Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us."

Throughout the Scriptures we read of several people designating stones as monuments for remembering the deliverance or encountering of God in that place.

If you recall Jacob had set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him and called it Bethel (Genesis 35:14,15) and Joshua had set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. (Joshua 4:9). King David confessed several times that the Lord was his rock of salvation (Psalm 18:2).

Here Prophet Samuel sets up a monument to remember the return of the Ark of the Lord and names it Ebenezer which means "Thus far the Lord has helped us".

Now the question is, do you have such a monument that reminds you constantly of God's deliverance from certain situation? If you think about it there are easy reminders in our lives such as birthdays, anniversaries, years of experience, number of children, we can go on and on and on.

If these are not enough reminders and/or if we would somehow forget what the Lord has done thus far, we might as well put up some monument as reminders.

If we remember already, let us praise the Lord for helping us thus far!

* It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. Psalm 118:8
* Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. Psalm 146:3
* Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Isaiah 2:22
* Look now, you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces a man's hand and wounds him if he leans on it! Isaiah 36:6
* Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame.Isaiah 20:5
* This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. Jeremiah 17:5

I am sure you noticed how the verses got stronger and stronger as we read through the list above. It starts as a suggestion, became a command and ends in a warning.

This is a good reason to analyze our selves if we trust in any men. How about our bosses? Husbands? Neighbors? Parents? Or even your own hands? Are we clinging on to mere men or our ability as our "source" forgetting that the ultimate Source is the Lord God Almighty? This can't be.

Today's take away is from Isaiah 26:4 which once again re insists the importance of trusting in the Lord: Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Shall we?

Of all the conversations mentioned in the Bible, the one I truly enjoy is that between Gideon and the angel of the Lord. Gideon at first does not know that it was an angel he was talking to and is quite candid about his faith. When the angel of the Lord greats him, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior", without skipping a beat Gideon asks, "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?" To understand Gideon's aloofness and frustrations we need to know little bit of his background.

In Judges 6th chapter we read, "Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it."

It is beyond our comprehension to even imagine how it would be to live in constant fear like that not for one or two days but for seven long years! Even as the angel is talking to him, Gideon is actually  threshing wheat in a wine press. Wheat is normally threshed in the wheat field - right?, but to save it from the Midianites he was threshing it in a wine press. So you get a picture of his plight.

The Angel's response was, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel" Let's stop at that for today's coffee!

Go in the strength you have, against your "Midianites"; the victory is yours...

 (If you would like to read the whole conversation and what happens after, continue to read Book of Judges Chapter 6 & 7 )

You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:3

Yesterday we had seen how we are the signet ring of our Lord. Today we see that we are the crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem or wreath in the hand of our God. To me the reference as a signet ring or a crown or royal diadem held at hand kind of all mean the same thing - precious!

Of course crown is different from a signet ring in its purpose. The crown glorifies the king, signet ring attests the authority of its bearer.

Normally a crown is worn in the head not held at hand - except when the King is about to wear it, of course. Let us not waste our focus on why it says "crown in the Lord's hand and not head". The point here is that we are very precious to our Lord.

Geneva Study Bible explains it crisp and clear:

He will value you as dear and precious as a king does his crown.

Would a king forget or give up his crown? Not our King!

Have a blessed Thursday you all - precious diadems in the Lord's hand!

"I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you" Haggai 2:23

What is a signet ring? It is a finger ring bearing an engraved signet - an emblem or seal.
Who has a signet ring? The King or a Noble
What is a signet ring used for? It is used to attest the authority of its bearer.

What does the verse above signify for us?
The Lord will make us like His signet ring, or in other words, He will grant us His authority.

What kind of authority?
* authority over the nations Rev 2:26
* authority over evil spirits Mark 6:7
* authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction Mathew 10:1
* authority over all the power of the enemy Luke 10:19

Why? Because God has chosen us so.

What do we do next? Be a Signet Ring! :)

I will remember your miracles of long ago Psalm 77:11

Most of the psalms of King David are around giving thanks, recalling the incidents of past, and giving more thanks to the Lord. What really amuses me is how he often goes back to the very beginning of how God led the Israelites out of Egypt or even before that when God separated Abraham out of his folks, etc. giving thanks for various things that happened many generations before his own generation. Isn't that something?

