Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning

https://odb.org/2026/09/11/divine-comfort

Psalm 30:1–5 (NIV): 1 I will exalt you, LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths  and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
      2 LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
      3 You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.
      4 Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.
      5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

The sound of the cascading water confirmed that I’d arrived at the 9/11 Memorial Pools in New York City, a place I’d avoided visiting for fear of being overwhelmed by sadness and grief from what took place there that tragic day in 2001. I walked around the two large reflection pools located where the Twin Towers once stood. It was deeply moving to see all the names of those who died etched on the walls—some with roses placed on them by loved ones. I was in Manhattan on the morning of 9/11 but thankfully not near the World Trade Center. Still, as a native New Yorker, the tragedy hit too close to home. I was finally at Ground Zero, yet I wasn’t overcome by sorrow or fear. I felt peace as I stood there and recalled God’s sustaining grace. That peace was a gift from the God who knows how to comfort us. (Nancy Gavilanes, Our Daily Bread 11th September 2026)

The phrase at Psalm 30:5 – weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning – is very powerful to us believers of Christ and adopted children of Yahweh, our heavenly Father and God. It speaks of the comforting divine healing that comes at the end of our grief and mourning. The night and day is figurative but as night will surely turn to day, our grief will surely turn to rejoicing. As certain is day is to night, rejoicing in the Lord is certain after our tears and broken hearts. That’s the promise of God in Psalm 30:5 as expressed by David.

The promise is akin to the light at the end of the tunnel. The period of grief may be long but there will be healing and rejoicing at the end. That’s God’s promise to us. Not a spiral down experience into nothingness but an uplifting one as we commit our hearts to God notwithstanding our devastating loss. We trust that He will comfort and heal us. With His strength, we will become strong to live on for His sake, for Him. Despite our loss, we will regain joy in His presence. He will light up the fire in us to burn ever more strongly. One day, we will see our loved ones again.

I like to end today’s devotion with a poem by Henry van Dyke:

I Am Standing Upon The Seashore

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says;
“There, she is gone!”

“Gone where?”
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, “There, she is gone!”
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout;
“Here she comes!”
And that is dying.

Have a good weekend, everyone! Though there is weeping in the night, rejoicing will indeed come in the morning!

Generosity lived as a legacy

https://odb.org/2026/09/10/legacy-of-generosity

Proverbs 13:22 A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,
but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

Though we didn’t live in the same state as my maternal grandparents, I’m grateful to have known them as well as I did. They traveled regularly to Colorado to see us, and we enjoyed visits with them in California. As my sister and I became adults, our conversations with our grandparents expanded from playful childhood topics to include more serious discussion of finances. They explained to us that they wanted to share their resources with us while they were alive but that most of their estate would be given to charity at their passing. My grandparents were, indeed, quite generous to us over their lifetimes. When they died, I was genuinely proud to see their remaining resources given to others. (Kirsten Holmberg, Our Daily Bread 10th September 2026)

Generous people desire to benefit those who’ll outlive them: “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children” (13:22). The Proverbs teach us some dimensions of giving that are unexpected. For example, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” (11:24). Another insight is that God takes our generosity to others personally: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord” (19:17 esv; see 14:31). Believers in Jesus view money as an investment in God’s work and His people rather than a commodity to consume. And that’s the posture of a blessed person. (Tim Laniak, Insight, Our Daily Bread 10th September 2026)

In my social circles, at work or in church or just among my friends and relatives, I’ve never heard of anyone ever giving away their wealth to charity upon their passing. No doubt I do not personally know billionaires but even billionaires in Malaysia are usually business people and their wealth are tied to their business or listed entities, making giving away to charities difficult. However, in recent years, I remember reading about a Singaporean billionaire having left his fortune to his grandchildren instead of his own immediate children. That appears to be the exact teaching of Proverbs 13:22!

If we really have abundance, we may consider leaving our wealth (at least some of it) to charity. But what’s more crucial in my view is to be generous while we are still alive, especially if we are wealthy. Yes, we need to provide for our old age but once that is provided for, we should be freer to use our money to bless others. This is how Kirsten Holmberg felt as her grandparents treated them well when they were alive although they made it clear they would be giving away their estate to charity when they passed. When they eventually did that, Kirsten did not feel she had lost out on an inheritance. Instead, she was proud of their legacy of generosity. The important thing is they were not miserly with them when they were alive.

