Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Psalm 14:7

Amen! I praise God for these wonderful promises this morning!

It does not say, "If the Lord restores.." but says with assurance "When the Lord restores...". So there is absolutely no room for doubt here. If any of you experience even the slightest trace of doubt, you must rebuke it in the name of the Lord.

His promises are yes and amen! 2 Corinthians 1:20

Why then it is hard for us to still trust in Him completely? Why are we holding on to our heavy burden? Why not cast it all at His feet and walk free?! Why does our faith fluctuate so much?

"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." Matthew 8:25

He commands the winds and water and they obey Him! Is it hard for Him to solve our needs? Is it difficult for Him to restore our fortunes? Is it beyond His abilities to make us rejoice and be glad?

Repeat this verse after me and claim it as your own this morning: Oh, my salvation would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores my fortunes, I will rejoice and be glad! Amen!

Happy Friday folks! Yay! We did it - the week & the month!

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. Psalm 39:4

My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. Job 9:25

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end without hope. Job 7:6

We don't need much proof that our days run faster than ever. We see signs of it everywhere. The mirror gives it away every time we see our reflection in it.

Didn't we just begin the year? Already we are wrapping up with May and before we know it, it will be year end. Even this past week went by in a blink. The days and weeks and months and years seem to roll one into another seamlessly.

Job and King David felt the same from time to time. We see them mentioning it repeatedly in Scriptures. It is interesting how they both focus their attention back to the Lord amidst their panic.

Let us too do the same. As we become more cautious of our fleeting days let us become more appreciative of the Lord's providence and more aware of His favor on us.

His favor would be a full fountain of our future joys. It would be a sufficient balance to our former griefs. Instead of wasting our precious, fleeting days in pursuing fancies, let us seek the forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance in heaven. Let us pray that the work of the Holy Spirit may appear in converting our hearts, and that the beauty of holiness may be seen in our conduct. (Ref: Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary)

God bless you! Have a blessed Thursday!

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

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.

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. Psalm 103:1-6

Let us too talk to our soul like King David did, reminding it to:

Praise the Lord
Praise His Holy Name
Praise the Lord who forgives our sins
Praise the Lord who heals our diseases
Praise the Lord who redeems our life from the pit
Praise the Lord who crowns us with love and compassion
Praise the Lord who satisfies our desires with good things
Praise the Lord who renews our youth like the eagle's.
Praise the Lord who works righteousness and justice for the oppressed.

Amen! Praise the Lord!

If God is for us, who can be against us? Roman 8:31

If God is for you, who can be against you? Repeat this after me: If God is for me, who can be against me?

Amen! When God is for us nobody can be against us. This also ties with yesterday's message: No weapon forged against you will prevail.

How can we be sure that God is for us? In verse 28 we read: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So if we are called according to His purpose, we can be assured that in all things God works for the good of us who love Him or in other words God is for us.

When He is for us, who can be against us? The plain and simple answer is: Nobody; indeed nobody!

No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:17

I love promises; especially those that end with 'decalres the Lord' as it is like a 'certified promise' if you will.

Thus the promise above is a certified promise for the servants of the Lord. If we are the servants of the Lord then no weapon forged against us will prevail. Not only that, we will refute every tongue that accuses us.

How? By sending back a stronger weapon? Or by fighting back with stronger words? No, not at all!

If we are true servants of the Lord, we will continue to serve the Lord and He will fight our battles and argue our cases for us.

This is our heritage; let's inherit it!

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Psalm 37:3

Good works begin with putting our faith in the Lord!  That is the beginning of the journey which we had discussed a few days ago.

Deeds follow faith. It is not by mere words we show our faith; we enact our faith.

In the same psalm where today's Scripture is quoted from, as we continue to read, there are few instructions for us which are highlighted below:

Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

Once we are connected to Jesus Christ, we become the best in whatever we are. And we ought to do it to serve one another, not for our personal gratification. Believers coming together as a Church body, complement each other.

One of the mistakes believers often make is that we expect perfection from one another. We disappoint one another.

Paul says we are God's workmanship. We are in the process of becoming like Jesus.

When we are filled with God's love we are going to overlook each other's shortcomings.

We often have a wrong picture of who God is. Isaiah describes the Lord as magnificently lifted high. In Isaiah 6:1-3 we read,

"I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

When we are saved by the grace of God, we find our identity in Jesus Christ. Because of that, we do good works. It is a natural by-product of being saved.

