Sunday, October 31, 2010

Help for Poor and Needy

Verse for Today: Sunday, October 31, 2010

Psalms 40:17 - Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me; You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

The humility and exasperation of a child of God is echoed in the prayers of king David. His utter depravity was always before him and he had no hesitation to admit his nothingness before God. He also confessed that no matter what he had in his possession, when he goes to the presence of God, he can go as one who has nothing other than God. His possessions or positions never possessed David. Whatever he has is because of God, but that did not mean that it was all his, but a gift of God. So king David goes to the Lord and pleads for the Lord to be mindfulness of him as a poor, needy and depraved human being who cannot live in this world without the help and protection of the Lord. His prayer for the Lord not to delay answers to his prayers is also an indication of his desperation in wanting to hearing from the Lord. Just as in the case of David, all of God's children are encouraged by the Spirit of God to go to God declaring their nothingness before God. This is the only way we can qualify for a hearing in the presence of God. If we have something in our hands or if we can handle our situation ourselves using our own expertise, why should we go to the Lord? In other words, our prayers are not rituals that we perform before God, but earnest pleas which come out of the intensity of felt dire need. When the need for provision, protection and peace are paramount in our hearts, we need to go to the Lord and plead out of our desperation for His answers without which we know that we can no longer keep going. David's plea that the Lord answers Him without delay indicates his importunity in prayer and the utter desperation of his situation. Only those who have this feeling of desperation can pray earnestly and sincerely, and so the Spirit of God wants us to follow the example of David in all our prayers to God.

Dear reader, no matter what your situation today is, it is expedient that you go to the Lord putting your petitions before Him in earnest prayer, confessing your depravity and dire need for urgent and immediate answers from Him. You are encouraged to pray with importunity and without getting discouraged or tired of praying. The fact that the Lord has not answered so far does not mean that He has not heard your pleas. God knows the implications of your situation from the eternal perspective. He knows what is best for you today that will be an investment for your eternity and is designing special answers for you while making necessary changes in your situation so that it will all turn out to be for your blessing. When you are poor, He wants to remind you that you are blessed with all the blessings of the Heavenly places. When you are needy, He wants to remind you that your greatest need is to be more and more lost in the wonder and awe of His person. As you spend more time in His presence to express your need for help and protection, He takes time to reassure you that the help and protection have been with you all the way and will continue without any interruption. He has appointed full time angels to help and protect you in all your circumstances and situations. He guarantees that He will not delay, and will answer you to meet your immediate needs at the right time. He is such a benevolent Father who cannot keep quiet when His beloved children are in dire need and in desperation. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He knows that His reputation and character are at stake if His children are a deprived lot in this world. So dear friend, keep trusting and waiting for the Lord to expressly intervene in your situation at the earliest to save you from difficult situations and sustain you for His glory.

Psalms 86:1 - Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Thought for Today
Only the needy and the poor will feel the urgency for importunate prayer.

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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Silence or Eloquence

Verse for Today: Saturday, October 30, 2010

Psalms 39:2 - But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased.

Silence before man is a policy often adopted by God's people in their times of adversity. This was the leading many children of God received of the Lord as we see it in the Bible. Our Lord Jesus is the best example of silence when He stood before Pilate and Herod before crucifixion. David was silent before Abimelech, king of Gath. So was Jeremiah several times throughout his ministries. Even though they were silent before men, all of them spoke to their Heavenly Father about their situations. It is a great lesson for us to learn to be silent before men and tell all that we have to our Father who is able to do great things for us. Keeping silent before men in times of adversity is strength and not a weakness. At the same time, keeping silent before men is not easy, because we would be tempted to justify our cause. Our natural faculties would prompt us to speak and cry before men for help. Throughout Biblical and church history, we find great men of God keeping silent in times of great adversity. When we keep quiet, and leave the verdict to the Lord, it is likely that our grief and burden might increase because of the heat of the suffering we undergo, as in the case of David while he wrote this Psalm. In trying times, God's children spoke to the One who really mattered most. They spoke to the Father and received assurances in their souls that He knew what was going on and will handle their cases in a divine way. This is why in the solitary confinements, many saints cried to the Lord. They found the presence of the Lord a place to unburden themselves. They shed their tears before the One which mattered most. Whether they were exonerated before men was not important for them. They never considered their lives to be more important for them to take their own efforts to get release, but left it all to the Lord. They continued their ministries in the shadow of confusion created by the enemy, as that of Paul who used the time to write letters and to strengthen the believers.

It is likely that someone who reads these lines might be going through situations similar to that of David, Paul or Jeremiah. When all are against us and no one wants to understand us, there is a Lord who awaits us to speak to Him. He wants us to express our grief to Him and tell Him all our difficulties. He wants us to give Him all our burdens so that He can carry it for us or come to help us carry it ourselves. Our appeal courts are not the people of this world or even the fellow believers who might have already misinterpreted our motives. Perhaps the truths about our situations might not be revealed on this side of eternity. But that is alright because our Lord knows the truth about us and our motives. How He sees us is the only important matter. The kings and leaders of this world might not understand us. Perhaps they are under the influence of the enemy of our souls and are already purchased by the enemy to take a sadistic stand against us. We are sometimes thwarted of our rights, privileges or even our jobs, seniority, promotion, or property. Perhaps no one is willing to give us credit for the toils that we have undergone for the Lord even in the ministry front, or for other members of our families. But that is all OK if we know that the Lord considers us credible in what we have done for Him or for our dear ones. It is alright for us to have grief because of our situations, and our anguish might increase in such circumstances. But we have the freedom and privilege to express it before our Father whose heart melts with compassion as He sees our tears. He wipes our tears and keeps comforting us. His Spirit is there to strengthen us to keep going to do what He wants us to do for Him which is our primary concern. Our responsibility is to speak about our Lord and He in turn will speak at the right forum about us.

Psalms 9:10 - Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, O Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.

Thought for Today
To who we are eloquent indicate where our trust is.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Living Personal Shield

Verse for Today: Friday, October 29, 2010

Psalms 7:10 - My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.

God's children have always found God to be their shield in times of adversity. He encompasses around them and covers them with His grace so that any attack from any corner by the enemy will not hit them. There is no stronger shield than God Himself. He is Most High and His power is the greatest that can be envisaged. When God becomes our shield, all His power surrounds us. We cannot see the power of God around us with our eyes, but we can experience it as a living reality around us. So when a child of God encounters the powerful enemies of flesh, world and Satan, all he needs to do is to go to God Most High and take refuge in Him and His power. Faith in this Most High God can be exercised in our souls with the help of the Spirit of God which will strengthen us to go forward in our sojourn without being shaken by the adversaries. For us to be heard by God, we need to be upright before Him because He knows our attitudes and motives. If we have unconfessed sins in our lives, it will be difficult for us to be heard by God. As we are upright before God through His righteousness imparted on us, we would definitely be heard by God. When we are heard, we will be given answers also. That is when God Most High can be experienced as our refuge and tower of strength. When we have this confidence, we can go forward in our pathways without fear or apprehension. A child of God who has God as his refuge can thus be unshaken and unmovable by any of the tactics of the enemy. God will keep him move forward as His witness in this world with faith, trust and confidence in this refuge.

