewarded.
Let us cultivate a steward heart out of gratitude for the abundant forgiveness, favor, grace and mercy that God has provide us daily. A “just in case” mentality fosters a calculative mindset with God where our bitterness grow and we say things such as, “after all I have done for You, God”, “I tithed every week and now I’m unemployed!”, “Didn’t I serve you well, why I have to endure this?” The list goes on.

Can we trust the One who loves us? Just as Satan needed God’s permission to test Job, he is unable to test you without the Almighty God not being in control. The One who loves you will have the final say and you do not need fear and resort to a “just in case” mentality.   
 
Job 1: 9-12
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

- John W.

In ancient Israel, there is a clear distinction between a good shepherd and a hired hand. A hired hand only goes as far as tending to the needs of the sheep for the day.

A good shepherd tends to his sheep above what is required of his duties. He enjoys the time spent with his sheep and he answers to the faintest cry of each lamb. He comforts each lamb and knows their livelihood depends solely on his protection and provision. A good shepherd has deep knowledge for each of his sheep’s characters and his care is faithfully abiding.
​
In John 10: 14 – 27 Jesus refers Himself as the Good Shepherd, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me…” Just like the sheep, we are able to place our helpless self to the capable care of our Good Shepherd, Jesus. How wonderful it is to know that we are not sheep with shepherd and with The Good Shepherd beside us, we are no longer helpless. We are able to rest in the promise of His sustaining care in each trial and season we face.

The Lord knows our livelihood depends solely on his protection, love and provision. Try our Good Shepherd, he is faithfully abiding.

John 10: 14 - 16
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

- Irene Soon

Do you wake up with a heavy feeling; constantly worrying about things? Do you feel alone with your thoughts as if no one is there for you? No one understands you?

​Have you stopped for a second and think that these thoughts would make us susceptible to the devil’s lies? We tend to trust our heart conditions and let it dictate our feelings.
 
Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick, who can understand it. Our loving Father knows of our human trait and when we do not guard our hearts, it magnifies our problem to the point of exhaustion. In Deuteronomy 30:6, God assures us that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He also says that not to worry, He will take good care of you (Matthew 6:26-30). The Word of our Lord uphold the highest credibility as He is a God who doesn’t lie. When He assures us that He will never, He stands by His words to never forsake us.
 
If we human could place our utmost trust to one or few people in our lives to never forsake us and to always be there for us when we are in the lowest valleys, how much more have we belittled our Lord who is capable of an everlasting and consistent care upon us. He loves you so very much, dear friends. Let us reset and trust a little more in our Lord.
 
John 3:16
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

- Annie Pisca

How did God perform the miracle of the Red Sea? By shutting His people in on every opportune side so that there was no way out but by the supernatural  way. The Egyptians were behind them, the sea was in front of them, the mountains were on both sides of them.

There was no escape but from above.The devil can wall us in, but he cannot roof us over as we can always get out at the top. Our difficulties are but God's challenges, and many times He makes them so hard that we must get above them or go under.

During such trial, it presents us with highest possibilities to build the muscles of our faith. We are pushed by the very emergency into God's best inteference. Friends, this is God's hour. If you will rise to meet it you will get such a hold upon Him that you will not be in extremities again; or if you are, you will learn to call them not extremities, but opportunities.

Like Jacob, you will go forth from that night at Peniel, no longer called Jacob, but as victorious Israel. 

2 Corinthians 4:9
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

- Writing of A Simpson