Missing - My Energy (Mk 9:33 - 41)

Ever wondered where all that energy you had as a child and a young person vanished? Is it just the effect of our body aging or is it our mind that is aging must faster? Or is it the cares of this world and the running behind things unnecessary that makes us lose our energy so fast?

These were the questions running through my mind even as i spent the weekend suffering from my usual breathlessness and palpitations. The answer to which, i'm reminded from this portion of scripture is simple - It is the child like spirit that finds life's golden gates and that finds them all ajar; teeming with energy even as the will to learn and explore keeps them prancing around. So lost is a child in their own world that nothing else matters except having fun. You might argue at this point that a child doesn't have much responsibility. But also is true that the Lord asks us to be like a child (Mk 10:15).

The Lord never taught us to back away from responsibility. As we grow up (even in Him), we are expected to take on more responsibility and stand strong. But were these charges to us meant to steal us of joy is the question? I think not!

Paul in reminiscence says that he put away childishness as he grew up (1 Cor. 13:11) and even urges the Corinthians to grow up in the Lord and stand up to the duties given to them as God's people (1 Cor. 3:2). Yet in all that, his attitude towards the good Lord was that of a child. This is something that can be observed all through his writings as he constantly talks about keeping faith, trust and hope in God alone. But perhaps the most important of all characteristics that Paul wanted to assert through his life was the simple dependence on God's mercy - for nothing else can lead us into and even keep us in the Kingdom. Because actual dependence on God comes only from first trusting Him completely; as a child does their parent.

So when the Lord asks us to be as a child - its for our own reckoning. "Come unto Me all ye who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of me; for i am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Mt 11: 28-30). The reason for that instruction then becomes simple - that we would continue to enjoy life (with Him, in Him and through Him) always; even as a child does!

So if you find yourself without energy or saying, "Lord, i'm tired," you should probably ask the question - am i growing away from childlikeness?

Are you working in a ministry or is your work your ministry?

Working in a ministry place is almost always frustrating because our expectations are hardly ever met. Rather it almost seems like people around us are only trying to make life difficult. And rightly so i should say...

Are you rolling your eyes right now? Well, but that is the truth! The good Lord never promised us an easy life. Instead, he did warn us that we would be ridiculed, mocked and persecuted for His sake (Mt 10: 17-23). We're warned against storing up riches for ourselves while preaching His Word (Mt 10: 6-10); or even falling into the trap of keeping our confidence in our earnings (Mt 6: 24-34; 10: 27-31). We're warned that our own family will go against us when we follow Him (Mt 10: 34-36); that we ought not to be hypocrites (Mt 6: 2-6; 7: 3-7). He redefined the meaning of sin to encompass most things we care not twice about (Mt 5: 22-42) and taught us what love should mean (Mt 5: 43-48) and is in giving His life on the cross of Calvary that we might live. He never promised us the easy life. Rather He did tell us to brace ourselves up to follow Him (Mt 16: 24-26). So what is the most demotivating factor for you to stop serving Him and moving away from the center of His plan for your life today?

My personal experience has been my constant disappointments with people; either not doing what they ought to or doing what they ought not to, well either ways making my life difficult. But i'm reminded that my own family will turn against me when i'm following Him; what better can i then expect from anybody else? The second driving factor for me was always the riches and glamor of this world, the comforts i would like to give my family. Again i'm reminded of the fact that even Solomon was not clothed as richly as the grass in the field (Mt 6: 29). And there i rest my case that things are not happening for my family and me; for i have nothing further to find fault with.

My brother, my sister, my friend - if you feel you are really suffering in your work place, large chances are you are in the center of His will for your life. I'm reminded of this little quote, that does sum up our daily christian life very aptly:
Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world. They should probably tell you this while you are applying to the ministry place huh? ;-)

So, ARE YOU WORKING IN A MINISTRY PLACE OR is your work your ministry?

P.S - I'm not denying the fact that ministry places are where you get taken for granted as a person more than anywhere else. Stand up for what is right and what you ought to get. Only remember that you are a christian and that there is a very thin line between voicing your concerns with God on your side and being overpowered by your emotions and lashing out all by yourself.

The Invisible Presence (Exo 33:12-23)

I have constantly asked myself the question - what made Moses so special to God? And here lies the answer... "Now therefore, i pray thee, if i have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy way, that i may know Thee, that i may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people" (Exo 33:13).

There stood Moses in the gap between God's anger and God's people; further angry himself about the way the Israelites had behaved. And during that weak moment, he chose to look unto God seeking not just asking forgiveness for the people but also asking for the grace to go on dealing with them. His abject dependence on God alone is brought forth clearly here. The striking thing about this entire episode though is God's response to Him - "I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight" (Exo 33:17). Moses had found favor in God's sight for one reason alone - he sought God's presence with him (Exo 33: 15, 16a). For he realised that without God he was able to do nothing, let alone lead the people into the promised land.

For this reason God's answer is "I will make all my goodness pass before thee..." (Exo 33:19a). Truth is, that is all the glory we need upon the immediate road. His companionship means everything, because life's glory is but to feel Him near. Like when the loving wife feels that the husband is in the house and when the loving husband feels that the wife is in the house and that is everything! The joy of each other's presence is the crown of married bliss. So it is with the good Lord. When His presence is the soul's delight and 'Thou, Oh Christ art all i want'; He is well pleased with us. Not because He needs us to adore Him so, but because we choose to for who He is, even to us. Then my friend He shall show us His inheritance as it shall please Him and we shall be special to Him even as Moses (and David).

Magnum Opus (so far...)

What can the Lord do when you release yourself to Him completely, even helplessly???

He uses every gift He has placed in you to produce a work; the result of which you look at and know it wasn't you.

Such is the story of my thesis - recovering from heart surgery without much help around, and writing my thesis within a week's time to meet the submission deadline. The result - i can only look at and say wow!

Read Thesis

The Two Mountains (Heb 12: 18 - 28)

Imagine you were in front of the mount Sinai today - the mountain is ablaze with fire even as God's wrath is waiting to consume all of the israelites. Everybody is trembling and shaking and nobody has the courage to as much as touch the mountain's foot even as a tempest is at bay. So terrible is the site that even Moses said "i exceedingly fear and quake" (Heb 12: 19). Could you and i stand amidst such a charged atmosphere and whisper our vain prayers and confessions? I think not.

God redeemed us to mount zion. We stand today in the city of the living God and in the company of innumerable angels (Heb 12: 22). We stand today in the church of the firstborn, in front of God the judge of all (Heb 12: 23). And we answer "to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant and the blood of sprinkling" (Heb 12: 24). So, my friend be sure to refuse him not; "for if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall we not escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven" (Heb 12: 25). Our true home is not Sinai but Calvary. At the first mount there is no place for the sinner; at the second mount there is place for no one else. For here we find the grace to drop the burden of sin and find our way back to the holiness we lost at Sinai; it is here we begin to wear the garments of salvation. "Therefore let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear - for our God is a consuming fire!" (Heb 12: 27, 28)

Here goes...

I started off this blog 3 years ago; but since haven't allowed my energies to be channeled towards writing about His work in my life.

Finally today, having decided that this would help me move on further in Him; i decided to restart this blog and dedicate it to His work in my life and my musings about all things Him.

So here goes...