Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 2:3-5
Wed, 23 February 2022

A God-Centred Life and Ministry

Observation:

How is God-centredness evident in Paul’s life and ministry?

Deeper Reflection
FOR PAUL, THE TRUTHFULNESS OF HIS MESSAGE (VV.3, 5A), the purity of his motive (vv.3, 5) and the openness of his methods in his ministry of the Gospel stem from one fundamental reality: Godcentredness. Paul’s defence of his integrity is built on “just as we have been approved by God” (v.4). The word for “approved” is dokimazō, which means “to put to the test, examine, and especially, as a result of the examination, to approve or accept as proved to be fitting; to test to find genuine”67. Dokimazō occurs twice in the verse: in the perfect tense – “have been approved by God” and in the present continuous tense – “God who tests”. Being “approved by God” at one point of one’s life is not final. The divine testing and approving is an ongoing reality. And the object of this divine testing and approving is “our hearts”. Can we be certain like Paul about God’s approval of us? Having been “approved by God”, Paul was “entrusted with the gospel [by God]” (v.4). God trusted Paul to be a trustworthy steward of the Gospel to faithfully preach and teach it, and to do so accurately, without distorting or compromising the truth of the Gospel and turn it into “a different gospel” and “another Jesus” (2 Cor 11:4). In recent years, when I teach about God, I have to deliberately emphasise, “God, as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures.” For oftentimes, the God Christians talk about is a cultural God created in the image of the world.
67John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 50
Application:

What does it mean for me to be approved by God and entrusted with
the Gospel?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for leaders
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for Singapore: To see and recognise God as the centre of the universe
  • Pray for self

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Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 10:11-12, 14-19
Tue, 26 September 2023

A Man of High Esteem

Observation:

What significant observations can you make about Daniel being called “man of high esteem” (vv.11, 19)?

Deeper Reflection
One of the heavenly beings called Daniel “man of high esteem” (v.11). This honour was bestowed on Daniel emphatically, in that it was repeated twice (v.19). This “high esteem” did not come from man, but from God Himself. God gave this honour to Daniel toward the end of his life when God called him to “enter into rest” (Dan 12:13). As a youth, Daniel “made up his mind not to defile himself with the king’s choice food” (Dan 1:8), and as an old man, he was faithful to God in spending time with Him in his “three times a day” devotion, even if it means to be thrown into the lions’ den (Dan 6:10). Daniel was finishing well in his life with “humbling yourself before your God” (v.12). When we think of finishing well in terms of successful accomplishments, we must be careful that we are not exalting ourselves.It is not for us to see ourselves in any way as a person of high esteem before God. It is for God to say that to us (2 Cor 10:17-18). Daniel never saw himself as a “man of high esteem”. A key emphasis in Daniel 10 is Daniel being greatly overwhelmed by the holiness and glory of God represented by the heavenly being with an awesome appearance (Dan 10:5-10, 15-18). And it was in this encounter with God when he was called “man of high esteem” that Daniel said, “How can such a servant of my Lord talk with such as my Lord?”50 (v.17). The man highly esteemed by God saw his unworthiness before God.
50 I have theologically translated “my lord” to “my Lord”, since the heavenly being is a representation of God.
Application:

What does being highly esteemed by God mean to me?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for pastors and staff: To be able to see oneself as God sees
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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