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!

Fighting the good fight

https://odb.org/2026/08/21/faithful

2 Timothy 4:1–8 (NIV): In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

On a Thursday, in the church’s fellowship hall, sandwiches and watermelon slices were set out, waiting to be consumed by mourners sitting on metal folding chairs placed on stained carpet. It was a perfectly normal funeral, except for the preacher. He was a well-known speaker who has preached to stadiums full of thousands. Now he was speaking just as enthusiastically to this weekday gathering.

Paul told his protégé Timothy, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season . . . . discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5). All the duties. Not only the big ones performed on large stages with bright lights. Also ordinary, weekday duties. The speeches that won’t be recorded and broadcast for generations to come. The tasks that few will see. Do those well too. (Mike Wittmer, Our Daily Bread 21st August 2026)

I believe every single one of us believers aspire to say what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Not back in the day or some parts of our life but until the very end – we have remained true to the faith. We have been steadfast to His calling, faithfully following Him day in day out until our dying breath. Not sporadically but regularly. The race is a marathon but it is for us to run. Not against our parents or spouse or children or friends, not even against ourselves but against the plans and purposes Jesus has placed in our hearts. Have we been faithfully doing the things He called us to?

That is why if your thing is to preach or evangelize, you do it as fervently in front of thousands in stadiums as on a weekday meeting in front of a few. If you’re an itinerant speaker, speak with as much vigour and conviction in a mega church as in a small congregation of tens of people. No one is ordinary, no one is insignificant in the eyes of God. Remember Jesus will drop everything else to go find that one lost sheep. No such thing as the most efficient use of your time but always a question of fulfilling your calling all the time!

This morning as we end this work week, just remember that our journey of faith is still a long one to go. If we have failed to correct ourselves in some aspects, continue to do so. There are many more miles of walking to go. Keep on walking and keep our eyes on our Saviour.

Don’t get distracted by the affairs of the world and life as like Jesus said before, the poor will always be there but He is only with us here on earth for a time. Issues of life will always be there but our walk here on earth is finite. One day our life on earth will come to an end, and we will no longer be part of the living. Focus on what’s eternal, the unseen. Keep on fighting the good faith so we may finish the race and move on to 2 Timothy 4:8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Light of the world

https://odb.org/2026/08/20/shine-your-light

Matthew 5:13–16 (NIV): 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

In the dimly lit restaurant, our waitress quietly took our orders with a solemn expression. But then a customer kindly gave her a writing pen that had a little flashlight built into it. He told her it was so she could “see in the dark.” Her face lit up, and her demeanor changed to reflect joy. It was evident that she was delighted by the gift—clicking the light off and on. When she left our table, the man smiled as he whispered to me, “I think she brightened up when I gave her the pen. It made her day!” (Katara Patton, Our Daily Bread 20th August 2026)

I think the analogy used by Jesus in Matthew 5:14 that we as believers are light of the world is very apt. This is because by definition, darkness is the absence of light. Darkness is not so much a condition by itself but came about because light was not present. In the natural we see because of light as images are a reflection of light in our retina that transmits those images to our brain for comprehension. We see colours because it is the reflection of light as colours are present in the light we see. Thus the world is not different shades of grey but a collection of beautiful, vivid and explosive colours!

Taking this deeper, if we as believers are not present in any environment, for example, like our workplace, our homes or our community – then, they are all in darkness. We are the light of the world! That’s what Jesus said and how true indeed! People will be in darkness if not for us giving them light.

In the spiritual sense and realm, this means they will be tied down by their bondages and chains of generational curses, unbelief and doubts. They are blinded by spiritual death. Unless we as the light of the world illuminate the path to salvation and eternal life to them. If not, they will remain in darkness until they depart this world and more darkness will await them in the afterlife. Contrary to popular culture, hell is not just another world where evil or rebellious people will gather. It is a place of gnashing of teeth and likely devoid of company and consist mostly darkness since there is no light.

The message this morning is to be reminded that without us who has seen the light and are the light, the world is in darkness. We are the light of the world. We are light because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Our souls (spirit) are born-again. We are not just illuminated as in awakened and given the knowledge and revelation of Jesus Christ having accepted Him in our lives, but God Himself by His Holy Spirit resides in us. We carry His presence and wherever we are, we are the Kingdom of God. One day, we should be able to say – by our life, our words and deeds – you have seen Jesus if you have seen me! We should be a good and vivid reflection and representation of our Lord Jesus Christ! We are indeed the light of the world! Amen!