Dear friend, are you facing violence of the wicked in your life? Are you engaged in a battle with the enemy of your soul? Remember, you are a soldier of the cross and you are expected to march forward for Jesus in spite of the opposition. You have the whole armor of God to wear as you are engaged in this warfare. Jesus is your commander-in-chief. You are engaged in this war for Jesus and all the armor you hold belong to the Lord. You need to use it meticulously as He has commanded. You are already declared victorious and all you have to do is to go forward and appropriate the victory to march on. You need not waver or feel intimidated. Your Lord is your shield to protect you from all eventualities. He will carry your cause forward and take you to your destination. He will accomplish all His purposes for you in this life. His loving kindness will cover you and His grace will be your greatest resource to depend on. It is the Lord's special ministry to protect you because you are His special concern. He will carry your burdens, remove your fears and doubts, clear all your confusions, strengthen your feeble hands, strengthen your feet and help you to hold your head straight as you fight His battle for Him to victory. The enemy's wiles are no match for your Heavenly Shield who is your strong pillar as you continue the life of faith here on earth. Let the Shield give you the tenacity and faith to continue to fight this holy war and to be ready to receive crowns as you stand before the Lord at the Bema.

2 Samuel 22:31 - As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless; He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.

Thought for Today
All the arrows of the enemy which are sent toward us will be broken as they hit our shield who is God Most High.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Joyful Singer

Verse for Today: Thursday, October 28, 2010

Psalms 5:11 - But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.

The Psalmist gives a great reason for God's people to be glad and to sing for joy. They are able to rejoice in the Lord because they are protected by Him from all the adverse circumstances. These circumstances are no ordinary situations, but are fierce and fearful. David could recount the attack of wild animals, monstrous men like Goliath, powerful men like king Saul, and great armies like that of the Philistines. David rejoiced in the Lord even in the midst of these severe trials and battles because the Lord was His refuge and protection. The Lord's protection meant absolute security and the elimination of all kinds of fear. No matter who came against him, David had the guarantee of divine protection which gave him confidence and strength to keep going for the Lord. When David fought battles, they were for the children of Israel. He went to battle in the name of the Lord. When enemy attacked him, he was under the wings and shadow of the Lord where there was no room for fear, anxiety or tension. Such people who enjoy the protection of the Lord could thus sing for joy and rejoice with exceeding gladness. As we sing this Psalm today, we have the privilege to claim the protection of our Lord and the confidence His mighty name gives us so that we can face any situation without fear or trembling. When fear is driven away by the peace of God which dwells in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we produce the fruit of the Spirit which is joy unspeakable. Joy in our lives is the express evidence that the peace of God reigns in our hearts.

Dear reader, are you being confronted by the enemy face to face and is he trying to frighten you? Are you being threatened by his roaring, and fierce looks? Is your situation complex and complicated so as to make you think that it is impossible to get out it? Remember, the Lord is your refuge and tower of strength. There is plenty of room at His presence for you to go and confide in Him and enjoy His protection and safety. No matter how complicated your situation, the Lord will rule and overrule it and turn things around for you to see His hand in your scenario. He will see to it that no harm is caused to you by the enemy. He wants you to put all your trust in Him and remain calm in His presence to sing praise to Him. He gives songs both in the night and when there is dark cloud in your horizon. You don't need to be afraid of the storms that begin to blow against you because you are protected in the tent of the Almighty. He will keep strengthening you through His promises in the Word and the counsel and comfort of the Holy Spirit. So you can sing like Paul and Silas in the dungeon even in the midnights of your life. Your songs will be powerful enough to penetrate the walls of the dungeons of doubt, confusion and anxiety, and will loosen the chains of circumstances and discouragements. The songs He brings up in your heart will soothe your soul and comfort you like a balm to the wounds. He will continue to strengthen and reassure you through these songs. As you go through the process of being strengthened by His Spirit, the world will realize that it is impossible to write off the children of God in times of adversity. May the God of David, Korah, Asaph, Paul and Silas challenge us to sing for joy for the deliverance that He has granted us! May He continue to strengthen us to fearlessly face our situations today with jubilant songs in our souls!

Psalms 100:2 - Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.

Thought for Today
During adversity or prosperity, God's children will be enabled to sing to the power of the Lord.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

YOUR SLEEP WATCHER IS AWAKE!

Verse for Today: Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Psalms 3:5 - I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

Sleeplessness is a serious disorder faced by millions of people in this world. It is often a physical condition because of a series of psychological causes which have built up over a period of time. Medicines often help to some extent, but medicines largely handle the symptoms of sleeplessness and not the causes. Sleep is a gift God given to man and it is a physiological reality given to man by God in creation. But when we allow our minds to be bothered with the cares of this life with all its anxieties and apprehensions, consequences about these cares tend to control us and thus we are unable to sleep. We imagine out the worst that might happen to us and slowly believe that it will happen to us, and the fear and tension which emanate from these negative thoughts will work up in our minds to deprive us of sleep. But David had no problem sleeping in the worst scenario of his royalty when he was driven out of his throne and palace. Even while he was running for life, that too from his own son Absalom, David could sleep. He was no more sleeping on his royal bed with all its softness and comfort, and the fragrance of the royal bedroom, for he is now in the wilderness. As he lied down to sleep, he had no idea whether he would wake up in life or in eternity. A powerful enemy was hunting for his life and he knew it well. But David could sleep in peace because he knew that His Lord was with him. He knew that he could sleep and will wake up because the Lord allows him to be sustained for His purposes in this world. The man after God's own heart knew that there were several unfinished agenda for his life for the Lord and that the Lord would preserve his life for the accomplishment of all these divine plans to be fulfilled. So David was confident and strong in the Lord and he put all his faith in the Lord. He went to sleep in limited facilities and uncertain circumstances, knew that the One who was protecting him and giving him sleep was his Lord who would keep him going even in the worst circumstances. He knew that he was alive each day and that he sleeps and wakes up because his Lord was alive and was his protection all the days of his life.

Dear friend, is there something bothering you so much so that you are unable to lie down and sleep without worry or anxiety? Remember, it is the Lord who gives you sleep if you give your life and your circumstances to Him. Your body needs rest and sleep which the Lord wants to bless you with. While you sleep, He will hold on to you and your circumstances, and work them out for your blessings and His glory. He knows what to do for you and how to handle your case at the right time. Even while you rest and sleep, He will continue to work on your concerns and cares because you are His primary concern. He acts at the right time for you to solve your problems. He will never be inactive nor will He be late in doing what is necessary, because He is compassionate towards you. His eyes are always upon you and all the Heavenly resources are kept for you to use for your welfare and His glory. So when you go to bed, it is best to hand over all the cares, concerns and burdens to the Lord, and ask Him to work on it while you rest a while. And He will wake you up at the right time to keep going with those things that you need to do on a daily basis. Remember, after handing your concerns and cares to Him, you don't need to carry it again because it is in His hands. You should not have the temptation to take it back from the Lord. If you continue to worry about your problems, it is an indication that you don't trust Him any more. If you can trust Him for your eternity, you should be able to trust Him for your tomorrows and the upcoming moments of your life. So, hand all your cares over to Him and rest a while and trust that the Lord will bring it to pass. He is your bulwark and strong pillar who can handle all your burdens for as long as it takes for Him to resolve it. So, dear friend, it is best to commit your nights to the Lord and sleep in faith and expect great things from the Lord as you wake up. He has great plans for you to accomplish in your tomorrows and so it is best to ask Him to prepare your body and mind with necessary rest through the night while you enjoy the blessing of sleep from Him.

