FROM SHAME TO RADIANCE!!

FROM SHAME TO RADIANCE!

Verse for Today: Monday, May 16, 2011
Psalms 25:3a - No-one whose hope is in You will ever be put to shame.

One of the greatest embarrassments and frustrations in life come to us when our hope turns out to be ashes. When we put our anchor on things or people of this world, and believe that our hope will be fulfilled, we are often met with disappointment. This is because people, things or circumstances do not have the capacity to fulfill our hope. When we find that such hope is shattered, we plunge into frustration and are met with shame among the people around. If we put our hope and faith in the systems of this world, we find that the systems often fail us. Technology falls far short of our expectations to help us in our dire needs. Money often thwarts our hope we put in it because it cannot give us what we need. Money can purchase entertainment, but not lasting and deep joy. Money will not give us sleep and peace, but only pills. We often trust in people, hoping that they will stand with us, but find them change their promises to help. But this is not the case with our hope in the Lord because He has the capacity and willingness to see that our hope in Him is met with fulfillment and satisfaction. The Lord gives us what we need at the right time in the right manner. He lovingly invites His children to put their hope and trust in Him. But as we put our trust in Him, we also put our trust in His wisdom to decide what is best for us. We also find that the Lord does far beyond our expectations to meet our needs which we are not even aware of. Our expectations are finite and have limitations. But He gives according to His infinite wisdom about our present and future needs, and according to His dignity and status to bless us to overflowing.

Dear friend, are you frustrated because you put your hope in people, things and circumstances? You should know better whether there is any meaning in putting our hope in the seemingly mighty and great people in this world? People's attitude, character and ability change which makes it impossible for them to fulfill our hope in them. Things in which we put our hope fall far short of our expectation because of their erosion in strength and relevance to meet our needs. There is no meaning in trusting in our unstable circumstances which are volatile and unpredictable. But our Lord is stable as a rock and His character or attitude towards us does not change. He loves us in spite of our frailties and shortcomings. He is compassionate and merciful to us in all our circumstances. His displeasure with us doesn't mean that He will destroy us. Even when we disappoint Him, He will still be with us because He knows that we cannot exist in this world without His benevolence. No one who looks to Him will be put to shame because it will not bring forth glory to His name. When God does mighty things in our lives, all of that would cause His name to be glorified in our lives. But if want His favour in our lives, our attitude towards Him should be one of absolute faith and trust. This means that we will have to go to Him with our needs and put all our cares at His feet. We can find rest and peace in the Lord when we cast all our cares on Him because there will definitely be no disappointment or shame to those who trust in the Him.

Psalms 34:5 - Those who look to (the Lord) are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Thought for Today
When we put our hope in the Lord, we are making our lives available for Him to glorify His name through His mighty works in us.

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LOOK AND SEE GOD IN YOUR SITUATIONS!!

LOOK AND SEE GOD IN YOUR SITUATIONS!

Verse for Today: Sunday, May 15, 2011
Psalms 119:18 - Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.

God wants us to see the wonderful things that He has set out for us today. God has declared His glory through nature which we often take for granted. But His glory in all creation ought to speak to us about His mighty power and creativity. He has written His law for us to read and see His glory and power. But often our eyes are blinded by our own personal whims and fancies which are created in us by the world around us. God has written a book for us to use as a guide, lamp, wise counsel and instructions to follow. This book is the eternally secured Word in Heaven and is as sure as eternity itself. It contains all that we need to live in peace in this world which has no peace. It pours God's love into our hearts. Whereas we cannot find God in the seemingly attractive things which are sold in the vanity fair of this world, we can find Him appearing to us in His full glory on the pages of His book. We are often not able to see the glory of God with our eyes also because our eyes are blinded by our situations and circumstances which are like dark clouds in our horizon. But the rays of the Son of God will appear in our eyes if we look to Him through His Book where we can see illustrations, examples, events, people, object lessons, warnings and guidance to help us keep going in spite of difficult circumstances. But if we want to see, we must go to the Lord and ask Him to open our eyes of understanding. We must look at our situations through Lord who is in it for us. He will help us to understand our situations and strengthen our ability to see things in His perspective.

Dear reader, are you perplexed because your situations hide the Lord from your eyes? As you call Him, do you find that there is no answer coming from Him for so long? Perhaps your answer has already come to you in the Law of the Lord, the Bible, but you have not taken time to look into it. Today God's Word is the primary medium through which He speaks to us. It helps you see the Son of God even in the darkest hours of your life. God gives you clear instructions and illustrations in His Book to help you understand how He works in your life and situations. As you read, assimilate and obey these instructions, examples and warnings, you will get wisdom from God to handle yourself and your situations. The Bible will help you to understand what is going on in your life and why it is happening to you. You can also see what you should do to solve your problems and how to handle your situations. God is not always changing your situations, but changing you so that you can rise above your situations unhurt. Many of your difficulties like loss, failure, success, pain, hatred, conflict and frustrations are explained by God in His Book. But to see properly, you must ask that your eyes may be opened by God. Then He will open your eyes of understanding to see the wonderful things He has in store for you. If you dwell in the Lord, He will brighten your paths and steps to enable you to see properly to move forward without fear or anxiety. If your heart cry is for capacity to see the wonderful things God has prepared for you, He will surely answer you and open your eyes of understanding and show you things that you need to see as in the case of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, Moses, Joshua and Paul. You will thus receive God's enabling to see things in His perspective, correct your ways and put your total trust in Him for onward march.

2 Kings 6:17 - The Lord opened the servant's eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Thought for Today
When we open our eyes, we can see God everywhere working for us to glorify His name in and through His children in all their situations.

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INVISIBLE HANDS TO HOLD!!

INVISIBLE HANDS TO HOLD!

Verse for Today: Saturday, May 14, 2011
John 20:29 - Then Jesus said to (Thomas), "Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen Me and yet have believed".