Awesome God

https://odb.org/2026/08/19/awesome-god

Psalm 68:1–4 (NIV): 1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. 2 May you blow them away like smoke— as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.
3 But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. 4 Sing to God, sing in praisevof His name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him-his name is the LORD.

Psalm 68:32–35 (NIV): 32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, 33 to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders with mighty voice.
34 Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the heavens. 35 You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

As a landscape photographer, I’m drawn to photos I find online. Recently I came across “10 of the Most Breathtaking Places in the U.S.” A photo of a geothermal spring depicts a massive basin of multicolored luminescence. A snapshot of the Hoh Rain Forest shows a dense, mossy forest that looks like something straight out of The Hobbit. A stunning picture taken in Monument Valley, Arizona, could be a panorama of Mars.

In landscape photographs, I find both immensity and intimacy. The sheer expanse of these vistas speaks personally to my soul. It makes me wonder if the landscapes of our world are really glimpses of God Himself—reflections of how He’s awesomely immense and breathtakingly loving. In that light, might we look for His reflected beauty around us today. When we see it, we might whisper to Him, “You, God, are awesome.” (Kenneth Petersen, Our Daily Bread 19th August 2026)

We must have read about the awesomeness of God in these pages time and time again, taking the lead from ODB which have had this theme and subject recur every now and then. It is just one of the things, in fact many things, about God that we are happy to repeat because indeed He is awesome, He is magnificent and He is majestic!

This morning we just like to highlight that He is immense yet intimate. He is awesome yet personal. He is the creator of the universe and all things in it and yet He is also our God, not just of the entire Christian community in the world but personally to you and I as distinct individuals. Even in worship every Sunday, we worship as a congregation but at the same time also personally. In our hearts we speak to Him, we give Him all glory and honour and praises. We lift up our burdens unto Him, the things bothering us. Our own issues of life. We seek His help and guidance to strengthen our faith, our weak knees. So we may find our strength in Him that we are made strong in our weakness through Christ.

When we look at His creation as we marvel at His marvellous handiwork, the intricacies of how things work in unison, we see His awesomeness. Yet in all that, He is accessible by us. Remember our Heavenly Father, the omnipresent, omniscient God is always only a prayer away. As believers, we have the power of prayer. Though a single soul, we have the God of all creation with us, on our side. Nevertheless in all circumstances, His angels surround us, protecting us against the vile plans of the evil one. His providence and provision assure us of hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11), on this earth and in the after life, beyond death. We have our crown of glory waiting for us at the end of our race and beyond that the new Jerusalem, the new heaven and new earth at the end of age.

I feel as a personal application, we must never ever give up this privilege of knowing God, this walk of faith as He is both immense and intimate, awesome yet personal. He is our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord while guided by the Holy Spirit, our Helper. Pursue righteousness. Sanctify our lives. Draw near unto Him. He is worth every drop of our effort, toil and tears!

Little children

https://odb.org/2026/08/18/loving-the-little-ones

Mark 10:13–16 (NIV): 13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

All summer long, the children in the house behind ours spend hours swinging on their swing set. Their noisy swing set. Its creaky noise doesn’t bother the children who seem, some days, to swing endlessly. Complaining, I asked my husband why their parents don’t oil the swing. Praying about it, however, I noticed a change in my heart. I could see the children’s laughter and joy bursting from the trust they find in their family’s yard, and in having parents within calling distance nearby.

Jesus spoke of such trust when speaking of children. People were bringing their children to Jesus so He could bless them, but His annoyed disciples scolded the parents, rebuking them (Mark 10:13). Seeing this, Christ “was indignant” (v. 14). “Let the little children come to me,” He told them, “and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” He added, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (vv. 14-15). (Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread 18th August 2026)

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” We should all be familiar with Matthew 10:15 where Jesus taught that one of the criteria for entry into the Kingdom of God is to be like a child. Jesus used the phrase, receive the Kingdom of God like a child. Not so much that we must become a child to enter the Kingdom of God but receive it like a child.

But what does it mean to receive like a child? What differentiates a child from an adult? One I would say is the experience of life. Another is definitely knowledge. Thus the more experienced we are, the worse we become to receive the Kingdom. Also knowledge makes us more cynical, sceptical and have more questioning and instead of faith, we have doubts and unbelief.

Instead a child is less questioning, not sceptical and is able to receive things at face value. A child does not question motives and intentions. Just plain and simple belief. Accepting rather than doubting. Not demanding of a sign. Not questioning God.

A third issue we face as adults is likely pride. Because of our life experiences and knowledge (academic or otherwise) we are proud of ourselves, of who we are and what we have achieved today. We now know more and have experienced much, compared to when we were 5 years old. Some of us have the privilege of travel and have seen other nations and cultures. Instead of marvelling at God’s creation, we have become proud in our hearts.