Psalms 121:4 - Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Thought for Today
There is no need for both you and the Lord not to sleep, for He has promised to watch over you while you are asleep.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Shining Midday Sun

Verse for Today: Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Psalms 37:6 - He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

The world has a way to undermine the righteousness of God's people by using worthless arguments and cunning distortions. They go to any extent to discredit the children of God because they are at war with any one who stands for God. In situations of contentions, they purposely try to deny justice to God's children and go the extent of persecuting them without a cause. These schemers get a false sense of satisfaction and happiness from it all. We can see such events repeated throughout Biblical history. In their heart of hearts, these evil doers know that justice and righteousness are with God's children, but they try to close their eyes to truth and honesty. Psalmist David suffered persecution of this sort in his life before and after he became king of Israel. But he had the consolation that the Lord understood him and that his righteousness will shine one day for all to see when the Lord would remove the curtains which the enemy is using to discredit him. David was confident that the Lord would cause him to have justice and that his righteousness and justice will shine so brightly like the noonday sun for all to see. It is our confidence in the Lord that when He sends sunshine on us, there won't be any darkness around us and the whole world will see our transparency and integrity. The enemy did the same to the Lord Jesus when all that He taught and did were distorted through false witnesses. Even the people who ate the bread He multiplied shouted for His crucifixion. But on the resurrection day, they were all shocked to see His glorified appearance and His subsequent following of thousands which has swelled to millions in a short span of years.

Dear friend, are you feeling weary that your cause has been distorted and gossiped about? Is your heart heavy because you have been purposely misrepresented and misinterpreted by the enemy? You are probably shocked that even your close associates joined hands to spread falsehood about you? Today the Spirit of God wants to tell you not to be surprised because this was what they did to all the prophets and the disciples of Jesus. There is a whole procession of martyrs who experienced death which was purposely and falsely imposed upon them. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered similar and vastly intense distortions and falsehood. But we have a blessed hope that one of these days our Lord will testify about us before the angels in the presence of our Heavenly Father. At that time, our testimony and work will be bright like midday sun. As we await that beautiful occasion, let us today tell our Lord about the sad manipulations of the enemy about us and our situations. He knows all about it and will comfort us by reminding us about His own experience in the hands of the enemy while on earth. He has promised that at the right time and in the right place, He will straighten out our records and declare our credibility to the praise of His name! Today we might be misunderstood by a lot of people. Even our close friends might not believe us and might hearken to the lies spread around by the enemy. But we can rest assured that the Spirit of God will never spread lies about us. Let us comfort ourselves with the promises that we have in His Word that one of these days, the tables will turn and those who spread falsehood about us will have to give answers to the Lord for all that they have done to hurt our cause. He will remove the dark curtains of falsehood and distortions from around us. Our righteousness and justice will become visible because we are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The enemy and his agents will then be embarrassed like the friends of Job, but we will be exonerated like Job for the praise of His name.

Psalms 103:6 - The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

Thought for Today
In the brightness of the Son of Righteousness, our credibility will be crystal clear without the shadow of a doubt.

Monday, October 25, 2010

EXCITEMENT IN WAITING

Verse for Today: Monday, October 25, 2010

Psalms 27:14 - Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

As we wait for the Lord to act on our behalf to give us answers to our prayers, we are susceptible to be discouraged. So the Spirit of God keeps telling us to wait for the Lord's time. In the meanwhile, we are encouraged and empowered by the same Spirit to be strong in the Lord and be courageous. We are told time and again not to be disillusioned. This repeated admonition from the Lord is because He knows our frame and understands that we dust. He knows that we are not essentially stable in our thoughts and that discouragement can easily creep into our hearts. Any strong person can become discouraged in trying times. David who was not shaken in front of Goliath was totally discouraged in front of king Soul. Moses had no confidence to meet Pharaoh. Gideon was a very fearful man with doubts filled in his heart. Joshua was a very courageous man, but he was discouraged when his army lost battle with the people of Ai. Even when the Lord Jesus was in their boat, the disciples were fearful and thought that there was no hope for them. But in all of these circumstances, the Lord gave each of them courage and took away their fears. He kept reassuring them that they should wait for His time to act. This was how He acted at the marriage at Cana, and many of His miracles where in the context of hopelessness of man. His time comes most often when we realize that we are totally inadequate for the task before us. Even at such times, the Lord's response comes to us with compassion that we should wait for His time and should in no way loose our faith and trust in Him.

Dear friend, are you finding it difficult to wait any longer for the Lord to act on your behalf? Is your heart troubled and are you loosing your strength to wait any longer? Even at this time of desperation, the Lord says to you once again today that He will give you His strength to wait and keep on trusting Him. He told Mary and Martha not to loose heart even after Lazarus was dead. He strengthened Daniel in lion's den and his three brothers in the furnace. In all these cases, we find that at the right time the Lord acted. All of these dear saints could see that the Lord's waiting is never negative, but is a time of positive preparation for Him to act. When He acts, it gives Him all the credit for what He does in our lives. That is why He acts at His time and in His own way. If you and I know this Lord personally, we should have no hesitation to wait for Him, for He says what He means and it will take place accordingly. He will not leave us orphans and will not allow His credibility to be lost through our lives. Remember how Joseph had to wait for 13 years for his dreams to come true! Moses had to wait for 40 years to be of use to the Lord to rescue the people of Israel from the slavery in Egypt. David had to run around like a dog for several years before he got the throne. Abraham had to wait for a long time before God gave him Isaac. Hanna prayed for a long time and the Lord gave her Samuel. Ruth had to wait for the Lord's time to become the bride of Boaz. This God is our God and He will do the same for us, perhaps in a different way, to take glory to Himself in all that happens in our lives. Let us today wait for Him and His time, which will never be late or early. Waiting for Him today is an adventure in faith and is certainly exciting, because as we wait for the Lord's time, He will be with us to strengthen us in our faith and trust in the Lord.

Psalms 37:34 - Wait for the Lord and keep His way, He will exalt you to inherit the land.

Thought for Today
Waiting for the Lord is waiting with Him because He will never leave us alone.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

FLOOD IN YOUR SOUL

Verse for Today: Sunday, October 24, 2010

Psalms 1:1 - Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

After going through the sad and tearful account of man's utter depravity in the Old Testament Books of the Bible from Genesis to Job, when we open the book of Psalms, we are ushered into a beautiful scene of bright hope. The Psalms show us that In spite of all our failures and weaknesses, there is hope for a blissful future for us which is not centred on circumstances which witnessed our failures. No matter what tearful situations we encountered in the past, there is hope for us to be happy and joyful in this life. This blessedness comes to us through the bliss brought to us by God through the sacrificial death of His Son on the cross of Calvary. He showed us the way to be blissful even on the cross. He was a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, for He came to take our sorrows and grief away. He showed the way to happiness by taking a public stand on all human failures. He showed how a person could walk in the counsel of the godly and not the wicked. He showed where and how a person could stand except in the way of the sinners. He exemplified a life which endured mockery, but would not sit on the seat of the mockers to gain any temporary gains in this life. He was joyful in the midst of false witness, mockery, persecution, injustice and ingratitude. He found joy in what He was going through for us and saw our joy in His heart. If we follow His example and learn from Him about the way to be happy in spite of sad circumstances and grieving experiences, our lives will also be full of bliss.

Dear reader, are you a weary soul today, with burdens in your heart and tears in your eyes? There is no need for you to loose hope. There is a place of rest and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you ask Him, He will give you the peace that passes all understanding about your circumstances. He will help you to heal the wounds people and circumstances inflicted on you. If friends forsake you, go to Him for grace and He will hold your hands to walk with Him in the lonely pathways of this world. He will tell you what He endured when all His friends forsook Him and how they all ran away from Him. He will tell you how you can be blissful even when the whole world rejects you and how His grace will be sufficient for you to face the stark realities of life today. The joy that He gives is not centered on some seemingly pleasant circumstances, because some unexpected wind could come and blow away your joy. But if your joy is centered on the Lord Jesus, it will linger with you no matter who does what to you for any reason or no reason. Joseph had this kind of joy when he was imprisoned for no fault of his. Paul had this joy when he was unlawfully put in a dungeon, but because of it he could write letters of joy. Peter had abundance of this joy which made him sleep sound just a few hours before he was expected to be executed. The same joy, which is the joy of the Lord, is invested in our hearts and the Lord expects it to grow and enlarge as we go through more and more trials and tests. In trying times, it is this joy of the Lord which keeps us going in our sojourn. Today let this joy of the Lord emanate from our hearts and lives to those who live in the shadow of broken harts and tears, and strengthen them. This joy is the greatest strength and legacy that we can pass on to the world around us which is full of tears, heartaches, disappointments, frustrations and despair. Let the joy of the Lord flood our souls today and overflow to the sad world around us and brighten its face.