The way the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to Thomas is an amazing act of benevolence. Jesus knew the doubts and confusions of Thomas and didn't ignore him or find fault with him. He was concerned that even the doubtful ones should be given a chance to meet Him and believe on Him. He was willing to set apart A time for a private meeting with Thomas. He had time to clear all the doubts Thomas had. Thomas was asking for evidence-based faith and Jesus was willing to go the extra mile to meet his weak faith. He was available for His disciples in a group as well as individually, as did meet Mary Magdalene and the disciples who travelled to Emmaus. But while confirming the faith of Thomas, Jesus also pronounced that it is a special blessing to believe on Him even as He is unseen. Throughout the last 20 centuries, this privilege has been given to millions of people in all corners of the world to believe in the Lord Jesus without ever seeing Him physically in front of their eyes. Yet they are able to believe because of His Word. They believe because they have faith in Him. It certainly is the confirmation that what is not seen by the naked eyes can still be believed which is normal to human beings. Such belief makes us blessed people because it fills us with the joy of the Lord. Today God is seeking for people who would believe in His ways and put all their trust in the Lord Jesus.

Dear reader, perhaps you are confronted with doubts and confusions about your future and wonder how you are going to make it each day of your life? There is a blessing for you today if you put your faith in the Lord who will honor His promises to you through His Word. If your faith is weak, the Lord will take time to specially and individually speak to you and reason with you. If there is doubt, He will clear it all for you. He will speak to you through your past and through the historical Christian faith that gives you an array of evidences and witnesses to make you believe. Isn't it true that only His mercy and grace has brought you so far? Are there not enough blessings in your life so far which would be sufficient evidence for you to believe? Has the Lord ever gone back on any of His promises to you that are recorded in His Word? If you consider the lives of the heroes of faith whom we see on the pages of the Bible, you will be amazed how they all lived by faith, yet most of them lived without seeing the Lord Jesus physically. Abraham saw the promises from a distance and received it all by faith. He was a childless patriarch and had to believe that God would not go back on His promises. If we seek Him, we will find Him coming to us in His presence, His Word and promises. Because our faith is weak, He comes to us each day and leads us with evidences from the past to believe on Him for our tomorrows. Today we have the privilege to believe on the Lord who appeared to the doubting Thomas to enable him to believe. He comes to us each moment to make us also believe as we recount all that He has done for us in the past. But that is what makes it faith in the invisible God who holds our hands and leads us forward no matter what the hindrances are. Let us rejoice in what He had done for us so far and for all that He will do for us. Let our faith make us praise Him evermore for the unseen future.

Hebrews 12:2a - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Thought for Today
Faith is the medium through which we are enabled to hold the hands of the invisible God in our forward march.

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WALK WITH THE PATRIARCHS AND BE A BLESSING!!

WALK WITH THE PATRIARCHS AND

BE A BLESSING!

Verse for Today: Friday, May 13, 2011
Psalms 22:4 - In You our fathers put their trust; they trusted and You delivered them.

God prepares families to carry forward the legacy of godliness and walk of faith so that His name will reflect in the lives of individuals and families. Fathers and mothers are forerunners of faith and the message of their life of faith in God is passed on to their children, grandchildren and future generations. When children look at the faith of their fathers and mothers, the Spirit of God works in them to take the challenge of trusting the God of their parents, grandparents and all others who gone before them. This helps children to put their trust in the God of their fathers and walk with Him. We have the examples of fathers like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph who walked with God and learned to trust in Him. God led them forward as they put their trust in Him. Because their children followed their faith and that of their fathers, God led them also in His path. When new generations emerge, they always learn from their previous generations and walk accordingly. We find this trend in the lives of Noah, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah and their children and in the families of Joshua and Caleb. When God works in the lives of His children, He always has the next generation in His mind. It gives us great confidence that the God of our fathers and mothers is the same God who is with us today. He is faithful to lead us victoriously as He led our previous generations. We are here today because of the way God worked in their lives. It is a matter of great spiritual strength for us to know that the God who led our ancestors through tough experiences victoriously will lead us also.

Dear friend, do you realize that you are a link in God's chain of people whom He raised up to live by faith. Whoever in that chain that put their trust in God is a great example for us to follow today. But whoever in the same chain who didn't put their faith in God is a great warning for us to learn lessons on how not to walk in this world. We have enough generations, fathers and mothers to look back to give us light to walk forward by faith. Isaac looked back at the life of his father who found Jehovah-jireh and introduced that God to Isaac. This God became Isaac's God also and he lived for that God all his life. In his turn, Jacob looked at both the lives of faith of Abraham and Isaac and followed that God by faith. He even dared to wrestle with God by faith and asked for true blessings. Joseph learned big lessons of faith from his father Jacob which helped him to live through the 13 years of sojourn through the pit, dungeon and the years of moral attack by the enemy. He named his children by faith just as his father Jacob named his brother Benjamin by faith, and trusted God to give him wisdom to govern Egypt in the toughest times of their national history. This faith in God helped him to be found a godly man by heathen Pharaoh and his top executives. All of these were accomplishments of faith in the God of their fathers and mothers. Today this God has become the God of our fathers and mothers who set examples of life of faith before us in strengthening us to keep going forward by trusting in His promises. Let the light that has been shed abroad in our hearts through the legacy of generations be the light that will lead us forward in these troubled times full of challenges. Let us handle these challenges by faith in the never-changing Lord who is our Jehovah-jireh.

Psalms 22:5 - (Our fathers) cried to You and were saved; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

Thought for Today
Faith of the generations who have gone before us is a light that guides us in our daily walk of faith and trust in God and His providence.

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THE LOVE THAT WILL NEVER LET ME GO!

THE LOVE THAT WILL NEVER LET ME GO!

