"Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:"
Psalm 103 : 1-2 (New King James Version)
And all that is within me ! ....Everything about us should be a testiment to the Lord . Everything within us , our every thought and desire should be for His glory . Whenever we say this verse we are telling the Lord "Lord I praise You with all that I am ...with everything within me ... I praise You "
How many of us are willing to give God our all ? How many of us are ready to surrender ourselves totally to Him so that even our every thought will be submitted to Him ?. So many of us like to say "Yes Lord I believe You and I know You love me but I love this and I love that and I cant get out of this relationship and this bondage...so just adjust please...its a 80%-20% deal...majority is to you only Lord ! " It doesnt work that way .
Someone once said Christians lie the most when they sing ! :-) I was humming this song "Everyday its You I live for..." and then I realized 'Hmmmmmmmm I really need to spend more time in His presence and with His word". Because we cant change ourselves ...only God can ...but we should be willing. There are so many days I wake up and I go "ok lets start I need to get this done and need to get that ..I need to drive here and I need to go there" and I miss out on the fact that the Lord has blessed me with a whole new day for His glory and I havent even said "Thank You Lord !" . Do I really live everyday for Him ? Well I want to and I know the Lord is working on me and I pray He blesses me more and more with a spirit of obedience and humility that I will surrender all that I am to Him and truly live everyday for His glory.
Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name !
Here is the next part ...Forget not all His benefits ! How many of us are so joyful that we will say "Praise the Lord ! I am great because I serve such an awesome God ! He forgives all my iniquities (v3), He heals all my diseases (v3) ,He redeems my life from destruction (v4), He crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies (v4), He satisfies my mouth with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s (v5).
Do you know that right now as you read this, that it is only God's grace that has kept us alive and well, all these years of our life upto this very point ? We cannot survive one fraction of a second without Him . The fact that we can read this, the fact that we can understand what we are reading , the fact that we are breathing in normally , the fact that our fingers move to hold the mouse and scroll down... Its all all all God's grace.
Praise the Lord we have such a merciful loving God. I dont deserve anything . But I praise the Lord that He is so merciful and so awesome. That such a Holy God would still look upon me with love and wash me clean from all my sins..that He crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies ..He satisfies my mouth with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
God Bless
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
How much more....
"And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” "
II Kings 5: 13 (New King James Version)
Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Syria but he was a leper. Now in his house they had a young girl from Israel who used to work for them and she said to Naaman's wife that if only Naaman would meet the prophet in Samaria then he would be healed from his leprosy. So the king of Syria sent a letter to the king of Israel that he was sending Naaman to be healed. We read in verses 7,8 "And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.” So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” "
Now Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stood at the door of Elisha's house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him and said “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” (v10) .Sounds so simple right ? But Naaman was furious ! He said "“Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” " (v11)
Naaman could not get used to the fact that something as simple as this could heal him. He expected Elisha to come out and wave his hand over the place as he called upon the name of the Lord. Instead Elisha is asking him to wash himself in river Jordan seven times. And he starts refering to other rivers that are better .And the servants said to him "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” "
Sometimes we are like Naaman.... If we are asked to do something big like go for a ralley or work for 24hours straight we would do it... But when asked to do something as simple as spend an hour in quiet time in His presence in prayer that we cannot do . Organize a meeting yes we can , spend time with His word daily - no we cant ! Funny isnt it ? The servants of Naaman said so well that "How much more then , when he says to you , 'Wash and be clean'?"
We read in verse 14 "So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean"
Isnt that amazing ! How many times do we forget that its not by our works but by His grace we are saved. Its not about what we do ...Its all about Him. We need to surrender ourselves to Him . Its all very simple... We dont have to do something spectacular or sacrificial to get God's attention or forgiveness. We dont have to climb up mountains...we dont have to beat ourselves up .... All we need to do is go to Him and pour out our heart to Him. Its as simple as that . Good works do not save us. Only His grace saves us.
If its something big how much efforts do we take.... How much more should we strive towards spending time in the presence of the Lord daily ? How much more should we strive towards spending time with His Holy word daily ? How much More !
God Bless
II Kings 5: 13 (New King James Version)
Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Syria but he was a leper. Now in his house they had a young girl from Israel who used to work for them and she said to Naaman's wife that if only Naaman would meet the prophet in Samaria then he would be healed from his leprosy. So the king of Syria sent a letter to the king of Israel that he was sending Naaman to be healed. We read in verses 7,8 "And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.” So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” "
Now Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stood at the door of Elisha's house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him and said “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” (v10) .Sounds so simple right ? But Naaman was furious ! He said "“Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” " (v11)
Naaman could not get used to the fact that something as simple as this could heal him. He expected Elisha to come out and wave his hand over the place as he called upon the name of the Lord. Instead Elisha is asking him to wash himself in river Jordan seven times. And he starts refering to other rivers that are better .And the servants said to him "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” "
Sometimes we are like Naaman.... If we are asked to do something big like go for a ralley or work for 24hours straight we would do it... But when asked to do something as simple as spend an hour in quiet time in His presence in prayer that we cannot do . Organize a meeting yes we can , spend time with His word daily - no we cant ! Funny isnt it ? The servants of Naaman said so well that "How much more then , when he says to you , 'Wash and be clean'?"
