Wednesday, February 17, 2016

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.

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Monday, February 15, 2016

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.

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Sunday, February 14, 2016

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.

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Saturday, February 13, 2016

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.

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Thursday, February 11, 2016

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 Jehoshaphat 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.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

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.

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365 Vagdathangal- Malayalam Devotionals 21-30

Monday, February 8, 2016

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.

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365 Vagdathangal- Malayalam Devotionals 11-20

365 Vagdathangal- Malayalam Devotionals 1-10

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

365 Blessings- February 3

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)

Referring to the Antichrist, Paul the Apostle here says that Jesus will destroy him by the
splendor of his coming. The end of this age will see the final conflict between good and
evil, God and satanic forces.

The Apostle Paul writes to the Thessalonians:
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask
you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or
letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.
Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion
occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will
oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that
he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:14)

Of course the fate of the satanic forces is sealed as is written in the Word of God.
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)

The Bible also says,
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of
fire. (Revelation 20:15)

The Lake of Fire is the second death. Only those whose names are found in the book of life
and who overcome will escape the second death.
He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Revelation 2:11)

Is your name in the book of life? If yes, you are blessed and you will enter your eternal
home in heaven when God calls you. If you are not sure that your name is in the book of
life, take a decision today to live for Jesus. Repent of your sins. Accept Jesus as your
Savior and Lord.
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)
Your decision is vital.

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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

365 Blessings- February 2

When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for
God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." (John 11:4)

The story starts in this manner: Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from
Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now
lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her
hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." (John 11:1-3)
That's when Jesus said the words in the verse above.

Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death." A promise from the master for the sisters.
The sisters must have been happy on hearing that. Perhaps they must have told a few
friends and close relatives what Jesus said. They must have reassured Lazarus that he was
going to recover.

But alas! Lazarus died....How shocking it must have been for the sisters. The many
questions that must have hounded them. The many whispers they must have had to hear
about them telling others that Jesus had said that Lazarus would not die. The gall of it all
being that Jesus didn't even come and visit Lazarus or pray for him.
Well, Jesus had a surprise in store for them. And no one other than their Master & Lord
knew it.
Who would have imagined that this man Lazarus who was dead and his body kept in a
cave would be brought back to life? That too after 4 days of dying.

"Take away the stone," Jesus 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)

That sounds preposterous, doesn't it? But this was no ordinary man speaking into the air.
This was the Son of God, the one who said, "I am the resurrection and the life."
And then...the miracle...Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth
around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (John
11:43, 44)

Imagine the aahhs...and the ohs....that could be heard. The rejoicing and the hugs. That's
my Lord Jesus for you, even today.

Now what's that thing you were saying is impossible in your life?
Remember my Lord's words: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the
glory of God?”
Will you believe?

Monday, February 1, 2016

365 Blessings- February 1

The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and
sorrow and sighing will flee away. (Isaiah 51:11)

Are you frequently haunted by painful memories of the past? The injustice that was meted
out to you. The gall and bitterness of it all. How could it happen? Why did it happen?
Does God hear you and see you sighing regarding it?
Yes he does. And he wants to comfort you this day.

Remember, he heard the cry of the Israelites in Egypt and put an end to their misery by
setting them free. He also brought them back from captivity in Babylon even though he
had decreed that punishment for them because of their sins.
Regarding Israel the Lord had this to say though they did not follow him whole-heartedly:
Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against
him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for
him," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:20)

The Lord's heart yearns for you, he has great compassion on you. He will give you so much
of love that gladness and joy will overtake you, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Another great promise that the Lord gave the Israelites is found in the book of Joel:
'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.
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD
your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then
you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no
other; never again will my people be shamed. (Joel 2:25-27)

Trust in the Lord. Live for him. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

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