Verse for Today: Thursday, May 12, 2011
John 21:12 - Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast".

Our faithlessness, doubt or backsliding does not mean that we will be forsaken by the Lord. He knows our weaknesses and comes after us to strengthen us and to bring us back to His fold. He is the Lord who seeks that which is lost and gone astray. He sympathizes with us when we are weak in faith. He understands that we are simply dust and have a weak mind which is susceptible to doubt and confusion about our faith. Knowing this well, our Lord shows His ever flowing compassion by being with us all the time. He understands our weak frame and comes to our rescue when our hearts are unsettled. Jesus knew the mental condition of His disciples after His crucifixion and resurrection. Even after seeing the resurrected Lord, their minds were deeply sunk in discouragement and disillusionment about their bleak future without Jesus with them. They went backsliding and decided to go back to their old profession of fishing. But even in such a situation, the Lord was not willing to forsake them or leave them behind. His love followed them to the lake where they were trying to do things without Him. But the love of Jesus was unwilling to leave them alone, but to help them out in their endeavor, thereby proving to them once again that without Him, they couldn't do any thing. When they were tired and hungry, He prepared food for them and invited them to dine and rest. He knew their needs and ministered unto them according to their needs rather than scolding them for their unbelief. This Jesus is with us today to sympathize with us in our mental and physical condition and to help us revive our sagging spirits.

Dear friend, are you baffled in your heart today because of your challenging situations? Is your faith shaken because your horizon looks utterly bleak and hopeless? Is your situation putting doubt into your heart and confuse you in your walk with the Lord? If so, there is hope for you in the risen Lord Jesus. He comes after you today to tell you that He has already prepared everything for you to meet all your needs. If your desire is for basic needs to be met, He will help you with it far beyond your expectation. If you are physically and emotionally tired, He will give spiritual and emotional food to revive you. If you are thirsty, He will give you the living water to quench your thirst. He wants to also remind you today that the bread, fish and water that this world gives will never satisfy you, but will leave you empty and disillusioned. But the Lord Jesus is with you and His loving kindness encompasses around you. His love is continuously poured on to you. He is not coming to you to reprimand you, but to cool you down and to give you His immeasurable peace to strengthen your weak mind. The Lord wants to teach you valuable lessons to keep on trusting Him. He will do the needful to strengthen your faith and trust in Him. He will not abandon you as an orphan in a helpless and hopeless situation. Just as these tired and discouraged disciples, all you need to do is to enjoy His love and care, strengthen yourself with His resources His love and be silent in utter dismay about the way the Lord works things out to meet your every need. As you meditate in His presence, you will find the Lord ever sweeter and closer to you. Let us go to Him today and enjoy His bounty for our strength.

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

Thought for Today
The God of love and mercy will minister unto us with His bountiful resources to take away our weariness in the wake of dark clouds in our horizons.

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DARE TO DOUBT THE GREATEST GIVER?

DARE TO DOUBT THE GREATEST GIVER?

Verse for Today: Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?

The doubting and confusing saint is given greatest confidence by the Word of God that they would not be able to find any reasonable cause to doubt God who has promised to meet all their needs. The infinite grace of God has given us the best that we would ever receive from Him. This is the eternal life which He secured through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son on the cross of Calvary. Jesus is the ultimate and most precious gift that could be given to a sinner to make a saint out of him. In Him we are given all the blessings of the heavenly places. All that we need to live a godly life here on earth are given to us through Jesus Christ. We have a claim on meeting all our needs by the direct divine intervention through Jesus Christ. We have every right to go to the Father through Jesus with all our needs. When we go to the Father through Jesus, Father will not deny us all that we need. In fact, it is already given to us on a daily basis. So when our difficult circumstances send arrows of doubt and confusion our way, it is our great privilege to rebuke all our doubts in the name of Jesus by saying that it is impossible that any of our needs cannot be met by God. Everything that is mundane is far below the value attributed to Jesus in Heaven. In and through Jesus, the Father gives us all that we need to live and serve Him here on earth. So there is no room for any doubt or confusion in the minds of God's people about any of our mundane needs. It is not reasonable for us to waste our spiritual energies by doubting God's promises.

Dear reader, as a human being, you might be confronted with doubt about God's providence for all your needs today. The world with its technology and expertise cannot understand how God would meet your needs in a supernatural way. The world doesn't fathom the wisdom of God to open the Red Sea or making wine out of water in split seconds. The world cannot absorb raising a dead person or giving sight to a blind in a matter of moments. The world cannot give one person's lunch to two persons for full satisfaction, let alone several times 5000 persons. So when a saint believes in God's providence for daily needs according to God's riches in glory, the world and its master Satan will try to tell our minds as to how logical it is today for God to meet our needs. These agents of doubt and confusion will try to reason with God's children about the impossibility of God's provision. These doubts will be the poisonous arrows that are sent to us every moment to take away our confidence in the promises of God and shake us up. It is at this time that the Spirit of God asks us the question as to how it would be possible for God the Father to deny us our basic needs when He has already given us the greatest gift of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Yes, it is impossible that God would deny us our basic emotional, physical and fellowship needs. God is the signatory of this promise that all our needs will be met. He will use natural and supernatural means to give us what we need to live by faith in Him alone. Today we need to rebuke our doubts and confusions and put our total and absolute trust in God to meet our needs, and in Christ it shall surely be done.

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.

Thought for Today
God's very best and absolutely most precious gift to us demands total and absolute faith in His ability and willingness to meet our mundane needs as well.

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PROTECTION IN DISTRESS!!