We read in verse 14 "So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean"
Isnt that amazing ! How many times do we forget that its not by our works but by His grace we are saved. Its not about what we do ...Its all about Him. We need to surrender ourselves to Him . Its all very simple... We dont have to do something spectacular or sacrificial to get God's attention or forgiveness. We dont have to climb up mountains...we dont have to beat ourselves up .... All we need to do is go to Him and pour out our heart to Him. Its as simple as that . Good works do not save us. Only His grace saves us.
If its something big how much efforts do we take.... How much more should we strive towards spending time in the presence of the Lord daily ? How much more should we strive towards spending time with His Holy word daily ? How much More !
God Bless
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Little becomes a lot when its in His hands
"“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” "
John 6 : 9 (New King James Version)
But what are they among so many ??
Here is the scenario...there are five thousand men and there are also women and children gathered and they are hungry. And the Lord looks to the disciples and asks them what is to be done and tells them to give the people something to eat. And we read in verses 7-9, "Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”"
Lets look at things from the boy's view . He had five barley loaves and two small fish . Thats just a little...the disciples also said "but what are they among so many ?" Knowing well that the need at hand was so much more, the boy still gave all that he had. He did not think "anyway its not gonna make a difference ...might as well keep it with me"... He gave all what he had ! And we all know what happened ... The Lord took it and blessed it . And it fed not just the entire multitude that was gathered there but they collected twelve baskets full !! Its not what we have that matters...Its that we give the Lord all that we are , all that we have...And in HIS HANDS He blesses it and uses it for His glory.
Were you thinking if that few minutes if you prayed, that one email, that one SMS, the few rupees/dollars that you gave would it make a difference ?? The point is that when you give all that you have and lift it up to the Lord, in His hands little becomes a lot ! It feeds the multitude to a point that there is abundance ! Dont let the devil tell you that what you do doesnt make a difference. If you are giving all what you have to the Lord, then for sure the Lord will bless it and use it for His glory.Give all that you are and all that you have to Him .
Here is another view... from the disciples... A lad gave all what he had, just five loaves of bread and two fish and they had marked it as being insignificant . They did the calculations as per the world and said even if they bought two hundred denarii of bread then too it would not suffice even if they gave everyone just a little !. Sometimes even though the Lord has done wonders in our lives, when a problem comes up we forget what the Lord has done and start thinking and rationalizing and begin saying "There is just a little but what good is that when the need is sooooooo many " . We forget how awesome our God is ... There are so many times when people might come up with a suggestion and we immediately criticize and say "What difference will that make ? Do you think by praying a half hour more it will make a difference ? Do you think by giving one biscuit packet to a kid you will change the world ???" We forget how even the smallest things when in the hands of the Lord can make the biggest of differences.
Lets give the Lord all that we have ...Because its not what we have or what we are that makes a difference...No no no... Its what He will do when its in His hands that makes all the difference. Let us pray that the Lord will give us a spirit of humility , that we may not belittle what people do for the glory of God. But that we may lift it into His hands...Because the Lord will use it as a blessing for not just the multitudes but for us too... The Lord said gather up the fragments that remain and the disciples took twelve baskets full !!! Our Lord is so amazing ...His thoughts are so much higher than ours.... He sees things that our minds cannot even begin to comprehend.
God Bless
John 6 : 9 (New King James Version)
But what are they among so many ??
Here is the scenario...there are five thousand men and there are also women and children gathered and they are hungry. And the Lord looks to the disciples and asks them what is to be done and tells them to give the people something to eat. And we read in verses 7-9, "Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”"
Lets look at things from the boy's view . He had five barley loaves and two small fish . Thats just a little...the disciples also said "but what are they among so many ?" Knowing well that the need at hand was so much more, the boy still gave all that he had. He did not think "anyway its not gonna make a difference ...might as well keep it with me"... He gave all what he had ! And we all know what happened ... The Lord took it and blessed it . And it fed not just the entire multitude that was gathered there but they collected twelve baskets full !! Its not what we have that matters...Its that we give the Lord all that we are , all that we have...And in HIS HANDS He blesses it and uses it for His glory.
Were you thinking if that few minutes if you prayed, that one email, that one SMS, the few rupees/dollars that you gave would it make a difference ?? The point is that when you give all that you have and lift it up to the Lord, in His hands little becomes a lot ! It feeds the multitude to a point that there is abundance ! Dont let the devil tell you that what you do doesnt make a difference. If you are giving all what you have to the Lord, then for sure the Lord will bless it and use it for His glory.Give all that you are and all that you have to Him .
Here is another view... from the disciples... A lad gave all what he had, just five loaves of bread and two fish and they had marked it as being insignificant . They did the calculations as per the world and said even if they bought two hundred denarii of bread then too it would not suffice even if they gave everyone just a little !. Sometimes even though the Lord has done wonders in our lives, when a problem comes up we forget what the Lord has done and start thinking and rationalizing and begin saying "There is just a little but what good is that when the need is sooooooo many " . We forget how awesome our God is ... There are so many times when people might come up with a suggestion and we immediately criticize and say "What difference will that make ? Do you think by praying a half hour more it will make a difference ? Do you think by giving one biscuit packet to a kid you will change the world ???" We forget how even the smallest things when in the hands of the Lord can make the biggest of differences.
