Our life stories are a part of the LORD’s story

https://odb.org/2026/08/06/part-of-his-story

Judges 4:4–9 (NIV): 4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’ ”
8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”
9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.

Archaeologist Jodi Magness and her team have been excavating a synagogue in the ancient village of Huqoq in Lower Galilee, where they’ve found an incredible collection of mosaics, paintings, and carvings. Particularly rare, however, is a mosaic telling the biblical story of Deborah and her role in Israel’s battle against the Canaanites; there’s no other known ancient depiction of this heroine. The Bible preserves for us a literary mosaic of historical events in the life of God’s people—collectively and individually. We can take courage from these examples to heed God’s instructions even in the face of hardship and struggle. We can trust Him to equip us with the strength to do so. (Kirsten Holmberg, Our Daily Bread 6th August 2026)

The book of Judges bridges the times between Joshua and the beginning of the monarchy under Saul (see 1 Samuel 9). It’s characterized by what some scholars call the “cycle of apostasy.” Each cycle begins when Israel falls away from God. Then He sends a neighboring nation to discipline them, followed by God’s provision of a judge to deliver them from that nation, and then a season of spiritual revival. Twelve different judges, from Othniel to Samson, are God’s instruments of rescue. Deborah is the fourth of those judges (Judges 4), whose season of leadership over Israel lasted about forty years, second only to Ehud, who judged for eighty years. (Bill Crowder, Insight, Our Daily Bread 6th August 2026)

Knowing the stories and timelines in the bible helps us understand the various seasons Israel had with Yahweh starting from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We then have Joseph who was sold to slavery by his envious brothers but as the LORD was with him and his heart was pure, he ended up as the prime minister in Egypt, the superpower of this side of then known world. As God revealed the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream to him, he saved the 70-strong tribe of Jacob as well as the Egyptians from the severe famine that lasted 7 years by storing up 7 years’ worth of grain in large barnhouses.

The clan stayed on in Egypt for 430 years and ended up as slaves to the Egyptians but God raised up Moses, an adopted Hebrew raised in Pharaoh’s court as a prince, to bring the Hebrews out of Egypt back to Canaan. Canaan or the Promised Land is the place the LORD had earmarked for the clan when He called Abraham out of the Url of the Caldeans. Canaan was where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob resided before their time in Egypt.

The strange thing was the Hebrews were rebellious and insolent (a trait resurfacing time and time again in future generations) despite witnessing miracles like the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. What could have been just a 40-day journey through the wilderness to Canaan ended up as a 40-year sojourn with the presence of God residing amongst them in the Tent of the Meeting (later became the basis for the Holy of Holies in the Temple) and although they were moving about led by a pillar of cloud in the day and a ball of fire in the night, they spent most of their time at a desert oasis south of Canaan called Kadesh Barnea. All who were 20 and above in age died in the desert, except Joshua and Caleb. Joshua then led the second generation of Israelites into Canaan.

Thus the book of Judges as mentioned by Bill Crowder bridges the time of Joshua until the time of kings starting with Saul and later David and Solomon (recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles). It was after Solomon that Israel split into two kingdoms, Judah (capital in Jerusalem) and Northern Israel (capital in Samaria). The era of the kings was also where Yahweh used conquering nations to discipline the children of Israel with the first exile by the Assyrians and later by the Babylonians.

As much as these bible stories and historical events teach us God’s relationship with His chosen people and nation, it is also a reflection of how He relates with us as born-again believers in Jesus Christ. We are the modern-day Israel, in the spiritual sense, and we continue to write His story with His people through our own life stories from the days of the Acts of the Apostles until the day of the Lord. We face similar issues of overcoming the desires of our flesh against the call to righteousness by the Lord. As we suceed and fail, we write our stories with Him, all that we have ever done and will do, recorded in some heavenly annal like how the stories of the prophets and judges and kings are preserved throughout the ages. Our life stories are written down and recorded as our names are also written down in the Book of Life. Always remember and I remind myself today, when we do something good and noble, when we pursue righteousness in our hearts – even if no one sees, our Lord Jesus Christ sees and His angels write them down. As He writes, allow Him to rewrite our stories into His image and His plans and purposes for our lives!

Have a good day ahead, everyone! Let’s continue His story with us with our own life stories written and rewritten by the Lord, giving glory and honour in all that we do! Amen!

