TWO ALTARS and a FAMINE

 

Two Altars and a Famine

Verse for Today: Genesis 12:9-10

So Abraham journeyed, going on still towards the South. Now there was a famine in the land, and Abraham went down to Egypt to dwell there.

            The fascinating story of the two altars of Abraham show us the keen interest and commitment he had towards the Lord who called him out from the Chaldean city of Ur. We see Abraham exploring the new land in breadth and length. But he didn’t recognize the impending dangers in moving towards the South where temptations might be lying for him to go down to Egypt. Just before those days, God’s promise of the blessing of the Land of Canaan was renewed by God no matter the circumstances. But the famine and the danger of starvation were more subtle for Abraham and he was tempted to go down to Egypt. His experience with God would have kept him away from the point of temptation to go down to a heathen country.

            Abraham and family were at Bethel, the House of God a few days earlier. He was in a place of worship and sacrifice to the Lord. It’s difficult for us to think that he wanted to move away from Bethel to the South. He had the renewed promises of God in front of his eyes. Abraham sadly didn’t realize that he was susceptible to tests by God as well. He had the temptation to go down to an idolatrous country to save his family from starvation due to the famine. He somehow went away to a place to trust their food to save his family whereas God would have looked after him even in the midst of the famine. It is as if Abraham forgot the promises of God and the altar at Bethel.

            The famine in the land came as a big surprise even after the two experiences of worship at the altar. It proves to us that tests come at the most favorable spiritual and physical environment. Also we cannot see any evidence that Abraham prayed to God to seek His will as to whether to move to Egypt to avert the adversity of a famine. God’s children are expected to follow the God who called them and who promised to lead them no matter what the situation might be. God expects them not to take their eyes off the God of promises who has called them. God’s children must follow the commandments given to them by their God without wavering.

            Dear reader: How far are you committed to the Lord who called you with a specific call to follow Him? When He calls us, He is responsible for our food, shelter and clothing even in the midst of famine or water shortage or even a dwelling place. We should look unto Him to gain strength to follow Him in spite of unfavorable circumstances or consequences of any sort. We must believe that the One who called us is capable of meeting all our needs as we follow Him and obey His commandments. We should make any move only after consulting with Him in prayer and meditation.

            We must also realize that even after worshipping at two places, tests come to examine our faith and obedience. When promises are renewed, if we do not show ardent faith and trust in the Lord, we might digress and take our own decisions to detour to save our souls. Fleeing from the altars of God and running into the world of Egypt is disastrous to our life of faith. The best place to go after worship at His altars is not the world. If we run into the world and the Vanity Fair after worshipping the Lord, we are sure to run into wrecking of our life of faith.

            Today, let us beware of the temptations that lie around to drag us away from the Lord and His presence. Let our focus be always the Lord, His promises, His altars and spiritual visions we receive in His presence. Let us consult the Lord before making any move away from His presence.

Proverbs 17:3 – The refining pot is for silver and the furnace is for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.

Thought for Today

The world is out there to tempt us to seek asylum in its attractions during our difficult circumstances, but our Lord is near us to remind us of His power and promises.

Prayer for Today

O Lord! Help me to stay near Your altars to remind me of your call and promises. Amen!  

A GOD WHO TESTS HIS CHILDREN

A God Who Tests His Children

Verse for Today: Psalms 66:10

“For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined“.

God’s children who have personal encounter with Him know very well that they are tested by God on various occasions. His goal in testing His children is to refine them in their character, faith and commitment to God. He wants His children to become godly in their quality as God’s children with godly attributes, behavior and motives. Only those who pass the tests will be given increasingly greater responsibilities and positions in their ministries. He tests their spiritual growth and strength. He checks to see if they are growing in faith and so He measures them through the tests that He allowed them to pass through. It’s through these tests that God teaches them new lessons in life. It was through the test on Mount Moriah that God taught Abraham to learn that God in His nature is “Jehovah-Jireh, My Provider” (Genesis 22:14).

It’s through the experience of tests that God renewed His promises to Abraham (Genesis 22:16-18). There was no need for God to renew His promises because He doesn’t change His promises. But God tested Abraham and found out His trust and faith in Him. At that point, God assured him which was a great act of renewal and reassurance. 

