Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Devotional 31/08/2016
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.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Monday, August 29, 2016
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Friday, August 26, 2016
Random Thoughts
There are people watching you
With the new flyover being opened just adjacent to my workplace, commuting became easy. No more going through several zigzag roads and traffic signals to reach home. The only issue that seemed an obstacle was that there was no service road connecting the road in front of my work place to the flyover. But that seemed a non-issue when I saw people crossing over the broad divider with their vehicles; I too did the same. It seemed like a high to cross over to the other side with my vehicle, when smaller vehicles, for fear of hitting their vehicle bottoms on the divider, went round the flyover, came back to a traffic signal and then got on to the flyover.
This went on for a few days, till a staff at the clinic that I worked in inquired one day whether I had jumped over the divider the night before. I said "yes" and she said, "Sir, I and my brother were watching a vehicle like yours yesterday night as it jumped over the divider and we had an argument, with my brother saying, "You were the one who was driving" and me saying that "it wasn't you, you wouldn't break any rules." Her elder brother had concluded that if I could do it, so could he (they knew to be a minister of the Gospel and she had asked me for prayers for several issues of hers in the past).
I smiled when I heard that and told her that I did not realize I was breaking any rules and that I would not do it henceforth. A couple of days later, the police started imposing fines on all who parked their vehicles on the "said" divider and also them who were jumping the divider with their vehicles. A good lesson learnt.
As believers and ministers of the Gospel, we must realize that there are people watching us closely as we live out our faith in Jesus Christ, the spotless lamb of God. They are mostly watching whether we are just "talkers of the faith" of "true walkers of the faith." God help us.....
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Monday, August 22, 2016
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Friday, August 19, 2016
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Friday, August 12, 2016
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Daily Devotional-7
He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. (Deuteronomy 10:21)
Moses tells the Israelites that God is their praise and reminds them of the awesome wonders of which they were eye witnesses in Egypt and in the wilderness.
Often we tend to forget the great deliverances that the Lord has wrought in our lives. Maybe we are forgetful or the present problems cloud out the works of the Lord in our not so distant past. If we kept a diary and jot down at the end of each day all that the Lord has done for us that day, there will be much to testify at the watch night service on Dec.31st. Of course there may not be any spectacular event every day, but being able to breathe freely and being able to enjoy the food that we eat each day are itself great things.
Ask the Asthmatic who is on oxygen in the ICU and he will tell you the value of a breath, because he is often short of it. Ask the one who suffers from Gastric Ulcer and Reflux and he will tell you the value of a good alimentary system for he can rarely enjoy the food that he eats.
Have a bed to lie on? Thank Jesus, for there are many who sleep on the streets and outside closed shops. Have a bed and can sleep well? —that’s even a greater blessing for there are many who hardly sleep because of fears.
Jesus is our praise. Let’s look back often and remember the goodness, kindness and compassion that the Lord has had on us and our families.
Small or great! Many are his works in our lives. So let’s praise him all the more.
Moses tells the Israelites that God is their praise and reminds them of the awesome wonders of which they were eye witnesses in Egypt and in the wilderness.
Often we tend to forget the great deliverances that the Lord has wrought in our lives. Maybe we are forgetful or the present problems cloud out the works of the Lord in our not so distant past. If we kept a diary and jot down at the end of each day all that the Lord has done for us that day, there will be much to testify at the watch night service on Dec.31st. Of course there may not be any spectacular event every day, but being able to breathe freely and being able to enjoy the food that we eat each day are itself great things.
Ask the Asthmatic who is on oxygen in the ICU and he will tell you the value of a breath, because he is often short of it. Ask the one who suffers from Gastric Ulcer and Reflux and he will tell you the value of a good alimentary system for he can rarely enjoy the food that he eats.
Have a bed to lie on? Thank Jesus, for there are many who sleep on the streets and outside closed shops. Have a bed and can sleep well? —that’s even a greater blessing for there are many who hardly sleep because of fears.
Jesus is our praise. Let’s look back often and remember the goodness, kindness and compassion that the Lord has had on us and our families.
Small or great! Many are his works in our lives. So let’s praise him all the more.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Monday, August 8, 2016
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Friday, August 5, 2016
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Daily Devotional- 6
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:10)
The word Deuteronomy means "repetition of the law". Moses and the Israelites were in the territory of Moab and as his final act at this important time of transferring leadership to Joshua, Moses delivered his farewell addresses which were were actually a covenant renewal to prepare the people for their entrance into Canaan. Here Moses exhorts the Israelites to praise the Lord Almighty for the good land that he has given them.