PROTECTION IN DISTRESS

Verse for Today: Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Psalms 20:1 - May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

When God's children pray in their agonies, their God listens from heaven and answer them at the right time. Their bitter experiences in the world often cause them to feel emotional distress. They become weak and drained out of energy, confidence and courage to face the challenges of life. It is at this time that discouragement props up in their minds to make them wonder if they would make it till the end of their sojourn. The enemy will make use of such opportunities to whisper in their ears that they might not make it at all. But God knows our situations well and has made provisions for us to get release from distress and agony. In times like these, all we need to do is to call upon the name of the Lord. We can call Him in the normal walks of our lives on a daily basis. We can also cry out in the emergencies that we are forced to go through. Our cry to the Lord is the sure evidence that we are no more sufficient to meet the challenges in life. The Lord knows the extent and depth of our need for a release from the distress we experience in our souls. Our distress calls will be answered by our Lord who is always listening to our cries. When He hears our cries, He would have compassion on us. He has abundance of loving kindness in His presence which He will pour into our hearts to give us the peace that passes all understanding in times of severe agony because of our situations. He will reveal Himself to us as the Lord of all circumstances. He rules and overrules all our circumstances to give us confidence that with His help we will make it to the other side of the lake of life that we passing through. He is the Lord of all the wind, the waves and the instability that we experience in this world. His name will be our protection in times of difficulties so that we will not be moved.

Dear reader, are you in distress because of your circumstances and the constant attack of the enemy to destabilize you? Have you become discouraged because of the difficulties that you are faced with in life? Is the situation that you face today baffling you and making you to loose your courage and boldness to face your situation and win over it? Remember, you are sealed with the name of your Lord to protect you from all evil. He encompasses around you and His angels are in special charge of you. Your Lord never sleeps nor slumbers and He hears all your cries of distress. In fact, your Lord knows your situation even before you go through it and He has already prepared a way out for you. He will overrule all eventualities that will cause you to be hurt. He will use the circumstances to train you up further in the school of faith. All your circumstances are opportunities for you to learn to trust the Lord and enjoy His special grace. These are to build you up and not to tear you down. He will not allow you to be torn down by the enemy through any of your difficult circumstances. He will cover you with Himself, and the power of His name will protect you. His name is your greatest source of power which He pours onto you through His Spirit. He will come to your rescue at the time of dire need. He will use all your difficult circumstances to prove His faithfulness to you and help you to come out victorious. The protection enjoyed by David is available to you also in times of dire need. So dear friend, cheer up because your Lord is at work for you to become victorious even in the worst scenarios of life. May you have the grace to cling on to this Lord of yours whose name is your stronghold in all that you go through today.

Psalms 34:6 - This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles.

Thought for Today
The companionship of the Lord is granted to His children in times of distress and victory.

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FROM TROUBLED WATERS TO QUIET WATERS!!

FROM TROUBLED WATERS TO QUIET WATERS!

Verse for Today: Monday, May 09, 2011
Psalms 18:16 - (The Lord) reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

The eyes of the Lord are always upon His children just as a baby is looked after by its mother. This is because the Lord knows that we live in a world which has many dangers. There are more spiritual dangers than physical dangers and the Lord reaches out from Heaven to safekeeping His children out of all their troubles because of His compassion towards them. He guides us on our daily walk and helps us to be on His track. He prevents us from taking the costly detours in life to help us to avoid the ruins that the enemy of our souls schemes for us. But when we are in deep trouble, He comes to pick us up by His hands. Sometimes, we get into deep waters because of our own foolish decisions and at other times we are the depth of difficulties because of the manipulations of the enemy. The enemy of our souls is a destroyer and a thief. He comes to annihilate us, but his approach will be friendly. He will try to lure us into his trap and divert us into his paths of destruction. In all such circumstances our Lord will be with us. His eyes are always on us. He sends His Word to reprove and instruct us to go on the right track which He has designed for us for His purpose in total dependence of Him each day and draw from His resources to meet all our needs. When David was in trouble from the enemy and in helpless situations, the Lord held him in His mighty hands and picked him up from dangerous situations. He won wars for David and handled all his enemies through the power of His might. The Lord who proved His faithfulness to David is the same Lord with the same grace to deliver us from the depth of difficulties that we are in. He will definitely rescue us from all the dangerous situations that we are in and will not allow us to falter.

Dear reader, if you are in the depth of trouble, please know that you are not abandoned by your Lord. He is with you in your situation today and knows the depth of your needs and the troubles that you are in. He expects you to have total dependence on Him and cry unto Him for help. The Lord will hear you and will extend His mighty hands to pick you up from the depths you are in. If you are disillusioned because of the troubles, He will not only rescue you, but will strengthen your soul and comfort your heart. If you are depressed, He will fill your heart with songs in the night to sing along and be joyful. If you are discouraged, He will give you courage and boldness to go forward, trusting the Lord to handle your situations. If you have lost hope, He will fill you with His hope that in Him there is a solution to all your problems. Remember, all your problems are opportunities for the Lord to demonstrate His power and strength in your life. There is no need for you to be afraid of your situations because you are in the mighty hands of the Lord. Your safety and security are assured by His power and might. Without the permission of the Lord, no power in this universe will touch you. No situation that you are passing through is too hard for your Lord to handle. Even if all your dear ones abandon you, the Lord will come to your help. All that the Lord expects from you is your undiluted trust in His power to rescue you from trouble. He will come your way like the unexpected arrival of the Good Samaritan on Jericho Road and will do what is necessary to rescue you from all dangers and take you to safety. Today it is your privilege to know the hand of the Lord to take you out of the deep waters you are going through for His glory.

Psalms 18:35 - You give me Your shield of victory, and Your right hand sustains me; You stoop down to make me great.

Thought for Today
There is no moment in our lives when the right hand of the Lord is not around us.

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MELODIES OF THE OPPRESSED!!

MELODIES OF THE OPPRESSED!

Verse for Today: Sunday, May 08, 2011
Psalms 103:6 - The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgements for all who are oppressed.