Philippians 3:1 - Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord!

Thought for Today
True blessedness is joy unspeakable above and beyond all circumstances.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

RIPE FRUIT FROM A MATURE TREE

Verse for Today: Saturday, October 23, 2010

Psalms 37:7a - Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Silence and stillness are golden when we realize that our capabilities are far less than what is required to handle our situations. When our might is like a feather as compared to our opponents, it is better not to make effort to trample the enemy. When all what we say will be only rhetoric, it is better to hold our peace and be quiet. When we are in the presence of the Almighty who is able to do far exceeding our capabilities and expectations, it is better to be silent and still before Him and leave all initiatives to Him to manage. Yes, silence is golden when it is the best policy at the right situation. When we present our cases to the Lord and hand it completely over to Him to handle, it is better not to do anything more than what He asks us to do and remain quiet. It is better to be still and not act, unless He commands us to act. It is better not to speak until He asks us to speak. It is better to hold our peace and be patient until the Lord shows us what He is doing and how we should respond. At times, we feel exhausted with all that we could do to solve our problems and difficulties. As we hand things over to the Lord, it is better that we do not do any thing more about it, but trust Him to do what is most appropriate at His time. This requires spiritual maturity and patience to wait. We also need to ask Him to give us the patience and maturity to wait for His time. If we hand our present situation and our future over to Him, He would not expect us to take it back from Him and handle it once again our way and mess it up. In moments like this, our strength is the silence and stillness that we can hold in the presence of the Lord and trust Him to solve our problems His own way. This is because we know for sure that He cannot and will not make mistakes in any thing including our matters. Such confidence in Him is the essence our faith in Him.

Dear friend, are you at your wit's end with regard to the current problems and situations that you are facing? You know how you struggled hard to handle it in your own way and how all your attempts have been futile. But, if you have not yet handed the situation over to the Lord to handle it in His divine way, it is time for you to do it. Once you hand your situation over to the Lord who knows all about you and your needs, He will handle your situation in the best way for your blessing and His glory. But if you have already handed it over to Him, ask for more patience to wait till He acts on your behalf. He is concerned about you because He is your Father and will do it with utmost fatherly compassion and bring it to pass. You don't need to do any thing until He does His work. This was the advise Naomi gave Ruth with regard to the expected response from Boaz, that he will not rest until the matter is settled. Our Father in Heaven will not rest until your matter is settled. When He settles it in His own way, He will declare that "it is finished" and you will be totally astonished about His marvelous ways in handling your affairs. It will definitely be far better than what you can do with all your worldly intelligence and expertise. So it is better for us to leave our problems and difficulties over to the Lord and leave it at His feet for Him to act. Wait patiently for His time, for which He will give you His patience through His Spirit. When the Spirit fills you with Himself, you will receive patience just a tree fruits at the right time. The tree cannot fruit as soon as it is planted, and will take time to bring out the best fruit. So is the case with the Lord and His presence. You and I need to wait for Him to act and need to ask Him to fill us with His Spirit of patience. Remember, silence and stillness are gold in the presence of the Lord and it will be followed with golden results for the glory of the Lord.

Psalms 37:34 - Wait for the Lord and keep His way. He will exalt you to inherit the land.

Thought for Today
Patience is a fruit that will grow only in a matured life.

Friday, October 22, 2010

PERFECT INSULATION

Verse for Today: Friday, October 22, 2010

Psalms 36:7 - How precious is Your loving kindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

Children of God are often at a loss as to how to adequately describe the loving kindness of God towards them. It is so vast and permeates into all aspects of their lives that they find it so difficult to fathom its vastness. It is so all pervasive and vast that under the shadow of God's loving kindness, all His children can confide and take refuge. This mercy of the Lord was there before the foundation of the world in seeing them in His plan of salvation for mankind. When God prepared a Lamb to die for the sins of mankind, He saw us and predestined us out of His mercy. Our lineage was kept by Him in His plan so that we would be born and be saved at the right time. He has prepared a course for us to take in this life through His mercy and grace and ordained for us to be of use to Him in this life. He gave us Heavenly peace and grace in all that He wants us to do in this life. When we go through the dark and cloudy patches of life, He gives us refuge under the shadow of His wings just as a mother bird protects its chicks. Under His wings, there is no fear, anxiety, anguish or stress. We find full protection under His shadow from all the wiles of the enemy of our souls. The heat of this world will not affect or disfigure us. The mighty winds of the world system will not uproot us when we are covered by His mercy under His wings. We are protected, provided for and profited under His wings. Even the mere shadow of His wings would be sufficient for our protection and no force on earth can ever penetrate into this great safety that we can find under His wings. So there is really no need for the child of God to bear burdens,, but cast it all on the Lord and be confident.

Dear friend, are you being tossed around by the heat and wind of this world? Are there wolves trying to attack you and are they terrorizing you day by day through their howling? Are you hearing the roaring sound of the lions around you? But none of this need to take away the rest you have in the Lord. His wings are sufficient to give you safety no matter who is against. He is so mighty all the time and will safeguard you from all the enemies. He will never allow your feet to strike against the thorns or stones on your pathway. His wings will keep you from the tensions and stress of the various situations and circumstances which try to baffle you. The coolness of the shadow of the Almighty is sufficient to meet all the situations that you will face today. When you are confronted by evil men, the Lord will be your strength and protection. He will give you the wisdom to handle each of your situations with grace and prudence. Remember, the shadow of the Lord's wings means the presence of the Lord where you can always confide. It is the coolest resting place for you to relax and be fearless. So, dear friend, there is no need for you to become restless and nervous. But instead, each time you face the heat of situations, stay under the shadow of the wings of the Lord and keep trusting in Him. This was the only way the children of God found peace at all times, for there is no better way. Human expertise and wisdom will fail us when we face tough situations, but with the Lord there will be no turning back. He is your perfect insulation against any eventuality!

Psalms 91:4 - He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Thought for Today
The Lord and His presence work like a perfect insulation for His children in all situations.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

FATHER'S RESPONSE TO CHILDREN

Verse for Today: Thursday, October 21, 2010

Psalms 34:17 - The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.

God's children are confronted with troubles of different type during their sojourn. These troubles are sent by the enemy to discourage them and distract them. Discouragement would cause them to weaken their faith in the power of the Lord to give them protection and release from it. Distraction makes them focus on the object of the trouble, like a thing or a person, and they will be tempted to use their energies to fight against these objects. Both of these tactics of the enemy are to deprive the child of God of the power and control of the Spirit of God over them. On the other hand, God's children are tested by God by sending them through seeming difficulties of various type. These tests are for strengthening their faith and to help them measure the degree of their faith. In both circumstances, they can go to the Lord for help. Their call for help might take the form of prayer, supplication, loud cries and tears. When they express their emotions out of deep suffering in these manner, they have the comfort that they are in the presence of the Lord. It is the place where they can forget about their troubles and tests and trust in the Lord to whom they make their appeals. As they cry out, their Lord would certainly hear the voice of their cries. He also sees them with their concerns and burdens and will have pity over them. He would first give them peace about their situation. He also gives them the reassurance that their cries are heard and that the Lord would intervene at the right time to deliver them from all their troubles. When the disciples were in the boat which was in the eye of a storm, remember how they called out to the Lord. He quickly rebuked the storm, and it stopped. When people cried out for healing and release from demon possession, He responded immediately to answer them. But there were also times when the Lord delayed to test the measure of the faith of the people. He went to Bethany to intervene in the situation of the death of Lazarus only after the death of Lazarus, but the end result was greater glory for Him and greater privilege for Mary and Martha to witness how He made possibilities out of impossibilities. He delayed, but gave Abraham and Sarah a son. He delayed, but delivered Israel from Egypt. He delayed, but fulfilled the dreams of Joseph. He delayed, but David surely sat on the throne as the king of Israel. He would have some times delayed in your case, but surely He will act, as He has promised to wipe away the tears of His children.

