John 14

John 14:1
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 

Reading this verse came at the perfect timing. My application to optometry is almost complete and as the days pass I do worry about whether or not I'll make it into optometry school. However, the worry never takes over because I do find peace in knowing that God will have a path open for me. I won't see it till the time comes but whether it's optometry or not, I'm excited to see what God has decided to be my fate after undergrad. I need to let go of my dreams and plans and accept God's dreams and plans for me (that are way better than I can ever imagine). My trust is all in God.

God the Holy Spirit lives in me. As it says in verse 10 God is using me to do His work and also working in me. I'm God's messenger on this land to bring the Gospel to the ears of those who haven't heard of this awesome God.

John 14:13-14
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 

When we pray we always end with "In Jesus' name I pray, amen". If we don't pray in the name of Jesus we are not worthy of God's attention in our matters. Jesus as the mediator between us enables us to come before the Lord to receive His grace. We can pray in Jesus' name and Jesus will answer our prayers in the best way so that God is exalted and glorified.

John 14:15-16
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever

Simple truth. Upon reflection of this verse, I'm not loving God as much as I should be because I don't always keep his commands in my heart and actions. I can't let Satan win over me. God is by my side. If God is for us then who can be against us? God blessed us with the Holy Spirit that guides us in every moment. Take time to stop and listen for the knowledge and wisdom you gain from the counsel of the Spirit helps you become more Christ-like.

John 13

John 13:1
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 

Jesus knew that his time to be put on the cross was drawing nearer, yet he was obedient to God till the very end. Despite the knowledge of this sad, upcoming event Jesus still showed love to his disciples, and acknowledged that he can relate to them by serving them and washing their feet. This act of love and humility was something that Jesus wanted his disciples to learn, and us as well. Be loving and humble in your deeds and God will be pleased. These are both qualities that we need to foster in our daily walk.

John 13:14-15
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

John 13:34
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Jesus' love for us is so wide and so deep that he was willing to take the punishment of our sin for us. He sacrificed his life for us. How much are you sacrificing for the Lord? Are you willing to be put outside of your comfort zone so that you can live a God-glorifying life? Loving others is not just saying "I love you". It's also about showing God's love in us through our actions and behaviours. Be convicted of your sins and always have a willing heart to serve and love our God!

John 12

Hosanna by Starfield is such a popular worship song... but do you know what Hosanna means? 

It means Saviour.

Hosanna, Hosanna

Hosanna in the highest.

Hosanna, Hosanna

Hosanna in the highest. 

John 12:26

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 

Remember that the reason we serve others is because we want to bring glory to Jesus. He did the ultimate act of service and sacrificial love by giving up his life so that we are redeemed by the cross. It's an honour that we are still alive and breathing, so may we also give up our time and deeds to give back to our God. 

Verse 29 says that the crowd that was there when a voice from heaven spoke said it had thundered. That's amazing, who knows it could be God speaking when you hear thunder on a stormy day. I'm in awe when I just think about it.

John 12:47

"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 

We truly are a broken humanity who needs a saving God. Our God is so gracious and merciful. The fact that He didn't send Jesus to judge us for our wrongdoings is a great act of mercy because we do deserve the wrath of God upon us. Rather Jesus came down to save us, to help us turn away from evil desires and temptations to follow the one true God who is good and loving. We are bought from the blood of Christ to be part of God's family. That's part of the amazing truth. 

John 11:17-57

John 11:33
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

Jesus was the Son of God but walked on Earth as a human. Although he was God, he still had feelings of sorrow or happiness and from this Jesus relates to us. He understands how we may feel when we're going through a rough patch or tough time. He knows what solutions can comfort and bring peace to our soul. The spirit moves in him as how the Spirit moves in us to feel or do certain things. God understands us on a level that we ourselves may not understand. .

John 11:1-16

John 11:4
When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

God uses our failures and illnesses for His glory. Somehow out of it the name of Jesus and love of God would be made known through us. That in itself is encouraging knowing that there is a reason why we may sometimes be in tough times.

