Tag Archives: Jesus

April 16, 2024 · 5:39 am

ILLUMINANCE

Have you ever seen a lady that applied elaborate make-up in the dark? Without telling you what she did, it would be evident that something was wrong. Imagine a gentleman attending a black bowtie dinner putting the finishing touches to his dressing while standing in front of a mirror in a dark room. The angle of inclination of the bowtie would speak so loudly, announcing to everyone who looked at the man that it wasn’t properly aligned. Whenever there is insufficient lighting, errors and imperfections abound.

Part of my job includes monitoring the application of specialized coating on critical equipment. The coating offers the equipment protection from degradation throughout its design life, in addition to aesthetics. The mandatory prerequisites for coating application include a test for the minimum ILLUMINANCE, which literally means the amount of light in the room where the painting is to take place. The reason for this is that poor lighting could make the paint applicator or inspector miss out coating defects on the equipment. When the defects go unnoticed, there is a risk that the item could fail before the end of its design life. It will not fulfill its purpose fully unless there is an additional intervention to fix the defects. When there is adequate lighting in the room, the chances of missing out defects are reduced to an insignificant level.

When things are done in the dark, the difference will always be clear. When someone walks into a dark, crowded room, he will most likely crash into things and other people. As God’s children, this does not have to be our fate. We don’t have to walk in the dark unless we choose to. The revelation of God’s Word beams ample light into our lives, ensuring that we walk in the right direction.

Your Word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 [GNT]

Understanding your Word brings light to the minds of ordinary people. Psalm 119:130 [CEV]

The Bible abounds in multiple versions today and is easily available to us. The inspired writers gave us these words from God to guide us. Without these scriptures, there are chances that would not see anything wrong with our lives.

There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12 [AMP]

We may think we are doing the right thing, but the LORD always knows what is in our hearts. Proverbs 21:2 [CEV]

We mostly appear perfect in our own eyes, until we are screened under the light of God’s Word. When under the light, the areas where we need improvement are brought to the fore and we would often have the experience that made Prophet Isaiah speak out and say; “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”

When we use the word of God as our mirror, it helps us identify and make the necessary adjustments required for us to become who God made us to be.

Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2Timothy 3:16 – 17 [NLT]

The more we dig into God’s word, the more our definition of what is tolerable is refined and we are continuously transformed into the image of God, becoming perfect like our Father. Things that are lawful become more and more inexpedient and we shed a lot of weight. The more we study God’s word, the greater the illuminance that we experience, and consequently, the less the level of impurity we can tolerate.

I will end with a reminder that there is more to the Word. Lighting up our lives and our paths is just one aspect. Dive into the Word for that complete package.

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March 25, 2024 · 7:41 pm

MODIFIED COMPASS

Imagine that you are travelling between two locations by air. Obviously, there is a qualified pilot in control of the aircraft. If not, you will probably not be sitting there. There are mandatory requirements that the pilot must meet to receive the authorization to take off from the Air Traffic Control. One of such requirements is submitting a flight plan, which includes the Route to be followed; Cruising speed; Cruising level; Weather forecast; Fuel requirements and Alternative airports in case of an emergency.

In order to follow the route defined in the flight plan, the pilot has to depend on a compass in addition to other instruments. Imagine again that midway into the flight, the pilot decides that the shadow cast by the sun in the cockpit is a better guide than the compass and then goes ahead to disregard the compass and follow the shadow and his feelings. The aircraft will almost certainly end at the wrong location.

Another relatable experience would be to set a destination on your GPS equipment or Google Maps for a road trip. Somewhere down the line, you decide to trust your hunch instead of following the GPS directions. Where do you think you will end up?

In our journey as Christians, we start off with a personal relationship with our Lord and Saviour – Jesus Christ. We then continue with the Bible as our compass. God inspired people to put down those words of the holy scriptures. By His divine power, the words have been preserved across generations, despite multiple attempts to obliterate them. Now, the Bible abounds in multiple versions, that are available to us in both hard and soft copies. The Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our understanding to see light in the word of God as we read.

Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval. 2Timothy 3:16 [GW]

As we study the Bible, we learn to obey the instructions and take the lessons contained therein. We are not at liberty to choose what part to obey and what part not to obey. The instruction to completely obey the Word of God does not depend on our feelings. Technological and socio-cultural developments that have happened across different generations have not changed or modified the meaning of the word. The meaning of the scriptures in the B.C years is in perfect alignment with the meaning in the A.D years and the meaning will not change for Gen-X, Gen-Y, Gen-Z or Gen-ꝏ

Psalms 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path”. If we choose to leave the path that has been lit up by God’s word, we will end up following the “way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death”. Proverbs 14:12[AMP]

The fact that society now considers some behaviour as acceptable does not mean that the instructions of the scriptures related to those things have changed to align with current views. We are not at liberty to modify this compass as we fly unless we want to head away from God’s Kingdom.

God knows the end from the beginning. So when the Bible was written, He already knew how different the world would be in our generation, compared to what it was like back then and He got it covered. There are no surprises with God. According to Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow – so is His WORD. His Word is Changeless. No modifications are allowed.

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September 10, 2023 · 8:56 pm

EMBERS AND FLAMES

This was one priced asset in my secondary school days. Many people born in this generation will never know the joy of using this. It was an essential asset in the boarding house, but only a few privileged people had this charcoal iron as students. Because we had to look sharp in our school uniforms, we usually had long lists of people waiting to take their turns to iron their clothes with the few that were available to us. It requires a special skill not to burn your clothes because it does not come with a temperature regulator or thermostat. We also had to deal with the risk of hot ash creating holes in our clothes as it was intermittently let out through the bottom vents.

The heat for the iron came from bits of charcoal placed in the box of the iron and left to burn for a while. It had to burn for a sufficient time so that when the flame was put out the coal still glowed red hot. However, after a while, the glow would wane and the temperature on the contact surface of the iron would drop. In order to increase the temperature again, you have to fan the embers into flame and the cycle repeats. One cycle of fanning is never enough. It has to be continuous, otherwise, the charcoal iron will eventually become like every other cold piece of steel.

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 2 Timothy 1:6

The gifts that God has placed in us as believers are like the bits of charcoal in the iron. If we do not fan them into flame, no matter how gifted we may be, we will pass through the earth and those gifts will remain completely dormant. They will be useless to both us and the people that God intended us to reach with those gifts. It will be like the case of the servant who got one talent and buried it in the ground, waiting for the return of the master.

The gifts of God upon our lives cannot develop themselves. We have to take personal responsibility to nurture them with the help of the Holy Spirit to the extent that the gifts produce fruits thirty-fold, sixty-fold, and a hundred-fold. Personal responsibility comes with personal sacrifice. We start from the personal acknowledgment that we are not empty, but endowed with different gifts that need to be nurtured – and we will give account to God on how the gifts were used while we were here.

Just like the charcoal in the iron needs continuous fanning, these gifts need to be continuously nurtured. It is not a one-off activity. Diligence in nurturing the gifts births excellence and enhances productivity. It places us in a place where God can trust us with more responsibility and in the earthly realms, we will stand before kings.

Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work? He will stand [in honour] before kings; He will not stand before obscure men. Proverbs 22:29

We cannot get to the point where we say that we have reached the zenith of those gifts. There will always be new unconquered mountains before us. If we do not hone these gifts and talents, we are effectively denying God the opportunity to be glorified from the investment He has made in us…and that is not where we want to be.

When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. John 15:8

Introspect. Discover those gifts. Nurture them. Bless people. Glorify God. This is the will of the Father for us.

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August 13, 2023 · 8:51 pm

ACTIVITY ≠ PRODUCTIVITY

I love watching football, especially the English Premier League. I support Arsenal. YES, I do. They are as unstable as unstable can be, but I am not a fair-weather supporter. I’m stuck with them for the long run. When they are in their best form, you can expect possession football, sleek passing, and beautiful goals. At other times, all you get from them will be possession football, sleek passing, and no goals. At the end of 90 minutes, it’s all about the goals and not the possession. There are no extra points for keeping the ball within your team throughout the game. If you don’t score any goals, the possession is a waste of time and energy. Activity is not the same as productivity.