Clearly then, someone who claims to be a believer but does not do any good work needs to think again.

There are different kinds of works:

1. Works of the law or religious duty

A religious person is someone who lives out of fear because they are not confident in the grace of God. They have hard lines, a set of rules written down for them. They believe as long as they live by the law they are saved.

2. Works of the sinful nature

Our sinful nature finds ways for coping with the trials of life, in drugs, alcohol, etc, getting momentary relief.

3. Works of the flesh

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

4. Works of darkness

Ephesians 5:11, Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

5. Works of righteousness.

Titus 3:5, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

Any amount of work towards any righteous cause will not save us.

Prophet Isaiah says our righteousness is like filthy rags. If our righteousness is like filthy rags imagine how our sin looks like.

So then, what kind of works is expected of us? We shall continue it for tomorrow...

Everyone born undertakes a journey. However you slice and dice it, the journey called life can be divided into only two types. A journey that leads to destruction or a journey that leads to life, for eternity.

By default, we are on cruise control towards destruction. When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal savior, we hop on the journey that leads to life. Others continue on the journey to destruction.

For discussion this morning are two questions:

1. What role does Jesus play in our journey?

For some "Christians" Jesus is nothing more than mere travel insurance. The journey then becomes a set of do's and don't's making it all the more cumbersome. They are prone to dismiss it as difficult or impossible half way thru' and hop on the high way to destruction.

For true believers, however, Jesus is the GPS (Global Positioning System). He shows us the way. He leads us and guides us. During our times of trouble or waywardness, He takes us back on the journey to life. He is our constant companion. He is the ever-present help. Amen!

In the Scriptures, we read,
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Yesterday we discussed that we must wait on the Lord before decision making. Today's discussion is on How do we know when the wait is over?

It is a good question, but wrong motive. It clearly shows how impatient we are already.

Having said that, the answer to the question is that the wait is never over,over until the coming of the Lord!!

"Wait a minute, that can't be? We need to make decisions as part of our daily lives and we can't wait forever until eternity", you say. I agree.

For day to day life we wait for assurance from the Lord; making sure we have taken the matter to God in prayer and petition, get a complete peace of mind, sometimes an assurance with a Scripture portion (Word of God), mostly a calm attitude resulting from being led by the Holy Spirit. That's how we know we have the answer from the Lord for the matters at hand.

However, our wait on the Lord is never really over. Each day, each minute we ought to be waiting and depending on the Lord knowing clearly each moment is His precious gift to us and we make it through each day only by His mercy and grace.

I know the answer is disappointing, but that is what the Scripture tells us:

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! James 5:7-9

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-16

Have a blessed Sunday!

They that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

'Waiting on the Lord' is a frequently mentioned term among Christians. But what really does Waiting on the Lord mean?

Looking up the thesaurus for 'wait' we have the following:

Definition: pause, rest

Synonyms: abide, anticipate, await, bide, bide one's time, cool it, dally, delay, expect, fill time, foresee, hang around, hang onto, hang out, hold back, hold everything, hold on, lie in wait, lie low, linger, look for, look forward to, mark time, put on hold, remain, save it, sit tight, sit up for, stall, stand by, stay, stay up for, stick around, sweat it, tarry, watch

Antonyms: carry out, do, forge, forward, go, go ahead

So, to say we must wait on the Lord implies we have to abide in the Lord, expect from the Lord, delay our own decision making, linger in His presence, tarry, hold on, look forward to His answer, stand by for His deliverance etc. In addition it also means not to carry out things in our whim or fancy, not to go ahead with our own conclusions, not to move forward without hearing from Him etc.

Wait on the Lord, wait at His presence, bring it to His feet, raise it to His hearing, tarry for a definite answer from Him on all matters concerning. The business idea you have, the marriage proposal at hand, the job offer you like, for all things big and small, pause, consult with the Lord, wait on Him and then do it according to His will. Don't move an inch before you have heard from Him. Do not proceed!

Pause. Pray. Listen. Act.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. Isaiah 64:4

How do you know when the wait is over? We will discuss that tomorrow; please stay tuned...

Those who honor me I will honor. I Samuel 2:30

Constant mention of God's love somehow gives a wrong idea that we can take Him for granted. We forget where we came from and who God really is.

He is the King of kings; the Lord of lords; the Beginning and the End! We were in sin, wearing rags, decaying in our souls. Yet He chose to love us. He cleansed us by His blood, made us holy, clothed us with garments of righteousness, wrote His name on us... and now we have forgotten all that...