Like father like son

https://odb.org/2026/08/05/like-father-like-children

John 14:5–11 (NIV): 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.

“What makes you smile when you think about your son?” That was my question for Clarence—a younger man I was mentoring. The proud father proceeded to share some of his bright four-year-old’s accomplishments. One particular detail left me amused. Not only does the child have his father’s first and last names, but he already looks so much like his father that he can unlock his father’s smartphone using facial recognition! In John 14, Jesus made it clear how closely He resembled His Father. When an inquisitive Philip requested, “Lord, show us the Father” (v. 8), Jesus responded, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (v. 9). (Arthur Jackson, Our Daily Bread 5th August 2026)

When we look at a father and son or a mother and daughter, we cannot but see an uncanny resemblance. They are not the same as identical twins, but we could tell that they are father and son or mother and daughter. I recalled my friends saying that my elder son looked like me when I was young or there are aspects of my younger son that reninds them of me. Beyond looks, fathers and sons have other similar behavioural traits – perhaps in the way they speak or walk or their body language. That is why when Jesus said to Philip that you see the Father when you see me – we could naturally identify with that.

But the concept of “when you see Jesus, you see the Father” goes much deeper than just a son resembling his father. This is because in the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son are separate and yet one! Jesus was God the Spirit, incarnated in human flesh. He was Immanuel. In other words, when Jesus says that you see the Father when you see me, He was actually saying that He is the Father! Jesus was the form of God that man could see and not die because He was man as much as He was God. In the Old Testament, God had appeared before to a man when Jacob wrestled with an angel. In that encounter, the LORD took the form of an angel qland even then He implored Jacob to release Him before daybreak as seeing His face would have killed Jacob.

The lesson for us this morning I believe is that as much as the manner that Yahweh related to Israel is a beautiful picture of our spritual relationship with God in Christ, we should look at the pages of the Gospel as God having walked on earth in the form of a man. In pure human form, we can see that God is much more compassionate and loving. As Jehovah His heart was with the fatherless, the widows and the foreigner during Israel’s ancient past but as Jesus Christ our Lord, His heart was with the peasants, the poor, the sick and the crippled as seen in the Gospels. He was close to His disciples and to Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Those relationships are not relationships that God the Father in the Spirit could muster with man except with Adam and Eve before the Fall. Sin separated man from God and Jesus restored that relationship for us as believers of Christ after His death and resurrection.

Therefore my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, rest assured that He loves us and is compassionate and just. No matter what we are going through or had gone through in our colourful or miserable past, cling on to His Word as expressed by Paul in 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.

Angels for those who will inherit salvation

https://odb.org/2026/08/04/the-help-we-need

Hebrews 1:7–14 (NIV): 7 In speaking of the angels he says,
         “He makes his angels spirits,
         and his servants flames of fire.”
8 But about the Son he says,
         “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
         a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
      9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
         therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
         by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
10 He also says,
         “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
         and the heavens are the work of your hands.
      11 They will perish, but you remain;
         they will all wear out like a garment.
      12 You will roll them up like a robe;
         like a garment they will be changed.
         But you remain the same,
         and your years will never end.”
13 To which of the angels did God ever say,
         “Sit at my right hand
         until I make your enemies
         a footstool for your feet”?
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

When commercial fisherman Scott Thompson fell out of his boat one moonless night in the Santa Barbara Channel off the California coast, he didn’t know if he’d survive. He swam hard after the boat, but the motor was running and he couldn’t reach it. So he attempted to swim to a distant oil platform in the darkness. Beginning to lose hope, Thompson heard a splash in the cold water near him. A harbor seal swam with him for a while, nudging him along toward the platform. Five hours later, Thompson completed the long swim and described the seal as “an angel” sent to help him. The writer of the book of Hebrews describes angels as “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).  All around us is an unseen reality in which God sends angels to aid those who have gladly received the good news of Jesus. (James Banks, Our Daily Bread 4th August 2026)

A fair comparison, in my view, between charismatic Christians and those who are more evangelical (this broad generalisation is not mutually exclusive as some of us belong to both) is that sometimes we as the former have a tendency to approach God like we are entitled to certain things or dare we say, privileges. So we claim victory over our bad habits or we exercise authority over sickness and diseases or even nature. I don’t think those teachings are wrong as there is theological thought and biblical basis behind them. Just that such approach may give us a false sense of entitlement to certain things. For example, the concept of divine healing, which may be controversial to some – are we entitled or are we seeking divine indulgence or discretion (in legal-speak)? Is healing as of right (like our birth right) as a born-again child of God or is it by the grace and mercy of God? The reality is not every one is healed, even during Jesus’s time when He walked the earth and God is sovereign.