I know of rich people (but not those with billions) who are stingy even with their own children as though their quest in life is to only add more zeros to their bank balances. A thrifty culture is a good thing to cultivate as a spendthrift will never accumulate anything (and thus may face issues when they are old and no longer earning). However, frugality in abundance is pointless because finances are meant to be used and if we are believers, we should use at least some of it to bless others.

In everything we do, there should be a balance. Sometimes, that is a fine line and yes, not everything is clear cut. Avoid extremes and we will have a better life. There is wisdom in wealth planning but there is also wisdom in being generous in the sight of God. Remember – whoever is generous to the poor, lends to the LORD (Proverbs 19:17). This means that when we are generous to the poor and needy, our Heavenly Father Himself becomes our debtor! But Paul said in Romans 11:35 that God is no man’s debtor! What all this means is that the more we give, the more we will receive (Proverbs 11:24)!

A tale of the two wedding banquets

https://odb.org/2026/09/09/gods-open-invitation

Painting by William Blake (1822)

Luke 14:15–24 (NIV): 15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ 23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”

Before my close friend’s wedding, we meticulously set the table for two hundred guests at the reception. With joyful anticipation we spent hours folding napkins, aligning cutlery, straightening tablecloths, and arranging flowers. After putting in all that work, we couldn’t wait for guests to arrive and enjoy it! But when many seats remained empty, we were sorely disappointed.

Jesus shared a similar story with some Pharisees as they ate together (Luke 14:15-20). He described a man who lovingly planned a great banquet for many people, but few attended and gave flimsy excuses. The man was angry at their rejection. He extended his invitation to society’s outcasts, “the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame” (v. 21). When there was still room, his servants went even further abroad to “compel [others] to come in” (v. 23). (Karen Pimpo, Our Daily Bread 9th September 2026)

The parable of the wedding banquet related by Jesus and recorded in Luke 14:15-24 speaks of how the Jews as the chosen generation were invited to join the Kingdom of God but rejected it (mainly because of their unbelief that Jesus was indeed the coming Messiah spoken of since ancient times). The Jews were the intended and chosen guests as the first-born children of God but unlike Esau who was tricked by Jacob to give up his birthright, the Jews outrightly rejected Christ. In fact, they persecuted and crucified Him. Like the Pharoah of Egypt whose initial defiance of Moses led to the deliverance of the Jews out of Egypt into the Promised Land, the rejection of Jesus by Israel led to Jesus fulfilling His mission to die for the sins of mankind. So, in the end, the Gentiles of the world (not the prime but second choice) were invited and until today, millions have accepted Christ throughout the generations since the days of Paul.

As believers, the invitation to the other wedding banquet is however the one that we should give serious thought. Jesus alluded to it in the parable of the Ten Virgins (see Matthew 25:1-13). Five were prepared and brought enough oil for their lamps to remain lighted when the bridegroom came. The other five didn’t bring enough oil and had to go buy more and when the bridegroom came, they missed the banquet. Thus the question – are we prepared for Jesus’s return or if we are called home before that? Are we ready to face Christ at the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ? Are our names still written in the Book of Life when the time comes (which ensures us a place in the new heaven and new earth at the end of age)? Although we call Him Lord, Lord – does He know us? Are we wheat or chaff – the wheat or weed in Matthew 13:24-30)? Will our works be burned up as we go through the refiner’s fire or will we turn out like pure gold?

No one will be able to answer the question whether we are the first five of the virgins or the last five, except we alone as our life on earth is lived by us alone. Our parents can’t answer for us and neither may our cell group leader or pastor or our spouse. We alone are responsible for our own spiritual life; whether we have fulfilled God’s plans and purposes for our lives. Did we respond to Jesus’s calling for us for that season and this season? Did we break free from the cycle of sin, forgiveness and sin? Did we break the generational bondages chaining us to our past? Did we love the LORD our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength? Did we love our neighbour as we loved ourselves? In fact, did we even love ourselves as we love God? If we need to ask these questions, ask them now rather than later. Not everything can wait as our breath may be taken from us the next moment! Always remember the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12!

Koinonia fellowship in a community

https://odb.org/2026/09/08/what-a-fellowship

Philippians 2:1–4 (NIV): 2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Rachel “church hopped” for three years before finding a Bible study group that provided what she couldn’t find in a traditional church—community. Rachel is Deaf. Around the world, many Deaf people face similar worship challenges. Her house church nurtures community by watching a Deaf church service on YouTube, discussing the teaching with each other, and then sharing a meal. The small group provides the Spirit-led church family Rachel craves. The apostle Paul explains what makes a church a community: the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Writing from prison, he urged this connection to the church at Philippi. His hope, in part, was to encourage spiritual unity in a congregation he’d formed and loved. (Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread 8th September 2026)

Some believers argue that we could worship in any church because God is the same whether we are in Catholic, Baptist, Anglican, Lutheran, Assembly of God or Full Gospel Assembly. That is true because in this age after the resurrection of Christ, we worship God in Spirit and in truth. Remember Jesus Christ told the Samaritan woman in  John 4:23 – Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. So the argument whether to worship Yahweh in the Temple Mount in Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim in Samaria is now moot.

