Sunday, May 31, 2009

365 Blessings- March 9


"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”(Jeremiah 1:5)

So many things happened without Jeremiah even realizing it. He was known by God before he was formed in the womb, he was set apart by God before he was born and he was appointed by God as a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah was one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Here the Lord was calling him to begin his prophetic ministry to the Israelites. He replied to the call in this manner: "Ah, Sovereign LORD," "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." (Jeremiah 1:6)

There's always a tendency for us to judge us by ourselves. How good we are or how capable we are. Jeremiah did not know what the Lord actually wanted of him, so he replied in that manner. But we must remember that when God calls one to the ministry to do his work of proclaiming the Gospel, he is the one who equips us for the task.
Thus the Lord replied,
"Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." (Jeremiah 1:7-10)

Jeremiah prophesied to the Israelites at a stage when they were living in rebellion to the Lord. He prophesied judgement and destruction and deportation. He was not popular because people did not want to hear about impending judgement and destruction. That's why he had to suffer at the hands of his fellow men. Yet he was faithful to the Lord who had called him to the prophetic ministry.

God expects us to be faithful to his call and do the work that he has entrusted us with. Whether people listen to us or not is not the issue we have to be unduly worried about. It's whether we are faithful.
When God called another priest Ezekiel to the prophetic ministry, he told him one thing very clearly:
You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. (Ezekiel 2:7)

Let us then, who have been called by him to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ be faithful to him.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

365 Blessings- March 8


Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27, 28)

The writer of Hebrews talks about the return of Jesus Christ in this very wonderful passage where he also speaks of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Interestingly the point that stands out here is that Christ is coming back for those who are waiting for him. Immediately the question arises of whether the dead are also waiting for him. In fact they are; and the following verses attest to this fact.

"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:28, 29)
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

He is coming to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Are you waiting for him?

The Bible says,
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. (James 5:7)
You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. (James 5:8)

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
Are you waiting for him? Blessed are you if you are.

Friday, May 29, 2009

365 Blessings- March 7


By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. (1 Corinthians 6:14)

As one reads of Apostle Paul making this statement, it is evident that he is convinced of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and also that those who believe in the sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and live according to God's Word will likewise be resurrected by the power of God.

What wonderful hope that instills in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ!

With so many daunting problems to be faced each day while living in this world, the Word of God brings hope and assurance for them who believe in the Lord.

The Bible says,
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Corinthians 5:1)

The fleshly body will see decay some day when the blood stops flowing, the breath is no more taken and someone declares 'one' brain dead. Yet, the spirit and soul live on and for the believer there's a promise that will be fulfilled- they will receive an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
The Bible says,
Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)

What a blessed hope.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)

Thursday, May 28, 2009

365 Blessings- March 6


The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." (Judges 7:7)

7th book of the Bible, 7th Chapter, 7th verse...Wonderful Promise to Gideon.

The size of the armies of the enemy was astounding:
The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. (Judges 7:12)

Gideon set out with 32,000 men to fight the Midianites and the Amalekites. God told Gideon to ask all who were fearful to go home. 22,000 went back, 10,000 were left. Perhaps Gideon was satisfied that atleast 10,000 were left to fight against the enemy. But God had other plans. He told Gideon,
"There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. (Judges 7:4-6)

And then came the promise--With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.

300 against a vast army. No, not 300. 300+ God Almighty. And then immediately the ratios change. 300 becomes 300+ omnipotence.
And no kind of permutations and combinations of the enemy can stand against the army of God.

Do you feel that your strength is little while fighting the evil forces arrayed against you? Remember that Jesus is with you. He's the one who disarmed the powers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

300+ God Almighty proved to be too much for the Midianites and Amalekites. God gave a great victory to Gideon and the Israelites.

You, as a child of God are not alone in your war against satanic foes. It's (you+ God Almighty) against satan. So the battle becomes the Lord's and the victory is yours.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

365 Blessings- March 5

Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. (Proverbs 3:25,26)

What's our confidence? The things that we boast about is where our confidence lies. People of the world boast about things of the world. But what about the believer? The Apostle Paul has a few things to say to us regarding this:

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

And if the Lord is our confidence, the promise given above is for us. The promise exhorts us not to fear sudden disaster or the ruin that overtakes the wicked. The Lord will keep our foot from being snared.

