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

Verse of the day: "...Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits 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 first fruits 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

I am on for the challenge! Are you?

"What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD" Jonah 2:9

In chapter 2 of the Book of Jonah, we read Jonah's prayer to God from within the belly of a fish. From there he says: "What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD". Let's stop there for today's lesson.

Most of us have gone through similar situation though not exactly the same. In our anguish we have cried out to the Lord and have made vows to Him: Lord, if you give me this job, I will be regular with my tithe. If only you heal me now, I will follow you the rest of my life... etc. But have we fulfilled these vows when the situations improved and we were delivered out of our distress? 'Not always', would be the honest answer.

It comes easy to make a vow, but fulfilling it requires commitment and conscious efforts. With overwhelming demands of life we might even forget our vows. This can't be!

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:4, When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

In Deuteronomy we read: If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. (23:21)

Take away for today is: Let us fulfill our vows to our Lord!

"Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone" Zechariah 10:1

The message comes loud and clear - Ask the Lord for rain. Rain? What rain? Showers of blessings of course.Whatever pressing needs we have let us bring it all at His feet today. Ask and you will receive! Let us ask our Lord to send us the showers of blessings we have been longing for.

It could be a job, it could be a much needed vacation or financial freedom or spiritual freedom or physical healing or mental healing - whatever it is, you know your need. Let us together bring it all at His feet and pray over these days; let's hold hands:

Dear Father in Heaven! We praise your name Lord. Thank you for your provisions in our lives so far this year Lord. Thank you that you are going to provide for us through the rest of the year too Lord. Dear Lord, the scripture asks us to ask for rain Lord. We are here gathered in your name - asking for the rain you have promised us Lord. Please send your rain at this very moment Lord, this very day Lord. Thank you Jesus! 

Please send the rain according to each need we have brought to your feet this morning Lord! Please Lord, we know you are mighty to save! We know your promises are ye and amen! We know you said if we ask we will receive it Lord. Now we are asking Lord. We do believe you are sending us the showers Lord. Please Lord, let the people not be disappointed Lord. Please meet their needs Lord. You alone can do it Lord. Send them the much needed rain Lord! In your beloved son our beloved Savior Jesus Christ's name we pray, Amen!

"Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. " Proverbs: 4:24

Okay, before we go on to discuss this verse, we need to know what is 'perversity'. A quick look up in the Thesaurus lists the following synonyms: wicked, bad, mean, vicious, stubborn, obstinate, headstrong...

We all can immediately relate these words to some people we might know. But that is only secondary. First, let us look at our selves. Do we identify any of these characteristics as part of our talk?

Perverse talk comes from perverse tongue and the Bible says, "A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble." Proverbs 17:20 and in Proverbs 10:31 we read, "...a perverse tongue will be cut out"

It is a serious matter - the perverse mouth which results from a perverse heart - and has to be handled at once. Let's put away perversity from our mouth & keep corrupt talk far from our lips...

 Today's reading: Proverbs 20 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel" 20:15

A beautiful cross reference is found in Job: "Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies." Job 28:18

We get the point; don't we? Wisdom is much more precious than precious metals and gems.

Let us seek for wisdom like we would a treasure.

Happy Tuesday!

And to man He said, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding". Job 28:28

Wisdom is something the human race is in pursuit of, completely forgetting that the key is already provided for in the Scriptures.

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

It all starts with the fear of the Lord!

If so, what is the fear of the Lord?

Fear here does not mean being afraid of God.

Fear of the Lord, is the positive reverence for God. It is honoring God in all areas of our lives.

How is our spiritual life? Do we seek Him with all our heart? Do we spend quality time at His presence? Do we keep still to hear Him speak? Do we obey His commands? Do we acknowledge Him for our achievements? Do we consult Him for our decision making?

How is our personal life? What kind of entertainments we get drawn to? How is our dealings with friends, family, fellow believers, total strangers? Is there integrity in our lives that reflects our faith or do we play multiple facets? Do people notice we are different from the rest of the world? Can they tell we are heavenward bound?