Oppression takes different forms like intimidation, suppression of feelings and rights, depravity of belongings and rights, physical persecution, threats of various kind, nagging and unfair treatment. This phenomenon became part of human behavior and relationships through conflict which was a direct consequence of sin in man. Most people in this world are either the oppressors or the oppressed. Sometimes both these groups find their tables turned and we find oppressed people take vengeance through retaliation to try to teach the oppressors lessons. But these courses are not necessary for the oppressed people of God. They are emotionally, physically and economically oppressed by the world and its people largely because they belong to the Lord. When they try to live as taught by Jesus in showing the other cheek or leave quietly when treated unfairly, they receive the grace to leave the consequences to their Lord. The Lord Himself experienced oppression in this world and died an oppressed death on the cross. He never retaliated or resorted to calling names. He did not react when the enemies hurled insults at Him. When they persecuted Him after declaring Him innocent, He made no threats of any kind. He simply entrusted Himself and the oppressors to the Just Judge. He prayed that the Father forgive the oppressors. We know that both Stephen and Paul prayed that God forgive their oppressors because they believed that their God performs righteous deeds and judgements for His children. This released them from the bondage of retaliation and any temptation to have ill-will against their oppressors. They used the weapons of prayer and forgiveness which healed their hurt as a result of the oppressions they suffered. Such an attitude has helped David to sing songs of praise to the Lord of the oppressed.

Dear reader, are you a prey to oppression of a physical, emotional or economic nature? Do you find it difficult to endure this unbearable injustice? Do you have the temptation to react when oppressed? The best response from a child of God when oppressed is to meditate on the oppression our Lord endured for us. He understands the depth of pain that your soul is inflicted with when you are unfairly treated by those around you for no fault of yours. He sympathizes with you and wants to come to you today to comfort and strengthen you. The oppression will make you more patient and strong so that Christ-likeness will grow in your character and behavior. It will produce hope in you to wait for God to avenge you and comfort you. The Lord Jesus will comfort you by showing you the depth of His oppression which He endured for you at the cross. While suffering oppression, we need to keep on committing ourselves to the Lord and allow our self to be crucified so that we will not have the temptation to retaliate or react in a negative way. When we take law into our own hands, our Lord will not judge our oppressors. We must learn to be quiet and take our hands off the situation and give the Lord full freedom to act in our situation. He will then work on our character and make us like Him. He will fill us with His joy which will be our strength in times of oppression and intimidation. Our Lord will perform righteousness in our own lives and forgive us all our shortcomings as we forgive those who treat us unfairly. When we are unjustly crucified by the world around us, our Lord will hold us in His nail-pierced hands to strengthen and comfort us. Let His comfort be our strength today to weather away the pain of oppression that we suffer today.

Psalms 10:17 - You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them and You listen to their cry.

Thought for Today
The hope in glory that is bestowed upon God's children make them wait patiently and joyfully for the day when all their oppressions will be removed forever.

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THRONE FOUNTAIN OF GRACE AND MERCY!!

THRONE FOUNTAIN OF GRACE AND MERCY

Verse for Today: Saturday, May 07, 2011
Hebrews 4:16 - Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

When the child of God is faced with needs in the physical, emotional and spiritual realms of life, he or she has a place to go for help. There is full freedom and privilege to approach the throne of grace with confidence and courage because the our Lord is sitting on the throne. This throne is the source of grace and mercy according to the depth of our needs. There is grace for every need when the Lord would deal with us not according to our faults and failures. There is abundance of mercy at the throne where our merciful Lord would not give us what we deserve according to our iniquities and shortcomings. Our Lord is compassionate. He comforts us in our failures and equips us with more strength to resist temptations. He equips us to come out successfully in the tests He has designed for us. He gives us wise counsel so that we would not be trapped and lured by the enemies of our souls through deception. When we go through the valley of darkness, He will be there to give us light. When we are friendless, He will give us His companionship and fellowship. Apostle Paul received this special grace when he was in the dungeons of Roman Empire. Joseph received this grace and mercy when he was in the prison cells of Egypt. Jacob received this grace and forgiveness when he had to run away from his father's house. Isaac received this grace when he had to keep on digging wells. Abraham received this grace and mercy when he was a sojourner in the land of Canaan. Daniel received this grace when he was serving a foreign tyrant, and even when he had to go to the lion's den.

Dear reader, no matter what your needs are today, there is a place to go to with open hands and hearts for help. You will be treated with compassion and grace when you knock at the door of the Lord. You have the freedom to ask for your needs to be met. This throne of grace is for His children where they are dealt with compassion and mercy. It is a throne of help, support, strength, encouragement and comfort. You and I can go there any time because the one who is seated there is our Lord. The love of God demonstrated on the cross of Calvary is emanating from this throne. This is an inviting throne. It is a throne of abundance of peace of God. This is the only place which will meet our needs no matter how deep they are. You are guaranteed that you will never be rejected or resented at this throne. It is a place for counsel, help, admonition, correction, training and guidance for the journey. You will find forgiveness for all your offences there. You will be given an opportunity to start all over again no matter what your past was, and how great a failure you were. It is a place of a series of new beginnings. It is where the nail-pierced hands of the Lord will hold you close to Him and will comfort you far better than a mother would cuddle her child. Let us today use our privilege to approach this throne and drink from its fountain of grace and mercy. It is where we thank the Lord for meeting our needs and for all His help in our daily walk with Him. May this throne of our Lord make us also more graceful and merciful in all our dealings so that all whose lives we touch will enjoy the grace and mercy of our Lord.

Hebrews 3:1 - Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

Thought for Today
The Lord's throne is a fountain of grace and mercy towards all His children in all their situations and needs.

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BURDEN BEARING PARTNERSHIP!!

BURDEN BEARING PARTNERSHIP!