At the other extreme, some believers even take the stand that we do not need to attend church because we could worship God wherever we are. So we could be a born-again believer existing on our own, praying and worshiping from the comforts of our home in our PJs (pyjamas) with a cup of coffee in hand. There was a time when worshiping alone meant studying the bible ourselves but with the proliferation of online services after Covid, we could tune in to hear the Word preached practically any time of the day or week.

Although not entirely wrong, both groups sadly missed the point of church – which fundamentally is about the gathering of His people. There is the koinonia part of the church congregational worship. Derived from koinos (meaning “common”), koinonia describes things shared in common or a tight-knit association where people function as active partners rather than passive observers. The church is a place we could serve God and one another. It is a place where we develop a community, friendships cultivated out of service and love. Thus if we worship alone and only listen to online messages, we miss out on this community aspect and while we could technically worship in any church, we need to stick to one. A church is not just “bricks and mortar” but a gathering of like-minded believers living out their love for Christ as a community, supporting each other towards the righteous path that leads to eternal life.

Therefore, I encourage you if you are still church-hopping or still relying only on online services, to take that step in faith to settle in a local church. We may not fit in to any church but make the effort to find one that fits us, no matter the distance to travel. The church we call home need not be within our neighbourhood as God may well be calling us to attend and serve in one at the other end of the city!

Providence or coincidence?

https://odb.org/2026/09/07/gods-loving-eye

Psalm 32:6–8 (NIV): 6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.
      7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
      8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Together we were able to share how God has sustained us and given us strength and faith through the years. It was amazing to think that among the 33,000 walkers that day, we found a family that understood our hearts. Two families with similar stories ending up together in a sea of people. It sounds a little like something that can happen only because of what God told King David in Psalm 32. After David expressed his appreciation to God for protection and deliverance, he got this encouraging word from Him: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (v. 8 nkjv). (Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread 7th September 2026)

As believers, we go through life like any other human in the sense that we are not exempted from the rigours of life. Like the case of the eruption of Anak Krakatau in Java. If we are there in Jakarta on a scheduled return flight, we will be stranded like everyone else because jet engines and volcanic ash don’t mix well. But if in the process, we meet another family at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport whom we could relate well – was it a coincidence or something pre-arranged by God in His mysterious ways?

As I look back on my life, I thought I would retire in Astro after spending nearly 27 years there (including 4 years plus at the holding company). But as it turned out, God had other plans and I ended up in Telekom Malaysia (TM) in 2022. Getting a new job at past 50 is usually very difficult. That is why taking a severance package in our 50s while it may look like a good deal is often a double-edged sword. We may never work for similar pay or equivalent position again. For me, the job at TM helped me to continue funding my children’s education. But the presence of  God’s hand was evidently real because under normal circumstances there would not have been such a vacancy at TM. However, in 2022 as it so happened, TM decided to create a startup subsidiary to venture into the digital business and instead of using homegrown talent as is usually the case, we decided to venture into the market to source.

This brings us to the Word for today and that is – Psalm 32:8 – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. For those of us who are close to God and who are able to hear from Him, we may get direct counsel and instruction and teaching. Perhaps through our quiet time, our prayer and worship or through the Rhema word as we study Scripture. But even if we are not quite good at hearing Him or still a novice at that, God’s heart is for us. He has His loving eye on us.

For some of us, that may just mean that in a way our life is planned by God as His plans for us is to prosper and give us hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Where we are today is not by chance or a stroke of luck. Our good fortune is not just hardwork or good career planning or a coincidence of nature. Instead, it is part of God’s loving plan for our lives, for us to fulfil His purposes for our lives and to respond to His calling. Nothing occurred by chance, God’s loving hands and fingerprints are present all over the place in all aspects of our lives! He always wants the best for us notwithstanding our rebellious nature and even our unfaithfulness. His steadfast love never ceases indeed! Amen!

