Quiet Corner

[KakiMeow]

https://www.talktotheword.com/p/anxiety.html

Luke 12:22-24. He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!”
Context / meaning

Luke 12:25-26. “Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height? If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?”
Context / meaning

Luke 12:27-30. “Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious. For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.”
Context / meaning

Mark 13:11. “When they lead you away and deliver you up, don’t be anxious beforehand, or premeditate what you will say, but say whatever will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”
Context / meaning

Matthew 6:31-34. “Don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.”
Context / meaning

Philippians 4:6-7. In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Context / meaning

Proverbs 12:25. Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad.
Context / meaning

Psalm 37:1-2. Don’t fret because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green herb.
Context / meaning

Psalm 37:7. Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
Context / meaning

1 Peter 5:6-7. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

 

[KakiMeow]

Resting in God​

Bible in a Year: Jonah 1-4; Revelation 10

​

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers.​

Acts 12:6

Today’s Scripture & Insight:​

Acts 12:5-11

My neighbor Sam returned home one night without his car. “It was stolen,” he told his wife, then added, “I’m going to sleep. I’ll sort it out tomorrow.” His wife was flabbergasted. She couldn’t understand how Sam could be so calm, but he explained, “What else can I do? Panicking won’t make any difference.”

My ever-sensible neighbor could see there was no point worrying. He trusted that the authorities would be able to find his missing car later—which they did.

Did the apostle Peter feel likewise after being thrown into prison (Acts 12:4)? He was likely to face execution, yet the usually impulsive disciple “was sleeping between two soldiers” (v. 6). The angel had to “strike Peter on the side” to wake him up (v. 7)—suggesting that he was completely calm and at peace. Was it because he knew his life was in God’s hands? Verses 9 and 11 suggest that it wouldn’t have mattered whether he was rescued or not; perhaps he recalled the assurance of salvation and glory that Jesus had given him (Matthew 19:28), as well as Christ’s call to simply “follow me” and not worry about what would happen to him (John 21:22).

No matter what we’re facing today, we can trust that God holds our future—both on earth and in heaven—in His mighty hands. Perhaps then we can sleep in peace more easily.

By: Leslie Koh

Reflect & Pray ​

What worries keep you awake at night? How can you learn to surrender them to God and hold on to His promises?

Dear God, I know that my life and future are in Your loving and mighty hands. Please help me to keep trusting You.


https://odb.sg/devo/dailybread/2025-12-19-resting-in-god/?ref=homepage-banner

 

[KakiMeow]

Treasuring God’s Work​

By Joel Vande Werken

Scripture Reading — Luke 2:17-20

They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. . . .
— Luke 2:17

Because our young family has lived far away from other relatives, my wife and I have often tried to find different Christmas activities that our kids can engage in. We’ve discovered annual concerts, live nativity displays at local churches, Christmas light shows, and other goings-on that remind us of the special character of this season. We’ve also found that friends who have lived in the community their whole lives can be surprised to hear of so many local opportunities to celebrate the holiday beyond their family gatherings!

Sometimes I wonder, though, whether I am as eager to share the message of God’s work in my life through Christ as I am to share about the entertaining ways I’ve found to celebrate Christmas. Light shows and live nativities have a place, but those experiences pale in comparison to the amazing work God does in our lives and in our world.

When the shepherds found the child Jesus just as they had been told, they spread the good news about the Savior. Jesus’ mother, reflecting on God’s work, “treasured up all these things and pondered them.”
When we consider that the Lord came to earth to show favor to sinful humanity, we can respond with similar wonder and gratitude.

How will you glorify and praise God for the fulfillment of his promises in Christ this Christmas?

Father, thank you for Christmas and for all the ways we can celebrate this season. Help us to express to others the wonder of Christ’s birth, and to ponder with joy all your work for us. Amen.


https://todaydevotional.com/

 

[the only way]

 

[the only way]

 

[GameBoyColour]

all the different sub divisions also can?

like catholic, baptist, pescatarian all also can come in?

 

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all the different sub divisions also can?

like catholic, baptist, pescatarian all also can come in?

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead Romans 10:9

 

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[tiobanned]

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead Romans 10:9

if you agree with Romans 10:9
please come in and contribute in making Him known

 

[KakiMeow]

With Us in Our Loneliness​

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5

Matthew 1:18-25

Today's Devotional​

By Bill Crowder

Henry David Thoreau described a city as a place where many people are “lonesome together.” Those words have the ring of truth. In my youth, songs like “Mr. Lonely,” “Only the Lonely,” and “Eleanor Rigby” focused on isolation and loneliness.

In recent years, the pandemic was one of the most isolating seasons the world has known. And social media can feed that loneliness, giving us connection without relationship. Perhaps loneliness is the new pandemic.