Verse for Today: Friday, May 06, 2011
Psalms 16:8 - I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

A person who experiences the presence of the Lord in all circumstances will not be shaken no matter what might come his way. Such a person can say with confidence that the Lord is in each of the situations with him and that together they could handle it. This is a holy partnership that the Lord has given as a privilege to His beloved children who have handed over all their situations to Him. If we are unwilling to hand our situations on to the Lord, we would have to carry all the burdens all alone because there would be no one else to help us. When we hand it over to the Lord, He comes to carry us in His hands. When He is carrying us, He carries our burdens also. He knows that our burdens are too heavy for us as handle all alone. So the Lord comes to helps us carry our burdens with His power and at the same time He carries us in His hands. This is the beauty of the divine burden bearing partnership. So we need not waste our energy in bearing our burdens all alone, as it would be the most unintelligent thing to do. If we do, we will soon be weary, miserable and feel despondent. The Lord wants to ask us as to why we would want to carry the burden all alone when there is supernatural help available. We need to first come to realize our total inability to carry our burdens ourselves. Then we should go to the Lord and confess that He alone is able to help us. Thirdly we should unburden ourselves in the presence of the Lord and give Him full charge of it all. Fourthly we should not succumb to the pressure and temptation of the situation to take it back from the presence of the Lord to try it again all alone.

Dear reader, if you have set the Lord before you as the all-sufficient burden bearer, it should be easy for you to go to Him and submit all your burdens. For this to happen, you should continually dwell in His presence and in His shadow. When David had great burdens of being rejected by all around him, and when he was attacked from all corners, He set the Lord as his divine burden bearer in front of him and kept all his difficult situations at His feet. When Abraham, Isaac, Rachel and Hannah faced childlessness as their greatest burden, they kept their burdens in the presence of the Lord. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem by setting the Lord before him and allowed Him to take charge of the building program for His name sake. When Daniel, Joseph, Jacob, Ruth, Job, Paul and all the other servants of the Lord were confronted with difficult situations, all of them set the Lord as their partner in burden bearing and kept dwelling in His presence. The Lord gave them all the reassurance that He would bear their burdens and give them release. When they handed over their heavy loads to the Lord, the burdens were lifted and the joy of the Lord encompassed around them. None of the forces behind the difficult circumstances bothered them thereafter. They were no longer perplexed and shaken with anxiety and fear, but were able to relax because their Lord was in charge of their situations. The Lord was their strength and He gave them courage and boldness to go forward by faith in the Lord who is their burden bearer. Their Lord is our Lord too and He will be with us each day to bear our burdens for us if we set Him before us as our refuge and bulwark.

1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on the Lord because He cares for You.

Thought for Today
The Lord who bore all our burdens alone on Calvary is today our partner in bearing our daily burdens to leave us unshaken in all circumstances.

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SMOOTH AND STRAIGHT PATHWAY!!

SMOOTH AND STRAIGHT PATHWAY!

Verse for Today: Thursday, May 05, 2011

Isaiah 42:16 - I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth; these are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

When God's people Israel went through a period of hopelessness and disillusionment, their God reassured them through Prophet Isaiah that He will never forsake them. They had the promise that He will remove darkness from their eyes and guide them on the right way to go forward. His promise of light was with them. His guarantee of divine guidance was their escort in the rough and crooked ways of life. These promises are for all God's people all the time during their sojourn. If there is any one who feels that he or she has lost the way and is now treading through rough and tough terrain and crooked byways, all they need to do is to look unto the Lord who has gone before them. He knows the ways we need to take. The way is such that we would need to learn to walk by faith as He leads each step of the way. If it has to be a walk with Him, it cannot be by sight. It has to be always a walk by faith and trust in His providence to show us the way. Walking with Him each step of the way is a wonderful training to learn to walk by faith in Him. When all support around us wane way, we would need to lean on to the Lord and hold on to Him by faith. The world around will come at that time to give us some of its technology to trust on to. The enemy of our souls will advise that there is a detour that we can take. Our flesh will support these moves by developing a desire to prove our intelligence and use reason to depend on. Even during such times, the Lord will be with us and lead us through His eyes.

Dear reader, are you feeling darkness on your way forward? Do you feel like you have lost the way? Perhaps you have lost the joy of walking with the Lord because there are too many dangers and that the way is sometimes rough and crooked. But these need not discourage you because you are walking with the Lord who knows the way. He is your guide and He is your light in the dark alleys and byways of life. He guides you through His Word and His Spirit. He gives you light for your path and lamp for your feet so that your pathway is lit and your steps are on firm grounds. You are already placed on a firm rock which is the Lord Jesus Himself. Your walk is as per His call. He has helped you to start this course and He knows where you will end according to His plans for you. Your course is set out clearly and the travel plan is clearly laid out. You need not know your terrain for tomorrow. You will be told what it would be like when you reach tomorrow. He knows your tomorrows and knows what you will face, and has prepared everything for all your needs on the way. You will be in His shadow and in the coolness of His green pastures. If there is difficulty on the way, the Lord will remove it or will give you the grace to go through it all. He will hold your hands and take you forward to your destination. Your future is secure in Him and through Him. You are privileged to enjoy the personal attention and guidance of your Lord on all the days of your life. Today it is your opportunity to enjoy this journey with the Lord.

Psalms 16:11 - You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

Thought for Today
There is no greater thrill than walking with Jesus on a daily basis by faith and trust in Him.

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RIGHT THIRST AND RIGHT QUENCHING!!

RIGHT THIRST AND RIGHT QUENCHING

Verse for Today: Wednesday, May 04, 2011
John 4:13 - Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again".