Tests were opportunities for God to give His servant Abraham newer spiritual responsibilities in His spiritual economy. For Abraham was to become the focal point of blessings for all the people of the world. The test Abraham endured on Mount Moriah was intended to make him spiritually qualified to be the source of great blessings on the whole earth (Genesis 22:18).

We must realize that God’s tests are often painful to go through. There will be pressures of various kinds as we go through the tests. One can only imagine and envisage the kind of pain, tension, stress, challenge and pressure that one goes through during tests. It’s these pressures that make us jewels in our spiritual life.

Tests come at unusual times, especially when things go well in our spiritual lives. Tests come when we are close to God and enjoying close spiritual fellowship (Genesis 19:27). It is seen from the lives of God’s servants on the pages of the Bible and Church history that more tests and more frequent tests come when we are more spiritually grown and matured in our faith. We also see that as days go by, toughness of tests increases and we must expect it as a usual pattern with God. In other words, we should not expect tests to be any simpler as we grow stronger in faith.

We must realize that those who are not serious about Christian life and faith may not get many tests at all. Only the zealous and passionate believers are the ones who are tested by the Lord to measure the extent of their faith. In other words, those who are not earnest in following the faith encounter divine tests whereas the drop-outs, Sunday-only-Christians and backbenchers often get very few tests, if at all any. But for the zealous Christians, when we least expect it, tests come so that our genuineness of faith can be measured by God.

Christians should also understand that usually no warning, signs or notices are issued by the Lord to allow His children to go through tests. He expects all zealous and stalwarts to be prepared to take tests of faith at any time. It’s God who fixes schedules for tests at His will and pleasure. He doesn’t consult His children to fix schedules.    

            But God reassures His children that there is no need for us to be afraid of God’s tests. These tests are in no way to hurt us or terrorize us, but to build us up. Tests reveal true measure of our faith and the level of our faith. There is a divine purpose behind each test to build us up. So we must praise God for the tests and commit ourselves to go through and come out victorious for the glory of God.

Exodus 20:20a – “And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you…”

Thought for Today

We should praise God for each test He allows in our lives because tests produce patience and spiritual growth in us.

Prayer for Today

“O Lord! We pray for Your strength to go through the tests You allow in our lives today to help us to trust in You and to grow in our faith. Amen!”

  

TESTS IN THE SPIRITUAL SCHOOL

 

Tests in the Spiritual School

Verse for Today: Genesis 22:01

“Now it came to pass after these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham”. And he said, “Here am I”.

            God tests His beloved children in the ordinary walks of life according to His will and pleasure. God wants to test to see if His children are keenly committed themselves to Him with our love, commitment and loyalty. God is interested to know to what extent His children are growing in their faith in Him, His power and His promises. In order to prove their faith to themselves and to others around, God gives His children practical tests to evaluate and measure their level of faith. 

                God’s tests are not to trouble His children, but to measure the extent of their faith. He also tests to measure their weakness and to help them to know how their faith can be built up. These tests are given frequently and on a regular basis to keep His children on the alert about the extent to which their faith grows. He wants His children to expect tests at unexpected times to encourage them to be always prepared to face newer tests. God also wants His children to know that as time passes on, tests will be harder and harder because He expects them to become stronger in faith to go through harder tests to prove their growing faith in God.

                If we examine the lives of all God’s servants, we may find that they all went through innumerable tests, starting from the beginning of their spiritual lives. Abraham who is popularly recognized as the “Father of the Faithful” went through several tests in his life of faith. It started soon after He left the Chaldean city of Ur. He was asked to leave Ur and go to a land that God was going to show him. But he had to leave with his wife alone. He had the commandment to leave after forsaking his household. God gave him a Family Test, but Abraham started with his father and nephew. His father was old and so he could not travel fast enough to reach the Promised Land. His father seemed to be a snare because of which had to experience considerable delay in going forward. He had to stay back at Haran until his father Terah died. Abraham had to understand that God’s call didn’t include the household, but because Abraham included them along with him and his wife, he had to experience considerable delay (Genesis 11:31 – 12:1).  Later we find that the company of Abraham’s nephew Lot also caused considerable snag for Abraham to make progress in his journey (Genesis 13:5-9). These snags prove to us that Abraham sadly failed in the Family Test that God gave him. But God loved Abraham and allowed him to continue in the journey of faith. But God’s compassion to Abraham show us that He gave him more opportunities to go through different tests of various kinds in the future to prove the level of his faith.