Psalms 91 and 124 speak of the fowler's snare:
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. (Psalm 91:3)
We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. (Psalm 124:7)

Psalm 91:3 speaks of how God saves those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High and Psalm 124:7 speaks of deliverance for the one on whose side the Lord is.

If your confidence is in the Lord, he will save and deliver you too.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

365 Blessings- March 4

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

Do you believe that Jesus is with you, to be specific, near you, as you read this devotional? You can't see him yet you believe he is with you? Wonderful! Jesus says you are blessed if you believe that.

Many a time, we feel Jesus is so very far away especially when we are suffering. We feel he doesn't seem to care even though we pray with faith. He just keeps quiet. We often wonder why he does that.

His divine purposes are often difficult to understand. But his assurance is that he is with us, that's why one of his names is "Immanuel" meaning God with us.

So what's the agenda of sleeping calmly in the boat when his disciples' knees are knocking because of a furious storm? Or that special appearance walking on the waters, one dark and windy night when his disciples had lost all hopes and were seeing ghosts?

Why can't life be easy? The disciples must have thought sometimes. But perhaps they did not then comprehend that he was shaping them up for greater things.

Moses was put in God's school of training for quite a while- around 40 years and just when he thought that life was all settled- good wife, 2 boys, good father-in-law, lot of sheep...God thought it was time for a new job for Moses. The hottest job in the Middle East, so as to say...and Moses didn't want it... But God had his way..

He's going to lead you through some wonderful ways. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised....You believe in him though you do not see him..you believe his Words; Jesus says "You are blessed."


Monday, May 25, 2009

365 Blessings- March 3

Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10)

Do you believe that? I mean the part of the verse above that says,
...."for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked."
All those escapes from accidents and sicknesses and terrifying situations. Do you think they all happened by chance?

Even when you did not know Christ, yet because you were chosen to be a part of his kingdom, God protected you. What's the proof? you may ask.

Here is something that the Lord had to say to King Cyrus who was a Gentile king, that of Persia.
"This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains ; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:1-6)

Notice these words...For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me....

Twice God says....though you do not acknowledge me...

You must remember that even when you had not acknowledged God, he was there to protect you and deliver you from the wicked one because you were chosen by him to be a part of his kingdom. Now that you have acknowledged Jesus as Lord and Savior, his promises have great value in your life. Hold on to his promises.

The Lord has this to say to you today:
Be strong and courageous....(Joshua 1:6,7,9)


365 Blessings- March 2

For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. (Psalm 48:14)

I guess one could not ask for a better guide in this earthly sojourn. But God does not guide anyone unless they choose to have a personal relationship with him.
Does he appear to be distant from you though you pray, sing and worship him? Try having a personal relationship with him like Father & Son or Father & Daughter.
The Bible says,
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - (John 1:12)

As a child of God you have the privilege to ask him to guide you in every aspect of your life. You will be guided by the Holy Spirit who is always in you and with you after you become a child of God.
After liberating the Israelites from Egyptian bondage God Almighty chose to be with them. The Bible says,
By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. (Exodus 13:21)

The same thing is mentioned in the book of Nehemiah:
"Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. (Nehemiah 9:19)

God has great compassion on you because you are his child. Whenever you call out "Father", he is there to hear you.
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15)

The psalmist Asaph sums up this matter in a wonderful way:
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. (Psalm 73:23, 24)

Yes; we too as children of God can emphatically say,
For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. (Psalm 48:14)


Saturday, May 23, 2009

365 Blessings- March 1

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:43)

Jesus stated this after telling his hearers a parable; in fact he spoke a series of parables on this occasion as he sat in a boat and the crowds stood on the shore. The parable that ended with the above statement was this:
Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
"'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" (Matthew 13:24-30)

Jesus later explained the parable to his disciples:
"The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:37-42)

Jesus ended by saying...Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

No one can take away the honor that will be bestowed on the righteous in the end. The Bible says,
But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. (Malachi 4:2)

Shall we then wait for God's promises to be fulfilled?
May the Holy Spirit help us all. 