Lets give the Lord all that we have ...Because its not what we have or what we are that makes a difference...No no no... Its what He will do when its in His hands that makes all the difference. Let us pray that the Lord will give us a spirit of humility , that we may not belittle what people do for the glory of God. But that we may lift it into His hands...Because the Lord will use it as a blessing for not just the multitudes but for us too... The Lord said gather up the fragments that remain and the disciples took twelve baskets full !!! Our Lord is so amazing ...His thoughts are so much higher than ours.... He sees things that our minds cannot even begin to comprehend.
God Bless
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Its simple in the sight of the Lord !
"And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD;He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand."
II Kings 3 :18 (New King James Version)
Here is a little background to this verse... Jehoram the King of Israel wanted to go into battle with the king of Moab.And so Jehoram king of Israel along with the King of Judah and the King of Edom went by the way of the wilderness of Edom and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. Jehoram had decided that they were doomed and would surely fall into the hands of the king of Moab...The King of Judah said , "“Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?” "
How many times have we done that ? We do things as we like and when we find ourselves in a tough spot we think "Oh oh !! I should have sought the Lord ! I should have sought His will ! "
Now as we keep reading we see that one of the servants of the king of Israel spoke of Elisha. And in verses 16-18 we read what Elisha said , " And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand."
Our God is forever faithful and o so awesome ! He said that there would be no wind nor would there be any rain but yet the ditches that they made would be filled with water ! And not just a little ...But sufficient for all of them and their cattle and their animals to drink !! Wow ! And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord !!
Its a simple matter in the sight of the Lord ! How many times do we worry ourselves and go all crazy and cranky when all we need to do is seek God and seek His Holy will. We need to remind ourselves "Its a simple matter in the sight of the Lord !" :-) We sometimes think we can do things on our own but then when things go wrong we fall at His feet and He says "Its simple !Just do as I say and watch what I do !!"
You know what happened ? We read in verse 20 "Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water."
Now the Lord also told them that He would deliver the Moabites into their hand. Now the Moabites had heard that the kings were coming up to fight against them and so they gathered up everyone and were all ready at the border. We read in verse 22 -23 "Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. And they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!” "
Can you imagine that ? The same water .... When the Moabites saw it , it seemed like blood for them and they thought that the kings had fought amongst themselves and had killed each other. So when they came to camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked them.
How awesome is our God ! We need to seek His will at every step and trust in Him completely...never on our own strength or our own understanding .
God Bless
II Kings 3 :18 (New King James Version)
Here is a little background to this verse... Jehoram the King of Israel wanted to go into battle with the king of Moab.And so Jehoram king of Israel along with the King of Judah and the King of Edom went by the way of the wilderness of Edom and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. Jehoram had decided that they were doomed and would surely fall into the hands of the king of Moab...The King of Judah said , "“Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?” "
How many times have we done that ? We do things as we like and when we find ourselves in a tough spot we think "Oh oh !! I should have sought the Lord ! I should have sought His will ! "
Now as we keep reading we see that one of the servants of the king of Israel spoke of Elisha. And in verses 16-18 we read what Elisha said , " And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand."
Our God is forever faithful and o so awesome ! He said that there would be no wind nor would there be any rain but yet the ditches that they made would be filled with water ! And not just a little ...But sufficient for all of them and their cattle and their animals to drink !! Wow ! And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord !!
Its a simple matter in the sight of the Lord ! How many times do we worry ourselves and go all crazy and cranky when all we need to do is seek God and seek His Holy will. We need to remind ourselves "Its a simple matter in the sight of the Lord !" :-) We sometimes think we can do things on our own but then when things go wrong we fall at His feet and He says "Its simple !Just do as I say and watch what I do !!"
You know what happened ? We read in verse 20 "Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water."
Now the Lord also told them that He would deliver the Moabites into their hand. Now the Moabites had heard that the kings were coming up to fight against them and so they gathered up everyone and were all ready at the border. We read in verse 22 -23 "Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. And they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!” "
Can you imagine that ? The same water .... When the Moabites saw it , it seemed like blood for them and they thought that the kings had fought amongst themselves and had killed each other. So when they came to camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked them.
How awesome is our God ! We need to seek His will at every step and trust in Him completely...never on our own strength or our own understanding .
God Bless
Monday, May 25, 2009
Any Good Thing
"The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing"
Psalm 34 : 10 (New King James Version)
'any good thing'.... How many of us know whats good for us ? I dont know which company or which job is good for me ...I dont know which is the place that will be good for me ....
During my college days I suffered with severe pain in my right arm that required me to take physiotherapy for three years. I never understood at that point in time why did God permit it, but as the years passed by I saw His glory revealed in my life. It was a stage of pruning and at the end of it I did begin to bear more fruit . It was 'good'...it was for His Glory ... It was for my spiritual growth ... For sure with my o so limited mind I would have never thought this as good. My first job that I joined after graduation ...I never wanted to be in the software industry...No way would I have thought it as good...But wow the Lord has worked wonders in my life ... Its been such a blessing in that company for the glory of God ... Its always always been for His glory.