As Matthew shared the story of the birth of Jesus (1:18-25), he told us, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet [Isaiah]: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’) ” (vv. 22-23). Ponder that for a moment. God with us!

As believers in Jesus, we’re never alone. We’ve been born again into the family of Christ, a family that spans the globe and the ages. The apostle Paul said, “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Ephesians 2:19). We’re loved by the ever-present God, who said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Whatever you’re facing today, your heavenly Father is present with you. Allow Him to help you as you step into life’s uncertainties and challenges. He’s with you.

Reflect & Pray​

When have you felt lonely? When experiencing this sense of isolation, how do you respond to it?


Thank You, Father, that because of Your abiding presence, I’m never alone.

https://www.odbm.org/en/devotionals/devotional-category/with-us-in-our-loneliness

 

[KakiMeow]

The Merciful King​

Jesus Our King

We have spent this week looking at different aspects of Christ’s kingship. Today we’ll explore how the Lord is merciful.

Scripture​

“Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13 ESV

​

Introduction​

We have spent this week looking at different aspects of Christ’s kingship. Today we’ll explore how the Lord is merciful in nature toward us and the world. May you come to treasure the mercy of God in your life as we take time today to explore it. He is truly so good to us, and it is fitting for us to celebrate him in all of his goodness.

Devotional​

The ministry of Jesus is laden with acts of mercy. From acts of healing and forgiveness to meals shared with those entirely undeserving of his attention, his heart was filled with mercy for his people.

Have you ever thought that God might delight in showing you mercy? Have you ever thought that he might actually enjoy stepping into your world and offering that which you are wholly unworthy of? Does a good father loathe the times he needs to step in and forgive a child? Does a good father always force his kids to toe the line of perfection and offer only harsh words when they inevitably fail?

The very coming of Christ was an act of mercy. We who were left to try and find relationship under the law discovered our inability to live up to God’s standards. When left to live by our own strength, we quickly reveal ourselves to be made of dust. But Jesus’ coming demonstrated a part of God’s heart we still find hard to believe today. God’s desire is to step into the lives of his children and offer compassion and forgiveness where there is only failure and guilt. His desire is to pick us up even after we’ve made a mess and comfort us, while at the same time empowering us to live differently. We serve a merciful King.

Psalm 103:2-4 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” Jesus bore a crown of thorns that we might be crowned with his steadfast love and mercy. Jesus, the only one deserving of God’s love, took on the guilt and shame we deserved that our lives might be marked by compassion and grace.

In this life you will make mistakes. There will not be a single day in which you experience perfection. But Jesus’ birth, life, and death reveal to us that life is not about our imperfections but about God’s perfect love. Life is not about our failures or successes but about the God who loves us through it all.

Take time today to allow God to crown you with his steadfast love and mercy that your heart might find peace in the arms of your merciful King.

Prayer​

1. Meditate on the mercy of God.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

2. Where do you need a revelation of God’s mercy today? Where are you feeling frustration or guilt around your weaknesses?

3. Ask God for a revelation of his mercy. Ask him how he sees your weaknesses. Allow his mercy to lay a new foundation for your life that you might live by grace today.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16


In Matthew 9:13 Jesus says, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” We are called to live as agents of God’s mercy. One of the most powerful ways we can reflect the character of Jesus is by offering mercy to those in desperate need of it. Don’t hold others to standards of perfection. Rather, show forgiveness and love to those who, like you, are in desperate need of grace. May you find joy in being used by God to bring light and love to others today.

Extended Reading: Psalm 103 or watch the Bible Project’s video on Psalms.

May you find joy in being used by God to bring light and love to others today.

https://www.first15.org/devotionals/the-merciful-king-2025/

 

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[KakiMeow]

Grateful in Every Season​

Joyce Meyer

O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples!

1 Chronicles 16:8 (AMPC)

Our son once went on an outreach with a team that visits the homeless each weekend. After helping in this ministry, he called me and said, “If I ever complain again, please knock me down for being so stupid!” He was appalled over the things he had murmured about in the past once he saw, by comparison, how some people were living.

Think about it, those without a place to live would love to have a house to clean, while we complain about cleaning ours. They would delight in having a car to drive, while we complain about how old ours are. It is easy to lose sight of how blessed we are, but we should work at keeping it in the front of our thinking. Be thankful for what you have been blessed with!

Choose to bless God all the time, no matter what is going on, as David did: I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1 AMPC).

Prayer of the Day:

I am grateful, Father, for Your blessings in my life. Please forgive me for the times I have taken Your goodness for granted. Today I choose to have a heart of gratitude for every blessing, no matter how small it may seem.

https://joycemeyer.org/DailyDevo?srsltid=AfmBOoqj_LYqVUEi4BmbVpUrtU_qlDYTEl8YPKrXlWS5L_cYJ58xguoJ

 

[KakiMeow]

Finding Joy and Hope in Trials: Lessons from Philippians​

Sermon Summary

In today's sermon, Elder Rene Contreras emphasised the importance of learning to be content and grateful in all circumstances, drawing from Paul's teachings in Philippians and highlighting how perspective and gratitude can transform our outlook on life and enhance our joy.