See, fear of God is a way of life. It is a part and parcel of every day behavior. It is a commitment.

But what it offers is way more rewarding than what it calls for. It promises wisdom and understanding, which the scripture says is far more precious than rubies!

Shall we strive to achieve this wisdom at all cost? Let's then start fearing the Lord.

He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. Proverbs 10:5

Just as how important it is to sow, it is equally important to reap. Every farmer looks forward to the reaping or the harvest, as harvest is when they get their reward for all the hard work. If someone is lazy during harvest season and doesn't go in and reap, the yield will get wasted by the birds and passerby.

Same way, when we sow the seeds of faith in people's hearts, our responsibility is not over with that. We water it regularly (pray for their salvation)  to bring it to a saving knowledge of Christ. This is the "harvesting" most of us evangelical Christians forget about.

In Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus says, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

As God's own sons and daughters we have a huge harvest ahead of us. Let's get working; shall we?

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. Thought of sharing the highlights with you for today's coffee.
What does the Bible say what heart is:
* Heart is a physical organ and 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. So, let's guard our heart!

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

For the explanation of today's Scripture let us read the complete passage - in Jesus's own words:

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? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34

It makes perfect sense; does it not? Yet, we run after the worldly things first - putting aside "seeking His kingdom and His righteousness" as the very last item in our day's agenda as if to say, "if we get to it well and good; if not we can skip it, no big deal".

Then we worry why we can't make the ends meet or whatever happened to our joy and toss and turn through sleepless nights, worrying more and more about how to make things work - still forgetting to seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

When all else fail we get back to our senses and come back to Him. But by then our need is so great we can't really seek after His kingdom but only beg and plead for our rescue. That's why our prayers are always like, "give me, give me, give me" rather than "thank you! thank you! thank you!"

Now, let me challenge you all - for the next couple of days, as soon as you wake up, before you even do anything I want you to sit at His feet - seeking His face, His kingdom and His righteousness. When you have raised up enough thank you's remember your needs, submit it at His feet and go about your day's business. Do this for a week and let me know if indeed the promise works in your life or not...

God bless you! Happy Friday!

Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed. Psalm 119:116

It is not just us who get weary when the blessings we hope for is delayed. Everyone can relate to it. Let us, therefore, learn from some examples from the Scriptures of godly men on how they handled the stress associated with delayed hope.

King David reverts to prayer and supplication. There are numerous accounts of him praying and pleading thru' his psalms. He was certain his help would come from the Lord. He sings:

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalm 54:4

Prophet Jeremiah learned to wait for Him; he writes in Lamentations 3:21-24:

My soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Then there is the renewed hope when the wait is finally over and when we receive His blessings.

In Ezekiel 37:11 we read: They (People of Israel) say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ The Lord says in verse 37:13-14 "Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord."

So what do we need to do?
1. Pray
2. Be sure the Lord alone can help
3. Wait for the Lord
4. Receive your blessing

Is that hard?

Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Throughout generations, the plea remains the same - Fear the Lord and serve Him with all your heart!

Do we? Shall we?

“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny you, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Proverbs 3:7-9

Agur (the author of  Proverbs 3rd chapter) wisely prayed for a middle state, that he might be kept at a  distance from temptations. He asked daily bread suited to his station, his family, and his real good. There is a remarkable similarity between this prayer and several clauses of the Lord's prayer such as 'Give us this day our daily bread, lead us not into temptations' etc.

If we are removed from vanity and lies; if we are interested in the pardoning love of Christ, and have him for our portion; if we walk with God, then we shall have all we can ask or think, as to spiritual things.

When we consider how those who have abundance are prone to abuse the gift, and what it is to suffer want, Agur's prayer will ever be found a wise one, though seldom offered.

Food convenient; what is so for one, may not be so for another; but we may be sure that our heavenly Father will supply all our need, and not suffer us to want anything good for us; and why should we wish for more? (Excerpt from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary) 

Why not make it our prayer too this morning?

Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Proverbs 4:25

Many non believers have a disregard for Christ by seeing the activities of some so called "Christians". This is sad. Some Christians too always find fault at the pastors, evangelists, fellow believers and other servants of God and stop following Christ. This is even sadder.

Many do not realize that following Christ is not a one time commitment but a continuous one. Every day, every hour, every minute one has to commit to follow Christ. Looking at a flawed man one can not determine what Jesus is like. Only by looking at Him directly one can experience Him.

Let us not get distracted looking hear and there and losing focus on the Lord. Let us not get trapped into false preachings that are not in accordance with the Bible. Let us not come to our own conclusions on Spiritual matters based on our own reasoning. Let us be determined to look straight ahead always going back to the Scriptures for our answers on things unclear.

In his letter to the Philippians Apostle Paul insists on Pressing towards the goal. He writes: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Amen! That's exactly what we ought to do - pressing on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus!

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah 5:2 

Prophet Micah lived around the same time as Prophet Isaiah - about 700 years before Christ. Micah had foretold about the exact location of the birth place of the Messiah Jesus Christ as Bethlehem.

Some argue that since Jesus did not establish His kingdom on earth during His first coming, He is not the messiah foretold here. They miss out on the dual role of the Messiah - one as a suffering servant who bears the sins of His people (which was fulfilled by Jesus during His first coming), and next as a triumphant ruler who will exercise authority over the nations (which will be fulfilled by Jesus at His second coming).

What about the statement that His origins are from of old and is from ancient of times? It only means there is no beginning for Jesus Christ we can fathom in our mind - He is from eternal past - He was with God from the ancient of times!

In the Gospel of John he writes about the same which explains it better. John writes in John 1:1-5, "In  the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

So true! He shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood Him.

In Him is life! Now, have you found Him?

It pleased the Lord to bless Israel. Numbers 24:1

Seeing the Israelites camped at the plains of Moab and knowing what they did to the Amorites, Balak the king of Moab was terrified. He sends in his counsel men to bring Balaam - a well known sorcerer of that time, to curse the Israelites.

The king takes Balaam to a nearby mount from where they could see the encampment to curse them. But as it turns out Balaam only blesses them because God did not allow him to curse his children. Balak tries again from two different locations but all the time there was only blessing instead of cursing.

In fact he blesses, "There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel" (Numbers 23:23) which extends to any future attempt to curse them by anyone else.

Let us hold on to this verse as our promise. Nobody can do us any harm intentionally or unintentionally. No evil spirit can come near our tents. No divination against us will work. Never fear any black magic or witchcraft or anything related.

We are not commoners or the ordinary folks. We are the children of the Most High. As Apostle Peter reminds us in I Peter 2:9, "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Amen! We are called out of darkness into His wonderful light. It pleases the Lord to bless us. Amen!

"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

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 35:10

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

What powerful promises this morning! Praise the Lord!

Though it is widely applicable for all of us believers here at Coffee with Jesus, I can sense that it comes as a direct consolation message to someone in particular going through crying and sorrow this very minute - with no one around to care.

Don't ever think you are alone; you have a great Redeemer - who wipes away your tears, eases your pain, embraces you fully and loves you unconditionally. Amen!

May God bless you and fill you with the promised joy this very day! Repeat the promises to yourself and claim it as your own:

Everlasting joy will crown my head. Gladness and joy will overtake me. Sorrow and sighing will flee away! The Lord will wipe every tear from my eyes!

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

Let's take a tally of our love for our Lord this morning.

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?!

Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33

Isn't it awesome God has given us instructions about every aspect of life - even to the detail of how we must treat our spouses. To make matters even simpler there is actually only one condition to the husband and to the wife.

Husbands must love their wives. Wives must respect their husbands. That's all!

Behavioral experts will tell you, a man's primary need in a relationship is respect while the woman's primary need is love.

As long as the husband feels respected, he loves his wife. When respect is compromised he acts out. Same way, the wives are happy as long as they feel loved by their husbands and can't remain happy when love is compromised in their marriage.

