365 Blessings- September 18

On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: "When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves, praise the Lord. (Judges 5:1, 2)

The question is: “Do we offer ourselves willingly to the Lord or do we submit reluctantly?”
Some believers give themselves wholly to the Lord and allow the Lord to run their lives while others though they say they have submitted their lives into the Lord’s hands still run their own lives.

When we try to run our own lives without obeying the Word or taking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, things start going awry. A little allowance here and a little allowance there in regards to walking the ways of the flesh and the world ruins our relationship with the Lord.

Only each of us and the Lord Jesus knows how much of our lives is submitted to the Lord. Our thoughts, looks, words & actions often betray our proclamation that we are the Lord’s.

Often we are reluctant to even do the work of the Lord giving excuses like some tribes of Israel did when they were called by Barak & Deborah to join the army to fight against the enemy.

Regarding Reuben, Dan & Asher, Deborah and Barak sang, “Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.” (Judges 5:16, 17)

But good things were sung about Isaachar, Zebulun & Naphtali. “The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.” (Judges 5:15, 18)

Are we among the ones who offer themselves willingly to the Lord or are we among the ones who shrink back and take the back seat? Good if each one of us could evaluate ourselves.

 

 

 

 

Dreams- Holiness of God

This was a very short but significant dream that I saw in the year 2014. It was early morning and time for me to wake up after a good night’s sleep. As I was waking up I saw God’s glory shining brightly from his throne. It was very pure and holy and as I watched, I immediately realized the unholiness and unrighteousness in me when looking at it. It was so bright that I shielded my eyes not wanting to look at it. The purity was blinding.

We, born again Christians, serve a God who is very holy. The Bible affirms, “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)

It is God’s desire that we live a holy life. He told his chosen people, the Israelites and he tells you and me……..

You shall be holy to me, for I, the LORD, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine.  (Leviticus 20:26)

365 Blessings- September 17

The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." (Ruth 4:14, 15)

Finally a time of rejoicing had come into the life of Naomi after all the anguish that she had endured in her life. She was a widow and had lost both her sons and the only thing that she had solace in was her daughter-in-law Ruth who had taken a decision to stay with her come what may.

Naomi had returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?" "Don't call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."

Wonder whether the Lord had much to do with all the misfortune that she talked about; perhaps it was the agony that she was going through that made her say all that. Nevertheless, the Bible affirms that, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and also that, “As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”(Psalm 103:8, 13)

This is vividly seen in the restoration that the Lord worked out in the life of Naomi. The coming of Boaz into Ruth’s life was no chance happening but all engineered by the Lord. Naomi didn’t want to marry again. She would never enjoy the love of a husband again but God gave her a child (Obed- Boaz & Ruth’s child) in her arms to forget the pains that she had gone through.

God works in mysterious ways. The pain/anguish that you are passing through today can be healed by the Lord in his perfect way. So trust in him.

 

Dreams- God's provision is worldwide

Nothing is impossible with God. Often we say we have faith, but our words and actions point in the opposite direction. Sometimes I too stand guilty regarding this matter. This was another occasion that God spoke clearly regarding what we often think.

Sometime back, I saw a dream concerning a servant of God. He is a good friend of mine and has the gift of prophesy. He has a widespread ministry in Kerala, South India.

In the dream, I saw that God was preparing a way for this servant of God to go to one of the Gulf countries to minister. The next morning I called him up and told him what I had seen. Immediately he said, “That’s impossible. I have no relations there and no one there knows me too.” I was speaking on the phone and as soon as he said that, the still small voice spoke to me and said, “Joseph had no relations in Egypt, yet I gave him a home there and I blessed him….”

I marveled at what the Lord said.

God is all powerful and once He gives us a promise, He doesn’t back away, but fulfills it in His own wonderful time, however impossible the situation be.

For nothing spoken by God is impossible. (Luke 1:37)

365 Blessings- September 16

David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.” (1 Samuel 25:32-34)

Nabal was a stubborn character who had scant respect for David though David and the men with him were a shield to the flocks of Nabal. David had decided to take revenge because Nabal had insulted him. He said, “, "It's been useless--all my watching over this fellow's property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!” (1 Samuel 25:21, 22)

To the rescue came Abigail, Nabal’s wife who hastened to meet David while he and his men set out to kill Nabal and all the males in his family. She fell at his feet and begged for mercy. She dealt wisely with him and said, "Now since the LORD has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal. And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you. Please forgive your servant's offense, for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD's battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. (1 Samuel 25:26-29)

Abigail’s words were like a balm for the hurts that David had sustained because of Nabal’s insulting behavior. She was able to persuade David from destroying her entire family though Nabal died because of God’s judgment coming upon him. David praised God for her good judgment and for keeping him from bloodshed. He blessed her for acting wisely.

We read in the book of Proverbs that, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11). How true when we think of how this woman spoke to bring deliverance for her family. Praise the Lord.

 

Dreams- Rejecting the truth

 Once, a youth started regularly attending our worship services after I had explained to him the Gospel truths. He was involving himself in all the activities of the Church and seemed to have taken a decision for living for the Lord.

Then one night, the Lord showed me a dream regarding him. In the dream, we were having dinner and I was serving him food. He seemed to be enjoying it for a while and then all of a sudden he just throws away the food that I had served and gets up and walks away.

I prayed about the dream that it may not happen like I had seen. The Lord was showing here that initially the fellow would accept all the spiritual truths that I fed him with, but then he would just discard the whole thing.

Though I prayed about the matter, what the Lord had shown took place, as in the dream. Just 1 week after I had seen the dream, without any specific reason, he stopped attending the worship and wouldn’t come back, despite our prayers and pleadings. It was sad that he backslid and wouldn’t choose to live for the Lord.

For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? (Mark 8:36)

365 Blessings- September 15

I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. (2 Samuel 22:4)

David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. David had a lot of enemies beginning with Saul and continuing with characters like his own family members especially his son Absalom who wanted to usurp his authority as king and rule the land instead. But the delivering mighty arm of the Lord was always with David and though he had to go through some very difficult situations, God finally gave him victory after victory when he cried out to the Lord.

The enemy of all believers- Satan is always out to defeat us in one way or the other. Jesus said, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)Satan is jealous of “the fullness of life” that Jesus wants to give us. That’s why he brings varied temptations in our lives making us to sin and then he accuses us about the sins that we commit.

The Apostle Paul exhorts believers in the book of Ephesians, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:11-13)

God will give you victory over all the satanic forces that are tormenting you and your family. Stand firm, rooted in the Word. Continually worship the Lord, pray at all times with every kind of prayer and meditate on the Word of God regularly, holding on to the promises written in it. Remember, the Lord gave David victory over all his enemies. He will do the same for you and your family too.