Have we ever done that? May be we have remembered our grandparents and said thank you lord for blessing me with fine grandparents. But the generation before that? Have we thought of them and thanked the Lord for them in our prayers? Most likely not. Okay, now how about our great great grandparents? Have we ever wondered about them and thanked the Lord for them? Not me. That's what sets apart King  David from most of us.

King David had a very grateful heart that appreciated every single detail of how God worked in his life and the life of his ancestors whom he had read about. Here he sings: "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."

King David sets a great role model here. Let us follow his example and give thanks to our Lord for everything He has been to us and especially for the elders of generations past who had received the joy of salvation that they had passed on to us.

I am rejoicing in the Lord for His countless blessings in my life.I hope you are too.

"Let not your heart be troubled..." John 14:1-3

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

These are Jesus's parting words to His disciples. Soon after this conversation which was during the Last Supper, He was to be crucified.

We are in a better position than what the disciples were at; don't you think?

We know for a fact our Savior has risen! We have experienced the Great Comforter the Holy Spirit. We have the Scripture that sheds light on fulfilled prophesies; we hear of testimonies of lives changed because of salvation. We have friends and family who are tolerant of our faith.

We are not threatened to be killed for the Gospel of Christ. Above all we have the comforting presence of the Lord Jesus Christ always with us.

Then why are we troubled often?  What bothers you?

Let us take comfort in His love and accept the peace He offers.  Now.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you. Psalm 55:22

* Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy Exodus 15:6
* The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty things! Psalm 118:16

The right hand is significantly "honorable" than the left, you might agree.

For God to hold our right hand and still lead us, I imagine God is facing towards us holding our right hand. In today's scriptures we see Moses and King David singing about the mighty right hand of God. Clearly they took no credit for their might or strength or leadership ability for any of their victories but fully acknowledged God's right hand which was holding them and leading them.

The very same right hand is holding and leading us today! Isn't that remarkable? Amen! Our God's right hand is majestic in power today; it will shatter our enemy! Our Lord's right hand is lifted high; it will do mighty things!

Amen!

Have a blessed weekend all!

Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

Many of us wonder how we can find out the will of God in our lives. Today's Scripture gives us the answer for that.

If we do not conform to this world, but are transformed by the renewing of our mind, then we will know what is the perfect will of God for us.

That arises further questions: What does it mean to conform to the world? How not to conform to the world? How to be transformed by the renewing of our mind?

In the Gospel of Mark when we read about the parable of the sower, chapter 4 verse 19 says, "...the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." 

This is conforming to the world. This is what the ungodly do - they worry for this life, they deceive for wealth and they desire worldly things. But not so are the godly. We need to live a life without conforming to the world.

Ephesians 4:17-32 explains how we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds:

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking...

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. Psalm 89:15

Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 2:5

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Beautiful Scriptures! Definitely enlightening! :)

Light is defined in the dictionary as "the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible". Let it be our prayer that we become the natural agent that stimulates sight and make things visible for those still in darkness around us.

More importantly let us put away traces of any deeds of darkness that may be hidden in us...

Blessed Thursday!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD

Interestingly when God created man, He made him in His image (Genesis 1:27) - however not on the same thought level. No wonder our thoughts are not the same as His thoughts and our ways are not His.

What are some of His thoughts and ways that clearly outshines our thoughts and ways? For one, unconditional love - which He is a Master of - and which we will never be.

Forgiving is another. We don't fully forgive do we? We may somewhat forgive but as long as our memory lives we may not be able to forget it, which means that we have not fully forgiven. But when it comes to the Lord, He forgives as if we never did that and erases it completely from His memory and more often than not from our memory too.

How about dying on the cross for our sins. Will we do that? No, I didn't think so either. But the Lord died for us when we were still sinners. That is love beyond measure.

Not just these obvious traits, there are various other ways our thoughts differ from the Lord's. We expect certain things to fall certain way logically but God knows better and changes course altogether. Only when all is said and done, we will be able to look back and cherish the wonderful ways God led us through certain situation.

His thoughts are different from ours and His ways are far better than ours. Aren't we glad He is not like one of us? Let us thank Him for that!

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God. Psalm 146:5

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, Hope is:

to cherish a desire with anticipation (or)
to desire with expectation of obtainment (or)
to expect with confidence

We all have hopes - hope for betterment - hope for retirement - hope for a future. But more importantly do we have the hope of eternal life?