                God was patient with Abraham and was willing to forgive him of his failure in his sojourn. But Abraham experienced delay in his walk solely because of his lack of full obedience. This delay showed Abraham that in spite of his desire to show his obligation to his family, God expected him to be fully obedient and loyal to God and His commandment. His divine call was most important. In His future walk, Abraham had to bear the brunt of such disobedience to God.

                Today God expects all His children to give utmost importance to Him and His call. Lessons from his failure in the first test taught Abraham that no matter what we lose in this world, we must obey God and follow the divine call. We must consider the divine call as a great privilege and be careful not to lose the opportunity to obey God and His call. We must be willing to lose everything else in this life while we obey His call.

                God calls His children to follow Him out of their love for Him. God expects them to follow Him out of their love towards Him. He expects them to express their obedience, reverence and commitment to Him in all that they do. He provides them with countless opportunities to express their love to Him. He also tests them to measure their love, reverence and commitment to Him. If we fail in it, He provides us with more opportunities to correct our ways and renew our love and sacrifices for Him. But our disobedience would cause delay and subsequently result in painful consequences for which we will be responsible.

Jesus reminded us that we must be willing to obey His call and be willing to forsake everything else to follow Him. We are expected to hold on to what we cannot lose and forsake all that which we are bound to lose.  

Luke 14:33: “So likewise, whoever of you doesn’t forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple”

Thought for Today

Holding on to what is dear to us in this world is illustrative of our unwillingness to solely follow the Lord.

Prayer for Today

Oh Lord! Save us from the temptation to hold on to what we have in our lives and help us to love You more than all that we hold dearest in our hearts. Amen!

 

HURTING SONS AND DAUGHTERS

 

Hurting Sons and Daughters

Verse for Today: Jeremiah 8:21

For the hurt (crush) of the daughter of my people I am hurt (crushed). I am mourning; astonishment (horror) has taken hold of me.

Millions of sons and daughters of all age groups are leading a hurtful and grievous life today. This is true in all times and in all dispensations. We see them in the Old Testament times, starting with Abel and then Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. We see them among Israelites who lived in Egypt and all through their sojourn in the desert for 40 years. It continued in the land of Canaan. We find in Dena a hurting daughter of Jacob. Rachel and Hannah had their own hurts of childlessness. Leah had her grief-stricken life even as the wife of Jacob. Tamar the wife of Judah’s elder son had her share of tears in life as a young widow. Naomi was a daughter of tears when she lost her husband, two sons and a departing daughter-in-law Orpah. Ruth and Orpah had their share of grief as young widows. Tamar, the daughter of King David was full of tears, pain and hurt in life as she was brutally violated by her own brother.

We find a lot of women on the pages of the New Testament who were hurting in life. They include Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary and Martha of Bethany, the Phoenician widow, the widow of Nain and others. Mary Magdalene, Salome and other women were deeply painful and frustrated as they missed seeing the body of the Lord Jesus in the tomb.

Some of our hurts and wounds are self-inflicted. We hurt ourselves physically, emotionally and socially by lamenting on our lost opportunities and failures through our thoughtlessness and carelessness. But wounds are also caused by our kith and kin and friends through jealousy and gossip about us. Some fight us through unfair competition and wrong comparisons. Some others quarrel with us because of their egotism and false sense of satisfaction. Sometimes we plunge ourselves into frustration, hopelessness and desperation because of our hurtful circumstances and situations. We often face social trauma through isolation, loneliness and inferiority complex. At other times, we get hurt through unfair treatment, partiality and misunderstanding, misrepresentation and misinterpretation created by those who know us well including family members, colleagues and classmates. Overindulging in such hurts and emotional trauma cause psychological aberrations in us including insomnia, loss of appetite and affected efficiency. These often negatively influence our spiritual joy and prayer life. Often our life leads to spiritual and emotional dullness and hopelessness.