No matter how successful and knowledgeable we are and even if we have a doctorate on the most complex of subjects, always remember Jesus’s words – anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a child, will never enter it. A child-like attitude, the humility of a child, its simple accepting faith – these are qualities we need even if we are already 80 years old and have eaten more salt than most.

I like to end today’s devotional with a video I so happened to catch yesterday: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1HuRAhjqwx/

Have a good day ahead, everyone! Remain humble all the time as the LORD our God hates the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)!

Telling a lie and bearing false witness

https://odb.org/2026/08/17/plague-of-lies

Colossians 3:9–15 (NIV): 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

What a cruel act to be untruthful,” Daniel Ladinsky once wrote in a poem that contrasts relationships built on trust with those damaged by lies. Inspired by German theologian and monk Meister Eckhart, he described truthful, loving words as “wonderful spices mixed into the days.” But lies are like earthquakes in the mind and poison to the soul: “Havoc is created in the mind that can no longer trust someone once loved . . . . a plague is spread by one who cannot tell the truth.” (Monica La Rose, Our Daily Bread 17th August 2026)

As Christians, we are taught not to lie (even tell white lies) because not telling the truth goes against the ninth commandment, which is summarised by “thou shall not lie”. The actual commandment is “thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour” which is a continuation of “love thy neighbour as yourself”. The context of this ninth commandment is that during ancient times, charges were framed or disputes adjudicated in court based on testimonies of at least 2-3 witnesses. As everyone lived in a community, there is an expectation that every one will be truthful to each other. Judges are given extra responsibility to be more vigorous in investigation if false witness is suspected and anyone bearing false testimony will suffer the same exact punishment they were bringing against the accused. In the modern court of law, prejury is a serious offence as it could lead to a conviction affecting to one’s life or freedom.

A good example of a false witness can be found 2 Samuel 1 when an Amelikite suddenly appeared before David with Saul’s crown and arm band claiming that he himself had killed Saul. David immediately ordered the Amelikite’s execution because if he was telling the truth, he had killed the Lord’s anointed but if he had lied, he had bore false witness. Either way, his offence was punishable with death.

Thus if one were to bear false witness against someone, then one is also not loving that neighbour. A double sin against God and man.

In 1 Kings 21, there was the narrative of King Ahab wanting a plot of land owned by Naboth who refused to sell. Jezebel, Ahab’s queen, then plotted to have two persons testify against Naboth that he had cursed God and the king. After he was put to death, Ahab seized his land. The LORD was very angry with Ahab and Elijah pronounced judgment on both Ahab and Jezebel.

In the New Testament, in Acts 5 we have the story of Ananias and Saphirra who sold their land and purported to give the whole sum to the church. They were struck dead because they held back some. The amount was for them to give but they lied about it for some reason and suffered immediate consequence.

While there is a context to the ninth commandment and there is a difference between telling lies and bearing false witness, we should as a matter of prudence maintain honesty in most circumstances, especially when giving our testimony in court or in talking about other people. For the latter, we must at all costs avoid slander or adding coal to fire with untruths and lies. Gossip is bad enough but lies and slanders are really like of the devil.

However, in actual social interactions and in human relationships, it is not always wise to tell the truth all the time! This is because there are people who are unable to handle the truth and telling the truth in such situations is to invite a terrible and lasting backlash or it may bring about a discouragement that may even lead to depression. For example, if someone is aspiring to be a singer, he or she may need more training before we tell them our honest opinion about their singing ability. Or if a woman were to ask you if she was fat? As believers, if we are pushed for an answer, we either gently avoid the question or answer in a different way. There are some who believe that even telling such a lie is sinning against God, but in my view, it is for us to be as wise as we can be – to be realistic, without being legalistic! This is also beyond the context of the intention and objective of the ninth commandment. In fact, in Genesis 12, Abraham lied to the Egyptian Pharoah that Sarah was his sister and God had to send plagues aàato the palace to warn him not to take Sarah as his concubine. In Genesis 20, Abraham told the same lie to King Abimelech and when he took her into his palace, God spoke to him in a dream that Sarah was Abraham’s wife!

In most circumstances we must be honest and not tell lies as doing so is a reflection of our old self, which we have put away as Paul instructs in Colossians 3:9. We preserve our integrity and the integrity of others when we speak the truth.

Have a good week ahead, everyone! Let’s always be truthful in all that we do so that the glory of God may shine forth from our lives!