John 10

Jesus is our shepherd. He guides us to pastures where we find our fulfillment and satisfaction. He protects us from the hurting effects of sin and Satan. He laid down his life for me just as a shepherd would for his sheep.

John 10:11
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

We were chosen to be a part of God's family. Once given entrance to His kingdom God will not let anything take us out of it.

John 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 

Thank you Jesus for protecting me like your dear sheep. All my joy is because you lead me to it.

John 9

John 9:3
" Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

This verse was referring to the man who born blind whom Jesus healed. However, this verse can also be applied to many different situations. To me, it helps me understand why sad and unfortunate events may happen, such as natural disasters, wars, or a tough time in one's life. All these things happen so that the work of God can be displayed. Through these tough times we evidently see His grace and love. Sometimes when life seems to be good and well-off we lack the acknowledgement that God is doing His good work in our life.

Open your eyes and do not be spiritual blind to God's goodness in this world and in your life.

John 8

John 8:7
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

It's so integral to remember that we fall short from the glory of God. We will never be perfect as sin can easily take hold of us. From this, we cannot judge or condemn others on their speech and actions as we may do a variation ourselves. None of us are perfect and so only the perfect God can deem whether one is sinning or not.

Jesus is the Son of God who came down to help us obtain salvation through His sacrifice on the cross.

John 7

Despite the Jews wanting to arrest and seize him, Jesus continued to teach what is good and true from the Lord. He was not afraid of being persecuted and taken away because he had faith of God's protection. It's a reminder for me that when I go to share the Gospel with friends or strangers, there's really nothing to be afraid of. God will protect us and He will give the words of wisdom and truth to share to others. Besides, the worst that people will do will say "they don't believe"... and that's ok because you've already tried planting the seed, the rest you can leave to God.

John 6

God already knows what we need at every moment but out of reverence and acknowledgement of His authority that we pray and seek Him to provide. We may have doubts to what He's doing but at the end of it all God does everything for our good. He is indeed a good and gracious God.

John 6:27
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

Jesus is the bread of life, as stated later on in the chapter. He fulfills us, He satisfies us, He provides for us. Jesus can give us all that we need yet we continue to fall into the wrong frame that it's things of the world that can satisfy us. We need to put ourselves into the correct mindset and find our full joy and satisfaction in Him. Without Jesus we shouldn't even be here to use the things of the world.

John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 

John 6:47
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

Have you ever been caught in the fear of dying? Well, that fear can be vanquished in the hope of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. His sacrifice has given us the salvation and freedom from sin, with the additional blessing of obtaining eternal life with our God in His kingdom up in heaven. That's just awesome.

John 6:51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Fill us with your Holy Spirit and with the heart and mind like that of Jesus. That is our prayer.

John 5

John 5:17
Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

God is working in our hearts at every minute, every second... molding us to be the Godly man and woman we are to be. He is refining us to be His perfect masterpieces. We need to accept this grace that He offers us on a daily basis so that we can become great disciples of Jesus Christ. God will never forsake us, and so will always be there to guide us in every step.

There is no life apart from the love of God, grace of the Son, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

John 5:39
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me,

It's not just about head knowledge, which sometimes I fall into the trap and believe. If you don't believe in the power of Christ's sacrifice then no matter how much you know and read the Bible the saving love of God will not feel sufficient or enough... but in fact having a heart that desires the Lord will definitely be all that you will ever need.

John 4:39-54

Anything is possible with the Lord's power and will. Thus never lose hope even in the darkest times as God can use your experiences and perform great, unexpected miracles.

John 4:1-38

Christ gives us living water that wells into eternal life. Do we yearn to drink this living water and to quench our thirst for eternity? We should be. God loves us and provides all we need for us. We just have to be faithful and live out a life that brings Him all the glory.