Thursday, May 21, 2009

365 Blessings- February 29

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.(1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

The first few chapters of 1 Chronicles are full of names. Yet we see God in his great wisdom including this small but significant prayer of Jabez in Chapter 4. His mother had named him Jabez because she had given birth to him in pain. Jabez means sorrow or trouble. But Jabez cried out to the God of Israel. He prayed three specific things in his prayer. One, that the Lord would bless him. Two, that the God would enlarge his territory. Three, that the hand of God would be with him and keep him from harm so that he would be free from pain. The Bible says that God granted his request.

All prayers that we pray are valuable, but prayers where we pray with specific details could be much more effective. Things start changing in our lives as we set aside prayers prayed for the sake of praying and start praying specifically and persistently. Even if you are or feel you are insignificant, uncared for by people, and called good for nothing, God is able to change your circumstances. He is able to lift you up. He is able to bless you, like he blessed Jabez.

The Bible says Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. He was more honorable because God brought about a blessed change in his life by answering his prayers. You and me, we too can pray like Jabez, with specific details of the problem or problems at hand. If God heard the prayer of Jabez, God will hear your prayer too. If God granted the request of Jabez, he will grant your request too. The God of Jabez loves you. He will bless you. The Apostle Paul says in rhetoric,

......If God is for us, who can be against us? 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? (Romans 8:31, 32)

Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who answers our prayers.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

365 Blessings- February 28

Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you, declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 41:14)

Have you ever felt insignificant? Not of much worth or any at all?
It happens sometimes to most believer's and to few believer's many a time. The title verse here speaks of worthlessness of Israel, God's own people. Jacob/Israel compared to a worm.

Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's friends had this to say when Job suffered:
"Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. Can his forces be numbered? Upon whom does his light not rise?
How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less man, who is but a maggot - a son of man, who is only a worm!" (Job 25:1-6)

....how much less man, who is but a maggot - a son of man, who is only a worm!........

Because of multiple pressing circumstances in life, some believer's consider their condition as that of Israel spoken of by God here i.e. little or insignificant.

What's the worth of a worm? Nothing, so as to say, yet the title verse speaks as if God even has a compassionate heart to a person who thinks he/she has no worth at all.

Israel lost all it's glory because of sins. They were in a hopeless situation; of little worth. Yet the Lord did not forsake them. He promised to help them.

And he will help you too. The Bible says,
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. (Isaiah 40:29)

Always remember that you are in the safe arms of God Almighty even though you are passing through a troublesome period in your life.
He says,
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) 

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

365 Blessings- February 27

"Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:39, 40)

We must always remember that God is able to do things beyond the limited thinking of our brains. He is El Shaddai, the Almighty God.
The Word of God is peppered with numerous instances of how this All Powerful God did great miracles for his children. He has not changed. He's the same yesterday, today and forever.

What Martha said was not untrue. Logically thinking, she did not want Jesus to make a spectacle of himself and also she wanted to prevent ignominy coming to her family. What she thought was' "when Jesus couldn't do anything when my brother was alive, what could he possibly do now, that too after my brother's dead body has been in the cave for 4 days."

But the God of the Bible is one who split the Red Sea asunder, changed the bitter waters of Marah to sweet, tore apart the Jordan, gave manna to his children for around 40 years, destroyed enemies of Israel time and again, turned water into blood, turned water into wine, multiplied fish and loaves to feed multitudes, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers and did much much more and is even doing many things even today.

His work has not stopped. Jesus once said,
"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." (John 5:17)

He is still able do great miracles. Can you believe that?
Jesus Christ who spoke to Martha and said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" is still working and he says the same to you this day.

Jesus raised up dead Lazarus and proved that he is truly the resurrection and the life.

Remember, nothing is too hard for your Almighty God. He said,
"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)
You must believe… to see your miracle.


Monday, May 18, 2009

365 Blessings- February 26

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Life can be depressing; living can often be tormenting; yet we live on; thanks to the God of hope, Jesus Christ.