Some posit that we are not healed because of our lack of faith, which may well be true. But note that faith the size of a mustard seed may move a mountain because while with man some things are impossible, with God all things are possible. Yet some may contend it’s not our time yet as He makes all things beautiful in His time. We must however be reminded that there are also those who did not experience healing because that’s God’s will for their lives – so that the glory of God and His strength may be made known in and through our illness or weakness.

One thing is certain – He has provided angels to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). We may not be healed or are still waiting for our healing, but as believers we must remember that we could have had it much worse! This is because there is a spiritual realm in our midst, dark forces of the air – a world or dimension that is invisible to the physical eye (Ephesians 6:12) but where we have unseen guardian angels protecting us (Hebrews 1:14) as children of Yahweh, the Great I Am. Demonic forces cannot unilaterally on a whim enter the world of the living unless strongly prompted by others or we had inadvertently invited them in, yet be rest assured that we have angelic beings as our protector. It is a known fact in Christian circles that Christian homes are not easily susceptible to evil spells or witchcraft attacks and so long as we continue to live with Christ as the Head of our household, we will continue to be a bright light amongst darkness that will not be easily overwhelmed.

No matter what’s the status of our prayers or personal supplications for healing and other requests, always be thankful that the LORD our God have our backs. There are angelic forces watching over us to ensure our safety and well-being. Accidents do happen and there are mishaps in life but remember it could have been worse, much worse! All glory and praises be unto our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!

Waiting on God

https://odb.org/2026/08/03/waiting-6

Psalm 27:13–14 (NIV): 13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Kazuto and his wife, Migiwa, waited with trepidation for the ultrasound exam results. Migiwa’s liver had been failing for more than nine months, and she urgently needed a liver transplant. Kazuto could donate a portion of his liver to his wife, but there was one condition: Migiwa’s heart had to be strong. The last ultrasound had shown slight improvement to her heart. Would it show more this time? To their disappointment, the results were the worst yet. Kazuto shared, “After I comforted my crying wife, I also cried by myself. But . . . as Henri Nouwen writes, waiting isn’t a waste of time because God is nurturing something wonderful . . . while we wait, even though we can’t see anything on the surface.” Kazuto’s confidence in God paralleled that of King David, who wrote, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14) (Poh Fang Chai, Our Daily Bread 3rd Aug 2026).

I believe every believer has gone through a period where they had prayed for something, whether minor or major, but needed to wait before it came to pass. Some of those things we pray may have materialised in a different form, nevertheless we are still amazed that God actually took the time and trouble to hear us. We are always grateful that the Lord granted us our prayers and supplications although we don’t feel we are worthy of anything from Him.

There are times when we are less fortunate as some of our prayers are still unfulfilled. We are waiting and God is also waiting – for the right time to grant our prayers or intervene or to heal us. Perhaps it is a test of our faith or our obedience to His call for righteousness. Or perhaps God is waiting for us to respond to His calling upon our lives or we may have been stalling Him for His plans and purposes for our lives. Whatever it may be for our situation, we know where we are and we continue to pray, to believe and trust while we wait. Ultimately, God is sovereign and as much as He can move mountains, it is His decision and discretion.

The question we may ask is what do we do while we are waiting? We may be disappointed. We may dread going through the toil and suffering. But that’s life. That’s the status quo. What we are asking is usually a divine intervention, the supernatural breaking through into the natural. It is not a given, not a no-brainer. For example, healing. There is the teaching, but we are staring at the raw reality of our situation.

What we can do is to continue to trust that He will answer our prayer, in His time and in His will. We commit it to Him. He knows what’s best for us. Indeed, waiting on God isn’t a waste of time. He transforms in the meantime. He strengthens our faith. He draws us closer unto Him.

Have a good week ahead, everyone! I pray that the LORD our God, our Heavenly Father, will grant us wisdom, discernment and patience to deal with the issues at work and in life! Amen!