Sadly our emotional, social and physical wounds and hurts remain unresolved because of failures in coping with it. We tend not to use spiritual tools like prayer, meditation on the Word of God and fellowship.

Christians are admonished by the Word of God to resolve their hurts and wounds by going to the Divine Healer. We are also instructed to help others cope with such aberrations. Often our best spiritual friends don’t get involved with our wounds and hurts largely because of ignorance, lack of spiritual insight and poor concern for such persons. Thus many spiritual sons and daughters remain emotionally, physically and spiritually ill and continue to be in this doldrums of apathy, insensitivity and spiritual dullness and backsliding for considerable time.  There seems to be very little concern or effort by others around to help them to come out of such situations. Loneliness, isolation and resentment by dearest and nearest lead them to develop serious spiritual and emotional trauma. 

Thus we find a crying and weeping prophet Jeremiah because of the increased emotional traps caused by others, our own self and through circumstances manipulated by the enemy of our souls. The weeping prophet recognizes that there is a divine cure for such spiritual trauma. He is familiar with the Great Physician available to handle the emotional and spiritual traps that are faced by the sons and daughters. But he laments that there doesn’t seem to be enough support for such wounded and hurtful people to be taken to the Great Physician with His panacea to heal the emotional sickness of these highly needy people. This lack of concern and burden make the prophet mourn and in deep astonishment. It also makes him felt hurtful enough to lament, mourn and weep.

But through Prophet Jeremiah the weeping prophet, the Lord spoke to His people that He is still the Great Physician who uses the Balm of Gilead to wipe away the tears of His children. We need to go to Him and take our hurting fellow humans with us. He will use His nail-pierced hands to wipe their tears, and heal their hurts and give them a new lease in life. There’s no shadow of turning with Him (Lamentations 3:22-26). He will apply the Balm of Gilead, the panacea to heal the wounds and the hurts and to take away all their infirmities.

We must understand that this is the healing ministry entrusted with us. It comes through the Word of God which heals all our ailments. It has to be used at the right time to impart complete healing.

Psalms 107:20 – He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.

Thought for Today

It is our responsibility to identify the emotional and physical infirmities of the people around and take them to the Great Physician for total healing through the Balm of Gilead.

Prayer for Today

“O Lord! Please pour Your Balm on our wounds and heal our spiritual and emotional sicknesses for our happiness and for Your glory. Amen!”

  

LOST IN THE WONDER OF HIS GLORY

 

LOST IN THE WONDER OF HIS GLORY

Verse for Today: Exodus 24:18

“And Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights”

            It’s unthinkable for a person to be secluded in the top of a mountain even for a day. Such isolation and deprivation of basic environment and facilities will make a man dry in his emotions and physically weak even for a day. There will be a feeling of emotional and physical suffocation and even cause fear and confusion. But we see the Man God (Jesus) was without food and rest for forty days and forty nights confronted by Satan in all possible tests in the wilderness. Yet Moses, the first human who was isolated in a mountain, survived the long isolation and deprivation for forty days and nights in the presence of God without causing any damage to his mind, body and soul. We can envisage how God had him for intimate fellowship. God strengthened him to withstand the pressures of this unusual mountainous experience. Moses was enabled to be in the mountain for forty days and forty nights without human contact and food and water and basic amenities in life. He was sustained during this time with divine energy and enablement through the glory of God which encompassed round about him.

            Similar experiences were granted to many of God’s servants like Enoch, Elijah, Joshua, Samuel, Soul of Tarsus, Apostle John and many of God’s prophets in varying degrees when they all entered the presence of God. They heard the voice of the Lord and received the revelation of God. Some of them like Apostle John and Prophet Daniel fell as though dead when they were in God’s presence.

            God’s presence has a nurturing power centre for His children. It’s a spiritually, emotionally and physically empowering and nurturing place which enables His children to enjoy and to fill with His power. God’s voice is a healing, soothing and impacting panacea for all the ills of His servant in all their physical, emotional and spiritual realms of life. The vision of the glory of God exposed to God’s servants give them full healing of their spiritual eyes to see the entire truth God wants them to see and understand. It’s these realities that sustain them to continue to serve God in the way in which God wants them to preach and forewarn the people of God about God’s plans for the ages to come.