So many times we think 'good' means lots of money, good health and worldly happiness . But thats not it ! God knows whats good for us... And its always for the glory of His name. We just need to keep seeking Him ! Seeking His will ! And we will not lack any GOOD thing ! Im not saying we need to be poor and without a good job...No no no... The Bible says in Matthew 6 : 31-33 "“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
We need to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else that we need God will provide.And as we seek the Lord we will not lack any good thing.
I pray that we will grow in the Lord and walk as per His Holy will . We read in 1 John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever"
God Bless
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing"
Psalm 34 : 10 (New King James Version)
'any good thing'.... How many of us know whats good for us ? I dont know which company or which job is good for me ...I dont know which is the place that will be good for me ....
During my college days I suffered with severe pain in my right arm that required me to take physiotherapy for three years. I never understood at that point in time why did God permit it, but as the years passed by I saw His glory revealed in my life. It was a stage of pruning and at the end of it I did begin to bear more fruit . It was 'good'...it was for His Glory ... It was for my spiritual growth ... For sure with my o so limited mind I would have never thought this as good. My first job that I joined after graduation ...I never wanted to be in the software industry...No way would I have thought it as good...But wow the Lord has worked wonders in my life ... Its been such a blessing in that company for the glory of God ... Its always always been for His glory.
So many times we think 'good' means lots of money, good health and worldly happiness . But thats not it ! God knows whats good for us... And its always for the glory of His name. We just need to keep seeking Him ! Seeking His will ! And we will not lack any GOOD thing ! Im not saying we need to be poor and without a good job...No no no... The Bible says in Matthew 6 : 31-33 "“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
We need to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else that we need God will provide.And as we seek the Lord we will not lack any good thing.
I pray that we will grow in the Lord and walk as per His Holy will . We read in 1 John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever"
God Bless
Thursday, May 21, 2009
On what is our mind set upon ?
"You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You."
Isaiah 26:3 (New King James Version)
The days that I havent spent time in prayers are the days that I am soooo susceptible to becoming cranky or losing my peace of mind.
Have you ever noticed the big difference in yourself when you have started off the day with the word of God and with prayers ? And do you remember yourself on the days you just woke up and rushed through the day forgetting about God ?
I remember someone once well said Prayer is not about trying to change the mind of God...Its to change our mind in accordance to the will of God ! Someone once said a similar thing about fasting ...He said "Fasting does not change God ...It changes us !"
And thats so true...The more we spend time with the Lord, the more we take our focus off things of the world and set our mind on Him its soo wonderful. I love this verse..when we say we trust in the Lord that means our mind is stayed on Him. We cant say we trust in the Lord and be so caught up in the things of the world and be busy making our own plans and all.... When we trust in the Lord we give Him our everything...and our mind is stayed on Him and the Lord will keep us in perfect peace.
We read in Colossians 3 : 1-2 "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth"
This is something which the Lord has laid upon my heart to share this morning ... Sometimes our very focus of prayer gets so shifted to things of the world that we forget about things of God. In the half hour or one hour we spend praying , a lot of us end up praying "Bless me , bless my family...take care of my job , take care of my finances, take care of my health ....." and we spend no time in praying for the salvations of others, for our spiritual growth , for the gifts of the Holy Spirit , to be used more and more for His glory , for the churches, the pastors, missionaries, seeking His Holy will and not just telling Him what we want,......
Dont get me wrong ...Im not saying dont pray for your job and for your family and loved ones....No no no ...All Im saying is we need to be careful that our focus does not get shifted from things above to things of this earth solely.
God Bless
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You."
Isaiah 26:3 (New King James Version)
The days that I havent spent time in prayers are the days that I am soooo susceptible to becoming cranky or losing my peace of mind.
Have you ever noticed the big difference in yourself when you have started off the day with the word of God and with prayers ? And do you remember yourself on the days you just woke up and rushed through the day forgetting about God ?
I remember someone once well said Prayer is not about trying to change the mind of God...Its to change our mind in accordance to the will of God ! Someone once said a similar thing about fasting ...He said "Fasting does not change God ...It changes us !"
And thats so true...The more we spend time with the Lord, the more we take our focus off things of the world and set our mind on Him its soo wonderful. I love this verse..when we say we trust in the Lord that means our mind is stayed on Him. We cant say we trust in the Lord and be so caught up in the things of the world and be busy making our own plans and all.... When we trust in the Lord we give Him our everything...and our mind is stayed on Him and the Lord will keep us in perfect peace.
We read in Colossians 3 : 1-2 "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth"
This is something which the Lord has laid upon my heart to share this morning ... Sometimes our very focus of prayer gets so shifted to things of the world that we forget about things of God. In the half hour or one hour we spend praying , a lot of us end up praying "Bless me , bless my family...take care of my job , take care of my finances, take care of my health ....." and we spend no time in praying for the salvations of others, for our spiritual growth , for the gifts of the Holy Spirit , to be used more and more for His glory , for the churches, the pastors, missionaries, seeking His Holy will and not just telling Him what we want,......