The battle is God’s

https://odb.org/2026/07/31/a-battle-won

2 Chronicles 20:14–19 (NIV): 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’ ”
18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Though she enjoyed befriending and helping folks in her church’s seniors ministry, Carol found herself being picked on by its domineering leader. She felt so bothered by it that she had to seek counseling. She was advised to quit the ministry, but she didn’t want to “abandon” the seniors. Feeling caught in between, she prayed to God for guidance, and He gave her comfort and assurance as she submitted her fears to Him. He showed her that she should talk to the leader but trust Him to resolve the issue.

When King Jehoshaphat heard of a powerful enemy approaching Jerusalem, his first response was to pray. Appealing to God’s sovereignty, he said, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12). Instead of relying on their own strength, the king and people of Judah submitted themselves and their troubles to God (v. 18). God’s answer to the king and people through the prophet Jahaziel was heartening: “Do not be afraid or discouraged . . . . For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 15). (Leslie Koh, Our Daily Bread 31st July 2026)

You will notice that in today’s theme of God fighting our battles for us, the two life illustrations concerns His work or His kingdom on earth. The first was Carol’s involvement in the seniors ministry where she was picked on by the ministry’s domineering leader. The second is the story of Jehoshaphat of Jerusalem in Judah being approached by a powerful enemy. These are not personal struggles with relationship issues or meeting work deadlines or dealing with office politics or overcoming personal bad habits.

There is however a tendency for us, perhaps occasionally, to look at bible stories and seeing God work in wondrous ways that we see ourselves in those stories like we are Jehoshaphat (incidentally one of Israel’s good kings) or Joshua when the LORD encouraged him, “do not be afraid or discouraged for I am with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Or we see ourselves as Elisha when the Aramean Army in 2 Kings 6 was about to attack Israel and Elisha showed his servant Gehazi the mighty hosts of heaven in the spiritual realm ready to do battle for Israel. Thus, we imagined that God’s mighty army is on our side fighting our personal battles for us.

I am not discounting God’s heavenly hosts working for us in the spiritual realm or He loves us that He is personally involved in our lives. Unless we sensed in the spirit that God’s rhema word for us at a particular time or season are the relevant bible stories, we should not randomly pick and apply such biblical passages arbitrarily to our life situations. This is because in most of such bible passages there is a historical context that has something to do with God’s work in ancient Israel, His chosen nation and people. If we apply them to our work in the present Kingdom of God like our ministry in church or His plans and purposes for our lives (for example, our mission work to preach the Gospel), well and fine. But it may not be so directly applicable to our personal struggles in life or at work. So if we have a conflict at work with a colleague, it is not necessarily true that God is fighting our battles for us vis-a-vis this colleague. But if it concerns the battle we are fighting in the spritual realm to reach out to this colleague with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that’s a different context to the situation. Nevertheless there is nothing stopping us in seeking the Lord out in prayer for such personal conflicts, it’s just that we shouldn’t think or imagine as though we are Jehoshaphat or Elisha or Joshua of the Scriptures.

Have a good weekend ahead, everyone! May we dwell in His presence more and more each day – surely goodness and mercy shall follow us the rest of our days as we dwell in the house of the LORD forever!

Dead and made alive in Christ

https://odb.org/2026/07/30/new-life-for-dead-hearts

Colossians 3:1–4 (NIV): 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Heartwood is the central supporting pillar of certain trees. Although dead, it won’t decay or lose strength while the outer, living layers are intact. Composed of fibers bound together by a chemical glue called lignin, heartwood can be as strong as steel. This element of a tree’s structure enables it to survive nature’s travails.

When Paul encouraged the Colossians to live a resurrected life, he could have used the metaphor of heartwood to express how those who have been saved are transformed. “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). While Paul’s reference to us as “dead” might seem discouraging, when understood from the perspective of the resurrection we grasp the hope of such a statement. God transforms the dead core of our beings, strengthening us in the power of the resurrected Jesus to endure the trials of this life. (Elisa Morgan, Our Daily Bread 29th July 2026)

When we accept Christ and become born-again Christians, our old self is crucified with Christ. That is why we are considered dead but made alive in Christ. Our spiritual life is awakened. We now may communicate with God in the spirit, in prayer and worship. We are reconciled to the LORD and have a relationship with the Holy Trinity of Father God, His Son our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost.

