365 Blessings- September 2

Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name. (Psalm 74:21)

A cry from the heart of the psalmist. The world is one of the rich and mighty and justice often evades the poor. They are oppressed and suffer. Disgrace is often their food. Yet when the Almighty rises to fight for the oppressed believer, the Pharaohs of the world sink in the Red Seas.

All through the psalms, we read of cries for God to rise up and fight for the oppressed....You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? (Psalm 43:2)
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. (Psalm 82:3)
....and also the declarations that he is the helper of the oppressed.
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)
The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. (Psalm 103:6)
Jesus himself said this about those who are his:
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? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:7, 8)

Of course, faith is what is he always seeks in our lives as believer's. The Bible says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Jesus will not let you down. Cry out to him in your oppression. He will set you free. He will not let the enemy make you retreat in disgrace. Instead he will deliver you and you will praise him all the more.

365 Blessings- September 1

Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! (Jeremiah 20:14)

Jeremiah is lamenting because of the great number of problems and persecution he is facing as a prophet of God. Some of us, when we experience distressing problems in our lives lament like Jeremiah: it was better if I was not born.

It's not surprising that Jeremiah is lamenting thus because he faced a lot of rejection. Read what he says,

"For twenty-three years - from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day - the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened." (Jeremiah 25:3)

Quite natural, I would say, his complaining. There are wives who have tried to reason with their husbands and parents who have tried to persuade their children to follow godly ways but failed.

But our God is a just God. He will not let you down. He says,

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10)"

He also says,

"No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17)"

So be strengthened this day. The Lord loves you with an everlasting love.

365 Blessings- August 31

The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing. (Job 29:13)

This is what Job said in one of his discourses. A dying man blessing him and a widow's heart singing. Why? Only because Job was a generous and kind man. He cared for the poor and for the orphans and widows.

The Apostle James says,

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)"

This then should be a part of our Christian life. The poor, the orphans and the widows; they need more love and care than those who are better off and in families.

Job said,

"I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. (Job 29:14- 16)

Even in the Old Testament, some of the laws given to the Israelites were to help the poor and needy:

When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. (Deuteronomy 24:19-21)

Love & Compassion, 2 great virtues that Jesus himself had in abundance. He expects us also to follow in the same vein. He said,

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

May the Lord help each one of us to live as the Lord desires. 

365 Blessings- August 30

About Naphtali he said: "Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake." (Deuteronomy 33:23)

Naphtali was the 5th son of Jacob, and the 2nd born to him by Rachel's handmaid, Bilhah. At his birth Rachel is said to have exclaimed, naphtule 'Elohim niphtalti, "wrestlings of God"--i.e. "mighty wrestlings"--"have I wrestled."("I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.")

Since her sister was fruitful and giving birth to many children and because she herself was barren, the children her maid Bilhah bore were a source of consolation to her. Naming him thus, indicated that she had won the favor and blessing of God.

Rachel had to wait a long time to conceive a child by herself, but God had mercy on her and opened her womb and from her were born 2 sons to Jacob- Joseph & Benjamin.

Earlier she and Jacob had an argument when she was barren.

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I'll die!" Jacob became angry with her and said, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?" (Genesis 30:1, 2)

An argument because of the frustrations in her life because of being barren.

But God had compassion on her and fulfilled her desire in his time.

Our God is a prayer answering God. He answers our prayers and that's why the psalmist says,

"Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Psalm 66:20)"

Be strengthened this day. Whatever be your request, He will answer your prayer too.

365 Blessings- August 29

I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. (Psalm 41:11)

The enemy tries to play on our thought processes and he often succeeds in bringing depression and anxiety in our lives. Sometimes nothing that we do seems to work. We pray faithfully, praise & thank God, worship, read the Word, fast, do good to others,etc. etc. yet we encounter delays in our prayers being answered. And then comes frustration which makes us think that all that we do is no good.

Have you experienced or are experiencing such a situation?

It's not going to last for a long time dear Brother, dear Sister. It's just a limited period of time during which we must continue to live faithfully to God and we will surely see His deliverance.

Frustrations come to all of us. It's just a part of life. More important is what we do with these frustrations! We can overcome them by prayer and waiting upon the Lord or we can go in to sin and then blame the frustrations for sinning.

Of course, the Lord understands our frustrating situations. He had gone through it several times when He was doing ministry for 3 1/2 years.

Even the Apostle Paul experienced it. He wrote thus;

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. (2 Timothy 4:16,17)

Remember, the Lord is with you and will give you the required strength to overcome what you are experiencing today. So cheer up; Jesus loves you.