Save for Tomorrow so you’re’ Not Just Living for Today

 

If you’re not saving’ anything, you have a “live for today” mentality. This is where you think, “I’ve got it now, so I’ll spend it now. Forget about tomorrow!”

John D. Rockefeller was the wealthiest man of his time. He’s famous for having been asked multiple times about the secret of his wealth. His answer became known as his 10-10-80 principle. He’d tell people that he got wealthy by giving the first 10 percent of whatever he made back to God. The second 10 percent went into savings, and he learned to live on the remaining 80 percent.

As I meditated upon what Solomon says, ”The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets” (Proverbs 21:20, TLB), this reminds me that saving is one way that God tests me in my finances + be responsible with what He’s given me. Though, culture says to pay all your bills first – but then you don’t have any money for saving and tithing. Yet, God says, “Pay me first, then pay yourself second (savings), and then pay your bills after that.”

Indeed, I observed how Jeremiah cried out for justice for God to show His mercy to the injustice knowing for the fact that the hearts of the Israelites were far off though their lips sang praises of the LORD + they grew in His ways & bear for Him (Jeremiah 12:1-3, NIV). And, this made me pondered upon how I have to examine my heart to give myself unto the LORD as I worship Him and sing praises to His wonderful Name daily.

Today, I accept the grace that God is giving me + taking the hard steps to live the purpose that He’s given me for tomorrow as I did my CNY’s weekend reading.

What keeps you from being able to save part of your income?

(Written by Jeremy Koh, 27th January 2020)

Profile Background:
Jeremy Koh is a disabled graduate from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – formerly known as Spastic Children Association (1987-1997). He graduated with Certificates in Microsoft Office Skills. Jeremy has worked in ServeHope Pte Ltd – Project Assistant/Email Marketing Consultant for 5 years (March 2008 – August 2013). And, Jeremy did a research work for the keyguard at (these)abilites Pte Ltd handling all KeyGuard Operations for 10 months in World United College South East Asia (Tampines Branch). He was Executive Assistant with Vision Strategy Storytelling (3 months, Aug to Oct 2017). Jeremy worked as GB Connector in GrowthBeans Team in Savior-Asia Consulting Pte Ltd (October 2018 to December 2019). Today, he continues to be in GB Youth Organizing Team/as a GB Youth Facilitator in YouthCorps Singapore, a former member of the Special Needs Cluster in YCS, and a Founder in the ground up initiative project called – Project Story for LIFE that serves the Special Needs Community at-large in society today.

Prayer Response to this featured article:
Thank you Jesus for giving us the grace to help us live the purpose in our lives today;

CHRISTIAN VIEWPOINT FEATURE #4

How Bible Scholars and Treasure Hunters Unearthed Modern Jerusalem:
Modern Israeli leaders are unequivocal about the importance of Jerusalem to the state of Israel.“It has been proved without a doubt that Jerusalem is the main artery of our national consciousness,” former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in 2017. “The root of Zionism is in Zion.

(For more info, do click the link https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/january-web-only/jerusalem-archaeology-history-zionism-treasure-hunters.html – Andrew Lawler, 27th January 2022 (inside Christianity Today)

‘Your Will Be Done’ – The Glory of Christ’s Human Choices:
All of Jesus’s human life led him to this garden. As he knelt and prayed in Gethsemane, waiting in agony – with beads of sweat “like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44) – here he made the Choice.

(For more info, do click the link https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/your-will-be-done – by David Mathis – 23th Jan 2022 (Executive Editor – inside Desiring God)

A Father’s Good Pleasure:
A recent experience stirred in me a desire to share a word for fathers. I have fathers of younger children particularly in mind, those on the front end of their fathering days, when a man is seeking to establish godly habits so that, by his example, his children might see the shadow of their heavenly Father.

(For more info, do click the link https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-fathers-good-pleasure – by Jon Bloom, 5th Jan 2022 (Staff Writer– inside Desiring God)

A Son Worthy to Be King:
Many a new Bible reader have run into Matthew’s Gospel, eager and determined, only to trip over the first seventeen verses. We come expecting story, expecting drama, expecting angels and magi and a baby born in Bethlehem.

(For more info, do click the link https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-son-worthy-to-be-king – by Scott Hubbard, 12th Dec 2021 (Editor – inside Desiring God)

Suffering Taught Me the Sovereignty of God:
Jesus saved me thirty-seven years ago. A janitor at my college used his breaks to preach the gospel. I eventually repented and believed, and Jesus rescued me from the tragedy of not knowing God.

God gave me a ravishing hunger to know him. So I read and reread my Bible, I prayed, and I prayed more, and I plunged headfirst into the church. As I grew, I was exposed to Reformed teaching about the sovereignty of God and learned that he works his purposes in my life and in all things for his glory and for the good of those who love him. Pursuing God became the passion of my life.

(For more info, do click the link – https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/suffering-taught-me-the-sovereignty-of-god by Pastor Bobby Scott (Los Angeles, California) – inside Desiring God – 22nd Nov 2021)

Prophetic Word: It’s a Season to “’Ride the Wave’”
I heard the spirit of God say “This next season looks like ‘Riding the Wave.’” Before someone rides a wave, they must learn to lie down and balance on a surfboard. This is a time of learning, training, and preparing for the progression of the surfing experience. Right before you ‘Ride the Wave,’ you must 'Catch the Wave.’ Catching the wave is “the point when the wave hits the tail end of the surfboard and starts to push the surfer as he or she is paddling.”