Courage and boldness in the Lord

https://odb.org/2026/08/28/the-courage-god-gives

2 Samuel 23:11–12 (NIV): 11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

The CEO was hurting employees with his sharp tongue. No one dared confront him. Everyone was afraid of him, including Gene. But one day the CEO berated a new employee, reducing her to tears. When Gene saw how everyone in the room stayed silent, he spoke up. “I told him the way he was treating people was wrong,” Gene recalls. “He was astonished; it was the first time someone stood up to him. He didn’t change, but I’m glad I spoke up.” (Karen Huang, Our Daily Bread 28th August 2026)

Confronting a CEO is a difficult mission (potentially suicidal) as he or she has the direct capability to decide your career progression in the organisation and even your remuneration package. Unless we are prepared to walk, most would just tag along. But if it’s a decision affecting the future of the organisation itself, we could possibly have a good reason to state our point of view. In the corporate setup or even a church, the decision and responsibility lie with the boss or the pastor and if he maintains his call, we comply and execute. That’s how reality works. So if we are prone to rebel and not follow, then we should be our own boss. That’s how businesses are started or even churches break away after major disagreements.

Courage in the faith comes in different forms and even as much of the Old Testament looks at courage from the point of view of actual military bravery and battlefield exploits (like today’scontext of Shammah) – in this modern era, what’s more relevant in our life is perhaps witnessing for Christ or making a stand for our faith.

Do we have the courage to speak up to someone on Jesus or to confront a friend for bad behaviour? Are we bold enough to offer to pray for someone who is facing cancer treatment or going through a heart break situation?

There could be situations in our life where we could be like Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite in the modern context, if we are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Have the courage to speak up to confront a wrong but read the room well before doing so. The reality is – it is often less the truth we speak but more of who says it that matters. But if we could make a difference, have the courage and boldness to speak the truth with conviction. The Lord will surely stand with us for our courage and boldness!

Have a good weekend ahead, everyone! It’s a long weekend in Malaysia as we have Independence Day on Monday. My local church is taking advantage of the break to have a family camp. Happy holidays if you’re in Malaysia!

Submit yourselves to God

https://odb.org/2026/08/27/where-god-reigns

James 4:1–10 (NIV): 4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

In 2018, a man checked into a room at New York hotel for a one-night stay. Remarkably, he used the room for five years without paying another cent—exploiting obscure rent laws to hold on to it. His refusal to leave, however, eventually led to potential prison time for him.

Like an unwelcome tenant who overstays, James warns us that the devil lingers in our lives when left unchecked. “Resist the devil,” James writes, “and he will flee from you” (4:7). The apostle emphasizes that our struggles often come from impure “desires” and “wrong motives” (vv. 1, 3)—things like pride, divided loyalties, and impure thoughts residing in our hearts. To counter such temptation, James offers two commands: “submit . . . to God” and “resist the devil” (v. 7). To submit means surrendering every part of our lives to God. Resisting the devil is equally active, requiring prayer, vigilance, and the wisdom of Scripture. (Marvin Williams, Our Daily Bread 27th August 2026)

One of the early lessons I learnt as a young believer was that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. This lesson is strengthened by another verse – greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4), meaning to say, Christ in us is stronger than the devil. Thus we are encouraged that when temptation comes, we are able to overcome and rise victorious because Jesus stregthens us. In addition if the devil or demonic spirits were to attack or torment us, we have the upper hand because Jesus is stronger than the devil and his cohorts. We have that certainty as seen in the Gospels of demonic spirits fleeing at Christ’s command. Further, as Jesus has given His disciples authority to cast out demons, we likewise have the same authority over dark forces of the air.

The problem with that teaching is that it is only half of the story as James 4:7 is preceded by the instruction – “Submit yourself to God”. The second half of James 4:7 is true on its own. There is no doubt about that. If we resist the devil, he will flee from us. Except that if we do not submit ourselves to God, the devil will return to torment and bind us, developing into a potentially endless cycle of victory and defeat, guilt, disappointment and elation.

I hold on to the belief that a true Christian cannot be demon-possessed because Christ is already in our hearts. But there could be areas in our lives where the devil may still have control over us. For example, if we dabble in pornography or in the occultic or continue to indulge in drugs (even occasionally) or have sinful habits like sleeping around or with sex workers. All these practices have the potential of dragging us into a defeated Christian life that we may end up eventually losing our salvation since we are certainly not on the narrow road that leads to eternal life.