So you see, this causes a vicious cycle - as she can't respect a husband who does not love her; and he can't love a wife who does not respect him. The only way this trend is developing is downhill and before long the marriage union will suffer.

So, what is the solution? Today's Scripture has the answer! Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Now we ask, who should do what first? Good question; but wrong motive! Of course it will be convenient if our spouse stops this vicious cycle explained above; but as long as we have an equal part why not we apply the breaks?

When the need arises to snap back next time, keep calm, hum a song, praise God, and at any cost avoid further damage to your marriage! No, you haven't lost anything; but will gain his/her heart over time! Isn't that worth the try?!

The wise woman/(man) builds her/(his) house, but with her/(his) own hands the foolish one tears hers/(his) down. Proverbs 14:1

* Love one another. As I have loved you. John 13:34
* Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other Ephesians 4:32
* Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Colossians 3:13
* Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Romans 12:10
* Encourage one another and build each other up. I Thessalonians 5:11
* Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21

The Scripture calls for it repeatedly (as we see in the above verses) to be right in our relationships with one another. Doing so however is really tough. Relationships are complicated; no denying that.

May be when we were children it was possible for us to love all unconditionally. But over the years as we get older, day by day there is a subtle change in us; keeping us away from friends/family members/in-laws/neighbors/church members/strangers who are not in tune with us.

We make every effort to stay clear of further bonding. We drift aloof and indifferent from their company, which of course we can justify from every possible angle. But the question is: Are we okay in our relationship with God then?

We would like to answer a beaming "YES!" But won't we be fooling ourselves if we did?! In the coming days over the coffee table let us wait to hear from the Lord to lead us in the paths of righteousness.

Let us look forward to rebuilding our relationships with one another, in Christ. Stay tuned. God bless you all!

* Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalms 100:2
* Rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters... Deuteronomy 12:12

Happy Sunday morning! As we get ready to go worship the Lord in the congregation of fellow believers, let us remember these verses; and the emphasis today is on gladness.

In Isaiah 35:10 we read, "...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."

Aren't we the "ransomed of the Lord"? Are we glad this morning? In spite of everything going on in our lives, we are still breathing - which alone is enough to be singing joyful songs in His presence.

For the rest of the day let us cast away our cares and go before him with joyful singing... shall we?

Enjoy the worship service!

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. I Corinthians 16:13

Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Thessalonians, "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter." 2 Thessalonians 2:15

So, standing firm in faith means to hold on to the teachings that are passed on to us in the Scriptures. A word of caution here... let us be careful not to get carried away by "teachings" that are not in accordance with the Word of God.

Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

So, standing firm in faith means not letting ourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery or sin. Once we were slaves, but now we are set FREE by His blood! Any habit or practice that could tempt us back into slavery is to be avoided at all cost.

It is not by our might we stand, but by the grace of God. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

Finally remember, only if we stand firm to the end we will be saved(Matthew 24:13)!

"I'll restore your health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD Jeremiah: 30:17

Some of us have been hurt; financially, physically or even spiritually we have been wounded - which has impacted our health, joy and peace of mind.

In Jeremiah 3:22 we read, He will cure us of backsliding - which means that backsliding is also a wound.

The word of God today assures us that He will restore our health and heal our wounds. Amen!

Yet another scripture goes like this: I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. (Jeremiah 33:6)

Jeremiah prays, "Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." (Jeremiah 17:14).

Let us also ask for healing this morning. Healing from stress, healing from backsliding, healing from financial insecurities, healing from ailments, healing from fear, and anything and everything you want to be healed of.

Our living, loving Father God affirms that He will restore our health and heal our wounds. Amen!

* Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:14
* Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land. Psalm 37:24
* I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

Very familiar verses I am sure; but not quite a familiar habit. We are not wired for 'waiting'. We get impatient and decide to run our show our way - whether God shows up or not... that's really sad.

Waiting on the Lord is way too important than we can imagine as our quick fixes could permanently damage our peace of mind. Sometimes answers to our prayers seem not quick enough but that doesn't mean we should hurry making decisions for ourselves. If God promised you something He will bring it to pass even if it takes time.