Dear reader, are you weary and feeling miserable, crying out to the Lord because the burden is too heavy for you to carry it alone ? His answer to your anguish is on its way. Perhaps He is delaying, but His delays are not delays of inactivity, but preparation. He is preparing you spiritually so that you would be able to value His answers in its full significance. When the right time comes, just as in the case of Abraham and Sarah, you will receive the special answers to your prayers. His answers are at the point of your total inadequacy so that you would not be tempted to take any part of the credit for what He is doing. If you think that He has answered because you have prayed relentlessly, that need not be true. Your intense prayer is because of your faith, but His answer is because of His benevolence and loving kindness. His time is not your time, and His methods are not yours. He is the Mighty God who deals in your matters according to His divine plan which is perfect. Your troubles are only for you to become stronger to fight the enemy and to prove the degree of your faith and trust in Him. So, dear friend, keep praying, keep on crying, and keep all your supplications at His feet. He hears it all. He sees you in all your emotional expressions out of intense suffering. He is near you to strengthen your faith and to lead you forward. He builds up your faith and trust in Him to be able to put all your confidence in Him to wait until you are prepared according to His plan to receive the answers at the best possible time. So please be compelled by the Spirit of God to take all your burdens to the Lord and leave it there.

Psalms 34:15 - The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry.

Thought for Today
It is our privilege to cry unto the Lord and His grace and compassion to answer us.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

FUTILITY OF MIGHT

Verse for Today: Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Psalms 34:10 - The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.

The hungry young lions are a good example of the futility of natural abilities and strength in times of dire need. They have might and ferocity, but often they can't find prey at the right time. But when God's children have needs, their Lord is the one they seek. When they seek Him, He makes Himself available to them with all His resources. He knows what they need and would give them what is good, profitable and divine to meet their needs. He teaches them that it is important for them to seek Him, and not what He can do for them. This is because their fulfillment in life is not merely with some things, but with the Lord. He is the only one who can meet the innermost desires of His people and fill the vacuums in their hearts and lives. They can put all their confidence on Him because He knows what is good for them and will give only that which will profit their soul and spirit. He knows the measure in which they can absorb these good things and gives accordingly. He guarantees that He will not give them any thing that is not ultimately for their good. These good things might not be always thought of as good in the short run, but will work together for their good in the long run. He has His own mysterious ways to meet their needs with good things. He performs miracles of time, space and substance to meet the needs in unexplainable ways. Sometimes, He sends special people their way to meet special needs. He influences the climate and the environment for His children to meet some of their needs. He stops wind, storm and waves, and sometimes send wind and rain to give them what they need. He knows where we should cast our nets so that the fish that He has appointed will enter our nets.

Dear reader, perhaps you are waiting for good things from the Lord to flow to you and are probably a bit frustrated at what you are getting or not getting. Perhaps you are finding a different answer to your prayers and you might be receiving what you have not asked for. But that is still from the Lord and He wants you to have it because it is for your good. You might think that it is not good, but He knows what is good for you and what is not so good. It might find itself to be bitter in your mouth to start with, but will be sweet to your inner parts and be very nourishing in the due course. So the Lord expects you to willingly and gladly accept whatever He gives in His perfect will because it is ultimately for your good. He will give you the spiritual discernment to understand the goodness in what He sends your way. Your duty is to ask, seek and knock at His door, but to leave the answer with its timing to Him to decide. You also need to have the willingness to accept whatever He sends your way. You should not be tempted to accept what He gives you with a grumbling spirit, but it should be accepted with a joyful heart, praising Him for the good gift and for His benevolence. It is His loving kindness and compassion that cause Him to give you good things at good time in good measure. Even if there is no answer for your prayers from Him for some time, that itself would be good because He knows that if He answers you the way you want, it might be detrimental to your spiritual welfare and growth. So, dear friend, expect good things and good experiences from the Lord today and endeavor to be grateful to Him for whatever He gives.

Psalms 119:68 - You are good and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.

Thought for Today
The goodness of the Lord will bring forth only good things in good measure to His children which are ultimately for their good.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010


PROMISE MAKER AND PROMISE KEEPER

Verse for Today: Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Psalms 33:20 - We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.

Hope, faith, trust and confidence are a few of the words used to express the way we understand the promises of God and its impact in our daily lives. We hope in Him to act at the right time to fulfill His promises. We put our absolute faith in His promises which are true and will be fulfilled. We trust in His power to fulfill His promises. We have the confidence in Him that what He said will come true no matter what. It has been our privilege in believing in the Lord and His might. This is not because we are capable of believing in Him, but because He gave us His Spirit to enable us to believe in Him. When we allow His Spirit to take full control of our minds, emotions and will, we will be able to believe in His promises in a deeper way. The Lord wants us to develop such deep faith. The more deeply we believe in His promises the more He will be pleased with us and our faith. It is not the strength of our faith that matters, but the person in whom we put our faith that matters. The promises of our Lord are as powerful as the Lord Himself because His promises are His Word which are the Lord Himself. So when the Lord has promised that He will sustain us in this world for His Glory and for the accomplishment of His purpose in each of us, He will certainly fulfill these promises. It is for us to wait for the fulfillment of the promises by faith and trust in Him. If He has promised, He will fulfill it, but He decides when and at what measure to fulfill. As we wait for His word to come true, we need to pray and ask Him to fill our hearts with Him and His power so that we will not have doubt or unbelief. He would not be pleased if we do not hope in Him and put our faith and trust that He will keep His word. As a matter of fact, His promises are already working for us, but we will see its physical accomplishment at the right time.

Dear friend, you probably have been waiting for a long time for the Lord to act on your behalf on the basis of His promises. This waiting can be some times difficult and occasionally very frustrating. But if we submit our requests to Him and wait for His time to come, He will give us the faith to wait without grumbling. He will give us the strength to do what we ought to do in the meanwhile. Our faith should be walking and working faith rather than inactivity, lethargy and daydreaming. As we wait, He will give us patience through His Spirit which is one of the fruit of the Spirit. He will fill us with hope in Him and His word. He will help us to rest in Him till His time comes. In His time, He will make all things work out beautifully for our joy and His glory. When we examine the Word of God, we will be able to realize that all His promises are being fulfilled on a daily basis. Some are promises about His programs and plans about this world and His Church. Some other promises are about and for His children's personal lives. All of these are equally important for Him because these are important for His children. All fulfilled promises are our foundations of faith for those promises which are yet to be fulfilled. As He prepares us for the fulfillment of His promises, He helps us to wait and protect us from all evil until His time of fulfilling comes. The more we wait for Him, the greater is the excitement in waiting because the day of fulfillment of promises comes closer as days go by. Let us today wait for the Lord's promises to be fulfilled in each of us in a special way. Let each day be a day of visitation from Him in our affairs and our hearts. But remember, He must be more important to us than His promises. When He fills us with Himself, it is greater than any promise that is fulfilled because the Lord is greater than all His promises.