Dont get me wrong ...Im not saying dont pray for your job and for your family and loved ones....No no no ...All Im saying is we need to be careful that our focus does not get shifted from things above to things of this earth solely.
God Bless
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
His direction ! Never our understanding
"So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.” "
II Samuel 5 : 19 (New King James Version)
"I know whats the right thing to do !! " ... Im sure all of us have said this at some point in time of our lives. Some of us have said it more often than others :-)
A little background to the verse ...The Philistines had heard that David was anointed King of Israel and so they went to search for him...they went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. Now David sought the Lord's direction...He did not want to lean on his own understanding ... And as we read in verse 19 "And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”"
Here is the best part...There are many of us who seek the Lord only the first time we are attempting something...After that we think "Oh I know how this will turn out" or "I know what is to be done for this kind of situation"...or "This is how the Lord directed me last time so I will do the same thing this time also "..... No no no ....
As we continue reading till the end of the chaper we find that David went to Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines there. Now in verse 22 we read that "Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim" David could have gone and battled it out again ,but No what did David do ? He sought the direction of the Lord again ! How wonderful it is to seek the Lord at every step .
We read in verses 23-25 "Therefore David inquired of the LORD, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” And David did so, as the LORD commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer"
Wow ! Isnt that so amazing !! Our God is an awesome God !!
May we lean not on our own understanding but seek His will and His direction at every step .
God Bless
II Samuel 5 : 19 (New King James Version)
"I know whats the right thing to do !! " ... Im sure all of us have said this at some point in time of our lives. Some of us have said it more often than others :-)
A little background to the verse ...The Philistines had heard that David was anointed King of Israel and so they went to search for him...they went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. Now David sought the Lord's direction...He did not want to lean on his own understanding ... And as we read in verse 19 "And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”"
Here is the best part...There are many of us who seek the Lord only the first time we are attempting something...After that we think "Oh I know how this will turn out" or "I know what is to be done for this kind of situation"...or "This is how the Lord directed me last time so I will do the same thing this time also "..... No no no ....
As we continue reading till the end of the chaper we find that David went to Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines there. Now in verse 22 we read that "Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim" David could have gone and battled it out again ,but No what did David do ? He sought the direction of the Lord again ! How wonderful it is to seek the Lord at every step .
We read in verses 23-25 "Therefore David inquired of the LORD, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the LORD will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” And David did so, as the LORD commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer"
Wow ! Isnt that so amazing !! Our God is an awesome God !!
May we lean not on our own understanding but seek His will and His direction at every step .
God Bless
Speck Vs Plank
"And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
Matthew 7 : 3-5 (New King James Version)
Sometimes a lot of us are really quick to judge ! Sometimes we have such preconceived notions that it tends to blind us . I remember as a teen, whenever a person got up to preach the first thing that I would do is find every fault possible with his/her message. It was like I would listen to the message just to find out points that I could disagree with. And in doing so I would never give ear to what the person was trying to say in the first place. So at the end my takeaway would be a big ZERO...Just a heart full of criticism !
Dont get me wrong ,,,Im not saying blindly listen to what the preacher preaches...No ... But the Lord knows our hearts... Are we going with a judgmental spirit or are we going with a spirit of humility .How many of us pray for the sunday services that we attend on saturday night or during the week....? I hear of so many people who complain about whats wrong with the churches today...But how many of us get down on our knees and pray for it daily ? Its so easy to criticize !
There are so many flaws in me...So many that only the Lord knows... He knows my every thought .... Lets take for example I lie and I see another believer who drinks... Can I say I am better than him ? Do I have the right to look down on him ? No ! But I do have to pray for myself to remove lying lips from His Holy temple....To pray for my fellow believer and to tell him and remind him what he is doing is not right ....But I do not have the right to think that I am better than him.
Our God is so awesome ! I love the way He says 'speck' in our brother's eye but a 'plank' in ours. Sometimes we can be such hypocrites.
I pray that we will surrender completely to the Lord and have Him remove and purge away anything that is not of Him and that we will have a spirit of humility.
God Bless
Matthew 7 : 3-5 (New King James Version)
Sometimes a lot of us are really quick to judge ! Sometimes we have such preconceived notions that it tends to blind us . I remember as a teen, whenever a person got up to preach the first thing that I would do is find every fault possible with his/her message. It was like I would listen to the message just to find out points that I could disagree with. And in doing so I would never give ear to what the person was trying to say in the first place. So at the end my takeaway would be a big ZERO...Just a heart full of criticism !
Dont get me wrong ,,,Im not saying blindly listen to what the preacher preaches...No ... But the Lord knows our hearts... Are we going with a judgmental spirit or are we going with a spirit of humility .How many of us pray for the sunday services that we attend on saturday night or during the week....? I hear of so many people who complain about whats wrong with the churches today...But how many of us get down on our knees and pray for it daily ? Its so easy to criticize !