Day in day out, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds as we accept and apply His Word in our lives. As our hearts are changed, we become a better person. We become more Christ like, from inside out. Rather than be self centred and selfish, we are forgiving and generous. We become more selfless, thinking of others more.

The analogy of heartwood is thus apt. Our inner core is dead yet strong in Christ. Heartwood is dead but doesn’t decay or rot or lose strength. No more nutrients nor water passing through yet it offers a solid foundation and is the core to the tree, like Christ is to us. Our inner self is dead yet Christ transforms it to be the core that reaches out to the heavens and is sensitive to and aware of the spiritual realm. We now can do battle with demons. In fact, we just heard last Sunday how it is essential that we wage spiritual warfare first before preaching the Gospel. Because salvation is not won in the mind but in the spirit.

The message this morning is to let the fire within us to continue burning. Let our old self remain dead but in Christ that the new born-again self thrives and takes control. Let our old flesh and fleshy desires continue to be crucified. As it is always a battle between our old and new self, always let our new self prevail as we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. Have a good day ahead, everyone!

The Company We Keep

https://odb.org/2026/07/29/the-company-we-keep

Proverbs 13:20 NIV Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

A scientific study revealed that watching TV programs featuring mean characters can actually lead people to be mean. This connection is often subconscious, meaning that even shows with seemingly “harmless” jokes at others’ expense can subtly influence how we treat others. So, too, the people we choose to spend our time with will affect our behavior. Solomon provides timeless wisdom on this important subject: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). He implies that individuals may not achieve this wisdom alone, so they should associate with wise, God-honoring people—teachers and friends—instead of those who are foolish. Surrounding oneself with wise individuals fosters “good judgment” and helps us steer clear of “destruction” (v. 15). (Marvin Williams, Our Daily Bread 29th July 2026)

The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings penned by several people. Today’s text comes from a portion of Scripture that King Solomon wrote. Tragically, the challenge was one that he himself failed to follow. He wrote, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). Yet he’d surrounded himself with one thousand pagan wives and concubines (1 Kings 11:3), which was forbidden by God (v. 2), and they drew Solomon away from Him: “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites” (vv. 4-5). (Bill Crowder, Insight, Our Daily Bread 29th July 2026)

I’m sure when we were growing up our parents would have warned us to stay away from unsavoury characters like pupils who don’t spend time studying or who don’t do homework or who just absent themselves from school without a valid reason (playing truant). During my time, we had students who come to school but disappear later to play arcade games. These are bad influences and some of these so called friends may get worse as we grow older – dropping out of school, indulge in drugs or even criminal activities. In fact, some of these rebellious students may be picked up by organised crime syndicates to become their foot soldiers by enticing them with money, cigarettes and other rewards.

The wiser ones amongst us will not so much intentionally avoid such students but remain friends without getting close or joining their “extra curricular” activities. But we know the drill – don’t mix with them lest we become like them and we do the same with our children when we ourselves become parents. In fact, I recall vividly how once my younger son was around 15 then when he became more actively involved with his school’s Blue team (composition not limited to his class or form) and in the process, mixed with some older students and ex-students. My elder son was in college doing A levels but his friends who stayed back in school doing UEC (a pre-university qualification) saw the crowd my younger son was mixing with and warned him as one of the ex-students in that group were known to have dabbled in drugs before. So we intervened and pulled my second son out of that group before he got too deep.

While we all know the wisdom of Solomon’s words in Proverbs 13:20, as believers there is another dimension that we need to be reminded of and that is our role as light and salt of the world. We will be better off spiritually mixing with church people but if our friends whom we hang out with are all from church, then our sphere of influence will only be amongst the converted. We will have less ability and opportunity to be a testimony to the world and our reaching out efforts may well be limited to the street evangelism activities organised by the church.

We are in the world but not of the world. We know our place, our role in the larger scheme of things and we have this quest to walk forward with diligence in God’s plans and purposes for our lives. Yet there must be a balance between our spiritual and secular lives. Invest time among believers who will have a positive influence over our spiritual lives, yet we must also invest time among non-believers so we ourselves may be a positive influence to reflect the glory and goodness of God. As we receive, we also give and the more we give, the more we will receive.

Betrayed by a close friend

https://odb.org/2026/07/28/recovering-from-betrayal

Psalm 55:12–20 (NIV): 12 If an enemy were insulting me,  I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide.
      13 But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,
      14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.
      15 Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them.
      16 As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me.
      17 Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.
      18 He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.
      19 God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change— he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God.
      20 My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.