Times can be confusing when one is suffering; what must be the cause? Is it sin? Is it Satan? Is it a new virus? The answers are often not easy to find. Yet the small and still voice of the God of hope instills peace inside us.

Jacob had a very traumatic experience when his sons cheated him by telling him that his loving son Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.

He lost all hope and lamented for several years after that.

Later during the famine Joseph insisted that the brothers bring Benjamin to Egypt while Simeon was held back. When Jacob heard this, he said,
"You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me." (Genesis 42:36)
"My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow." (Genesis 42:38)

Jacob thought everything was lost for him, yet the God of hope did a great miracle in his life. 22 years after he had last seen his beloved son, Jacob was reunited with Joseph.

Times can be depressing, life can be tormenting; yet the God of hope doesn't forget us. He says,
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you......." (Isaiah 66:13)
May you abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.


Sunday, May 17, 2009

365 Blessings- February 25

"I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Mark 14:9)

The woman about whom this was said may not have believed this herself when Jesus said it, but it has been proved true. As Jesus said, many a time she has been the topic of discussion all over the world as it is in our devotional today.

The story went in this manner:While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. (Mark 14:3-8)

She, in fact was expressing her love for this man who was the Savior of the world. It was an act of adoration. Notice, there were no words spoken between Jesus and her. Her faith in Jesus was being demonstrated in a very subtle manner.

What about our love for Jesus? Is it being demonstrated in a manner wherein the Lord is pleased?
The question that we have to ask ourselves is this:What's the motive behind all that we do for the Lord? Is it for personal glory or does everything ultimately lead to total glorification of the Lord?

Jesus knows how much we love him even though others may have no idea at all of how near/ how far we are to the Lord. Nothing is hidden from him.

Does the value of our actions equal to what this unknown woman did to Jesus? If yes, then what we have done and are doing has much worth in the Lord's eyes. It will be like a sweet smelling sacrifice in the eyes of the Lord. Even though you may be unknown while living here on earth, one day, Jesus will testify about you in the presence of the Father and the angels.


Saturday, May 16, 2009

365 Blessings- February 24

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? (Luke 18:7)

Do you feel God will keep putting you off all the time? Do you feel that your prayers are not going to be answered? Now, wait a moment. Read the above promise.
God says he will answer you because he is a just God.

The situation that you are facing now has been faced by many believers who cried out in their distresses to the Lord. Here are a few testimonies and pleas:
I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. (Psalm 6:6)
My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" (Psalm 42:3)
Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll - are they not in your record? (Psalm 56:8)

The good news of course is that:
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. (Psalm 126:5)

God says he will bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night.

When that happens, you can join in with the psalmist and say:
Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. (Psalm 116:7-9)

365 Blessings- February 23

They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of Lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (Revelation 17:14)

The above is a prophecy regarding a future war between the Antichrist and his allies against Jesus. As John writes victory is sure because Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
Jesus is always the victor.
Satan thought he was winning a great victory when he got some men inspired by him to crucify Jesus. Alas, that was his greatest mistake.
The Bible says,
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

When Satan thought Jesus was losing while being crucified, he himself actually was being crushed. The prophecy of Genesis Ch.3 was being fulfilled.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15)

Regarding the Antichrist who will be Satan’s chief weapon in the Tribulation period, the Bible says,
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

Finally will come the doom of Satan as is outlined in Revelation Ch. 20.
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)

Praise God. Jesus is always the victor, now and forever. If you are a believer, here's a promise for you from Jesus himself:
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:21)


Thursday, May 14, 2009

365 Blessings- February 22

"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back." (Isaiah 54:7)

Abandoned by all. Abandoned by God too. Whatever be the cause. It must have been a terrible experience. You must have wished to die but that too didn't happen. The pain and the gall. Job experienced it in his life. He lamented:
"Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say. Would he oppose me with great power? No, he would not press charges against me. There an upright man could present his case before him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge. "But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. (Job 23:2-10)

Experiencing the horrible torments in life, Job felt that God had abandoned him. Job wanted to argue with God. He wanted to know what God would answer him. The only problem was that he couldn't find God, neither in the east or in the west, nor in the north or in the south.