Here's a beautiful verse I want to bring to your attention: For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.Habakkuk 2:3

Knowing these verses gives us hope to wait on the Lord. Let us continue to wait!

"You, Israel, my servant,
I took you from the ends of the earth,

The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD Proverbs 21:31

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

The lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the LORD. Proverbs:16:33

What all these verses teach us is that our victory comes from the Lord and not from the chariots or horses or lots as some people believe in. We trust in the name of the Lord our God and the victory belongs to the Lord.

This again ties to the verse, "Go in the strength you have" - which we discussed last week. I believe this reinforcement of the same topic, again and again, is only to teach us a thing or two about letting go of our limits, merits and/or credits and trusting in the Lord 100%

If you haven't seen victory over anything this year so far, let go of your fear, doubt and self-confidence. Let the Lord be your confidence.

Learn to trust in the Lord, indeed victory belongs to the Lord for his people who trust in Him.

Amen

* 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6
* It is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves... I Samuel 17:47
* The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11

Do we need any more assurance than what we have in these Scriptures that our victory belongs to the Lord?

Our might or power cannot compare to the Spirit of the Lord. No sword or spear against us can stand before the Lord. There is no guarantee that the swift will win a race or the strong the battle.

Can't take it for granted that if we are wise we will be fed and wealthy or favored if we have an education.

To sum up, nothing in us is worth anything when it comes to providing for our needs. It is all by grace we survive.

It is a little too hard to accept; as we mostly believe we make our living. But that is not true!

There are so many things beyond our control that need to work together for us to live our life. No amount of money can ever buy love, joy or good health.

It is all His grace and only GRACE!

"How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." 1 Kings 18:21

We are not getting into details on the context of today's text. However, if you wish to understand the context, please click here to read the full chapter.

How many of us can relate to wavering between two opinions? What causes us to waver? When a promise is delayed we waver; when our faith is tested we waver; out of fear of someone or something we waver, to avoid conflicts we waver... To sum it all up, in plain and simple words, we waver between hope and fear.

We do want to believe in God's promises (hope) but at the same time, we want to consider the 'what if it is not true' scenario (fear or doubt). The Scripture says: A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:8

Wavering or being unstable has huge consequences. If you recall Reuben, he received a curse from his father Jacob instead of the blessing. Jacob's words in Genesis 49:4 goes: "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel"

King David sings in Psalm 26:1 "I have trusted in the LORD without wavering". In his letters to the Hebrews Apostle Paul writes: Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm Hebrew 10:23 As part of His sermon on the mount, Jesus said: "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." Matthew 5:37

Knowing these Scriptures will help us to improve in our faith and reduce our doubts. Any doubt about that? :)

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Jesus's miracle of feeding the crowd of five thousand adults with five loaves of bread precedes today's Scripture. The fact that this conversation above is also mentioned in the same chapter explains how soon the disciples had forgotten the miracle and started to worry about "how to feed the crowd".

Aren't we like them too? We forget how God delivered us through certain incidents in the past and keep worrying about the future far and near. Why is it hard for us to trust that the Lord will see us through all the way? Why do we still depend on our abilities and merits and resources?

Why are we talking about having no bread? Do we still not see or understand? Are our hearts hardened? Do we have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t we remember?

Why o why?

I know it is a lot of questions to handle in one day... but let's take some time to analyze ourselves. Let us learn to look up to our Source(Jesus) which(who) never dries out; instead of forever worrying about our low resources...

It is high time we fully trust beyond what is seen, don't you think?

Have a blessed weekend. God be with you!

Today's reading: Proverbs 23 Click here to read online (NIV)

Verse of the day: "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." 23:17,18

It is only human nature to envy others but not a godly one. As we grow and mature spiritually we need to get rid of envy from our heart. We can not be true believers if we envy others.

As long as we fear the Lord and shun from envy and other sinful ways, our hope is not in vain.

So, points taken: Let's not envy others; Let us be zealous with the fear of the Lord; Our hope will not be cut off! Amen!

Happy March 2019 folks! And, happy Friday as well. :)