(For more info, do click the link – https://www.charismanews.com/culture/87306-prophetic-word-it-s-a-season-to-ride-the-wave by Diane Anil – inside Charisma News – 2nd Nov 2021)

Prophetic Insight: The Lighthouses and the Lost:
On the most eastern point of the Australian shoreline is a lighthouse. The Cape Byron Lighthouse sits 94 meters above sea level but is only 22 meters tall as it was built on a large rocky outcrop. There was no need for the lighthouse to be a towering structure because the rock on which it sits ensures the vantage point that allows it to fulfil its purpose. It shines a light into the darkness so that travelers can safely navigate the shoreline in safety.

(For more info, do click the link – https://www.charismamag.com/blogs/prophetic-insight/50024-the-lighthouses-and-the-lost by Charissa Steffens – inside Prophetic Insight – 27th Aug 2021)

How Mothers (and Others) Minister in Disrupted Spaces:
For many parents, the advent of the school year brings with it a familiar and difficult dynamic: cycles of interruptions. As mothers, in particular, we learn to be flexible with our plans and structure our days to bend to our kids’ needs.

(For more info, do click the link https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/september-web-only/how-mothers-and-others-minister-in-disrupted-spaces.html – Tina Osterhouse, 18th September 2018 (inside Christianity Today)

Three Ways God Tests You through Your Finances

Notice:
Do take note that your CNY’s devotional feature will be posted up on 31st Jan Monday from 6.30pm onwards on this blog. 

 Money shows what you love most. You’re going to give your most time and money to whatever you love most – and your calendar and bank statement will prove it.

I consider upon how God’s looking for three specific things as Rick Warren has highlighted out inside the Daily Hope devotional text today.

• Money shows what you love most. You’re going to give your most time and money to whatever you love most – and your calendar and bank statement will prove it. As Jesus says, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth . . . Store your treasures in heaven . . . Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT). Wherever you want your heart to be, put your money there, and you’ll get interested in it.
  
• Money shows what you trust most. It shows what you have faith in. Are you trusting in money or God for security? Are you trusting in money or God for your happiness? As Solomon says, “Trust in your money and down you go! Trust in God and flourish as a tree!” (Proverbs 11:28, TLB).
• Money shows if God can trust you. Unmanaged finances are a symptom of an unmanaged life. God is looking to see how well you manage material things before he gives you spiritual blessing. The Bible says, “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16:11-12 NIV).

 As Solomon says, “Trust in your money and down you go! Trust in God and flourish as a tree!” (Proverbs 11:28 TLB) and I am thankful that God is using money to see if I am responsible to handle to handle the material possessions that He has entrusted me with as I did my today’s meditation.

What does your bank statement reveal that you love most today?

 (Written by Jeremy Koh, 28th January 2020)

Profile Background:
Jeremy Koh is a disabled graduate from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – formerly known as Spastic Children Association (1987-1997). He graduated with Certificates in Microsoft Office Skills. Jeremy has worked in ServeHope Pte Ltd – Project Assistant/Email Marketing Consultant for 5 years (March 2008 – August 2013). And, Jeremy did a research work for the keyguard at (these)abilites Pte Ltd handling all KeyGuard Operations for 10 months in World United College South East Asia (Tampines Branch). He was Executive Assistant with Vision Strategy Storytelling (3 months, Aug to Oct 2017). Jeremy worked as GB Connector in GrowthBeans Team in Savior-Asia Consulting Pte Ltd (October 2018 to December 2019). Today, he continues to be in GB Youth Organizing Team/as a GB Youth Facilitator in YouthCorps Singapore, a former member of the Special Needs Cluster in YCS, and a Founder in the ground up initiative project called – Project Story for LIFE that serves the Special Needs Community at-large in society today.

Prayer Response to this featured article:
Jesus, test our responsibility as we handle money today;

The Word

 

As I did my New Year’s reading, I praise God for nourishing me spiritually through reading + understanding His Word and hearing Him speak through His spoken Word to know that He was there at the beginning of time, like how the Scriptures said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1–2, NIV). Truly, God created all things through His spoken His Word and how the creation is being sustained by God’s Word alone (Colossians 1:16b, NIV), and that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14, NIV).

Today, I thank God for giving me Jesus as the living Word in my life as I read the Scriptures daily. As such, the Word deepens my understanding of God as I reflect the life that He has equipped me to live by every day as I pondered through my reading.

Is Jesus your living Word today?

(Written by Jeremy Koh, 1st January 2022 – New Year’s Day)

Profile Background:
Jeremy Koh is a disabled graduate from Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore – formerly known as Spastic Children Association (1987-1997). He graduated with Certificates in Microsoft Office Skills. Jeremy has worked in ServeHope Pte Ltd – Project Assistant/Email Marketing Consultant for 5 years (March 2008 – August 2013). And, Jeremy did a research work for the keyguard at (these)abilites Pte Ltd handling all KeyGuard Operations for 10 months in World United College South East Asia (Tampines Branch). He was Executive Assistant with Vision Strategy Storytelling (3 months, Aug to Oct 2017). Jeremy worked as GB Connector in GrowthBeans Team in Savior-Asia Consulting Pte Ltd (October 2018 to December 2019). Today, he continues to be in GB Youth Organizing Team/as a GB Youth Facilitator in YouthCorps Singapore, a former member of the Special Needs Cluster in YCS, and a Founder in the ground up initiative project called – Project Story for LIFE that serves the Special Needs Community at-large in society today.

Prayer Response to this featured article:
Thank you Jesus for giving us your living Word today