Thirst is a reality in human life. There is thirst in the mind for knowledge and in the body for water. There is also a thirst in the heart for the creator. The world offers different substances to quench these different thirsts. As we are drained out, we need to hydrate ourselves often with what we choose. But Jesus gives the water of eternal life which will quench the thirst of the heart and the soul and will influence the thirst of the mind also. Jesus Himself is the Living Water and He satisfies each and every craving of man. He will soak us and dip us into His person, and the knowledge of Him gives us what we need to be eternally satisfied. Once a person tastes Him, there won't be any need to go to any other source to satisfy the inner thirst. Jesus, the Living Water, is the embodiment of all the goodness of God and He satisfies every need of the human heart and mind qualitatively. But the world which is well known for manipulating our minds promotes different things like possessions, positions and prominence which creates temporal satisfaction, but the more we drink of it, the more we would desire it. When Jesus gives peace, the world gives sleeping pills to sleep. When Jesus provides joy, the world gives entertainment and worldly wisdom for satisfaction which have proved to be temporary and leaves people more empty and thirsty. The world gives people worldly achievement and success which have temporary impact in their lives and leaves them with new desire for more and more of it. The world also gives wealth, fame and prestige which will make people go for more and more of it. Thus all that the world gives to satisfy man's thirst will create more thirst for the same thing which will make man exasperated and disillusioned through addiction without lasting joy and peace. But Jesus satisfies the soul and the heart of man with Heavenly and eternal goodness of God like peace, joy, love and contentment in life.

Dear friend, what are you craving for in life? Is your desire focused on the world and its never-satisfying temporal things? All who have gone that way have been immersed into disillusionment because what the world offers never gives lasting satisfaction. It gives only an illusion and a false sense of satisfaction. But what Jesus gives lasts forever. The heavenly wisdom that He gives far outweighs the temporal knowledge this world gives which ends with our lives here on earth. But our spiritual wisdom will be with us throughout eternity. It starts with the knowledge of Jesus the Holy One. He gives peace to those who go through conflicts and confusions in life. He gives joy which is unspeakable in spite of circumstances, possessions, positions and prominence in the world. He makes us focused on what we are given that we will not loose. He gives friendship and fellowship for the weary and the lonely. He gives joy that is not based on what a person has, but on knowing and having the companionship of Jesus in the earthly sojourn. Jesus assures that if we drink the Living Water, we will not be thirsty again for the temporal things in life. When God lives in our hearts and thoughts, He will fill us with Himself to the extent to which we develop apathy for those temporal things which make us spiritually sick and weak. But we have to make conscious choice and effort to know God and keep desiring more of His goodness. It comes from the reading and meditating of the Word of God and having communion with Him through His indwelling Spirit. It comes from spending quality time with the Lord in His holy presence and in fellowship with His people. Such a life of fullness of the Lord and His Word will become a spring of Living Water in us towards those whose lives are like parched ground, thirsting for eternal satisfaction. Will your life today be a stream and a spring of the Water of Life so that it would be a blessing to others around you?

John 7:38 - He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From His innermost being will flow rivers of living water".

Thought for Today
Jesus quenches our thirst eternally whereas the world creates deeper and unquenchable thirst in us for temporal things to finally leave us in disillusionment.

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AMAZING GLORY REVEALED DAILY!!

AMAZING GLORY REVEALED DAILY!

Verse for Today: Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Matthew 8:27 - The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"

The disciples of Jesus had no difficulty to understand the need for people to obey Him. But they never expected that nature and its forces would also obey Him. When they experienced the wind and the fierce storm in the sea and how the Lord Jesus intervened to stop the storm, they were amazed at the way nature responded to His commands. Such disbelief is seen in the world today. Sometimes such feelings are there even among God's people. It is one thing for us to read in the Bible about the power Jesus has over nature, but when it comes to believing that Jesus could exert control over nature in our own circumstances, it becomes amazing. The seeming disbelief would prevent us from expecting Jesus to control our environment, and so we are often not bold enough to pray for the Lord to intervene to stop a rain, wind or even waves. This feeling prevents us from praying for Jesus' intervention in nature to facilitate His children. When Jesus intervenes in our circumstances, we are astonished. This incident is accounted for in the Bible to speak to us today that no matter what force is against us, we should believe that the Lord is capable of removing the hindrances to facilitate our safe passage forward. It also encourages us to go to Jesus with the prayer that the hindrance in nature, environment or from people would be removed for us to go forward in our daily walk with the Lord. It is through these interventions that we come to know and experience the Lord more intimately and deeply in our daily lives. The Lord opens our eyes to see Him and His glory through His mighty acts for us.

Dear reader, you have the freedom today to ask the Lord to help you out of your difficult situations because the Lord Jesus is the Lord of all situations. He is able to control the nature and the environment to allow His children to enjoy a safe passage forward. We are neither to retreat nor to take detours because He is able to open a way in front of us no matter what hinders us. He can control the sea billows, stop the heavenly bodies on their orbits and change the direction of waves, wind, water, fire and other elements which were all created by Him. All of these elements and forces in nature obey Him unconditionally because they are under His authority. When Jesus exerts His power over nature, we are able to see His glory revealed in it. Through it all, the Lord Jesus expects us to have unreserved faith in His might to save us in the wake of any calamity in our situations. He saves us from the storms people create in our situations too. But He sometimes takes us through the storms to teach us faith and to test the level of our trust in Him. He wants to know whether we give lip service to our faith or we truly put all our trust in Him. He also makes us to marvel at His glory as it is revealed to us through His interventions in our circumstances. Let us today put all our faith in the Lord in all our circumstances and learn to trust Him to pave our way forward according to His will. Let us trust Him to intervene when it is necessary so that all hindrances on our way will be replaced with His glory on the wings of His praise. As He reveals His glory through our circumstances, it causes us to marvel at Him and to give Him all our allegiance, undivided devotion and absolute dependence.

Psalms 107:8 - Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men.

Thought for Today
Our amazement about the power and glory of our Lord will take the whole eternity to unfold to our great astonishment and wonder which will cause us to praise Him.