Psalms 34:5 - Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Thought for Today
When the Lord is my portion, all His promises are already in my possession.

Monday, October 18, 2010


POWER OVER HORSEPOWER

Verse for Today: Monday, October 18, 2010

Psalms 33:17-18 - A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love.

Man is always tempted to trust in his might and intellectual capacity to achieve things in life. But he finds that at critical moments in his life, these human capabilities do not come to his rescue. He often finds his health failing with simple reasons. His possessions loose value because of economic turmoil. His friends forsake him and his popularity wanes over a period of time. He fights great battles in life to find that he can only loose in spite of experience and expertise. There are moments in his life when great resources prove to be meaningless. Technology also fails man at critical moments. If we take the history of Israel as a nation, we can find that they won their battles not because they were a great and mighty force, but because their Lord won the victories for them. They got deliverance from Egypt and the gentile nations around them only because the Lord led their armies. The horses of the enemy nations proved meaningless when they confronted God's army. The Lord's eyes were upon His people and He showed unfailing kindness towards them so that they would gain victory. But wherever hey forsook their Lord, they lost their wars. Thus when the Lord won battles for them, all the glory for the victory went to the Lord and that His name was praised. Even the gentile nations around them recognized that Israel was successful because of their Lord. God's people throughout centuries learnt from their experiences that they survived the attacks of the enemies and the storms of their situations only because of their Lord.

Dear friend, if you are facing a tough situation today, please do not be tempted to think that you can get over it through your own might and intelligence. At critical times, you might be able to see that your experience and expertise do not have any value. At times, the enemy of our souls will come to us to tell us that we can handle it ourselves. But please know that he is a liar and will only want to distract us from depending the Lord alone for our needs and situations. Wherever the people of Israel depended on their own might, they proved to be utter failures. David depended on the Lord for victory and the Lord gave him victory over Goliaths, lions, bears and enemy nations. This was the experience of Joshua as well. They proved that their experiences of victory through the might of the Lord were far more powerful than all the earthly war tactics put together. The history of God's people through the centuries declares to us that temptation to trust in our horses and chariots is utterly meaningless and that we need to trust in the Lord for us to keep going. When we confess our weaknesses and inadequacies, He will take us into His hands as instruments to fight the battle. The battle belongs to the Lord and all the war strategies are His. If we trust Him and hand it all over to Him, He will use to fight from victory to victory for His glory and honor. Today, let us take our hands off our situations and hand them over to the Lord to handle while we are at His disposal as instruments of righteousness to fight His battles.

Psalms 20:7 - Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of our Lord.

Thought for Today
The best of human ability is time and again proved utterly powerless, but the Lord's might is all powerful all the time and all the way.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

THE UTMOST HIDING PLACE

Verse for Today: Sunday, October 17, 2010

Psalms 32:7 - You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

When God's people enjoy divine deliverance from their troubles, they keep singing the sweet songs of salvation over and over again. These songs of deliverance are first, songs of thanksgiving to the Lord, secondly songs of comfort and consolation to themselves and thirdly songs of testimony for the onlookers. But the privilege God's children has is that they can sing these songs of deliverance before, during and after they go through troubles because they know that their Lord will be with them before, during and after their troubles. As the Lord is with them, they do not consider these experiences as troubles, but as experiences and adventures in faith which they share with their Lord. They know from the past encounters with trouble that their Lord is both their hiding place and the person in whom they can confide. They see the promise of the rainbow before, during and after the trouble that even though they walk through valleys of doubt, confusion, tears, rejection or depravity, their Lord will be with them. He will not let them down or go into it alone. He is a companion who will never leave us alone nor forsake us when we are in dire need. When there are storms in life, He will still be the silent anchorman in our boats for us to hide behind Him. When the Lord is our hiding place, can there be any thing or any one else we need to be afraid of?

Dear fried, are you in the choir of the redeemed people of God who have gone through the misery of Egypt, threat of the world's armies or the waves of the sea? Remember, it is your Lord's privilege to deliver you, and your response in turn is in singing to the power of the Lord to deliver you. When there is no other place to go, there is always a quiet place of rest near to the heart of this Great Deliverer. When there is no one else to speak to, the Lord is out there who loves to hear your fumbling words and trembling voice. You have the freedom to go to Him any time and you need no appointment to speak to Him. His availability for you is to be availed by you for your comfort, encouragement and strength. In Him, you are secure and safe. No force in this universe can penetrate the firewall of security He has erected around you because He is that wall Himself. He will never leave you nor forsake you, and will never allow you to go as orphan. He has compassion on you and will hold you close to Himself where you can find the best hiding place. Remember, His presence gives you a safe place to hide for physical, emotional, social and spiritual security. When you have such a great hiding place, there is no need for you to go around and be tossed about, without a resting place.

Matthew 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Thought for Today
Your hiding place is safe, secure and unchanging, and guarantees full protection forever.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

AN OCEAN FOR A DRINK

Verse for Today: Saturday, October 16, 2010

Psalms 31:19 - How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You.

When we realize what all the Lord has done for us, our hearts will be filled with the wonder of the goodness of the Lord. He is full of goodness which He shows toward His dear children. It is seen in His concern for our spiritual and physical welfare so that our lives become filled with His praise. It is His goodness which saved us. He went the extra mile to save us who were once His enemies. But when He saved us, He didn't bring down the quality of salvation at all because we were His enemies. This is because God's love, grace and compassion have only one standard and it is given in the same measure to all who are willing to receive it. When we become His children, He continues to show us His love and grace, and pour His goodness upon our lives in great measure. His goodness is like a stored up warehouse which never gets replenished. It is like the Pacific Ocean from which we can drink to the brink, but the measure of the water in His Ocean of goodness will never get exhausted. We have the privilege to imbibe as much as we can handle to enrich our lives. It is His goodness that we are forgiven our sins when we confess. It is His goodness that answers our prayers. It is His goodness that keeps us safe and secure and meets our basic needs to survive in this world to serve Him. It is His goodness that fills our lives with His joy, peace and patience. Not only that, He bestows it all on us so that it will work as a great testimony that the Lord is with us. The world can take away our belongings, but it cannot take away the love, grace, mercy, joy and peace that the Lord has filled in our lives because of His goodness.

Dear friend, are you enjoying the goodness of the Lord in your daily life? Is the goodness of God emanating from your life to touch other lives which do not have it? Perhaps this is how you can be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. God's goodness in us is like a brook which will never run dry. It keeps flowing to us to quench our inner thirst. It flows from Heaven to saturate us with God Himself. It satisfies all our longings and fills our lives to overflowing. It is the great treasure in the lives of the children of God while they are in this world. But it is up to us to make sure that we drink from it on a regular basis. Moreover, the quality of God's goodness has to be seen in all our dealings, conversations and relationships so that through it all we can touch the lives of all whom we come across. Our lives should be a reflection of the goodness of God which is deeply rooted in us. Such a life will be contented in all situations without grumbling. It makes us accept all situations as those for which the goodness of the Lord is sufficient. The goodness of the Lord is sufficient to meet any challenge that a child of God faces in this world. If we have received the goodness of the Lord and are enjoying it, we need to express it. Let the world know today the extent to which you are enjoying the goodness of the Lord.

Psalms 23:6 - Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Thought for Today
A person who enjoys God's goodness in his or her personal life cannot hide it with a bushel.

Friday, October 15, 2010

RIGHT WALK ON STRAIGHT STREET

Verse for Today: Friday, October 15, 2010

Psalms 27:11 - Teach me Your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.


