O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. (Isaiah 30:19)
Is it possible that the Lord answers us as soon as he hears our prayers or as soon as we cry for help??
Yes. Definitely. He is able to answer and he does answer in such a way, as is evidenced in several instances in the Word of God. To quote a few...
Having killed a 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, Samson cried out to the Lord..."You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. (Judges 15:18,19)
King Asa of Judah had an army of around 6 lakh soldiers and he was attacked by Zerah, the Ethiopian who had an army of 10 lakh soldiers.
Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you....The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, (2 Chronicles 14:11,12)
King Ahab of Israel deceived King Jehoshaphat by asking him to go into battle wearing royal garments while he himself wore ordinary clothes so that the enemy army may not identify him.
Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel." When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "This is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him, (2 Chronicles 18:31)
Eleazer, the servant of Abraham was out searching a bride for Isaac and he prayed to the Lord.... "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today....
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)
There are many many more events in the Bible where God immediately answered the prayers of the needy. Trust in him to answer you in the same way. God bless you.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises-282
The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame. (Zephaniah 3:5)
How wonderful!! The prophet writes "Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail.."
So if you have been waiting for justice to be done in your case, here's your promise. God is righteous and he does no wrong. Many of his ways are not easily understood by us because of our finite minds, yet we can assure ourselves that he will dispense justice in our favor as we continually trust in him.
The Bible speaks at great length regarding the righteousness and justice of God.
The Lord is known by his justice...... (Psalm 9:16)
For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. (Psalm 11:7)
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. (Psalm 33:5)
God has a special promise for them who commit their way to him and trust in him:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:6)
Another eternal promise is found in the above psalm and that should assure us that all is right because we have trusted in Jesus.
For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. (Psalm 37:28,29)
Praise the Lord.
How wonderful!! The prophet writes "Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail.."
So if you have been waiting for justice to be done in your case, here's your promise. God is righteous and he does no wrong. Many of his ways are not easily understood by us because of our finite minds, yet we can assure ourselves that he will dispense justice in our favor as we continually trust in him.
The Bible speaks at great length regarding the righteousness and justice of God.
The Lord is known by his justice...... (Psalm 9:16)
For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. (Psalm 11:7)
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. (Psalm 33:5)
God has a special promise for them who commit their way to him and trust in him:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:6)
Another eternal promise is found in the above psalm and that should assure us that all is right because we have trusted in Jesus.
For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. (Psalm 37:28,29)
Praise the Lord.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises-281
The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. (1 Corinthians 3:8)
Your labor for the Lord will be rewarded. Perhaps you are working in obscurity, without anyone knowing or acknowledging your work, but know this that everything is seen and accounted by the Lord. Your efforts are written down in God's books and you will receive your reward at God's chosen time.
Even though the Apostle Paul writes that,
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6,7), it doesn't mean that God doesn't care or that he doesn't give weightage to your work. It simply means that without the Lord, we cannot achieve anything.
Our purpose is to extend the kingdom of God here on earth and bring glory to his name. For that we labor, where-ever we are and in whatever calling the Lord has given us. No work is trivial when seen through God's eyes. What he looks for in his servants is faithfulness.
So be strengthened this day, dear servant of the Most High, for the Lord appreciates what you are doing for his glory.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
God bless you.
Your labor for the Lord will be rewarded. Perhaps you are working in obscurity, without anyone knowing or acknowledging your work, but know this that everything is seen and accounted by the Lord. Your efforts are written down in God's books and you will receive your reward at God's chosen time.
Even though the Apostle Paul writes that,
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6,7), it doesn't mean that God doesn't care or that he doesn't give weightage to your work. It simply means that without the Lord, we cannot achieve anything.
Our purpose is to extend the kingdom of God here on earth and bring glory to his name. For that we labor, where-ever we are and in whatever calling the Lord has given us. No work is trivial when seen through God's eyes. What he looks for in his servants is faithfulness.