There are so many flaws in me...So many that only the Lord knows... He knows my every thought .... Lets take for example I lie and I see another believer who drinks... Can I say I am better than him ? Do I have the right to look down on him ? No ! But I do have to pray for myself to remove lying lips from His Holy temple....To pray for my fellow believer and to tell him and remind him what he is doing is not right ....But I do not have the right to think that I am better than him.
Our God is so awesome ! I love the way He says 'speck' in our brother's eye but a 'plank' in ours. Sometimes we can be such hypocrites.
I pray that we will surrender completely to the Lord and have Him remove and purge away anything that is not of Him and that we will have a spirit of humility.
God Bless
Sunday, May 10, 2009
To Carry or to Cast !
"Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved"
Psalm 55:22 (New King James Version)
He shall sustain you ! Who ? He ! There are so many times we choose to carry our burdens ourselves. What we tend to forget is that it will weigh us down ! Imagine ouselves carrying this big bundle on our back ... We might start off walking straight with our eyes to the heavens, but then eventually its going to weigh us down...our sights get taken off Him and as the burdens weigh us down our focus gets shifted ! We start walking all bent up with the weight of our burdens breaking us...it weighs us down so much that we cant even look up anymore.
The Lord wants us to cast our burden on Him and He will sustain us... That means we trusting Him completely ! Not our ways, thoughts or plans...But all HIS ways, HIS thoughts and HIS plan.
And when we do that, come what may , we will never be moved ! Because we are trusting and leaning on Him completely !!
The Bible says in I corinthians 10 : 13 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
No matter what happens, if we trust in the Lord completely . casting all our cares upon Him we will not be moved !!
The word of God clearly says that God will never ever ever let a situation come that we will not be able to overcome through Him ! However , it is our choice ... We can either choose to yeild to the temptation, the problem,...we can let situations overwhelm us , make us anxious,...... or we can choose to stand on the Rock of our Salvation and cast every burden on Him and let Him sustain us and through Him we can overcome all !! Thats His perfect Plan !!
God Bless
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved"
Psalm 55:22 (New King James Version)
He shall sustain you ! Who ? He ! There are so many times we choose to carry our burdens ourselves. What we tend to forget is that it will weigh us down ! Imagine ouselves carrying this big bundle on our back ... We might start off walking straight with our eyes to the heavens, but then eventually its going to weigh us down...our sights get taken off Him and as the burdens weigh us down our focus gets shifted ! We start walking all bent up with the weight of our burdens breaking us...it weighs us down so much that we cant even look up anymore.
The Lord wants us to cast our burden on Him and He will sustain us... That means we trusting Him completely ! Not our ways, thoughts or plans...But all HIS ways, HIS thoughts and HIS plan.
And when we do that, come what may , we will never be moved ! Because we are trusting and leaning on Him completely !!
The Bible says in I corinthians 10 : 13 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
No matter what happens, if we trust in the Lord completely . casting all our cares upon Him we will not be moved !!
The word of God clearly says that God will never ever ever let a situation come that we will not be able to overcome through Him ! However , it is our choice ... We can either choose to yeild to the temptation, the problem,...we can let situations overwhelm us , make us anxious,...... or we can choose to stand on the Rock of our Salvation and cast every burden on Him and let Him sustain us and through Him we can overcome all !! Thats His perfect Plan !!
God Bless
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Do we keep running ?
"Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!"
Psalm 27 : 14 (New King James Version)
We read in I Corinthians 9 : 24-27 "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified"
Here are a couple of things which the Lord has placed in my heart to share this morning .
Lets picture ourselves to be physically running a race... Sometimes some of us stop running when we wait on the Lord :-) We forget why we are running in the first place... we forget who we are running towards and what is the imperishable crown that we are running for. The word of God says that we are therefore not to run with uncertainity. But we are to discipline our body and bring it to subjection in every aspect that we may be testimonies to Him and not become disqualified by living lives which are a direct conflict to what the word of God says.
Many of us when we are waiting on the Lord instead of running tend to slow down our pace... we get anxious... we become stubborn saying "Im not going to move an inch until You answer me" .... we forget why we are running :-)
And even as we wait on the Lord, we read in Psalm 27 : 14 that we are to be of good courage and He will strengthen our hearts
We read in Isaiah 26 : 3 "You will keep him in perfect peace,Whose mind is stayed on You,Because he trusts in You." We need to always keep in mind why we are running :-) . If our mind is always stayed on Him, we will be in perfect peace... He will strengthen our hearts and we will be of good courage as we wait on the Lord .. and we will keep pressing on !!! Running towards the goal !
Here is a beautiful song I came across ..."While Im waiting " by John Waller
I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not fain
tI’ll be running the race
Even while I wait
I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord
God Bless
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!"
Psalm 27 : 14 (New King James Version)
We read in I Corinthians 9 : 24-27 "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified"
Here are a couple of things which the Lord has placed in my heart to share this morning .
Lets picture ourselves to be physically running a race... Sometimes some of us stop running when we wait on the Lord :-) We forget why we are running in the first place... we forget who we are running towards and what is the imperishable crown that we are running for. The word of God says that we are therefore not to run with uncertainity. But we are to discipline our body and bring it to subjection in every aspect that we may be testimonies to Him and not become disqualified by living lives which are a direct conflict to what the word of God says.