The Bible says, If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. (I Cor 15:19)

Let us not forget the ultimate reward - which is our salvation. Prophet Jeremiah writes, The LORD [is] my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Lamentation 3:24

King David constantly sings about his hope in the Lord:

Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you. Psalm 39:7 (NLT)
For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. Psalm 71:5
I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15

Can we sing the same today? What is our hope? Who is our hope on?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

We all like hearing things like we are loved, dearly loved, His own , His chosen people etc. Good! However sometimes we fail to realize what it really means to be His chosen people, His dearly beloved...

The Scripture is very clear on the roles a dearly beloved of the Lord ought to play. There is a dress code if you will for His chosen people. We are expected to wear compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Now, let's pause there and analyze ourselves.

How compassionate are we? When we came across someone in need did we walk past them or stopped to help? Are we kind to one another or rude always? Humble or proud? Gentle or harsh? Patient or hurried? Those who can say for sure you have mastered it all, you are obviously His chosen people, holy & dearly loved!

Others who have some doubt, let us work towards improving in that area. Doesn't mean we are loved any less. We are still His chosen people, holy and dearly loved. Remember He first loved us even while we were sinners? So let us work to fit in to His perception of us.

As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, let us clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Amen!

God bless you all. Enjoy the Monday!

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. Proverbs 12:16

How many of us are wise based on the standard set forth here by today's Scripture? I feel ashamed to say I am not.

The fact of the matter is we can be gentle and polished outwardly - at work, in the church, with friends for example; but at home we could be way different, annoyed, irritated, frustrated, angry, whatever you want to call it.

Just realized this is foolish and sinful. What do we do then when situation calls for it - when the spouse is forever working, when the house is a total mess, when the chicken doesn't thaw on time?? The Scripture teaches us to overlook these insults to stay prudent.

Very hard I am sure. But we can all try. After all it's a new year and why not strive for something new - prudence?!

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Proverbs 29:11

Happy Sunday everyone! Have a blessed one.

Today's reading: Proverbs 19 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD" 19:14

In most weddings we hear the sermon touching on the verse: "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD" Proverbs 18:22

Few questions today to the wives:
Are we good?
Are we worth to be called 'a favor from the Lord'?
Are we prudent wives?

What does it take to be a prudent wife?
In Proverbs 31:30 we read, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised"; verse 10 says, "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies."

A prudent wife:
*Fears the Lord
*She is of noble character

Why not take an up close look at ourselves this morning and strive to become prudent if found wanting?!

When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. Psalm 104:28

For today's reading you may consider Psalm 104 It is a beautiful song telling of the many wonderful works of our Lord from the sea to the mountains & to the plains, and explains how God's hands provide for the needs of every living thing from wild animals to men to birds.

Verse 28 is one of my favorites verse which I use in my prayers all the time:
When He gives it to us, we gather it up; when He opens His hand, we are satisfied with good things. 

It convinces me that every little blessing comes from the Lord: the breeze, the rain, the good dinner, the beautiful flowers, fun loving friends, family, fresh drinking water, a good night's rest, etc.

A related verse can be found in Psalm 145, verse 16:You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

Amen! It is the Lord who satisfies our desires, who feeds us, clothes us and provides for all our other needs, not only for us humans but for all living things.

The least we can do is acknowledge Him by giving thanks.

Would you?

Happy Friday!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5

One good thing about Valentines day is that the whole world talks about love. Let us too discuss love today.

Let's take a tally of our love for our Lord. How is it going? If the answer is 'strong and steady' well and good. But if we are not too sure, it is time to refocus our attention on our Lord. God's love is always constant, you can't do anything better to increase it nor anything worse to decrease it. It remains the same. It is our love that wavers from time to time.

We are head over heels in love with Him one week, and down in the valley the next. Our focus shifts from God to job to men to things to self and before we know it, we are consumed by everything else other than God. As in any relationship, when we do not spend time together getting to know each other we will only grow apart.

If we love our Lord with all our heart, soul and strength, it is practically impossible to not spend time with Him. On the flip side, if we don't spend enough time with our Lord, it is practically impossible to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength.

So, how is yours going & how are you showing?!

They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. Jeremiah 31:12

Garden here signifies our hearts. The more we read the word of God, listen to the word of God, praise and worship our Lord, our hearts will be "watered" of the Holy Spirit on a continual basis filling us with such joy deep within.