That is why we need to, at the first and foremost, submit ourselves to God. That includes sanctifying our lives and breaking away all avenues that dark demonic forces may have a hold over our lives. Hidden sins and practices may not be seen by others, for instance, if we live alone and no one sees what we do within our own 4 walls. But God sees everything and knows everything. Most crucially, demons see and know our hidden secrets since they see our spirit man and soul, not so much our outward natural self. If we resist the devil without submitting to God, we have only won half the battle.

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, submit yourselves to God and resist the devil for indeed he will flee from as greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world! Amen! Hallelujah!

The power of regular prayer

https://odb.org/2026/08/26/on-our-knees

Daniel 6:3–7 (NIV): 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.

Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington encouraged a group of young actors to begin each day with prayer, suggesting they “put your shoes way under the bed at night” to ensure they “gotta get on your knees in the morning.”

Developing a regular habit of prayer might take some thoughtful and even creative planning, but it’s a practice that has sustained God’s people throughout history—especially in difficult times. We see this in the life of Daniel, who served in King Darius’ administration. He quickly distinguished himself as the top government advisor, which angered local officials (Daniel 6:3). Out of jealousy they plotted to oust the prophet, but quickly realized the only charge that would stick was related to Daniel’s devotion to the “the law of his God” (v. 5). Even after the officials tricked the king into making it illegal for Daniel to pray, Daniel still “got down on his knees, and prayed . . . just as he had done before” (v. 10). (Lisa M. Samra, Our Daily Bread 26th August 2026)

We are all aware of the power of prayer as prayer is our direct communication with our Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit made possible by the death and resurrection of Christ at the cross of Calvary. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son to the world that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16) Thus, the relationship of mankind with God is restored and through that birthed the power of prayer of the believer in Christ Jesus. We may move mountains with our faith and prayer as prayer moves the hand of God!

But what I like to highlight this morning is something even more powerful than prayer itself and that is the power of regular prayer. We know prayer speaks to the heart of God but do we pray on a regular basis? Do we spend 5, 10, 20 or 30 minutes praying every day? If not, we should start doing so now. Even Daniel did so 3 times a day and in full public sight even though a law was decreed at that time prohibiting bowing down to other gods other than King Darius of Persia. Daniel prayed despite the threat of law against him and we know the story – he was thrown into the lion’s den, but he was not harmed.

Regular prayer life does a few things. One, it strengthens us spiritually. So as we strive against issues affecting our lives, prayer gives us the courage and strength to take authority over demonic attacks and torments including the spirit of infirmities possibly causing weakness and sickness in our bodies. We are thus able to regularly bind and deflect unwanted spiritual attacks and interference. Secondly, prayer allows us to be intercessors for others, enabling us to be the bridge for God’s power to flow. We get to help others through prayer as often there are issues can only be solved through prayer. Finally but not the least, prayer is good for our relationship with God as it draws us closer to God. We are in constant touch with God – living in the centre of His will, in response to His calling and fulfilling His plans and purposes for our lives!

God sees everything

https://odb.org/2026/08/25/god-sees-all

Amos 9:2–4 (NIV): 2 Though they dig down to the depths below, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens above, from there I will bring them down. 3 Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,
there I will command the serpent to bite them. 4 Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. “I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good”

Michael couldn’t help laughing as Grace hid behind a menu. They were playing a game of hide-and-seek at the table in a café while waiting for the food. The five-year-old thought that if she couldn’t see her father, then he couldn’t see her. It seemed silly at the time, but as Michael reflected on the situation later, he realized it contained an important lesson: Do we believe we can hide our sins from God? Do we think that if we can’t see Him, then He can’t see us?

In Amos 9, this same point is made when God, speaking through the prophet, warns Israel not to think they can escape judgment for their sins: “Though they hide themselves . . . I will hunt them down.” He said, “I will keep my eye on them” (vv. 3-4). Nothing escapes the eyes of the all-seeing, all-knowing God. (Leslie Koh, Our Daily Bread  25th August 2026)

Nowadays we know very well (perhaps in comparison to ancient times) that there is no such thing as hiding anything from God for the simple reason that the LORD is omnipresent and omniscient. He can see exactly what we are doing all the time. In fact, He knows our every thought and sees our every action. That is why when we do a good deed that no one sees, God sees. He is everywhere.

However, the human heart is most deceitful. Sometimes our mind rationalises things. We figure that we are fallen beings anyway. So a wrong deed or two cannot be too harmful to our spiritual life. God will understand and will forgive us. While that may be true, a sin that becomes a habit is never a good thing as it is an avenue for demonic spirits to enter our life to torment us with guilt and weaken our faith. I was just reminded last night in a deliverance teaching rally that demons do not see us in our natural self but they see our spirit and soul. In other words, they can see whether our fire in Christ is burning strong or just surviving like ambers or ashes on the ground.