In one of her novels, Toni Morrison tells the story of Nel and Sula, friends since childhood. But the friendship frays as Sula’s self-centeredness grows, culminating in her seducing Nel’s husband. “Why didn’t you think about me?” Nel asks Sula. “Didn’t I count?” Sadly, Sula doesn’t even care enough to answer.

As anyone who’s experienced it knows, the pain of a friend’s betrayal is hard to rival. King David felt such “malice and abuse” when a political conspiracy of “threats and lies” engulfed him (Psalm 55:10-11). The worst part was who was behind it. “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it,” he says. “But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend” (vv. 12-13).

How should we respond to such betrayal? While David takes his turmoil to God (vv. 16, 20), he prays retribution will fall on his betraying friend (v. 15). We see a different approach taken by Jesus. Faced with Judas’ betrayal, he says, “Do what you came for, friend,” refusing to retaliate in kind (Matthew 26:49-50). (Sheridan Voysey, Our Daily Bread 28th July 2026)

I think most of us can relate to what David wrote in Psalm 55:12-14 – If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers. It becomes more painful and heart wrenching when a close friend, someone we trusted and may even know from back in the day, betrayed us. It is especially wrenching if he or she “stole” our girlfriend or boyfriend or spouse. In fact, seeing a good friend with our exes itself is already a “no no”, what more a betrayal. Betrayals can come in different forms. For example in the corporate world someone may intentionally plant what we call a poison pill to our higher-ups to perhaps slow down our ascension through the ranks. Usually it’s elimination of a perceived threat for one’s own benefit and interests. How I wish people would just focus on their own abilities and achievements than to rise by destroying other people!

As believers, we are presented with two choices – we could apply what David did or follow Jesus’s example. As both are biblical, the former is not wrong. With David, he prayed for vengeance through God. It is not wrong as the decision to punish lies with the LORD. It is His choice, His decision and He is sovereign. It’s just that in the New Covenant, our hearts have been transformed to be like Christ. We’ll rather forgive and move on, instead of dwelling on the hurt lest it turn from resentment to hatred to bitterness. We could end up killing ourselves from the inside when there is so much ahead of us in the Kingdom of God. In other words, it’s better to follow Christ’s example.

My own view, and this is personal, is to just leave it behind like Paul said before, forgetting what’s behind and look ahead to the crown of glory at the end of our race. Our lives are not our own. We belong to Christ. He has redeemed us with His blood. He chose us to be holy and righteous before the foundations of the world. We are created to do good works, not to willow in our misfortunes or in this case our close friend having betrayed us. But practically, as we are human, I don’t think Jesus expects us to be pretentious and continue to be friends with that person. We forgive and we move on to the greater adventures the Lord has in store for us in the future. If one day an opportunity is presented for us to reconcile, then we reconcile.

The lesson this morning is that if we had been betrayed, let it hurt and then move on. Forgive and leave it to God. Don’t pray for God to destroy our betrayer by fire and brimstone! This is not Sodom and Gomorrah!

Have a good week ahead everyone! I pray that the LORD our God will grant us His wisdom and discernment to deal with our issues of life and at work!

Created for good works

https://odb.org/2026/07/23/prepared-to-help

Ephesians 2:1–10 (NIV): 2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

My friend needed to practice parallel parking before her driving test. I was prayerfully looking for a safe place to teach her when the idea came to go to a neighborhood church with an ample parking lot. After we set up what turned out to be a less-than-ideal practice parking space using folding chairs, she made her first attempt to back into the spot between the chairs. Then the pastor came out with orange cones in hand, similar to the kind used in a driving test. He introduced himself and asked, “Could you use these cones?” He explained that just last week their church family had discussed ways to help neighbors new to the community. “We talked about letting people use these cones in our parking lot for parking practice.” They had prepared to help others, and what a blessing they were for my friend. Prepared to help others. That’s exactly what God did for us and in us. He “prepared in advance” for us to do good works and care for others (Ephesians 2:10). (Anne Cetas, Our Daily Bread 23rd July 2026)

As much as our works no matter how good or charitable will not be good enough to redeem our sins before God, we are nevertheless created to do good works. The fundamentals of our faith is that salvation is not by works but by the grace of God through the blood of His Son shed on Calvary. So we cannot gain entry into the Kingdom of God by the things we do while we exist as living beings on this earth. But once we have believed in Christ in our hearts and confessed with our lips that He is Lord, we are expected to do good works. As James wisely stated, faith without works is dead (James 2:26). In other words, our faith in Jesus Christ if it doesn’t produce good works is pretty useless as it benefits no one.

