A Devotional Life

Psalm 107:10-16. Can I ever be completely free from bondage? Yes! In today’s passage, the Psalmist points us to the prisoners’ story. Again, we’re meant to hear the prisoners’ story and see a bit of ourselves in them. Further, we are to see God’s wonderful deeds and respond with thankful praise. So what can I be thankful for from the prisoner’s story ? That when we cry out to God in our bondage, He sets us free . The bondage of the prisoner. A prisoner’s reality is prison. It’s a cycle of darkness, suffering, iron chains (v10), being trapped in the consequences of actions (v11), and helplessness (v12). This is what prison or bondage looks like; things we find hard to break out of: sin, addictions, bad habits (Gal. 5:19-21, Rom. 6:16-18). Although these are hard for us to break out of, they are not hard for God to break us free. “There is no...

Psalm 107:4-9. The Psalm continues by telling us four stories to inspire thanksgiving: the wanderers, the prisoners, the sick, and the seafarers (vv 4, 10, 17, 23). And as with most stories, we are to see a bit of ourselves in them—especially since these are the stories of the redeemed (v2a). Above all, we are to see God’s wonderful deeds and respond with thankful praise. So what can I be thankful for from the wanderer’s story ? That when we wander and cry out to God, He satisfies us . The hunger of the wanderer. The wanderers are searching for a place to settle, but they cannot find it (v4). Rather, the farther they wander, the hungrier, thirstier, and fainter they become (v5). That’s what wandering does. It exposes our hunger. And spiritually, we can do the same. We can wander from God and look to things such as success, relationships, or possessions to satisfy us...

Psalm 107:1-3. The Bible constantly encourages us to live in a habit of thanksgiving. But it’s not all the time we feel like singing or feel like being thankful. And certainly it’s not all the time our environment and reality present a reason to be thankful. So what motivates thanksgiving always, even in suffering? The revelation of God’s character. The Psalmist says, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.” The Psalmist is thankful that God is good; a character of God he has come to know. The revelation of God’s character births thanksgiving in us. The foundation of thanksgiving is knowing who God is. That’s it. If we don’t know who God is, we can never truly be thankful. And the reverse is also the case. The more we know, the more we’re thankful. The more He is revealed to our hearts, the more we’re thankful for who He is. ...

Genesis 1:21b-22, 27-28; 2:1-3. Amid the daily grind and challenges of life, it’s easy to lose sight of how life was originally designed to function. By that, I mean, it’s actually easy to lose sight of the fact that we are an inherently blessed creation. The creation story shows us that God has blessed his creation. He did not create and leave us to figure things out on our own. He has blessed His creation, and His blessing reveals His design for it. He blessed us to replenish, rule and rest in Him. Replenish. “And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number…’” (vv. 21b-22, 28a). On the fifth and sixth days, God blessed His good creation, fish, birds, and humans alike, with the ability to replenish the earth. Whatever God created, he saw that it was good. He then blessed them to expand and create m...

Genesis 1:4-31. One common question often sneaks into our minds when we face the uncertainties of life: “Is this it? Is this the final fate of our world or of my situation?” The creation story gives us a definitive antidote to those fears. As God forms the world over six days, He models His definition of “done.” What we see is a masterpiece of perfect order, wholeness, and goodness. While this reflects the universe before the fall, God is unchanging. Therefore, these truths help us understand how He works in our lives today. His work is ordered. Throughout the creation week, God separates light from darkness, sky from sea, and land from water (vv. 4, 7, 9, 14, 18). He takes the chaotic, formless void and establishes perfect peace and order. If your life or your circumstances feel chaotic, messy, or completely out of sequence right now, take heart. God is an...

Genesis 1:1-3. Amid all the uncertainties and strange news headlines, we can find encouragement in God’s word. The creation story in Genesis is a wonderful reminder of God’s intention for His creation and His eternal sovereignty over it. The story reminds us that life doesn’t just “happen”; it is authored by the all-powerful all-sufficient God. We will see this more clearly as we journey through the creation story of chapters 1 and 2. In Genesis 1, the world begins formless, empty, and shrouded in darkness. It is a picture of total chaos, yet the Spirit of God is already hovering over the waters. Even before He speaks, His presence is the foundation of our hope. In this opening scene, we see what His all-powerful all-sufficiency looks like: God is above and beyond all. “In the beginning, God...” (v1). These four words are the anchor of the...