When Jesus visited Mary and Martha at Bethany, Martha was seemingly very active, while Mary sat to hear Jesus teach. There was nothing morally or ethically wrong with what Martha was doing, but it was being done at the wrong time. She was active but not exactly productive in the things that really mattered. Mary appeared inactive but was judged as being 100% productive by the Ultimate Judge because activity is not the same as productivity.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:40-42

There is a story in the closing verses of 1 Kings 20, where a servant was given ONE assignment to guard a prisoner of war with his life. One task only, but he got busy with many other things and the prisoner disappeared and a judgment was pronounced. This story was a parable but a perfect presentation of the fact that activity is not the same as productivity.

When the king passed by, the disciple called to him. “I went to fight in the battle. A man turned around and brought a prisoner to me. He said, ‘Guard this prisoner. If he gets away, you will pay for his life with your own life or be fined 75 pounds of silver.’ But while I was busy doing other things, he got away.” The king of Israel told him, “That’s your own penalty. You have determined it yourself.” 1Kings 20:39-40

Now, bearing in mind that activity is not the same as productivity, it will be instructive to take some steps back and assess all that we are busy with, in the light of what really matters after all is said and done. Most of the things that distract us from productivity are not necessarily bad things, they are usually good things being done at the wrong time. At other times, they could be good things that other people should be doing, and we have taken them upon ourselves – keeping ourselves pretty occupied. If you are busy in another man’s field while your own field lies fallow, you will get nothing from your field at the time of harvest because activity is not the same as productivity.

Are you doing what really matters in the church service unit? Are you being productive or just active doing so many things? At work, are you being productive or just busy here and there? What are you doing at home?

One day, God will show clearly how good each builder’s work is. God will put each person’s work into a fire on that great day. The fire will show whether their work is good or bad. 1Corinthians 3:13

Another verse from the Bible that emphasizes that activity is not productivity is Mathew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Nothing listed in the verse above is inherently wrong, but the active people were adjudged as unproductive. We should pray to find our own fields and to be active and productive in those fields. We should also pray that God will help us to identify the subtle distractions that strive to keep us active and stay away from them because activity is not the same as productivity.

picture credit: entrepreneur.com, expandable.com

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April 8, 2023 · 12:36 pm

SENT AS I WAS SENT

Jesus told them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, SO I AM SENDING YOU.” John 20:21

Many of us must have heard different versions of the story where a father told his kid to tell his friend that was visiting that he was not at home, just because he did not want to see the friend at that time. Kids will be kids and the young one did what kids will do by saying exactly what the father told him to say, while emphasizing that the message was from the father. Well…we could berate the kid for betraying the father, but this was a display of complete obedience :).

In a way, this is similar to how Jesus walked the earth in His days. He always alluded to the fact that He was fully in contact with the Father and transmitting the messages He got from the Father to those that came to listen to Him. He also let them know that whatever He did was because He was in consonance with God.

I have not spoken on my own. Instead, the Father who sent me told me what I should say and how I should say it. John 12:49[GW]

So Jesus explained himself at length. “I’m telling you this straight. The Son can’t independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. John 5:19[MSG]

And on one of those days, when Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, this was Jesus’s answer to him in the presence if the other disciples:

Jesus replied, “I have been with all of you for a long time. Don’t you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9[GW]

So essentially, Jesus was sent to deliver the word of God to everyone and also to live in such a way that everyone that saw Him should be left with no doubt as to who the Father was and what the Father’s character was.

Therefore, if Jesus sent us the same way He was sent by the Father, it means that the totality of our lives should reflect Jesus. When people hear us, they should understand what Jesus sounded like and the messages that He brought with Him from the Father. When they interact with us, they should imagine exactly what Jesus would have been like if they were born in His days. We should be the image of Jesus that people see in our generation.

If we spend some time in introspection, what would we see in comparison to the expectation of Jesus in sending us out? We should be bold enough to say like Paul: Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s. 1 Corinthians 11:1 [CEB]

I will end with the words of this hymn by Albert W. T. Orsborn

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,

All his wonderful passion and purity,

O thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine,

Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

Picture credit: https://fpcparagould.org/

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March 5, 2023 · 3:49 pm

THE DOOR AND THE KEY

Imagine for one moment that someone got priceless gifts for you. Your name is on all the gifts and they are perfectly wrapped and preserved in a house that is locked. The person that bought the gifts tells you everything that is in the house and you get all excited and start celebrating but you don’t enter the house to unwrap the gifts. There are a few windows around the house and you admire the gifts from the different windows and you still don’t go in to take possession of the gifts. The gifts will remain of no benefit until they are unwrapped, no matter their value.