God created us to do good works as Paul argues in Ephesians 2:10. In essence, that means at our core we are made to do good, not evil. Perhaps for some of us we had done evil before not only in our past but in the not so recent past. Perhaps every now and then, we give in to the desires of our flesh and allow our old self to take over. We allow resentment and bitterness to take control. We wanted revenge and just retribution ourselves and in the process sinned against God. If so, we must repent from our sins, seek His forgiveness. For if we confess our sins (and be humble before God), He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9).

While by our very nature as born-again and awakened spiritual beings, we are to do good, God’s plans and purposes for our lives will lead us to do good works, the very same works He created us for. That is why He chose us before the foundations of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (Ephesians 1:4). His plans for us is for good and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

If we faithfully and diligently fulfil God’s plans and purposes for our lives and embrace His calling rigorously, we will definitely do good works. Actual tangible works, not just being a good person to the world around us. Works that will uplift and raise up the spirit and spiritual lives of others. Works that will help Christ mould and mature another person, another believer. If we live our lives in this fashion, we will not only be on the way to life everlasting but we are useful and beneficial to the people and the world around us. That is why Jesus preached that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Ultimately, each and every one of us as believers in Christ are effectively the Kingdom of God! The life of Christ and the glory of God are manifested through our hearts, by our good works! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Amen!

Music and worship

https://odb.org/2026/07/22/rhythms-of-joy

Psalm 30:4–12 (NIV): 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.
      6 When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
      7 LORD, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face,  I was dismayed.
      8 To you, LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:
      9 “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
      10 Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help.”
      11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
      12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

A scientific study—which sought to explore how much of people’s musical sensitivity is cultural and how much of it is instinctual—played drum rhythms for newborn babies while monitoring their brain wave activity. Occasionally, the researchers would omit a beat from the rhythm. Amazingly, they found the infants’ brain waves spiked right when the note was left out—showing their young minds were already anticipating that beat and reacting to its absence.

The study brings to mind the amazing way that God has created us. He’s even wired us to embrace the wonderful gift of music and respond to it with joy and, as the psalmist David writes in Psalm 30, to respond to God’s grace with music of our own—songs of “praise [to] his holy name” (v. 4). (Monica La Rose, Our Daily Bread 22nd July 2026)

If you’ve read these blog pages for some time, you’ll know by now that I got to know Jesus by learning how to play the guitar at around 13 to 14 years of age when a group of outstation teachers opened their house to reach out to us local students in my small town of Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. A few years later, I joined a church in Kota Bharu whose congregation worshipped a capela and thus there was an opening for me to play the guitar when I was better at it. That was the start of my involvement in the music ministry and it has been for more than 40 years now.

Even prior to all that, I used to follow my paternal grandmother to the St Michael’s Catholic church in Ipoh and was fascinated by the Latin songs sung then during mass. It had such a calming effect. Later, a year or two after I accepted Christ (but before I joined the Kota Bharu church), I had the opportunity to visit a church in Kuala Krai. It was my first encounter of a worship leader singing in the spirit and I would describe that experience as exhilarating. It was fascinating and uplifting. I certainly did not perceive it as strange but was much encouraged by it. Weeks later, I played along during worship and realised that it wasn’t difficult as the church sang mostly in one key and the songs were usually 4-chord choruses!

I’m sure we all have our fair share of experience in church music, whether in a simple set up like a house fellowship or a youth gathering in our youth or in bigger churches with a full band complete with in ear monitors and sophisticated sound systems and instruments. It is confirmed that music is one of the God-given ways we could touch God’s throne, invite His presence and allow Him to reach out to our spirit and hearts. Music in worship needs to be felt and experienced. It’s not head knowledge. We feel it through our ears and our other senses.

The next time we are in church, immerse ourselves in the music and the songs as we worship Him. Give Him all glory and honour. Let our hearts be edified and our souls be exalted. Let us be filled by the overflowing grace and mercy from the throne of the LORD our God our Heavenly Father as all creation and the angels and heavenly beings worship Him in all His glory!