On the other hand when we spend less time at God's presence, our hearts will be "withered" of the infilling of the Holy Spirit, thus leading us to sadness, sorrow, depression and other issues related to that.

King Solomon shares an incident he recalls, "I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins."  Proverbs 24:30

And he goes on to say, "I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man". Proverbs 24:31

In the parable of a sower in Mark 4, Jesus explains: "Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the  word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." Mark 4:18-19

To conclude, if we want to be a 'well watered garden' we need to "water" our hearts on a regular basis. If we give heed to slumber and laziness, our hearts will be soon covered by "thorns" and "weeds" and will be in ruins in no time. Let us therefore keep watch of our garden.

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

Our heart is the precious of all organs - vital for our survival. No wonder the scripture says we need to guard it with all diligence. While looking up this verse I came across a sermon by Rev. Adrian Dieleman. Here's to share the highlights with you for today's coffee.

What does the Bible say about the heart?
* Heart is a physical organ; food & drink strengthens it.
* The heart is the focus of intellectual life. The heart is connected with thinking.
* Acts of the will are considered to arise in the heart.
* Heart is closely connected to the feelings and affections of a person: joy, fear, discouragement, sorrow, hate, love.
* The heart is spoken of as the conscience.
* The heart represents a person's true nature or character.
* The heart is the place where God does His work in the individual.
* The heart is the dwelling place of God.

Who can attack our heart?
* Sin & Satan - God lives in our heart. But so does sin and Satan. The two cannot coexist. This means our heart is a battleground between God and Satan. Both lay claim to our heart. Both want to be master of our heart. Both want the allegiance of our heart.
* World - The world hates Jesus along with His followers.
* The acts of our sinful nature.

The devil is our opponent who attacks us from the outside. The world is the hostile environment in which we live. And our own "flesh" is the enemy within us.

How do we guard our heart?
* To "guard our heart" our heart needs to belong to God.
* We need to listen to the Word of God if we want to guard our heart
* Be part of a church in the fellowship of believers
* Steer clear of sin.

Our heart is precious. Our heart is under attack. Let's guard it with all diligence!

Let your words be few Ecclesiastes 5:2

The prudent hold their tongues. Proverbs 10:19

Fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming - who can tell someone else what will happen after them? Ecclesiastes 10:14 

A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. Proverbs 29:11

All of us have opinions of things good and bad. We have a point to make, good & bad. We often share our thoughts without the filtering process, which is the Word of God that gives us the divine wisdom. 

We might think we are being straight forward, but the Bible tells us we are fools if we don't control our tongue. I am guilty of it myself.   

Today's message challenges us to speak less, hold our tongue, nod, listen, cook, clean, do something but don't talk. Enough of entertaining our guests and neighbors and friends and collegues with our constant blabbering. We have shared our opinions time and time again. Now is the time to hold. Pause. Heal. Be.

Let our words be few. Today. Tomorrow. This week. Next week. For a month. For 6  weeks. Until it becomes our very nature. Then we will be prudent.

With God's help we can. Amen! 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. ~ Psalm 23

A very familiar psalm indeed! But for once, let us take the time to actually let these words sink in! Word by word, sentence by sentence, how beautifully Shepherd David has written about Our Good Shephered - the Lord!

According to your faith will it be done to you. Matthew 9:29 

What is Faith? Complete trust, strong belief are some words used to describe faith. Hebrews 11:1 gives us a clear definition of what is faith; it reads: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Hebrews 11 is known as the Faith chapter. Please check it out if you have a few minutes today by clicking here. It lists a few scenarios of faithful people such as Enoch, Abraham, Noah etc.

They chose to believe the promises of God without looking for a logical reasoning and it sure came true in their life.It was credited to them because of their belief. No doubt, if they had not believed it would not have been fulfilled. That's what happened to the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years, since leaving Egypt.

In spite of witnessing the miracles of God in their day to day life, they did not have complete trust or strong belief that they would indeed inherit the promised land. We read that not one of them entered the land except for Joshua and Caleb who had chose to believe the promises.

So,the bottom line is, we are blessed according to our faith.

I think it is only fair; what do you say?

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us."

Throughout the Scriptures we read of several people designating stones as monuments for remembering the deliverance or encountering of God in that place.

If you recall Jacob had set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him and called it Bethel (Genesis 35:14,15) and Joshua had set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. (Joshua 4:9). King David confessed several times that the Lord was his rock of salvation (Psalm 18:2).

