11 September 2026

29th Elul 5986 / Friday

@Mandaue Warehouse

Here and Now:

I came to the Reef to pay the dues of our condos and to check our units. Then I drove to work past 8am without traffic and it was good. 

SOAP
Torah Reading:
Deuteronomy 32:40-43
Complete Jewish Bible
(vi) 40 “‘For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, “As surely as I am alive forever,
41 if I sharpen my flashing sword and set my hand to judgment,
I will render vengeance to my foes, repay those who hate me.
42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood, my sword will devour flesh —
the blood of the slain and the captives, flesh from the wild-haired heads of the enemy.”’
43 “Sing out, you nations, about his people! For he will avenge the blood of his servants.
He will render vengeance to his adversaries and make atonement for the land of his people.”

Bible in a Year:
Zechariah 1-3; Colossians 2:16–23; 3:1–17

Zechariah 1

The Great Day of the Lord
2 “I will [a]utterly consume everything From the face of the land,” Says the Lord;
3 “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, The fish of the sea,
And the [b]stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land,”
Says the Lord.
4 “I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
[d]I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests—
5 Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, But who also swear by [f]Milcom;
6 Those who have turned back from following the Lord, And have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him.”

Colossians 2

18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has [c]not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Colossians 3

Character of the New Man

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.


Observation

Deuteronomy and Zephaniah talks about GOD's judgement, and how HE will judge the nations and who HE will judge. HE will avenge meaning take vengeance on those who took out HIS servants, who were mean to HIS servants. HE will judge those who are stumbling blocks, who use HIS name in vain, those who worship other gods besides HIM or the half hearted, the unfaithful, those who are not loyal to HIM, those who have back slidden or turned back from the LORD and have not sought the LORD especially those who say they are HIS servants but those who go against HIS will becuse they follow their own will and not HIS. 

Colossians talks about how to be an elect of GOD, to forgive one another, to bear with one another even if others have a complaint against each other, to beloving, in the bond of perfection or holiness, GOD requires us to be holy because HE is holy, to be ruled by the peace of GOD and to always be grateful. Let no one cheat you of your reward - this is a rhema to me today, I believe it was the false Pastors and teachers who have been trying to cheat me of my reward, but I know GOD has dismantled their weapons to cheat me because HE enabled me to overcome them. 

Application

I will continue to fear and follow GOD ALMIGHTY. No matter how many times HE has hurt me, I will endure HIS tests and cling to HIM because I have no where else to go, I have no other security in this world but in HIS love and in HIS presence I have joy and I found meaning to live but I do not look forward to anything else in this world because I have nothing else to hope for... not even the promise of marriage gives security because there were still be trouble just as Leah was troubled in her own life because she had loved her husband Jacob who didn't love her. Why want want for anything? Why desire anything? If nothing else satisfies more than GOD?

Prayer:

FATHER GOD Lord, You are my only security. Even when Your refining fire hurts, I choose to stay near You. Guard me from deception, silence the voices that try to rob me of my reward, and clothe me with Your peace and gratitude. May my life be anchored in You alone, and may I never desire anything above Your love.
Lord, let me desire only what pleases You. If You give me marriage, work, or joy in creation, let me receive it as a gift, not as my security.
Lord, let me desire You above all, and let every other desire be purified and surrendered to You.

LORD, I am really struggling with the desire for marriage, please can YOU neutralize it? Coz YOU never took it away anyway, just please neutralize it so that I am not broken inside without it. YOU should already make me complete, so help me not to be overwhelmed by this longing. I need YOU to help me live with the longing,  to bear with it as YOU have given me the ache to long for it. If this is what YOU want then let me find my wholeness and completeness in YOU because YOU are already my husband KING. YOU are more than enough so why is this longing hurting me? It should not so help me GOD.

in the NAME OF YESHUA AMEN

Devotional Reflection:  Colossians 2:18–19

Scripture: “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.”

🌿 Reflection: Paul warns against being robbed of the true reward — the fullness of life in Christ — by chasing after false spirituality. Some people delight in outward shows of humility, mystical visions, or angel worship, but these are distractions. They look spiritual, but they disconnect us from the Head, who is Christ.

The real danger is subtle: when we let pride, false practices, or even our own imagination replace the simplicity of holding fast to Jesus. The body only grows when it is nourished by Him. Without Christ, even the most “spiritual” acts are empty.

For me, this passage reminds me that longing, desire, and even pain must be anchored in Christ. If I let my fleshly mind puff me up — chasing fantasies, false hopes, or deceptive voices — I risk being cheated of the reward. But if I hold fast to the Head, every ache is transformed into growth, every longing purified, and every weakness becomes strength.

🔥 Takeaway:

• Hold fast to Christ → He is the Head, the source of true growth.

• Reject false humility → Don’t let outward shows or mystical distractions rob you of the reward.

• Stay nourished → Growth comes only from being knit together in Him.

• Guard your reward → Don’t let longing or deception cheat you of the peace and completeness found in Jesus.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me holding fast to You, my Head. Guard me from deception, false humility, and distractions that puff up the flesh. Nourish me with Your Spirit, knit me together with Your body, and let me grow with the increase that comes only from You. Amen.