            Today all God’s children are privileged to draw nigh unto Him to see His glory and get lost in the wonder and awe of Him. It is then that we are challenged to see the reality of His plans and programs for the church and for the world. All of these are in God’s eternal plan for the people of the world who are to get saved. It reveals the plan of God for His church and all its ministries embodied in its heavenly frame. It encourages, strengthens and empowers God’s servants to preach and teach these truths so as to build up His children. It touches upon the hearts of His shepherds to touch the lives of God’s children through the various ministries they are called upon to undertake. The power these ministering brethren receive through the visions they are blessed with which they will minister among God’s people according to God’s perfect will.

            There is a powerful, loving and challenging invitation for us today to draw nigh unto the Lord in His holy presence. We are motivated by His Spirit to leave behind all our fleshly attachment to the world and the Vanity Fair. He wants us to climb up to Him in His Mountain with great expectations. He wants to share His love, plans and programs with us so that we can share it with His people and with the people of the world. He wants us to go to Him with great passion to see His glory. He also wants us to have a deep thirst to drink of His plans and programs so as to enable us to share with others. He wants us to be a blessing to those we are expected to minister unto. His promise of blessings will be with us as we spread His passion to others for His glory.

Isaiah 40:10 – They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Thought for Today

The more we get meshed with the Lord and His presence, the more we will be lost into His wonder and awe, thereby get to know His perfect will and pleasure in all that we do and cherish.

Prayer for Today

Dear Lord: Please give us your immeasurable grace today to get lost in Your glory so as to know You, Your will and pleasure for us and those around us. Amen!   

HIS REWARDS FOR HIS SERVANTS!

                     His Rewards for His servants

Verse for Today: Revelation 22:12

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with me, to give to everyone according to his work”.

            Every master gives reward to his servants who work diligently for him. The reward is offered as a motivation to work hard with loyalty. It’s often according to the quality and quantity of work and the time spent in the master’s field.

            Jesus, the Master has His called out servants. He has a lot of work to be accomplished. He has the power to accomplish His entire task by Himself. He also has millions of angels who can be entrusted with His tasks. But the Master is pleased to allocate His tasks to His servants who are His saved servants. He gives them spiritual gifts to suit each task. He motivates His servants to work in His vineyard. There are the tillers, the sewers, the irrigators, the veeders, the stone pickers, the reapers, the vinedressers, the watchmen and the field builders (Isaiah 5:1-2).  All of His servants have specific tasks and time schedules. He supplies them with all the necessary resources and tools to accomplish their tasks. The Master reminds His servants that a reward is waiting for them and it is offered according to the work put in by each worker.

            The reward is determined by the Master according to His yardstick and balances. He is the perfect judge who will decide how much each worker deserves. He is eager to come and reward His servants as they accomplish their tasks. There rewards are presented publicly. It’s on the basis of His honor-roll which He prepares Himself on the basis of the completed tasks and the transparency with which tasks are performed. The servant is expected to work on the basis of his love for the Master and his degree of commitment.

            It’s the Master who appoints us and trains us to serve Him according to His perfect will and pleasure. He has given us His Holy Spirit as the powerhouse to energize us to work. We must find pleasure in serving the Master. But we must work out of our loyalty to the Master and not for any reward. Our reward is more like grace shown to us by the Master, but we must serve out of our obligation to Him in return for His grace to us.

            We servants must ask ourselves as to whether we are working hard or lazy and negligent in our responsibilities. We must consider it a great privilege to work for such a benevolent, merciful and compassionate Master who is pleased to use us for His kingdom and His honor.  As we receive the opportunity to serve Him, He is pleased to reward us. So it ought to be work without desiring anything in return. But our compassionate Master makes sure that we get recognized for our work for Him and give us a fitting reward. Thus no one will be able to complain or murmur about the yardstick that He uses to decide what kind of reward we may receive.

            Today let us evaluate our work ourselves and realize that we have not worked commensurate with the reward that He offers. This truth ought to make us surrender ourselves to greater work with greater zeal and enthusiasm. Let us be grateful to the Lord for His desire to give us greater reward than what we ever deserve. This ought to cause us to praise Him forever.