In Malachi 1:6 we read, A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.

He goes on to explain we have defiled His alter by offering the blind and lame animals; we have not given Him the best of what we have. We can't deny that, can we?

According to Proverbs 3:9 let us honor the LORD with our wealth, with the first fruits of all our crops. The keyword here is 'all' not just 'some' or 'any' or 'one' or 'none' but 'all'.

In all areas of our lives (including our finances) let our first priority and our best service be to God and godly affairs.

Those who honor the Lord will be honored by Him. What a privilege that is!

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3-11

Pure and simple Scriptures this morning for Coffee with Jesus. As we read above, let us make every effort to confirm our calling and election.

Have a blessed Thursday!

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

Sometimes we get a revelation or promise from the Lord through a dream or vision or a word or song or a message. But it may not immediately come true.

If that is your case, the Bible says, "Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" Numbers 23:19

Sometimes things may not work out the way we are expecting it, but it definitely does not mean His promises have failed. In course of time it will all come clear for our understanding. For now let us accept the limitations and move forward.

One thing to remember is: "All things happen for good for those who love the Lord." Amen!

Hang in there; His promises are yeah and amen!

But 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. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. I Peter 2:9-10

For easy understanding let us read these verses in a different order as below: (verse 10 first and then verse 9)

Once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy. And now we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Isn't this true in our lives? Are we declaring the praises of Him as we ought to?

Have a blessed day. 

'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:23

 I am sure we all hope to hear our Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!.... Come and share your master's happiness!" someday. The condition seems to be simple - to be faithful with a few things.

What would those few things be? I guess one would be how we spend our time, another would be how we use our resources, it could be our talents, our finances, our dealings, our attitudes, our conversations... simple things really...

In Luke 16:10 we read, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."

Let us assess each area in our lives and make a conscious effort to become faithful with the few things; then our Master will surely say, "Well done!"

How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing. Luke 13:34

Mothers from every species (birds, animals, reptiles, us humans) are special. They have an inborn nature or duty to gather their broods and keep them safe. We take it as our responsibility to build the house and maintain the family peace.

So we can relate to this scripture very well. Isn't it comforting to know that our Lord has the very same concern for us. To gather us under His mighty wings! What a privilege it is to abide under His protection!

As we enjoy the festivities today let us remember the love our Father has for us, so that we can continue to be unconditional in loving our brood.

Happy Mothers Day to all mothers at the table. 

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 chapter telling of the many wonderful works of our Lord from sea to mountain 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, which convinces me that every little blessing comes from the Lord: the breeze, the rain, the good dinner, the beautiful flowers, 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.

Indeed it is the Lord who satisfies our desires, who feeds us, clothes us and provides for our other needs, not only for us humans but for all living thing. The least we can do is acknowledge Him by giving thanks.

My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. Psalm 27:8
* I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
* Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4

King David sets us a good example of seeking the Lord continually, not just on Sundays's not just on mornings but continually - all the days of the week, every hour of each day, every second of each hour...

What does it mean to seek?

The following definitions are given in the dictionary:

1. Attempt to find (something)
2. Attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something)
3. Ask for (something) from someone
4. Search for and find someone or something
5. Go to (a place)

Now, how do we seek the Lord?

Based on the definition of the word 'seek' we can say,

1. Find out more of the Lord
2. Desire more time with the Lord
3. Pray
4. Search the Scriptures more for hidden treasures.
5. Go to His feet more often.

The Scripture assures, those who seek Him will find Him... (Proverbs 8:17)

Hope you will start seeking from now on... Let's start on it right away!

* His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. Psalm 112:8
* Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. Hebrews 13:9

Different translations have different words for "secure" such as: confident, steady, upheld, established, resting safely, strengthend, maintained etc. So we get the point!

The question is how to keep our heart secure or established or steady?: I believe the answer is given in the second verse above: Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

When will we be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings? : Only when we do not know the fundamentals of our christian faith.

How to learn the fundamentals of our faith?: Of course, by learning the word of God.

How to learn the Word of God?: By reading, meditating, studying, listening and why not - by googling too! :)

Any teaching or doctrine or "vision" or "calling" that can not be traced back to B-I-B-L-E which is the Book for you and me; has to be dismissed as 'strange teachings'.

Then our heart will be secure, we will have no fear; in the end we will look in triumph on our foes! Amen?