But God had not abandoned Job. He was always near; watching.
Are you in a desperate situation these days? Perhaps you feel like God has abandoned you. Take heart.
God says, ""For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:7, 8)
Israel felt abandoned by God when they were punished for their sins. They despaired. But God restored them in his time. God will restore you too. Be strong and courageous. 

365 Blessings- February 21

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. (Genesis 8:20, 21)

God's promise of not to destroy all living creatures again has stood the test of time and has been true to this day.
One family of 8 survived the flood because God found one man to be righteous in that generation. The Bible says, "Noah walked with God."

When everyone around is going astray don't take that as a clue that everything is lost. The Lord's eyes are on them whose hearts are committed to him.

The prophet Elijah thought that he was the only righteous man in all Israel. In his self righteous attitude he told God twice the following things:
"I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." (1 Kings 19:10)

God corrected him by telling him that:
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. (1 Kings 19:18)

Perhaps you may think that you are the only one left whose doctrines are all right. Good for you, but God has seen many more hearts that are living for him though their doctrines may not be perfect.

Come to think of it, all the 7 people in the ark besides Noah perhaps were not righteous as him, yet God did not forsake them. Your spouse or children or parents may not be as spiritual as you are, yet God doesn't condemn them. So have a heart that can accomodate those who are of the faith, but not as strong as you are.

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1)


365 Blessings- February 20

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. (Psalm 32:1, 2)

The people of this world consider the rich and the famous as blessed. But that is not true blessedness. If your transgressions are forgiven and your sins are covered, you are truly blessed. A person in whom God does not find any deceit is truly blessed.

Look at Nathanael. Nathanael is another name for Barthelomew, one of Jesus' 12 disciples.
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." (John 1:47, 48)

How great if Jesus can say that about each one of us. Jesus plainly said that he did not see any deceit in this man. How wonderful. Nathanael was stunned. How could this man who was seeing him for the first time declare this? Jesus told him that he had seen him meditating on God's Word sitting in the shade of the fig tree.

God sees and knows everything about us. He knows exactly how much guile there is in each one of us. We cannot hide anything from him.
The Apostle Peter exhorts believer’s in this manner:
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. (1 Peter 2:1)
Look at this verse from the Old Testament;
The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. (2 Kings 17:9)

Secretly...and that too against the Lord...How foolish. They were only deceiving themselves.

Let it not be so in our lives and may the Lord help each one of us to be without deceit in our spirit. That will bring us a state of true blessedness. 

365 Blessings- February 19

'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." (Haggai 2:9)

Though all believer's are called to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and his kingdom, some are called to the ministry. The 5 fold ministry as detailed in Ephesians Ch. 4 is this:
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:11, 12)

So what's your calling? And what are you doing about it?

Among the people who returned from the Babylonian exile were Joshua the high priest, Zerubabel the governor and the prophet Haggai..
The Israelites and the above mentioned leaders set about building their own houses after coming back from Babylon. They ignored building the temple of the Lord. Then the Lord spoke through Haggai the prophet that they should build the temple first.

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, (Haggai 1:12, 14)

Are you going about your own business ignoring the Lord's calling upon your life? Give God precedence and it will bring about a great change in your life. You will not suffer what the Israelites who came back from the exile suffered. This was what God had to tell them:
You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." (Haggai 1:6)

When they obeyed the voice of the Lord and started building the temple of the Lord, this was the promise that God gave them,
'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." (Haggai 2:9)

Zerubbabel, Joshua & Haggai obeyed God and did the Lord's bidding. Won't you?

365 Blessings- February 18

Don't you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? (2 Chronicles 13:5)

Holding on to the promises of God. That is of greatest importance in our lives. This chapter from the Bible concerns a war between Israel and Judah. Though they were one kingdom at the start, because of Solomon's disobedience, God partitioned the kingdom later on and different kings ruled Israel and Judah.

Here in this chapter, Abijah, grandson of Solomon is king of Judah and Jeroboam is king of Israel. Abijah and Jeroboam are at war. Jeroboam has an army of 8 lac soldiers and Abijah 4 lacs.