The Bible is packed with so much words for our reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. It also contains loads of promises that Christ has bought and prepared for us. Sadly, many of these promises go unclaimed because we don’t know that they exist. In some cases, when we know that they exist, we do not take enough steps to do all that we need to do to claim them. We often stop at talking about them, and most of what we say are based on what we heard others say about the promises. We do not take the pain to dig in and discover these treasures by ourselves.

God conceals the revelation of his word in the hiding place of his glory. But the honour of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says. Proverbs 25:2 [TPT]

If we cast our minds back to when Daniel and his countrymen were confined in captivity to a country that was not theirs. Jeremiah had prophesied that this ordeal would last 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10). It was only after Daniel sought out and understood this prophecy from the scriptures that he went to God in prayer to start asking for an end to their bondage.

In that first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from the book of Jeremiah the prophet that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. So I earnestly pleaded with the Lord God to end our captivity and send us back to our own land. Daniel 9: 2 – 3 [TLB]

Because Daniel had seen and understood this promise, he was able to go to God and pray aright in faith. He had solid grounds on which to stand and petition God. At that time, his faith could not have been weakened by their continued bondage because he knew what he had seen in the scriptures. This is the same with us – when we study the scriptures and the eyes of our understanding are opened to anything written therein, our faith in that area becomes unshakeable.

When our prayers and confessions are based solely on other people’s revelations our raison d’etre for approaching God with confidence may not always be sure and steadfast. When we have seen it with our eyes and we know that we know that we know, opposing circumstances will mean nothing to us when we approach God with the promises He made to us. We will stand our ground, no matter how long it takes.

We want to tell you about the Word that gives life—the one who existed before the world began. This is the one we have heard and have seen with our own eyes. We saw what he did, and our hands touched him. 1 John 1:1 [ERV]

After this experience, there was no way the disciples could entertain any doubt about the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and glorification of Jesus. Similarly, when we encounter revelation into God’s word, our faith in His promises will become unwavering no matter what we experience with our 5 senses. God’s grace is available for us to study and discover. Let’s get digging.

I will end with Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians

I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 1: 16 – 20[NLT]

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January 24, 2023 · 7:56 pm

ANANIAS & Co.

I was on the cast of a stage play in my secondary school days. I did not have to memorize any scripts. I was a soldier in the play and all I had to do was to appear on stage at the right time with the other soldiers and fight. We disappeared backstage as the curtains were drawn on our scene. There was also another one in which I was just one of the stagehands and only got on to the stage when the curtains were drawn and away from the sight of the cheering audience.

On these two occasions, I definitely did not get any accolades from the audience because I did not do anything remarkable in their sight. However, without the fight scene in the play, it would not have been complete and of course, no stage play is smooth without the work of the invisible team that rearranges the stage between the scenes.

Celebration of those that are in our faces is a natural reaction for us and should not come as a surprise to anyone. However, some people do a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes and never make it to the stage in their entire careers. Yet without these people, the A-list actors that we celebrate will not be where they are today.

There are quite a few people in the Bible that did some heavy lifting in the background, they are not mentioned many times in the scriptures. Yet without their exploits, the story would be far from complete. I have chosen to call Ananias the Chief of this group of people. After he prayed for Paul and baptized him, his name was mentioned only once again in the Bible and that was by Paul himself during a speech. Under the prevailing circumstances in his days, getting up to seek out and pray for Paul was a great act of faith and obedience and definitely went a long way to shape the story of the New Testament scriptures as we have it today.

Another person that did not get much screen time but played a significant role was Hur, who helped to hold up the hands of Moses with Aaron in the battle against the Amalekites. This act secured victory for the Israelites at that time.

Others are Elisheba, the wife of Aaron and matriarch of a great lineage of priests that include Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, one of the women that supplied the physical needs of Jesus while He walked the earth; Gilalai, one of the priests that participated as a musician in the procession led by Ezra; Hassenaah, a man whose sons built the Fish Gate during the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem under the repair programme led by Nehemiah; Jehiah, one of the gatekeepers for the Ark of the Covenant in the time of king David. There are so many more. These people may not have had a great mention, but their exploits are by no means meager and the scriptures will not be complete without them. What is important is that they played their part in God’s “play”.