“How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! “Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters." Numbers 24:5-6

Numbers 24 gives an account of an interesting encounter between King Balak and Prophet Balaam. The Israelites are traveling along the desert towards Canan their promised land and on the way they have overcome mighty warriors like Og king of Bashan, Sihon king of the Amorites and the like. When Balak king of Moab heard about it, he gets afraid and calls for Prophet Balaam to put a curse on the Israelites.

Three times he sets up alters just as Balaam suggests but every single time when Balaam opens up his mouth he only blessed the Israelites instead of cursing them because God did not allow him to curse.

Today's verse is part of his blessings over Israel at Balak's third attempt to curse them. They are blessed inspite of Balaam's order to curse them. This is so true for us who are part of the faith walk marching towards our promised land - Life Eternal in heaven.

We as born again believers are the spiritual Israelites and so these blessings hold true for us too. We will be abundantly blessed like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Let's say amen and claim these promises for ourselves  today!

P.S: If you have some time today and are looking for an intersting read, I suggest you go back and read Numbers 22 thru 25 to get the full detail of this Balaam/Balak interaction.

Have a blessed Wednesday!

Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.

Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

If clouds are full of water,
they pour rain on the earth.

Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.

Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well.

~ Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

Praise the Lord! Happy Monday morning!

Today's Scripture comes as an answer to all those at the cross roads thinking if it is okay to start a new venture. Yes! It is absolutely okay! For the Word of God says so. Go ahead! Just remember to give Him praise at all times.

O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.

See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.

With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.

“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”

With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you— ...

Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Amen!)

~ Psalm 83

This is a prayer of Asaph. We too pray in anguish these days hearing the news of persecution of believers around the world. There are questions and doubts that surface which get no answer. We feel helpless to help out as these things are beyond our control.

However we as believers have our Eternal Hope that we will see Him face to face someday and live forever and ever in His presence - where there will be no crying, no death, no darkness, no fear, no enemies against us - His treasured Bride - the Church! Praise the Lord!

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Here's an interesting passage from the First Book of Samuel Chapter 3:

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

We as believers look forward to hearing the Lord speak to us. But when He actually does, are we listening?! It doesn't seem so - not always.

We only "listen" to the part we want to hear and not to what is being spoken.

We take the promises without the conditions, demand forgiveness without repentance, want to be loved without commitments...

This can't help us mature in our Faith.

Today let us prepare our hearts to say "Speak Lord, I am listening"

"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more." Isaiah 54:4

Praise God for this wonderful Scripture this morning!

Fear, shame, humiliation and disgrace are sure dreadful. All of us can recall incidents when we have suffered such situations. For some it leaves a permanent scar, making them fearful of further shame or disgrace.

Today's message is for those of us who are constantly conscious (in fear) of humiliation. It means we are not confident, we feel intimidated, we do not speak up for our rights/faith/belief, etc. We are afraid that we will be picked on, called upon, shunned at. Before long the fear turns to anger and we shy away from friends and family withdrawing from social circles. Many fall prey to depression...

This is surely one of satan's cunning tricks as he knows that with as little as casting a shadow of doubt he can lure some of us to death, away from the life we have found in Christ. He doesn't have to work hard at it if we are unaware of what the Word of God promises us.

Knowing the Scriptures will enable us to stand firm and rebuke the devil in the Name of Jesus Christ!

So, it is important we read the Scriptures and by heart a few for our every day use. It will help us eradicate every single doubt that ever so lightly crosses our minds.

Let us repeat today's verse together:

"Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more." Isaiah 54:4

Now let us say it again customized for us:

I will not fear, for I will not be put to shame; I will not feel humiliated, for I will not be disgraced; But I will forget the shame of my youth, And the reproach of my widowhood I will remember no more. My Lord has said so!

Go ahead! Claim it as your own! It is the Holy Spirit who is sharing! Amen!

Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. Song of Solomon 2:8

This is one of the most beautiful passages in the whole Scripture, I would say. Not because the book is about an intimate love story, but because it is our love story! The story of how Christ loves His Church - which is made up of you and me!

I can't resist comparing today's Scripture to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 which goes: "For The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in the air."

In Zechariah 14:3 we read, On that day His feet shall stand on The Mount Of Olives which lies before Jerusalem...

Jesus Christ in His own words has assured that, "... They will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; and He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:30-31

Amen! Before long our Lover will return - leaping across the mountains and bounding over the hills. Let us pay keen ears to His trumpet call as he gathers us to Him. Here He comes!