One thing that I'm always really nervous to do is evangelizing... being ready to spread the Good News to those who haven't heard. We may encounter those who end up believing, or those who will turn away, or even those who may attack our faith directly... but really I should be able to find peace knowing that God will let the words flow from me how He wants it. It's also a nice reminder that I'm not the only one who is at work... many other Christ followers are planting the seeds of eternal life. Working together as one body of Christ, one's work may end up reaping the benefits of another's labour (in a good way!) You sharing your personal testimony with someone may cause them to rethink their identity if previously someone had also shared how they were changed by Christ! It's a chain reaction :)

John 3:22-36

John 3:30

He must become greater; I must become less.

Through Jesus we gain eternal life and there's nothing better than partying it up in Heaven with God :P Everything we own and are fortunate to have are gifts from God that also have a purpose: to somehow use it to advance the spread of the Gospel. We are to bring the light of our Heavenly father to those who are shrouded in darkness and have lost hope. All glory goes to God. Never should are resources, successes, and achievements be called our own. We need to stay humble and not be prideful for anything. God is sovereign over all and we should be a humble servant of Him. 

The reminder: Let us be the bride of Jesus the bridegroom. We need to love Him with our life and heart, serve Him out of joy and gladness, and place Him above everything else. 

John 3:1-21

As read from a commentary, the Holy Spirit is imperceptible, indiscernable, and unaccountable by man. Our minds are finite and cannot comprehend the transformations and works of the Spirit. However, as long as we graciously accept the changing power of the Spirit, the Spirit will work in us in its own time. The Spirit is like the wind (as described in the passage), you may hear it but you can't tell where it initially came from or where it'll end up blowing at. 

Faith is just like that: firmly believing in something that you may not necessarily see with your eyes. We need to trust in the Word, knowing that the Word is God, that teaches and reveals truth to us about God's character and goodness. 

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 

John 3:16 is one of the most popular verses from scripture. It's straightforward and demonstrates God's never-ending and unfailing love for us humans, even though we constantly cause Him to suffer when we sin. Jesus came to walk as a humble servant and not as a grand king because He wanted to relate and teach us on a similar playing field. He opened my eyes to see what true love and discipleship meant. This saved me from living a life of utter darkness. 

The reminder: You can't expect the Spirit to work in you whenever you will it to. It works in its own timing and perfect way, a way we may not expect. Do you truly understand the Gospel in your heart? If you're grounded in the Gospel and are remaining in it then faith and hope in the Lord comes easily. 

John 2

Sometimes we expect to see miracles with our very own eyes but our God is not one who shows off His power. Even in the Old Testament we read of our God who hides Himself and reveals His majesty and glory in secret. When Jesus changed the water to wine it was not done in front of a big audience or in front of the wedded couple, rather it was done behind the scenes and brought to the guests by the servants. God works in the most subtle ways that are not always obvious. As an application into our lives we need to remember that if we don’t see physical signs and wonders of God’s work, it doesn’t mean that He is not moving in this place. His transformation in us may be revealed to us in the most unexpected way.

John 2:10

And said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

I find this verse to be a great comparison of how broken human nature is compared to the kindness and grace of our King Jesus. Humans naturally born with a sinful nature may be selfish or materialistic as described in the first half of the verse (taking advantage of one’s state in order to save the best stuff for themselves). On the other hand, Jesus who is loving and gracious gives us the best things at all times. Whether we always acknowledge the multitude of blessings in our life or not, He continues to shower us with unconditional love that’s worth more than everything combined in this world.

John 2:17

His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Jesus, son of God yet born as a man, was enraged when he saw people defiling the Lord’s temple by using the venue as a marketplace. His passion and zeal for God was evident when He scattered the vendors and rebuked them. If we were in Jesus’ shoes would we have the guts to go against the norm and tell the vendors to stop? It’s a question that can show how great our love for God... whether we’re able to sacrifice status or public image for standing up to our faith. Allow God to change you from the inside out and His love to consume all things that you say and do.

The reminder: God works in His own way, whether it’s big or small, in public or private. God will not forsake or leave us. He is always with us, even if it doesn’t seem like He’s there at first. Allow yourself to be consumed by God’s grace, mercy, and love by allowing the Holy Spirit to change your mind and heart.