DAY 6
HE REFUSED TO DRINK
IT
Matthew 27:34, Luke 9:23-25
The Greek word,
found in Matthew 27:34, correlates with the myrrh of Mark 15:23. It was a
bitter resin added to the analgesic potion given to criminals before
crucifixion to deaden their pain. Jesus refused the wine offered him on the
cross because it was drugged. (From the NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible by
J.D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney)
Ever since I
was in high school, I always had severe abdominal pain during my monthly
menstruation. Usually I would not be able to stand at all and I would be
vomiting in pain. In order for me to go to school or work and do what I needed
to do for the day, I got used to drinking pain relievers. Unknowingly, I
adopted this in the way I handle trials and challenges. I would always choose
an easier path, a path where I would not feel so much pain. I was a
people-pleaser, conflict-avoider and passive about concerns around me. A
radical life, a life on the edge was nowhere in my heart.
There is a way
for us to drink pain relievers when we face challenges and that is by avoiding,
by running away, by closing our eyes and ears, by hardening our hearts, by
staying in our comfort zones, by getting used to and numb about our sins of
omission, by not denying ourselves… by not carrying our cross daily. When it
comes to sharing our faith, do we take a pain reliever by avoiding, staying
quiet and saying “I’ll share some other time, but not now.”? When it comes to
others in need, do we close our eyes, ears and hearts and pretend nothing
happened? When it comes to encouraging others, do we harden our hearts and
think that we have troubles of our own? Are we passive about righteousness and
prefer not to be involved? Is it too painful to confess and get the correction
we need and so choose to keep our sin a secret? What other pain relievers are
we taking today?
Jesus refused
to drink the wine mixed with gall. He refused to be relieved of the pain that
He was feeling. He endured the pain of the cross. This is how special and
important we are to God! Jesus was willing to suffer, to be inconvenienced,
humiliated and in pain for us.
How about us?
Let us not give up. Let us persevere and continue to deny ourselves and take up
our cross daily! And so as we face CROSSROADS each day, let us choose to be
Radical, Overcoming And Dedicated Servants of the Cross.
January Samson
DAY 7
THANK
GOD FOR OUR FRIENDS
Ecclesiastes
4:9-312
We never run
out of blessings from God everyday. Having friends with you is a blessing we
often fail to count.
Friends for me
are the instruments of God to make us feel His presence and care all the time.
They are very significant in our lives. Some of us can’t find the love from
their own family. Thank God for our friends that we find the love and support
we lack.
Rowena Digal
DAY 8
DECISION
James 2:17
Last April 7,
2012, the title of the quiet time was “Satan Doesn’t Mind Bible Study Never
Applied”. It points on the words that should be put into action. So, with this
I decided to practice what I learned from the Bible (James 1:22). Thank God for
His constant reminders.
But Satan has
his own creative way to tempt us not to carry them into reality. Yes I have a
decision to be humble but Satan is prideful, so it is hard to be humble. Yes I
have a decision to be godly but Satan is worldly, so it is hard to be godly. I
have a decision to build friendships but Satan wants to build a wall, so it is
hard to build friendships.
I just remembered
James 2:19, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe
that - and shudder.”
Yes, I have
decisions. I believe in my decisions. I believe that there is God in my decisions.
But if I will not apply them in my life, especially in the real-life situations,
I am just like the demon who believes and shudders. Just until there-believe
and shudder but with no power to put them into action.
Let us therefore make it a daily
decision to stay faithful and close to God so we can fight of the temptations
of Satan and overcome! We have God on our side.
Irene
Glinogo
DAY 9
LEAVE JUDGING TO GOD
Deuteronomy
1:17
It is
human-like to be a prejudice. We can be experts in giving our own “say” to a
situation without examining and being fair to the persons involved. We can be
self-righteous especially when we see that a person is at fault. We can automatically
think that that person is bad and sometimes we condemn. But do we really know
the deepest reason of that mistake? What if that person is left with no choice?
We should never
be impartial to prevent hurting someone. Or, we should not judge at all. Leave
this serious stuff to God. We only need to understand and to accept. I remember
a cliché that goes: “The kindest words on earth are those unkind words that are
never said.” Better to be quiet than to hurt.
Ruby Digal
DAY 10
DEEPENING OUR
LOVE-LIFE WITH GOD
John 14:15
It is in my heart’s
desire to share with you what I have learned when Jesus Promised the Holy
Spirit.
“If you love
me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15)
One way to
increase our love for God is to express our love by doing even little things
day by day. While doing this Quiet Time Series, I was reminded of the song way
back in my college days: “Deep Down in my Heart.”
I want to be like Jesus, deep down in my heart
Say deep, deep, say down, down, say deep,
Down, down in my heart.
I want to be discipled…
I want to share my faith…
Deep down in my
heart, I want to deepen my love-life with Him by obeying his commands.
Betty Belmonte