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HEAVENLY INHERITANCE FOR EARTHLY LIVING!!

HEAVENLY INHERITANCE FOR EARTHLY LIVING!

Verse for Today: Monday, May 02, 2011
Psalms 16:5 - Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.

The greatest inheritance that has been received by God's people is God Himself. In all that they experience in this life, their lot is the Lord. In Him they have all that they need in this life which is the beginning of eternal life. This life with the inheritance of God is the preparation for the life that is to come when we will be ushered into His physical presence. But all the blessings of that life is already given to us positionally to enjoy here and now. God's children are already seated in the heavenly places with Christ. Our inheritance is far beyond any human definition. It is far greater than what any one has ever described. This is because our greatest inheritance is the Lord Himself and in Him we will find all the fullness of God to meet all our needs and wants. All the answers to our questions are found in Him. All the unrevealed aspects of our life here on earth are in Him and will be revealed in God's time. All that we are going to become are already settled in Him in Heaven. God has authenticated it all with His name because of which there need not be any doubt or confusion about it. The inheritance that is awaiting us in Heaven has nothing to do with the material things that we might or might not have in the present world. The painful life will become painless and the poor life will be rich. The weary life will become restful and the frustrated life will become joyful. The knowledge of our inheritance with God as its signatory is available to us even now to live a contented life. It becomes our experience if we take God at His word and possess it by faith.

Dear weary soul, God wants you to know today that He has a rich and fragrant life prepared for you in eternity which you can start enjoying even today. He has designed a life of great contentment for you here and now to enjoy in spite of your difficult circumstances. But in order to enjoy such a life today, you need to overcome the pressures of the world by faith. Such a faith, if exercised, would make you throw behind all the cares that this world burdens you with. When earthly pressures mound, your faith in the Lord who carries your pressures will help you to learn the art of handing these over to Him who is capable of carrying it for you. When burdens knock at your door, your faith should enable you to deal with it in the Heavenly grace that is given to you. It is unthinkable that a person who has the Lord as his inheritance lives in this world licking his wounds and wallowing over the past frustrations. The inheritance the Lord has given you is also a rich life of Heavenly peace which would not be rattled by the winds of past experiences of despair, loss or failure. If you have lost opportunities, the Lord will give you better opportunities. If you have failed in the past, He will wipe it away and help you to attempt greater things in the future. If you are despised, He will honor you for His name' sake. If you had to take the cross, He will give you crowns. If you have tears, He will convert it into joy unspeakable. Not only that, your inheritance is secure through the Lord which no one can take away from you. Such an exciting life is available to you today to enjoy, and its fullness will come when we see the Lord face to face. But it should start here and now and will work as the best therapy for all your ailments today. Let us not waste our inheritance which is the result of all that the Lord Jesus has accomplished through His cross.

Psalms 16:8 - I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Thought for Today
A heart which acknowledges the depth and height of the inheritance the Lord has bestowed upon us will weather away all adverse circumstances by faith.

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HOLY BOLDNESS!!

HOLY BOLDNESS!

Verse for Today: Sunday, May 01, 2011
Psalms 27:1 - The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?

The knowledge of the strength and services the Lord has made available to His children gives them the holy boldness to face the fiercest battles in life. Such boldness comes from total dependence on the revealed attributes of the Lord which come from the experiences through which the Lord takes His children on a daily basis. When they need direction in a dark world, God's children go to Him who is the light of the world. In His light they are able to see the pathway that He has marked out for them. When there are formidable forces working against them, the children of God depend on the strength of the Lord to deliver them out of it. Total dependence on the power and strength of the Lord takes away all fear and lack of confidence from His children and make them bold enough to walk forward trusting in Him. Such experiential knowledge about the power of our Lord makes us challenge any force on earth which comes to shake our faith or threaten us. Even when we pass through a time of darkness, the Lord is with us to hold our hands and take us forward. When decisions are hard to make, the Lord gives us the confidence to go forward trusting Him to take us to the next milestone that we need to reach. At each milestone, we have the opportunity to praise the Lord for taking us there and trust Him to lead us on. This was what patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did. So on their way, they often stopped to worship and praise God who brought them to that point in life. How wonderful it is to meet the Patriarchs at Hebron, Bethel, Beersheba, Peniel, Cherith, Moriah and Mahanaim and join them in worshipping Jehovah-Jireh who is also our Ebenezer!

Dear friend, your Lord is with you today to make your pathway shine with His light. He walks in front of you to ward off any attack of the enemy and deliver you with His might. But remember, you will face distractions from the enemy to go the wrong way. The enemy of your soul will send you pseudo lights, but you need to test to see where it is coming from and keep away from all that is not from the Lord. Perhaps you will have the temptation to depend on your own knowledge, strength, skills or ideas. Dependence on these will take away your trust in the Lord. In all the steps that we take forward, we must consult the Lord and ask for His leading. It is always better to wait for the Lord's time to come. Doing things in a hurry can often lead us to act impulsively. Let us make sure that our impulses are cross-checked with the Lord in order to make sure not to take any wrong move forward. Let us keep our eyes and ears open to the wisdom which comes from the Lord through His Word and His Spirit. Let us fix our eyes on the Lord and on His light and strength. Let us confess any detour that we have taken and come back to the right path which the Lord shows us. On His path, we will see His light and enjoy His deliverance. Let us depend on His strength to deliver us from the dangers that might come our way. David had to depend solely on the strength and light of the Lord to move from darkness and danger. Today the God of David is with us and will make available to us the same light that He shed on the way of all His servants in the past. We can depend on this God who is the very personal help in times of need to keep us going when the going gets tough and there is rough weather around us.

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 high upon a rock.

Thought for Today
When we depend on the light and strength of the Lord for our daily walk, He will give us the holy boldness to laugh at all impossibilities and march forward.

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