So be strengthened this day, dear servant of the Most High, for the Lord appreciates what you are doing for his glory.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
God bless you.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises- 280
Then the Lord said: "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you." (Exodus 34:10)
Our God is a God who is faithful to the covenants he makes with those who seek him. Here he is making a covenant with Moses and the Israelites that he will demonstrate his power among the nations that his people were going to live.
Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28)
The Israelites were to obey the words of the covenant, if God was to fulfill the promises associated with it.
Obedience was what God expected, so he told Moses:
Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. (Exodus 34:11)
Whenever we are pestered by satanic forces, the first thing to check in our lives is whether we are living in obedience to God and his Word. This is because we cannot get victory over the evil powers if we are disobeying God. James writes this very clearly in his book.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:7,8,10)
There can be no resisiting the devil without submitting to God and his Word. If we want to be constantly victorious in our battle with the devil, we must always live a life submitted to God's Word.
It's my prayer for you today that God the Holy Spirit may help you in that. God bless you.
Our God is a God who is faithful to the covenants he makes with those who seek him. Here he is making a covenant with Moses and the Israelites that he will demonstrate his power among the nations that his people were going to live.
Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28)
The Israelites were to obey the words of the covenant, if God was to fulfill the promises associated with it.
Obedience was what God expected, so he told Moses:
Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. (Exodus 34:11)
Whenever we are pestered by satanic forces, the first thing to check in our lives is whether we are living in obedience to God and his Word. This is because we cannot get victory over the evil powers if we are disobeying God. James writes this very clearly in his book.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:7,8,10)
There can be no resisiting the devil without submitting to God and his Word. If we want to be constantly victorious in our battle with the devil, we must always live a life submitted to God's Word.
It's my prayer for you today that God the Holy Spirit may help you in that. God bless you.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises-279
He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." (Exodus 15:26)
Nice promise (among others) related to healing that one can meditate on when one is sick. I can't see 2 meanings in what God told the Israelites then. Plain and simple....He said,"I am the Lord, who heals you."
Our Lord is "the healer" whether some people agree with it or not. Ask them who have experienced his healing touch and they will tell you it's 100% true. I for one can vouch thst he is "the healer" despite having prescribed medicines for the past 23 years.
Medicines and surgery play a great role in relief from sicknesses, but there are a plethora of sicknesses for which man hasn't yet found a cure. Even in those cases God is able and he does heal.
Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever and the healings that we read of in the Gospels and in the book of Acts still happen when men and women pray with faith. He is an unchanging God. If you are sick or feeling weak in your body, meditate on the promises of healing and deliverance found in the Word Of God. Experience his miraculous touch and glorify him. God bless you.
Nice promise (among others) related to healing that one can meditate on when one is sick. I can't see 2 meanings in what God told the Israelites then. Plain and simple....He said,"I am the Lord, who heals you."
Our Lord is "the healer" whether some people agree with it or not. Ask them who have experienced his healing touch and they will tell you it's 100% true. I for one can vouch thst he is "the healer" despite having prescribed medicines for the past 23 years.
Medicines and surgery play a great role in relief from sicknesses, but there are a plethora of sicknesses for which man hasn't yet found a cure. Even in those cases God is able and he does heal.
Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever and the healings that we read of in the Gospels and in the book of Acts still happen when men and women pray with faith. He is an unchanging God. If you are sick or feeling weak in your body, meditate on the promises of healing and deliverance found in the Word Of God. Experience his miraculous touch and glorify him. God bless you.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises-278
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. (Isaiah 32:18)
How we all long for peaceful dwelling places, secure homes and undisturbed places of rest. But it's so difficult, considering the chaos all around us. Wars, terrorism, contagious sicknesses and wickedness proliferating day by day and squeezing out whatever peace is left. But God has a promise for those whose hope is in him. A new kingdom will soon be theirs, where they can live in peace.