Despite the great difference in the strengths of the army, Abijah holds on to the promises of God and abides by the Law of Moses. Jeroboam meanwhile has instituted his own worship and priests.

Listen to what Abijah tells Jeroboam,
"And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David's descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods.
But didn't you drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods. "As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the LORD our God. But you have forsaken him. God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. Men of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed." (2 Chronicles 13:8-12)

Abijah was confident though his army was only half the size of Jeroboam. Notable are the statements- God is with us; he is our leader. Men of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.
Meanwhile Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them. Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the LORD. The priests blew their trumpets and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. There are Christians who are only name sake Christians. They are like Jeroboam. They have God's Word but don't live according to it. They have instituted their own ways of worship. They try to intimidate true believer's but they will never win because God will fight for his children like he did for Abijah in this war.

Are you holding onto the promises of God and living according to his Word? The enemy will not win. That's for sure.



365 Blessings- February 17

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)

The prophet Isaiah prophesying about the millennial reign of Christ gives this promise from God to his people living then. Of course there are many who do not believe in the millennial reign of Christ after the second coming, but that's not the issue here.
The verse that we have above is so marvelous. Can the Lord answer us now in this way? Of course he can. He answered Eleazer's prayer for bringing a woman who was to be Isaac's wife.

Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' - let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. (Genesis 24:12-15)

Notice the phrase "Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came..."

That was an instant answer to prayer. No waiting period. How great it would be if God answered all our prayers like that. But many a time we have to wait. Yet, we should be always in the "expectant attitude."
He can answer you before you finish praying. Even today.
Jesus said,
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (John 16:24)

So, let your prayers for immediate needs be with such faith that you expect God to do a miracle even while you are praying.

365 Blessings- February 16

"Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: "He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 37:33,34)

King Hezekiah and the people of Judah were terrified because of the verbal insults, provocations and threats issued by Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Hezekiah tried to reassure his men that God would protect them, but the repeated threats weakened him. He cried out to the Lord. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz to enquire of the Lord as to what should be done.

Amongst the prophecies given by Isaiah were the words quoted in the title verse. The following was also said about the enemy king.
Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came. (Isaiah 37:29)

About King Hezekiah, the Lord had this to say,
"This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. (Isaiah 37:30)

And God fulfilled what he said. What he did was this:
Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning - there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. (Isaiah 37:36, 37)

Jesus is powerful to deliver you from the enemy that is troubling you. Call out to him today. He will rise up and scatter the evil forces that are tormenting you and your family.

May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. (Psalm 68:1-3)


365 Blessings- February 15

"Honor your father and mother" - which is the first commandment with a promise - (Ephesians 6:2)

Not all children would approve of that, but the Word of God is Truth and it cannot be changed. As the verse states, it's the first commandment with a promise. What promise? This one:
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)

Well, it's an Old Testament promise, but holds good because the Apostle Paul reiterates it while writing to the Ephesians. Writing to the Colossians, Paul gives this advice:
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)
Some children of believer's will find that hard to digest, but then it is the Word of God and it cannot be changed.
As children grow up and mature, their thinking and responding to situations may not match with the parent's thinking and things start going awry.
One clue to how far children should go in obeying parents is given in another exhortation that the Apostle gives to wives.
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. (Colossians 3:18)

As is fitting in the Lord. That's what is important. Anything that is not right according to the Word of God need not be obeyed or given into by a child. Of course, some children have no choice because of the strictness and unyielding nature of their parents. Nevertheless, obedience of children to their parents bring great blessings in their lives including the one mentioned in the title verse.

Are you a child? Do you obey your parents?
Are you a parent? Does your child/children obey you?
Ponder this for a moment. Find the reasons of why you don't/can't obey your parents or why your child/children don't obey you?
If both are living according to the Word, there will be a good relationship. If not, your heart needs a probing and things have to be set right. The sooner the better. 