Matthew 16:27 – For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and He will repay each person according to what He has done (ESV).

Thought for Today

“Let us anticipate looking at the glorious face of our Lord when we see Him rather than the rewards He will give us”

Prayer for Today

“Dear Lord! May we be motivated by your love and grace to make us your servants rather than the reward you will give us. Amen!”

A MEETING AT HIS PEAK!

 

A Meeting at His Peak

Verse for Today: Genesis 22:2

“Take now your son, your only son Isaac and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you”. 

            Some of the greatest blessings of God to His children were imparted at mountain peaks. It was on a mountain peak at Sinai that Moses met God for a personal encounter, thereby received the Law (Exodus 34:2). It was on the Mount of Transfiguration that the Lord revealed His glory to His three disciples (Matthew 17:1; John 1:14). It was on a mount that Jesus preached the sermon of blessedness (Matthew 5:1). When the inheritance of the promise land was divided, Caleb requested for Mount Hebron as he felt that he could climb the mount by faith. It was given to Achsah his daughter. Hebron was the place where Abraham built a tent. It was the tent of faith and fellowship.

            The mountain peaks from where God’s people received spiritual blessings had to be climbed by His people by faith. These mountains were peaks of promises of God. But His children had to climb these peaks by faith. To seek after these mountains, they had to look up heavenward. They had to climb the mountains with great expectancy. They had to believe on God and His promises. They had to have the right expectations as they looked up and climbed. They had to prepare themselves as they climbed. A great spiritual experience awaited the climbers as they moved up a step at a time. There at the peaks, they heard the voice of the Lord. They all saw the glory of the Lord. They were enabled to worship the Lord. They were confronted with the power and prominence of God at the top of these peaks. These climbers were enabled to encounter the Lord and His very person. There they saw the Lord and through Him, they saw themselves. These meeting-points gave them all a new start in life and ministry. 

            We are called upon to follow the pathway earmarked for us today to desire and focus on a blessed mountain peak experience. We must climb with great expectations as we encounter the Lord. These peaks give us a new goal in life. It’s far more than what we would ever envisage. The Law God gave Moses led God’s people throughout the last centuries. The worshipful experience of Abraham on Mount Moriah is the foundation of worship of God’s children when he learnt a new name for God (Jehovah Jireh) which helped them to know how to worship. The vision of the glorified Lord on Mount of Transfiguration helped the disciples see a glimpse of the glory of God. The mount of the Great Sermon exposed the disciples to the manifesto of the Kingdom of God as the guideline for their life and ministry.

            A life and ministry of God’s children begins with a vision of the glory of God. There is an invitation to go to the peak where God dwells. But we must go with adequate spiritual, mental, emotional and physical purification and preparedness. We must confess our sins, failures and inadequacies before we begin to climb. We must go with full surrender to the will of God which He will reveal to us as we meet with Him and listen to Him at His peak. All disobediences must be confessed before we go to the Lord. He is out there to receive us with open arms and heart. He evaluates us and our capabilities. He understands our needs. He is there to strengthen us to obey Him and to equip us to take His Word with total seriousness and full commitment. He wants us to go to Him with worshipfulness. He expects us to listen to Him keenly. We must be keen not to allow anything that would distract us from listening to the Lord.

            Today there is a great challenge for us to climb up to His peak into His presence for a spiritual encounter with the Lord. It’s a testing ground for our faith and commitment. It’s an encounter of love for our Lord. It’s an opportunity to leave behind all that is dear to us and detach from it all. We must aspire to draw unto the Lord with ardent attachment to Him. It is then that the Lord will reveal Himself and His glory to us and capture our minds to listen to Him and His plans and programs for us.

Psalms 24:3 – “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? (Or) who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart….”  

Thought for Today

The faith to climb the hill of the Lord and the passion to surrender ourselves to Him will help us to expect great things from Him to create a spiritual impact in our environment through us.  

Prayer for Today

“Dear Lord! Help me to develop sustainable spiritual thirst for your nearness at the top of Your Mountain”. Amen!