Learning is a process that we all go through at all ages and circumstances. There are always new things to learn, and unlearn things which are wrongly learned. This is how we correct our ways in our daily walk. We can easily recognize the Lord as our best teacher through the pages of the Bible. He is neither a task master nor a cruel educator, but a patient and loving teacher who takes us through various experiences to teach us newer lessons about Him and His ways. He teaches us at our level and according to our capacity which He enhances as per need. He wants us to learn from Him to know how to take each step of the way so that we will not go astray or falter on our walk. It is easy to recognize how the enemy of our souls wants to distract us from the right way. The enemy will use different attractions on our way to deceive us into thinking that his ways are good and beneficial. These detours from the way of the Lord seem to give us some temporary benefit, but they will all lead us to destruction and doom. These wrong ways will send leanness in our souls. They will deprive us of the opportunity to follow the Lord through the right path. When the enemy tries to lure us into ways of temporary satisfaction, the Lord leads us into eternal blessings. Often when we take the detours, we gain temporary earthly benefits at the expense of eternal blessings. Our lives are meant to touch the lives of others for the sake of the Lord, but these detours make us miss the valuable opportunity to create an impact for Heaven here on earth. So the Psalmist David makes his heart cry to the Lord, asking that he might be taught the ways of the Lord. David had written several wonderful Psalms in the past, but is convinced that he needed to learn more intensely lest he will falter. He had the desire to learn newer avenues in the will of God so that he could walk that way towards the edges of His ways. It is this deep desire that has enabled him to become the man after God's own heart.

Hello friend, are you a good learner? Do you have a deep craving to learn newer things about the pilgrimage that you are on at the moment? How good a listener are you? Has there been any time in your life when you felt that you had learned everything? Such a thought of not wanting to learn from the Lord will not come from the Spirit of God who always wants to help you learn newer and profitable lessons about the Lord and His ways so as to enable you to correct and tone up your ways with the Lord. The choicest men of God had to keep on learning from the Lord till the end of their lives, as they recognized that they were all men with feet of clay. They recognized that one of the marks of a follower of Jesus was the willingness and ability to learn. We see how Apostle Peter had to be taught even after 42 months of on-the-job training given by the Master Trainer Himself. All the disciples who ran away from the garden of Gethsemane had to learn how not to run away in times of adversity and serious threat to life. Apostle Paul had to keep learning newer things and so even in his last Epistle which he wrote just before his execution, he was asking for the Scriptures to be brought to him by Timothy. The more we learn about the Lord and His ways, the more we will realize how little we know and how much more we need to learn. Even after learning for a life time, it would be like we are still in the nursery school of faith. Today let us renew our desire to learn more about the Lord, and more from Him and His Spirit. May it be our prayer today that we learn how to walk in the straight path of the Lord so that the enemy who wants to catch us faltering will be disappointed. The Lord has already prepared our way and arranged for all our needs as we follow Him in His footsteps. So we can be on His way and walk without fretting about any thing, for He is the way and in Him we find absolute fulfillment of all that our hearts desire in this life.

Psalms 25:4 - Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths.

Thought for Today
The best way to walk on straight path is to focus on and follow the footsteps of the Lord.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

HIDDEN TO BE LIFTED UP

Verse for Today: Thursday, October 14, 2010

Psalms 27:5 - For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me upon a rock.

King David had gone through a lot of trouble in his life. He had enemies from within his own clan and outside. He went through the valley of the shadow of death several times, but the Lord hid him in the shelter of His tabernacle. The Lord was his hiding place and he could take refuge in the shadow of the Almighty. This was because sheltering His children is one of the ministries performed by our Lord for each of us today. Whether we know it or not, we all go through days of trouble. There are dangers of various type which we all face. Often it is the direct or indirect attack of the enemy, and sometimes it is the way this wicked world operates that poses threat to us. Our enemy is a thief, a destroyer and a murderer and he wants to annihilate and remove us from the face of the earth. But the Lord would not allow that to happen, because just as in the case of David, Joseph, Daniel and other choice servants of the Lord, He has special plan for us also. Perhaps we might not be doing great things that these choice servants were called upon to do, but in the eyes of the Lord, even the little things that we do for Him are important and big. He recognizes the widow's mite greater than the money bags given by the rich people. All of us are His beloved children and we are all the precious souls earned with the life and blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary and so are all extremely valuable. The great things done by any child of God is used only for rewards at the Bema, but we are all equally loved and cherished by the Lord greatly. So He is keen to keep us hidden in His tent so that we would not get hurt by the enemy and his corrupt system in this world. But He will bring us out of the tent at the right time and lift us up on a rock so that all will know who we are and how precious we are to the Lord whose sheep we are.

Dear friend, there is no need for you to think that some unusual thing has happened to you because you have some troubles. We are warned by the Lord Jesus that we will have trouble in this world. We are sent out as sheep among the wolves. We are the lily among the thorns. We walk the narrow way to follow the suffering Savior on the cross. We are guaranteed that if we walk after the Man of Galilee, we will be hated, despised and rejected by the world. What we have and what we should have will be taken away from us and our rights will not be granted to us. At such times we need to realize that we have vouched to crucify our rights on the cross. If the world hated our Lord, we should not expect them to love us. Whatever the world did to our Lord will be done to us also. So, dear friend, cheer up, because in spite of the trouble that is awaiting us each day, the Lord will be there for us and He will take care of us. We will enjoy His protection in His presence, and our hearts will be at peace even when there is turmoil on the outside. Our Lord is watching all that is going on around us and He wants to reassure us that He knows it all and that He is there with us when we go through these difficulties. He will carry us in His mighty arms, lift us up and hold us on His shoulders. We will be protected by the Lord just as a mother bird protects her chicks under its wings. Thus we will enjoy perfect safety and security, with full and perfect peace and the joy of the Lord's protection. At the right time, He will lift us up on a rock and at that time the world will all be ashamed and embarrassed. Remember, when the whole of the city of Jericho was in ruins and the inhabitants experiencing punishment from God, Rahab was going for a wedding - her own wedding. This is how it is going to be for us, for we will be attending our wedding with our Heavenly Bridegroom when the world will go into utter ruin. So let us comfort ourselves with the comfort from the Word today that our Lord is our protection and security and that there is no need for us to worry or fret.

Psalms 31:20 - You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

Thought for Today
The best security in the wake of enemy attack is in the presence of the Lord.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

RESCUE FROM ENEMY'S NET

Verse for Today: Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Psalms 25:15 - My eyes are continually toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net.

The enemy uses various strategies to find fault with the child of God and try to discredit him. He is always spreading the net to capture the child of God through some misrepresented or misinterpreted behavior or attitude and picture it as fault. Fault finding is the perennial tactic of the enemy of our souls, which he tried in the case of Job, Peter, Paul, David and others. He will try to misrepresent or misinterpret our deeds of any kind. He will try to attribute wrong meanings to our motives and make efforts to create clouds around our testimony. He is an accuser and his net of accusation and criticism will always be around God's children. He is desperately waiting for an opportunity to find fault so that our testimony can be trampled with. This is a warning given to us by the Word of God so that we would depend on our Lord for protection from the snares of the devil. Psalmist David found a way to keep away from the trap of the enemy. He testifies that his eyes were continually on the Lord. If we thus look unto the Lord all the time, our eyes would not see the images the enemy will show us to distract our attention. We would then not see the clouds in the sky, but would only see rays of hope from the sun (Son) of righteousness. If our eyes and attention are focused totally on the Lord, He would give us the boldness to keep going. The enemy will try to trap us by using shrewd and cunning tactics. But as we look to the Lord and His Word, and cry unto the Lord for mercy, He will answer us from Heaven and pluck us out of the net of the enemy. Jesus is the only deliverer and He is able to do abundantly to rescue us from all the wiles of the enemy. His hands are mighty to save and deliver from the snares of the enemy. We need to fix our eyes on the Lord and keep looking unto Him. Our responsibility is to focus on Him and it is His privilege to come to us with help at the right time.