365 Blessings- February 14

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:4)

The Apostle Peter starts the chapter talking about the faith that we have now as believer's. He calls it "precious faith."
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: (2 Peter 1:1)

And then he talks about the nature of the promises given to those with the precious faith. As we read in the title verse-"very great and precious promises".

So we must not consider the promises given to us as believer's to be trivial. They are very great and precious. Through them we can participate in the divine nature thus escaping the corruption in the world. The Apostle states that the corruption in the world is due to evil desires.

If we do not hold fast to the promises, we don't partake of the divine nature and fall prey to evil desires of the world. This can either cause spiritual stagnation or destruction.

Many believer's are ineffective and unproductive because they care not to add certain qualities to the precious faith that they have received. Regarding this Peter elaborates:For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8)

O My! Is this so important? Read Peter's exhortation and conclusion:
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10, 11)

A rich welcome awaits us provided we obey these words of exhortation. May the Lord help us all to make our calling and election sure.


365 Blessings- February 13

And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. (Joshua 3:7)

There is a special "Today" for everyone of us who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. A "Today" where God begins to exalt us for persevering and for being faithful to him.

That's what happened in the life of Joshua. Long years of being humble and faithful under the Lord's watchful eyes. In the shadow of a great leader for many years, yet not rebelling with others and trying to usurp authority. Not planning a coup to overthrow Moses, but waiting patiently for the Lord, fighting the battles that he was entrusted with and having faith that the God who called him was faithful and would be with him at all times.

The Bible says,
No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. (Psalm 75:6,7)

When God began to exalt Joshua, the Israelites truly realized that God was with Joshua as he was with Moses.

For Joshua, God often pronounced miracles and victories even before Joshua dealt with the problems. Here are a few examples:
Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. (Joshua 6:2)
The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them(the five kings of the Amorites - the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon); I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you." (Joshua 10:8)

When God's time of exalting Joshua came, it truly could be seen by all. God exalts us in his ways and at his time. If we wait patiently and are faithful to him, we will experience the same..... in our work place, in the ministry or in any sphere of our lives. 

Monday, May 4, 2009

365 Blessings- February 12


For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him. (Psalm 109:31)

Who would have wondered that the lives of the people mentioned below would change dramatically by the power of the one mentioned in the verses above. Yes, El Shaddai- God Almighty did it and he can do it for you too.

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe - the richly ornamented robe he was wearing - and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. (Genesis 37:23, 24)

Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. (Esther 3:6)(Esther 4:1)

So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. (Job 2:7, 8)

The lives of Joseph, Mordecai and Job are just a few examples of what the Lord can do by his mighty power.

Read about their later lives after God delivered them by his mighty power.
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way !" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:41-43)

Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful. (Esther 8:15)(Esther 9:4)

After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first....(Job 42:10,12) If you are down in the dumps today, there's hope for you 'coz the God of Joseph, Mordecai and Job is still alive. He says,
"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) 

He is still able to do great wonders.


365 Blessings- February 11


Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. (2 Chronicles 20:14, 15)

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah was afraid because the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites had declared war on him. Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. Jehoshaphat praised and glorified God and cried to him for help. That is when the above prophecy and promise were given to Jehoshaphat and the people in Judah.

More specific directions were given to the king:
Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'" (2 Chronicles 20:16, 17)

Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. (2 Chronicles 20:20- 22)

The faithfulness of God was manifest again as he defeated the enemies of Judah. If you are being attacked by evil forces, cry out to God as Jehoshapat did. Never forget to praise and glorify God in the midst of the attack. Jesus will deliver you and you will glorify him again for his faithfulness.


365 Blessings- February 10


My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (1 John 2:1)

What a blessing! You and me, when we sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
And sin comes so easily. Maybe not in deed, but in thought and in speech it is rampant in the lives of so many believer's. No wonder the Lord told Cain the all too familiar phrase- "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7)

Why does sin crouch at our door? Why does it desire to have us?
Simply because satan is jealous and wants to steal the fellowship that we have with God and wants sin to be a stumbling block in our lives from receiving God's blessings.

But as God advised Cain--You must master sin. What happened though was the other way around--sin mastered Cain and he murdered his brother Abel.