Here Prophet Samuel sets up a monument to remember the return of the Ark of the Lord and names it Ebenezer which means "Thus far the Lord has helped us".

Now the question is, do you have such a monument that reminds you constantly of God's deliverance from certain situation? If you think about it there are easy reminders in our lives such as birthdays, anniversaries, years of experience, number of children, we can go on and on and on.

If these are not enough reminders and/or if we would somehow forget what the Lord has done thus far, we might as well put up some monument as reminders. If we remember already, let us praise the Lord for helping us thus far!

Happy Friday everyone! That completes one full week this New Year! Praise the Lord!

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Matthew 6:25

Seems to be a practical advice, but to think about it, it seems quite impractical too. How is it even possible not to worry about what we will eat or drink or wear. Isn't that the first thing that comes to our minds when we start the day? - when we plan a get together? - when we are invited to an event?

We don't really think, "Oh I am alive and well that's enough to make it through the day"; do we? May be we should. I guess the emphasis is on the words "do not worry" Of course we need to eat, drink and dress well, but what we learn here is that it shouldn't be our primary concern.

As we read towards the end of the same passage in verse 33, our focus should be on 'Seeking His Kingdom' then all these things will be taken care of by Him. Shall we?

Happy first Wednesday folks!

My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi. Song of Solomon 1:14

Looks to me the bride here loves henna blossoms and especially those from En Gedi; so she compares her lover to a bouquet of henna blossoms from En Gedi. Since we haven't been to En Gedi or seen those henna blossoms, let's pick our favorite flower or perfume so that we can relate to the context better, shall we?

Now, let's see if we can compare our Lord to our favorite perfume. Does His sweet fragrance constantly attract us to Him? Do we want to smell like Him? Do we remember to "spray" some of Him before we step out to start our day?

Elsewhere in Proverbs we read, Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart (Proverbs 27:9) I believe this truly fits the description of our Lord. His love surely brings joy to our hearts, does it not?

Interestingly Apostle Paul also has shared similar thoughts in his letter to the Ephesians church, in which he says: "...and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2)

It feels so good to be associating our Lord with our favorite perfume. Now I can almost smell Him! I am sure you can too. Let's enjoy His sweet presence rest of the day!

Happy 1st Tuesday of the year. God bless you!

 

* 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

* I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lamentations 3:24


A portion or a share is a part of the whole, an allotment, if you will, mostly referred to as an inheritance. It could be a portion of the booty or plunder that one had the right to, or the portion of land that belonged to one in the division of an estate.

So, to say that the Lord is our portion means that we will trust in the Lord for our portion, for our inheritance, for our lot, for our part, for our rightful allotment.

It also means that whatever we enjoy at current times, all the little blessings, are given us by the Lord as our portion and secured lot! The joy in our heart, the peace of our mind, the confidence in our Lord are all part of His grace we enjoy.

Let us praise Him with a grateful heart for securing our lot and for being our portion. Amen!

Happy first Monday of the new year 2016! 

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. Psalm 29:3

Thunder surely feels like God's voice, does it not?! If you have some time today, please read Psalm 29 and see what else God's voice is capable of doing. This is a beautiful passage.

When I visited Niagara Falls for the first time, I was so filled with the Holy Spirit that I was only speaking in tongues and praising and worshipping the Lord - the creator of such a magnificient thundering water fall! That's when I truly understood the meaning of this verse.

Many times we talk about only the love of God and forget how powerful He really is. He is Almighty! All Powerful! Yet loving! Isn't that something?! Psalm 81: 7 says, "You called in trouble and I rescued you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder...".

Let's remember this all thru' the day and the rest of the year. Shall we?

Today's reading: Proverbs 3 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "...Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine" 3:9-10

My two cents: If we want our barns to be filled to overflowing and our vats to brim over with new wine, there is no short cut to it. We must honor the Lord with our wealth and with the firstfruits of all our crops!

Elsewhere in Malachi we read, Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 3:10

Shall we try it this new year?

I am on for the challenge! Are you?

Here's wishing you all a Blessed & Prosperous New Year 2016!

Blessings from Scriptures below.

“‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.

“‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.

“‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

“‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

“‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high. Leviticus 26:1-13

Let us be careful to obey His commands and follow His decrees; so that all these promised blessings will be ours! God bless you all very much. Jesus loves you!