The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17)
Isaiah prophesies that the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
The Apostle Peter writes,
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13)
World leaders are trying to harvest peace when the Bible prophesies trouble in the end times. But a child of God, can always, with confidence, say what the Psalmist said,
I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1,2)
He/She can also affirm what David, the psalmist and great king of Israel said when he passed through troubled times:
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. (Psalm 3:5)
Praise the Lord.
How we all long for peaceful dwelling places, secure homes and undisturbed places of rest. But it's so difficult, considering the chaos all around us. Wars, terrorism, contagious sicknesses and wickedness proliferating day by day and squeezing out whatever peace is left. But God has a promise for those whose hope is in him. A new kingdom will soon be theirs, where they can live in peace.
The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17)
Isaiah prophesies that the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
The Apostle Peter writes,
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13)
World leaders are trying to harvest peace when the Bible prophesies trouble in the end times. But a child of God, can always, with confidence, say what the Psalmist said,
I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1,2)
He/She can also affirm what David, the psalmist and great king of Israel said when he passed through troubled times:
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. (Psalm 3:5)
Praise the Lord.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises-277
Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." (John 5:17)
If you have been misguided by people into thinking that God is sitting up there in the heavens doing nothing while you battle it out here on earth, here's a clarification and a promise for you from Jesus himself. Infact, this was Jesus' answer to the Jews who persecuted him because he was healing people on the Sabbath.
We cannot limit God's acts according to our thinking, but it's also true that God doesn't do things contrary to his written Word.
An invalid man had been lying by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years and God chose a particular day to heal him. That he chose the Sabbath to heal was not by mistake but by intention to prove that he is the Lord of the Sabbath too. Yet the Jews rarely understood his intentions and instead of praising God for the astounding miracle, they chose to persecute Jesus.
If you have been passing through troubled times and seeing no immediate answer to your prayers, remember, God is not sitting inert and doing nothing about your matter. He is working and so is Jesus, to whom God has given all authority in heaven and on earth and under the earth. There will surely be a change for the good.
Hope and trust in the Lord. No good will he withhold from those whose walk is upright. God bless you.
If you have been misguided by people into thinking that God is sitting up there in the heavens doing nothing while you battle it out here on earth, here's a clarification and a promise for you from Jesus himself. Infact, this was Jesus' answer to the Jews who persecuted him because he was healing people on the Sabbath.
We cannot limit God's acts according to our thinking, but it's also true that God doesn't do things contrary to his written Word.
An invalid man had been lying by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years and God chose a particular day to heal him. That he chose the Sabbath to heal was not by mistake but by intention to prove that he is the Lord of the Sabbath too. Yet the Jews rarely understood his intentions and instead of praising God for the astounding miracle, they chose to persecute Jesus.
If you have been passing through troubled times and seeing no immediate answer to your prayers, remember, God is not sitting inert and doing nothing about your matter. He is working and so is Jesus, to whom God has given all authority in heaven and on earth and under the earth. There will surely be a change for the good.
Hope and trust in the Lord. No good will he withhold from those whose walk is upright. God bless you.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises-276
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. (Proverbs 4:18)
Most of us desire that God blesses us and our families with diverse blessings, but blessings that we ask of God do not come all at once. Why so? when God is All powerful and Almighty? Surely he has the authority and resources to give us all that we ask; immediately.
Have you seen the sun rise? Does it just pop up right above where you are standing early in the morning? No, it slowly rises in the east, what the writer of the above promise calls the 'first gleam of dawn.'And then it has a course to travel through the day to the west where it sets finally.
The path of the righteous can also be traced similarly according to this promise and as the sun shines brightly and at its maximum intensity, so does the one who obeys the Word of God and live according to it.
Shining brightly for Christ wherever one is. At home, at the work place, in church or wherever one be. The light of Christ will shine through the believer who is willing to follow the righteous path.