Key Takeaways

1. Contentment as a Learned State: Contentment is not innate but learned, as Paul demonstrated. It involves being independent of external circumstances and finding peace in any situation. This learning process requires intentionality and a focus on gratitude.

2. The Danger of Dissatisfaction: Dissatisfaction can lead to poor decisions, as seen in the temptation of Jesus and the Israelites' complaints in the wilderness. Recognising and addressing dissatisfaction is crucial to maintaining a joyful and content life.

3. Gratitude as a Reset Button: Just as coffee beans reset our sense of smell, gratitude resets our perspective, allowing us to appreciate the blessings we often overlook. Regularly practicing gratitude helps us maintain a joyful and content heart.

4. Living with a Sense of Grace: Embracing a mindset of grace, rather than entitlement, enhances our gratitude. Recognising that everything we have is a gift from God fosters a deeper sense of joy and contentment.

5. Sharing Our Journeys: Sharing our struggles and victories with our children helps them understand the reality of faith and contentment. It teaches them to rely on God and appreciate the blessings in their own lives.


https://door-of-hope.org/library/jo...674&gbraid=0AAAAACmCohHr2HBKC4LeGq484g9Hfpq18

 

[KakiMeow]

Send Me Your People
​

We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body.
1 Corinthians 12:13

Today's Scripture & Insight :

1 Corinthians 12:12-20

When my friend Maritza took a job that required traveling to many different cities by herself, she often felt lonely. But over dinner one night, she leaned in and told me, “Jen, I prayed and asked God to send me His people.” She went on to say it wasn’t long before she’d begun to meet other believers in Jesus on a regular basis. Once, she met three in one day!

When we encounter others who have faith in Jesus, we share a spiritual connection. In a hard-to-explain way, this lights a spark within us. We have the most important thing in common because we believe what the Bible says about Christ and how it’s possible to have a relationship with God through Him (Romans 10:9).

Most importantly, the Spirit of God lives in each believer, knitting us together so powerfully that the Bible compares us to the interconnected parts of the human body. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body”—the body of Christ.

God often works in our lives through others who love Him, whether they’re near or far, known or new acquaintances. In our loneliest times, we can ask Him to send His people—even as we offer ourselves to be used by Him to encourage others.

By: Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Reflect & Pray​

Where do you turn when you feel lonely? How has God worked through other believers in your life?

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for including me in Your family. Please use me to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ today.

https://odb.org/2025/12/22/send-me-your-people

 

[KakiMeow]

The Key to Happiness​

Joyce Meyer – Dec 22, 2025

Adapted from Trusting God Day by Day

External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

James 1:27 (AMPC)

I went to church for 30 years without ever hearing one sermon on my biblical responsibility to care for orphans, widows, the poor, and the oppressed. I was shocked when I finally realized how much of the Bible is about helping other people. I spent most of my Christian life thinking the Bible was about how God could help me. It’s no wonder I was unhappy.
The key to happiness isn’t only in being loved; it is also in having someone to love. If you really want to be happy, find somebody to love. If you want to put a smile on God’s face, then find a person who is hurting and help them.

Be determined to help someone. Be creative! Lead a revolt against living in a religious rut where you go to church and go home and go back to church, but you’re not really helping anybody.
Don’t just sit in church pews and sing hymns. Get involved in helping people who are hurting. Remember the words of Jesus:

“I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me. Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” (Matthew 25:42–45 NKJV)

Prayer of the Day:
Lord, open my eyes to those in need around me. Teach me to love like You do and to find joy in helping, serving, and blessing others daily, Amen.

https://joycemeyer.org/DailyDevo?srsltid=AfmBOoqZdGqt_VvUDS7x6C6_SSr-nKumrGy_3HRff2Ylt0yHnxWIS4Mc

 

[KakiMeow]

A Song That Brings Me Back​

December 22, 2025​

by Kristel Acevedo

“When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.” Luke 2:15-16 (CSB)

I have a confession to make: I’m not a big Christmas music person. Whenever I admit that out loud, people assume I must be a Grinch, but I promise that’s not it. For the most part, I love the Christmas season; it’s just the music I struggle with.
There is one song, though, that never fails to make me smile. It tells the story of a little shepherd boy riding a donkey, playing his cuatro (a small, Latin American guitar), and joyfully making his way to see Jesus.