When blessings start flowing into the lives of believers, some often tend to think that it is because of their own goodness or holiness or ability or strength that they are getting these blessings. In the verses that follow the above verse, the Israelites are plainly given a warning. We read in Deuteronomy 8:12-18
"Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today."
Whatever we are today or whatever we have is all because of the Lord. The Bible says,
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."(2 Corinthians 8:9)
So shouldn't we "Through Jesus, therefore, continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name."(Hebrews 13:15)
That would be appropriate I guess. God bless.
The word Deuteronomy means "repetition of the law". Moses and the Israelites were in the territory of Moab and as his final act at this important time of transferring leadership to Joshua, Moses delivered his farewell addresses which were were actually a covenant renewal to prepare the people for their entrance into Canaan. Here Moses exhorts the Israelites to praise the Lord Almighty for the good land that he has given them.
When blessings start flowing into the lives of believers, some often tend to think that it is because of their own goodness or holiness or ability or strength that they are getting these blessings. In the verses that follow the above verse, the Israelites are plainly given a warning. We read in Deuteronomy 8:12-18
"Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today."
Whatever we are today or whatever we have is all because of the Lord. The Bible says,
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."(2 Corinthians 8:9)
So shouldn't we "Through Jesus, therefore, continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name."(Hebrews 13:15)
That would be appropriate I guess. God bless.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Random Thoughts
I read online about an interesting ritual among young girls in a community of the Kathmandu valley of Nepal. They are married thrice; firstly at age 9-10 to a god that they worship, secondly, a couple of years later, to the sun and thirdly to a man at around 25 years of age. Marriage to a god is symbolized by marrying the young girl to the fruit of the wood-apple tree, a representation of their god. Marriage to the sun takes place by the girl spending 12 nights in a dark room, a ritual that earns her protection according to local beliefs. Most of us may find this strange, even funny; but for them who have grown up believing and practicing these things, it's a part of life.
As believers in the salvation that is made available by God through Jesus Christ, for a moment, we may feel sad when we read such things, but does it spur us on to take the good news of the Gospel to the spiritually impoverished?
Here's what the Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Rome....
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:13-15)
Wherever we live in the world, we have all been assigned tasks for the kingdom of God. Only time will tell how faithful we have been to the Lord's calling in our lives.
As believers in the salvation that is made available by God through Jesus Christ, for a moment, we may feel sad when we read such things, but does it spur us on to take the good news of the Gospel to the spiritually impoverished?
Here's what the Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Rome....
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:13-15)
Wherever we live in the world, we have all been assigned tasks for the kingdom of God. Only time will tell how faithful we have been to the Lord's calling in our lives.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Monday, August 1, 2016
Random Thoughts
I prefer to remain quiet during cab rides, because the moment, the driver knows that I am a Doctor, there will spill out a series of health related questions and a free consult. Not that I don't want to be helpful, but sometimes I am tired and prefer a peaceful ride. The cab driver that I got yesterday was into conversation with me the moment I stepped into his vehicle. There were quite a few random questions followed by, "do you work in a bank?" No, said I, "I am a doctor" now knowing, the series of questions that would follow. "A child specialist?" "No, I said, "I am a Physician". The rest of the ride was spent with him querying me about his diabetes, what all complications would ensue, his medications, a story how his friend who had diabetes died young and whether he would go the same way. Finally, when he dropped me off, he had 2 requests one for my visiting card and the other, to give him preference when he visited me for his diabetes. Looking at it from his point of view, he had gained much. His wages, a free consult and a few other free things.
"Free" is one word that attracts people so much. And product manufacturers of all kinds take huge advantage of the word. The internet is plagued with free offers from i-pads to i-pods to i-phones to free trips and what not. Spams and scams are the thing that every internet user has to deal with. Some fall for the traps, some learn from painful experiences and turn wise and some keep suffering looking for that "genuine" free though it rarely comes.
We all learn from our experiences in life and the Bible advices us to be wise. There is a great deal of wisdom to be gained from the books of wisdom in the Old Testament, namely, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Solomon (Song of Songs).
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7) is what the Bible advices us.....
"Free" is one word that attracts people so much. And product manufacturers of all kinds take huge advantage of the word. The internet is plagued with free offers from i-pads to i-pods to i-phones to free trips and what not. Spams and scams are the thing that every internet user has to deal with. Some fall for the traps, some learn from painful experiences and turn wise and some keep suffering looking for that "genuine" free though it rarely comes.
We all learn from our experiences in life and the Bible advices us to be wise. There is a great deal of wisdom to be gained from the books of wisdom in the Old Testament, namely, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Solomon (Song of Songs).
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7) is what the Bible advices us.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)