But I think the worse thing of all is when we rationalise away our wrongdoing or sin and tell ourselves that we are not doing anything wrong in the eyes of God. That’s really dangerous as we are then creating a self-made illusion that we are sinless but we are actually a poor reflection of Christ in the spirit. For example, we may say that manipulation, deception and a conniving heart at the workplace is the norm as we need to survive, perhaps we argue so that we may continue to make an impression for Christ. If we are not there, we can’t witness for Christ. Yet in our faith, the aim never justify the means. If the aim is noble and kosher, so must the means or else Christ is not glorified. Also nothing goes away just because we deny it, the same way the existence of a fact is not dependent on our belief. Self-denial doesn’t work in the spiritual realm because everything is seen and out in the open for all to see.

This morning as we enjoy our public holiday (for those in Malaysia), let’s reflect on our lives and admit our shortcomings and sins before God. Seek His forgiveness and take authority over all areas of our lives that we may have allowed the devil to control and manipulate us. Break all those yokes holding us back in our faith. Claim victory over all areas of our lives. Don’t always say we are work in progress but be proud that we are work in progress just inches away from perfection, not many, many miles away! May the blood of the Lamb wash us clean as we sanctify our lives for His glory and service! Amen!

Fighting our battles

https://odb.org/2026/08/24/fighting-for-you

Exodus 14:10–18 (NIV): 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

Jim’s legacy is one of passionate defense of his family. We, too, have a passionate defender who has promised to take our place in the ring. When the Israelites faced Pharaoh’s mighty army after their escape from slavery in Egypt, they were terrified and cried out to God. “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” they foolishly said (Exodus 14:12). But Moses replied in faith, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (v. 14). And without any action from the Israelites, their enemies were literally swept away by the sea as God supernaturally ended the battle before it even began. Sometimes it feels like we’re facing the trials of life or arrows from the enemy, Satan, on our own (see Psalm 91:5). But God’s with us (Deuteronomy 31:6), and He fights for us; we need only to be still. (Karen Pimpo, Our Daily Bread 24th August 2026)

While the LORD did all the work for the Israelites when He delivered them out of Egypt, Joshua and Caleb had to fight to conquer the Promised Land as Canaan had fortified cities, strong armies and giants (sons of Anak). Real battles were fought with the surrounding nations of Canaan where there was bloodshed and casualties. Yes, there were miraculous interventions – for example, the walls of Jericho and some armies flee just hearing about God fighting the battle for the Israelites. It nevertheless required the taking up of arms to take over and conquer lands. Even in modern times, Israel fought many real wars since its inception in 1948.

But having God on their side means that when it matters, they can win decisively. When they are outnumbered, they can still win when the LORD creates confusion amongst the enemy. When their morale is low, the LORD lifts up their spirit to fight on. But they need to wear their armour, draw their swords, mount their chariots and horses and go to battle. Even when Nehemiah was rebuilding the Temple many many years after Moses and Joshua, he had half of the men working and the other half keeping guard with swords.

Our day to day lives are lived by us. We face the deadlines, the assignments, the work tasks. We look at the reality of our bank account. How much money we have to put food on our table, pay bills and meet the necessities of living. As much as God is with us, these are not battles fought by God for us. We are plain lazy and conceited to think that God fights all of our battles for us. I learned this lesson during my varsity days when I saw my fellow ministry trainees failing their exams when they didn’t pay attention in class and study properly. Serving God doesn’t take away our responsibility as a student. The Lord will not face our exams for us. But if we had put in the effort and yet honoured Him by serving Him, He could help us make the difference for those difficult questions.

There are spiritual battles that are beyond us. Generational curses. Territorial strongholds. The edge between mediocrity and brilliance. These are the battles the Lord will fight for us. When we engage in spiritual warfare, intercessory prayer – these are battles angelic forces will fight for us in the spiritual realm. Difficult issues at work, in our family or even in church, we commit them to the Lord and ask Him to fight those battles for us. But in our day to day living, we need to go out there to work to earn our living while serving Him by answering His call for our lives. All these battles we fight ourselves like the foot soldiers in Joshua’s or David’s armies. But Yahweh is with us with His providence, provision and protection and that’s really what’s matters! In all that we do, the battles we fight, we want the God’s grace to be upon us. That to me is the real meaning of God will fight our battles.

Have a good week ahead, everyone!