Let us not let sin master us. The Bible advises us thus:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Sin can entangle us like a creeper entangles a good plant, but we must cry out to God to save us from such sins that entangles us. We have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Let us abide in him so that the following maybe fulfilled in our lives too.
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:28)

Confident and unashamed... Hope we can be found in such a state.

365 Blessings- February 9


See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. (Exodus 23:20)

A promise given to the Israelites as they traveled towards Canaan; the land of promise. God was sending his angel ahead of the traveling Israelites to fight for them and protect them from their enemies, but there were instructions for them concerning the angel:
Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. (Exodus 23:21, 22)

"Pay attention, listen carefully to the angel and do all that God said” were the instructions. That was the Old Testament.

For us, as believers, God has given us his Holy Spirit to guide us till we enter eternity in heaven. The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, of whom Jesus said, 

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26) 

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (John 16:13-15)

We have to pay attention and listen carefully to the Holy Spirit and obey the Word of God as detailed in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit will teach us all things through the Word and he will remind us of everything that Jesus said and he will guide us into all truth. The Holy Spirit will guard us and guide us to the place that God has prepared for us.
The question is: Are we willing to obey him?
If yes, then we can be sure that he will surely finish the work that God has begun in us.

365 Blessings- February 8


I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - my great army that I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

Joel's prophecy begins with the prophetic utterance of impending invasion of the land by different kinds of locusts destroying the produce of the land. It may also have indicated the invasions of the land by the Chaldeans.
"What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten." (Joel 1:4)
"The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up ; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails." (Joel 1:10)

Then comes the summons from the Lord to the people of the land to fast and pray and repent of their sins.
'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. (Joel 2:12, 13)

And the promises for repenting and living a life pleasing to the Lord are detailed from verses 19- 27 of Ch. 2.
The verse that we have here as the title verse is a part of these, in which God promises to give back what they have lost due to the locust invasions.
'I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - my great army that I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

Whatever blessings you lost because of your rebellion and sin will also be returned by the Lord if you fast and pray and repent and live a life pleasing to God. He is a good God. He loves you. Live for him. He will restore you.

365 Blessings- February 7

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." (Genesis 37:5-7)

What if Joseph had kept his dreams to himself? Wouldn't his brothers have hated him? Sometimes people hate children of God for no fault of theirs. Jealousy is one of the root causes of hatred. The Bible is replete with many such instances right from the creation of Adam & Eve. Satan was jealous of the blessings that were being bestowed by God upon Adam and Eve. Look at Cain; he was jealous and hated his brother Abel because God accepted Abel's offering and not his.

And the stories go on and on...but the difference is made by the promise. And what God promises he fulfills despite the jealousies and the hatreds.

Joseph's dreams were God given and many things happened against their fulfillment but God saw to it that in the fullness of time, his time, they attained fulfillment.
Regarding this the Psalmist says,
He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them - Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom. (Psalm 105:16-22)
Regarding the promise to the Israelites, in the same psalm we read,
For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for - that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD. (Psalm 105:42-45)

Have you a promise given by God? And you are worried about all the hate that is coming against you. Remember Joesph and his dreams. Your's too will attain fulfillment in God's time.
As for now....Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. (Psalm 55:22) 

365 Blessings- February 6


Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. (Exodus 14:15, 16)

Are you stuck at some place dear brother/sister in Christ? Stagnating in your spiritual life? The Lord says, "Move on!"
How long are you going to latch on to your family traditions and stagnate in your spiritual life?
What are the things that are hindering you from having a close walk with Jesus? Free yourself from those shackles and move on.

You have to reach the heavenly Canaan and there are so many obstacles. God told Moses, "Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground."

Piece of cake? No way! But that's the Lord for you. Stretching Moses' faith to the limits, just to see whether he would snap. Almost did snap a few times, yet here, his obedience to God's command made him and the Israelites see the unbelievable.
The Bible says,
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. (Exodus 14:22)
There's a way in the Red Sea or the monstrous problem that you are experiencing in your life, dear brother/sister in Christ. You may not be able to see the way but God can and he will open the way if you trust in his words and be obedient to him. Move on.