The original version was recorded in Venezuela in the 1970s, sung by a young boy whose voice captures pure delight:
“Con mi burrito sabanero, voy camino de Belén … Apúrate, mi burrito. Vamos a ver a Jesús.”
“With my little savannah donkey, I’m on my way to Bethlehem … Hurry up, my little donkey. We’re going to see Jesus.”

There’s something about that song that echoes Luke 2:15-16, where shepherds who had heard the angels announce the birth of Jesus then said, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see.” They didn’t hesitate. They “hurried” to find Mary, Joseph, and the newborn Savior.
A few verses later, Luke 2:20 says, “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard” (CSB). They were amazed and overjoyed to learn that everything the multitude of angels had declared was true.

Sometimes I lose that sense of urgency. The Christmas season fills up quickly with shopping, wrapping, baking, decorating, and party planning. It’s easy to get swept up in the lists and expectations and forget the wonder of what we’re actually celebrating. When that happens, I lose sight of the joy that drove the shepherds to Bethlehem.
Maybe that’s why I love “Mi Burrito Sabanero” so much — the simple delight of imagining a little shepherd boy on his donkey. It pulls my heart back to where it belongs. It lifts me out of the brain fog, the hustle and bustle, the never-ending to-do list. It reminds me that in all the hurry and noise, Jesus is here, and we get to see Him.

Friend, put down the shopping lists, the ribbon, and the tinsel. Let’s go see Jesus.

This Christmas, I may not be listening to all the Christmas music, but this one song will remain a staple in our home because it’s a song that brings me back. It brings me back to the joy and expectancy of meeting God’s Son.

Lord, this Christmas season, help us not to be caught up in the lights, the shopping, and the parties. Help us not to become overwhelmed or distracted. Instead, bring us back to You. Fill us with urgency, expectation, and pure joy at the thought of being with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2025/12/22/a-song-that-brings-me-back

 

[the only way]

 

[KakiMeow]

Jealousy​

For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
(Proverbs 6:34)

December 22, 2025
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Like an anger-blind, half-starved rat prowling in the foul-smelling sewers below street level, so is the person caged within the suffocating radius of selfish jealousy. Trapped by resentment and diseased by rage, he feeds on the filth of his own imagination.

“Jealousy,” says Proverbs 6:34, “enrages a man.”

The Hebrews used only one word for jealousy as the Old Testament was being written: qua-nah, which meant “to be intensely red.” The term was descriptive of one whose face flushed as a sudden flow of blood announced the surge of emotion. To demonstrate the grim irony of language, “zeal” and “ardor” come from the same word as “jealousy.”

Here is the way it works. I love something very much, indeed, too much. I pursue it with zeal. I desire, in fact, to possess it completely. But the thing I love slips out of my hands and passes into another’s. I begin to experience the gnawing pangs of jealousy. Strangely, the feelings of zeal and love begin to change. By the dark, transforming power of sin, my love turns to hate. I was open, happy, filled to the brim with exquisite delight, but no longer! Now I am closed within a narrow compass of inner rage, intensely and insanely angry.

Jealousy and envy are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Envy begins with empty hands, mourning for what it doesn’t have. Jealousy is not quite the same. It begins with full hands but is threatened by the loss of its plenty. It is the pain of losing what I have to someone else, in spite of all my efforts to keep it. Hence, the tortured cry of Othello when he fears that he is losing Desdemona:

I had rather be a toad
And live upon the vapor of a dungeon,
Than keep a corner in the thing I love
For other’s uses. (Othello III, iii. 270)

This was Cain’s sin. He was jealous of Abel. He resented God’s acceptance of his brother. No doubt his face was red with emotion and his eyes filled with rage as God smiled on Abel’s sacrifice. Not until Abel’s warm blood poured over Cain’s cruel hands did jealousy subside. Solomon might well have written the epitaph for Abel’s tombstone:

Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire.
(Song of Solomon 8:6)

Anyone who has experienced deliverance from this damnable parasite knows only too well the extent of its damage. Jealousy will decimate a friendship, dissolve a romance, and destroy a marriage. It will shoot tension through the ranks of professionals. It will nullify unity on a team . . . it will ruin a church . . . it will separate preachers . . . it will foster competition in a choir, bringing bitterness and finger-pointing among talented instrumentalists and capable singers. With squint eyes, jealousy will question motives and deplore another’s success. It will become severe, suspicious, narrow, and negative.

I know what I’m saying. I lived many of my earlier years in the dismal, gaseous subterranean pipelines of jealousy, breathing its fumes and obeying its commands. It was gross agony.

But finally, by the grace of Jesus Christ, I realized that I didn’t have to live in darkness. I crawled out . . . and the releasing sunlight of freedom captured my heart. The air was so fresh and clean. Oh, the difference it has made! It is utter delight.

Ask my wife.

https://insight.org/resources/daily-devotional

 

[the only way]