Many of us when we are waiting on the Lord instead of running tend to slow down our pace... we get anxious... we become stubborn saying "Im not going to move an inch until You answer me" .... we forget why we are running :-)
And even as we wait on the Lord, we read in Psalm 27 : 14 that we are to be of good courage and He will strengthen our hearts
We read in Isaiah 26 : 3 "You will keep him in perfect peace,Whose mind is stayed on You,Because he trusts in You." We need to always keep in mind why we are running :-) . If our mind is always stayed on Him, we will be in perfect peace... He will strengthen our hearts and we will be of good courage as we wait on the Lord .. and we will keep pressing on !!! Running towards the goal !
Here is a beautiful song I came across ..."While Im waiting " by John Waller
I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not fain
tI’ll be running the race
Even while I wait
I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord
God Bless
Word of God !
"Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path"
Psalm 119:105 (New King James Version)
Look to the word of God ! Look to the word of God ! Look to the word of God !
The word of God needs to be the basic foundation of our lives ! The more of the word of God we have in our lives the clearer things become . We might start off with slowly reading His word and as the Lord teaches us His word uncertainities seem to fade away.We begin to see the place where we are standing right now ever so clearly . And as we begin to feed on His word we begin to see further...His word is a light to our path .
Now its not just reading the word of God alone that helps... we need to be doers of the word of God
The Bible says in Luke 6 : 46-49 "“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.And the ruin of that house was great.”"
Where are we building our House ?
God Bless
And a light to my path"
Psalm 119:105 (New King James Version)
Look to the word of God ! Look to the word of God ! Look to the word of God !
The word of God needs to be the basic foundation of our lives ! The more of the word of God we have in our lives the clearer things become . We might start off with slowly reading His word and as the Lord teaches us His word uncertainities seem to fade away.We begin to see the place where we are standing right now ever so clearly . And as we begin to feed on His word we begin to see further...His word is a light to our path .
Now its not just reading the word of God alone that helps... we need to be doers of the word of God
The Bible says in Luke 6 : 46-49 "“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.And the ruin of that house was great.”"
Where are we building our House ?
God Bless
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Do not withhold good
"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so"
Proverbs 3:27 (New King James Version)
On my way to the office yesterday , there was this couple driving ahead of me on a bike and the person sitting behind , her dupatta was flying in the wind really close to the wheels. And unfortunately they didnt see me signalling to them and they zipped way ahead. And I first thought "Ok they have gone ...so why bother"... But then the Lord convicted me of my laziness and attitude and said "Am I like that with you ? " and immediately I zoomed ahead and found them and told them .
A lot of times we tend to label things as "Somebody else's problems" and turn away. But the Lord is reminding us today not to withold good from those to whom it is due when it is in the power of our hand to do so. The reason why the Lord has placed us where we are and with what we have is not for us...Its to be a source of blessing to others and a testimony to His Name.
God Bless
When it is in the power of your hand to do so"
Proverbs 3:27 (New King James Version)
On my way to the office yesterday , there was this couple driving ahead of me on a bike and the person sitting behind , her dupatta was flying in the wind really close to the wheels. And unfortunately they didnt see me signalling to them and they zipped way ahead. And I first thought "Ok they have gone ...so why bother"... But then the Lord convicted me of my laziness and attitude and said "Am I like that with you ? " and immediately I zoomed ahead and found them and told them .
A lot of times we tend to label things as "Somebody else's problems" and turn away. But the Lord is reminding us today not to withold good from those to whom it is due when it is in the power of our hand to do so. The reason why the Lord has placed us where we are and with what we have is not for us...Its to be a source of blessing to others and a testimony to His Name.
God Bless
Monday, May 4, 2009
A simple Formula
"I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved"
Psalm 16 :8 (New King James Version)
I dont know how many of you love Mathematics , but for me that was my favourite subject . The best part was when we had to study for our entrance examinations... Me and my cousin used to try and come up with a single formula that would cover most problems under a specific category. I mean just imagine...this one formula alone that you had to remember that would solve most of your problems...It was a lot of fun..
Ever wished there was this single formula that could get you through every problem ? There is.... And its very simple ! (remember I said simple..not necessarily easy ! but then again not difficult either ! ;-) )
SET THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE US
When we set the Lord before us He leads us...He guides us... Now its not that we wont encounter problems or difficulties...But when they come,as the word of God says "Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved".
We wont be moved !! Sadness, depression, stress, anxiety ... no longer becomes applicable in our lives...
As we read verses9-11 it says "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;My flesh also will rest in hope.For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Now because the Lord is always before us we will not be moved and also we read that Therefore our hearts are glad ! Our flesh also will rest in hope .
Just spend a second and think about this "You will show me the path of life;In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore"
Amen !!
God Bless
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved"
Psalm 16 :8 (New King James Version)
I dont know how many of you love Mathematics , but for me that was my favourite subject . The best part was when we had to study for our entrance examinations... Me and my cousin used to try and come up with a single formula that would cover most problems under a specific category. I mean just imagine...this one formula alone that you had to remember that would solve most of your problems...It was a lot of fun..