Hello friend, are you being battered severely by the enemy lately? Is he trying to trap you in the wake of your failures and inadequacies to lead a victorious life? Perhaps he is using fellow believers to criticise you and tarnish your image. Or perhaps the enemy is preparing his own agents to give false testimony against you. At such times, it is likely that we get discouraged because even close friends forsake us, as in the case of Job and Paul. In such times, some of us might want to quit. This is especially true when you try to do something for the Lord. The enemy will definitely try to dissuade you from going forward for the Lord by frustrating you some how. His strategies for this would include the use of fellow believers and close associates to make unfair criticism or spread unfounded stories about you, and even cook up clouds around your very motives. But at such times, we should not quit or get discouraged, but look unto the author and finisher of our faith who will lead us forward to accomplish what He wants us to attempt. The unfair criticism of the brothers or the injustice done by the family of Potiphar did not distract Joseph from doing what the Lord wanted Him to do. Perhaps there was no one, except our Lord, who had undergone so much criticism and opposition than Apostle Paul. But he didn't allow any of these opposition to distract him from going forward. When He found that the way forward was impossible, the Lord stood before him to encourage him to go forward with courage and conviction. The Lord rescued him from the nets spread around him by the enemy so much so that even the Roman prison could not stop him from serving the Lord. Quite often he had more trouble from fellow brethren because the enemy found them effective weapons to use against Paul. But the Lord delivered him from it all and used him mightily for His glory. The same Lord is with us and He will lead us forward. All we need to do is to look unto the One who was betrayed and crucified for us. He went through it all alone for us, and will give us the strength to go through it all and come out victorious. He will give us the grace of Calvary to deliver us from all the snares.

2 Timothy 4:17 - But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth.

Thought for Today
Total dependence on the Lord is the panacea for safety from the traps of the enemy.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010


ALL SUFFICIENCY FOR ALL HIS SHEEP

Verse for Today: Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Psalms 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

We are given the privilege to take the Lord Jesus as our personal Lord with whom we can have the most intimate relationship. We are granted the privilege to claim Him as our Lord openly with utmost confidence because of the intimate relationship which is given to us as the greatest gift in this life. He comes to us as the good Shepherd who is the embodiment of all goodness. Once we accept Him as our Lord, He not only becomes our Master, but our Shepherd also. When we hand all aspects of our lives over to Him, He becomes our Lord, with all authority to handle our lives His way according to His will and pleasure. But He is not there to exert ruthless control or pressure over us in a unilateral way as done by the worldly masters. Instead He institutes a relationship with us where He not only wants to impress divine influence over us, but also treats us just as a benevolent Shepherd would handle His beloved and precious sheep. He gives us tender love and care as He knows our weak and fragile frame. So He deals in and with us softly and tenderly. He knows all our needs in variety, quantity and quality and provides for each need in the right measure. His ultimate desire is that we find in Him solace and all that we would want to find in all situations. He has abundance of resources to meet all our needs and He knows what to give us at what time and in what measure. When we have such a caring and loving Shepherd, and when we are in His fold, we would find our absolute sufficiency in Him. His sheep get used to His voice and follow Him according to His instructions. They know Him so intimately as to recognize the tone of His voice to discern what He says. Sometimes He gives instructions, and at other times He sends warnings. When we are desperate and lonely, His voice would come with great tenderness, love and affection. He speaks in such a kind manner that His sheep find it fulfilling, strengthening and rejuvenating, and it takes away all their fears and cares. With such a benevolent Shepherd as their personal Shepherd, the sheep will be able to always say that they would not lack any good thing.

Dear friend, are you enjoying a sweet relationship with this Great Shepherd? If you are an obedient and submissive sheep, you would have no difficulty enjoying your relationship with this wonderful Shepherd. You will find Him walking in front of you and leading you by His example, as He is gentle and humble. He is your provider, healer, peace, righteousness and victory all the time. He is the good Shepherd who gave His life for you and me, His beloved sheep. He became our Shepherd by giving Himself for us and purchased us from the clutches of sin and Satan. He is such a self-sacrificing Shepherd who has only one desire for us, that we would follow Him, walk after Him and become like Him. He being the way, we will never loose our pathway if we follow Him. He will lead us and take us to His eternal home from where no force in this Universe will be able to separate us from Him. He reassures us that all our needs will be met while we follow Him and we will not need to go any where else or after any other person. His ways are perfect and His provisions are totally satisfying. Today He is asking us to examine whether we have grieved this gentle and humble Shepherd by disobeying Him or taking detours from His pathway. Let us renew our vow to follow Him all the days of our lives.

John 10:11 - I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Thought for Today
'The right sheep and the right shepherd' is the right combination for right living with right wants and right fulfillment.

Monday, October 11, 2010


WANTED:
RUNNERS ON HIGHER GROUNDS

Verse for Today: Monday, October 11, 2010

Psalms 18:33 - He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights.


Feet are God's gift for us to stand, walk and run at different speed to suite different occasions, objectives and the surfaces and to meet different objectives. One may walk or run into or out of a situation, or stand in a particular environment by intent. All of these are different attitudes and responses to the situations that we are concerned about and involved with. But if the feet are made by the Lord, then one would have to do what pleases the maker and what He commands us to do with it. Deer as an animal is well known for running fast. It runs away from danger, but sometimes it's horns tangle with bush or thorns on the way and thus gets stalled. This is what the deer needs to be careful about. But in the wake of running, deer usually forgets about the thorns and bushes around and get caught unaware. Deer also runs after the brooks where it can drink the cool waters to do away with the heat or the poisonous material which it would have taken in unknowingly or thoughtlessly. The deer needs to know the mind of the creator to act prudently and so should a child of God. Our responses to the situations should be seen in the pace that we take to go into or run away from situations which should on on the basis of the will of God. If we allow Him, the creator will make us stand on heights where the mundane will not affect us. God always wants us to be at a level higher than the ordinary and take greater heights in spiritual matters. When we run like a deer and stand on high mountains in spiritual matters, the earthly cares won't influence us and we will be able to enjoy closer fellowship with the Lord. This is the sure way to be in this world, and at the same time, not of the world. This is the way not to be affected by our situations, and how we live above the situations which is the definite way to live as desired by the Lord.

Hello friend, are you using the feet given to you by the Lord for greater spiritual gains? Are you running into spiritually profitable endeavours and running away from ungodly situations like a deer runs fast? Do you have a deep desire to know where to stand and where not to and where to walk or run into and where to run or walk away from? These situations need to be diagnosed by us on a regular basis on the basis of the Word of God which is our light and lamp for the sojourn. If we do not run away from ungodly environment, we might be lured into it which might end up in spiritual disaster. At the same time, we need to know how to be part of spiritually expedient activities, endeavours and people. So we need to keep away from wrong pathways, but should seek and find the Lord's leading to be on spiritually expedient ground. We need to thank the Lord for giving us the wisdom to heed to the warnings given in the Word of God to keep away from the way of the wicked. Otherwise, we might fall into the temptations in which Balaam, Gehazi and Achan fell and lost their testimonies. If we want to be on higher grounds, we must run away from ungodly situations and run into godly premises. The Lord also helps us to run away from getting unnecessarily tangled with unpleasant situations. Sometimes we are given warnings and we need to heed to it and run away. It is best to stay on a higher ground where God wants us to be and keep going higher and higher spiritually. Running on higher grounds will strengthen us to keep running for the Lord and become closer to Heaven. Let that be our desire each day of our lives and be closer to the Lord on higher grounds.

Colossians 3:1 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Thought for Today
You and I need special grace to know what to run away from and what to run into.