Right from the book of Genesis, we see that God desires to bless them who are willing to obey him. He has not changed and never will. The righteous will surely be blessed, slowly but surely, like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Most of us desire that God blesses us and our families with diverse blessings, but blessings that we ask of God do not come all at once. Why so? when God is All powerful and Almighty? Surely he has the authority and resources to give us all that we ask; immediately.
Have you seen the sun rise? Does it just pop up right above where you are standing early in the morning? No, it slowly rises in the east, what the writer of the above promise calls the 'first gleam of dawn.'And then it has a course to travel through the day to the west where it sets finally.
The path of the righteous can also be traced similarly according to this promise and as the sun shines brightly and at its maximum intensity, so does the one who obeys the Word of God and live according to it.
Shining brightly for Christ wherever one is. At home, at the work place, in church or wherever one be. The light of Christ will shine through the believer who is willing to follow the righteous path.
Right from the book of Genesis, we see that God desires to bless them who are willing to obey him. He has not changed and never will. The righteous will surely be blessed, slowly but surely, like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises-275
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. " (Genesis 15:1)
The meaning of the word 'reward' is generally given as "that which is given in return for good or evil done or received; esp., that which is offered or given in return for some service or attainment, as for excellence in studies, for the return of something lost."
Thinking in these terms, "What had Abraham done to receive God as a reward?"
The Bible says, "Abraham obeyed God". Whatever God told him to do, he did. So did Noah and the other saints of whom we read about in the Bible.
God becomes our reward when we obey him. There is no greater reward than having God himself in our lives. The Psalmist says,
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing. (Psalm 16:2)
Can we say that? He again says,
Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. (Psalm 16:5,6)
The inheritance that God has kept for us in eternity is delightful and we must look forward to the day when we can experience it first hand. So let us all obey the exhortation that Paul the Apostle gives the church at Colosse.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)
God bless you.
The meaning of the word 'reward' is generally given as "that which is given in return for good or evil done or received; esp., that which is offered or given in return for some service or attainment, as for excellence in studies, for the return of something lost."
Thinking in these terms, "What had Abraham done to receive God as a reward?"
The Bible says, "Abraham obeyed God". Whatever God told him to do, he did. So did Noah and the other saints of whom we read about in the Bible.
God becomes our reward when we obey him. There is no greater reward than having God himself in our lives. The Psalmist says,
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing. (Psalm 16:2)
Can we say that? He again says,
Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. (Psalm 16:5,6)
The inheritance that God has kept for us in eternity is delightful and we must look forward to the day when we can experience it first hand. So let us all obey the exhortation that Paul the Apostle gives the church at Colosse.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)
God bless you.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Simple Thoughts On Promises-274
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. (Psalm 145:19)
Do you fear the Lord? Not as fearing something that seems to be dangerous to you, but fearing because he is Almighty and worthy of respect and honor and awe.
The Bible has much to say regarding blessings for those who have'fear of the Lord'.
A few verses in this respect would do us good.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.(Proverbs 10:27)
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)
The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.(Proverbs 15:23)
The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.(Proverbs 19:23)
Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.(Proverbs 22:4)
With so many blessings attached to 'fear of the Lord', it should be the endeavour of each one of us to develop this most important charecteristic and stick to it as long as we live. May the Holy Spirit help us in this. God bless you.
Do you fear the Lord? Not as fearing something that seems to be dangerous to you, but fearing because he is Almighty and worthy of respect and honor and awe.
The Bible has much to say regarding blessings for those who have'fear of the Lord'.
A few verses in this respect would do us good.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.(Proverbs 10:27)
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)
The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.(Proverbs 15:23)
The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.(Proverbs 19:23)
Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.(Proverbs 22:4)
With so many blessings attached to 'fear of the Lord', it should be the endeavour of each one of us to develop this most important charecteristic and stick to it as long as we live. May the Holy Spirit help us in this. God bless you.
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