Ever wished there was this single formula that could get you through every problem ? There is.... And its very simple ! (remember I said simple..not necessarily easy ! but then again not difficult either ! ;-) )
SET THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE US
When we set the Lord before us He leads us...He guides us... Now its not that we wont encounter problems or difficulties...But when they come,as the word of God says "Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved".
We wont be moved !! Sadness, depression, stress, anxiety ... no longer becomes applicable in our lives...
As we read verses9-11 it says "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;My flesh also will rest in hope.For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Now because the Lord is always before us we will not be moved and also we read that Therefore our hearts are glad ! Our flesh also will rest in hope .
Just spend a second and think about this "You will show me the path of life;In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore"
Amen !!
God Bless
Before Me !
" You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over"
Psalm 23 : 5 (New King James Version)
During this past week there have been numerous challenges spiritually (more than usual) upto a point where I have had someone tell me "Please pray right now...Satan is planning attacks on you" and my Dad asking me not to drive from my hometown back to where I stay because he woke up with a very disturbed feeling regarding something going wrong with me. I have driven numerous times back and forth but this is the first time my Dad ever said something like this so I knew he was serious.
Well I did drive :-) Because I know our God reigns.
I was actually happy when people told me this .... I was like "Great ! I am definitely growing stronger in the Lord...I have become a big threat to Satan !! Praise the Lord !"
As I was driving and I looked at the road that lay ahead, I knew that even before the wheels of my car has even touched the road, the Lord has gone before me and has made everything perfect for me !
Sometimes circumstances might seem so against us... It might seem that everything that could go wrong is going wrong ... But when we are walking with the Lord and He reigns in us , we know that any problem that might seem to be there is temporary ! By the grace of God we will overcome !!
The Psalmist says "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies".... Imagine that... You look ahead and there is this nice table and all your enemies are there... Would you still want to walk ahead ?? But when we put our trust in the Lord thats what we do... We keep walking ahead knowing the Lord is in control.
Now why would the Lord prepare a table for us in the midst of our enemies ?? Guess what ? Thats where He is gonna glorify His name ! There in the presence of our enemies the Lord anoints us...And not just half way through ...no no no... He fills us to a point that our cup overflows..... That all those around us will know that He is Lord !! And those who put their trust in Him will never ever be put to shame.
Praise the Lord for the table that He has prepared before us... Lets continue to walk with Him and have Him fill us such that our cup overflows
God Bless
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over"
Psalm 23 : 5 (New King James Version)
During this past week there have been numerous challenges spiritually (more than usual) upto a point where I have had someone tell me "Please pray right now...Satan is planning attacks on you" and my Dad asking me not to drive from my hometown back to where I stay because he woke up with a very disturbed feeling regarding something going wrong with me. I have driven numerous times back and forth but this is the first time my Dad ever said something like this so I knew he was serious.
Well I did drive :-) Because I know our God reigns.
I was actually happy when people told me this .... I was like "Great ! I am definitely growing stronger in the Lord...I have become a big threat to Satan !! Praise the Lord !"
As I was driving and I looked at the road that lay ahead, I knew that even before the wheels of my car has even touched the road, the Lord has gone before me and has made everything perfect for me !
Sometimes circumstances might seem so against us... It might seem that everything that could go wrong is going wrong ... But when we are walking with the Lord and He reigns in us , we know that any problem that might seem to be there is temporary ! By the grace of God we will overcome !!
The Psalmist says "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies".... Imagine that... You look ahead and there is this nice table and all your enemies are there... Would you still want to walk ahead ?? But when we put our trust in the Lord thats what we do... We keep walking ahead knowing the Lord is in control.
Now why would the Lord prepare a table for us in the midst of our enemies ?? Guess what ? Thats where He is gonna glorify His name ! There in the presence of our enemies the Lord anoints us...And not just half way through ...no no no... He fills us to a point that our cup overflows..... That all those around us will know that He is Lord !! And those who put their trust in Him will never ever be put to shame.
Praise the Lord for the table that He has prepared before us... Lets continue to walk with Him and have Him fill us such that our cup overflows
God Bless
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Are we Faithful ?
"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful"
I Corinthians 4:1-2 (New King James Version)
Faithful... I decided to look up websters dictionary for the meaning of the word to see what it had to say and this is what I got ...
--> steadfast in affection or allegiance : loyal
--> firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty : conscientious
--> given with strong assurance : binding
--> true to the facts, to a standard, or to an original
Are we faithful ?
I was talking to my sis last evening and she was telling me something regarding what I had said earlier on ....and it was something so small and insignificant and I asked her "Why are you making such a big deal about it ...?" ... for which she answered "Because you are a Christian and everything what you say matters !!"
I really didnt have anything to say after that :-)
I liked the last definition of faithful the best ... A faithful copy...just like the original.... Are we just like Christ ? Every day that Christ walked the earth and preached He was faithful in every word,thought and deed. And we are to be just like Him.... a faithful copy.
Whether we are conscious of it or not , people observe everything about us... the way we talk, our vocabulary, the way we react to situations and circumstances....
When people look at us , do they see the ways of Christ in us ?
Are we faithful ?
God Bless
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