Now we are on that stage, and we have to play our parts. That natural desire to be seen and applauded will always be there. So, if the acts and scenes we regularly appear in do not attract many accolades, the tendency to want to trade places will often tug at us. However, we must consciously remind ourselves that the applause of men is not our purpose and God’s scale of success and prominence is different from the scale that we use and it is His own that really matters.

Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men. Colossians 3:23 [AMP]

Whatever it is that you are doing, God sees, God knows and God gives the best accolades. Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap if we do not give in. Galatians 6:9 [AMP]

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January 5, 2023 · 11:26 am

FLYING THROUGH THE CLOUDS

One of the most beautiful and peaceful sights I can never stop enjoying is what you see when you look out of an aircraft window as you fly above the clouds. No matter how many times I catch this view, I will always be enthralled the next time.  It’s so breathtaking. It just appears perfectly at ease, void of any disorder or chaos. The thicker the clouds, the prettier the appearance because nothing from beneath the clouds can peek through.

In spite of the magnificence of this view, the essence of flying is to move from place to place and not just to take in the view. So, at some point, the aircraft has to leave this view behind to descend through the clouds in order to land at the designated airport. Going through the clouds can be quite uncomfortable and bumpy. Sometimes it feels like a free fall through the skies and could be quite scary. In complete contrast with the view, the thicker the clouds, the bumpier the ride. When it starts, all you just want is for it to be all over. I had a nasty and embarrassing experience with this that I would rather forget.

The pilot cannot decide not to land the aircraft because the passengers love the view up there so much or if he does not want the passengers to feel the temporary discomfort of descending through the clouds. Some of the passengers may be distraught but his objective will always be to get the passengers to their destination.  

Life will throw different things at us. Sometimes, our experiences will feel as if we are gliding peacefully above the clouds and at other times, it appears as if we are stuck in the thick clouds. Life gets as bumpy as bumpy could be. In all things, God sees and God is in perfect control like a great pilot. We have his promises to reassure us that He will be with us, no matter the kind of clouds we find ourselves in.

When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end— Because I am GOD, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Saviour. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! Isaiah 43: 2- 3 (MSG)

‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’ Isaiah 41:10 (AMP)

God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble. That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart when the mountains crumble into the centre of the sea, when its waters roar and rage when the mountains shake because of its surging waves. Psalm 46: 1 – 5 (CEB)

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7 (NIV)

But the Lord can be trusted to make you strong and protect you from harm. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Because we have these promises, we cannot turn around or yield to adversity. Like the pilot who keeps the end in mind, we can look through the issues with the filter of God’s limitless abilities and know that the Lord that keeps us neither sleeps nor slumbers. Even when you can’t see it or feel it, He never stops working.

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March 7, 2021 · 5:09 pm

THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO I

The name John Bradford did not ring a bell to me the first time I heard it. I guess many people will be in the same shoes with me. I never heard of him until recently when I read of a striking statement that he made during his lifetime. He lived from 1510 to 1555. He lived as a preacher and died as a martyr.

Public execution of prisoners on the death row was a common practice in his days. History has it that on one of the occasions when prisoners were being led to the place of execution, he said, “There but for the grace of God goes John Bradford”. It indeed could have been him.

This is a realization that without the grace of God, our base instincts will rule us, and we would be capable of any vice out there. ALL OF US, no matter how long we have been Christians or the positions we occupy in church can do anything except we make what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:27 a daily practice:

I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

While also bearing 1 Corinthians 10:12 in mind

Therefore, let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation]

Time and again, we hear of people we hold in high esteem being caught or accused of very grave iniquity. They are usually tried and sentenced in the court of public opinion, fuelled these days by the ubiquitous social media. While their acts may be very weighty and extremely condemnable, we need to remember that as Christians, we stand by grace. Our reaction should certainly be different from how just anybody would react. Apostle Paul gave some insight into how we should react.

If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Galatians 6:1 

As a matter of fact, Jesus our perfect example demonstrated this in the way he handled the case of the woman that was caught in adultery and brought to him by the teachers of the Law and Pharisees in John 8. He refused to take sides with the crowd. So should we. 

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December 26, 2020 · 5:09 pm

OVERWHELMED

2020 has been a special year by almost every standard. Different people have used different adjectives to describe the year that is coming to an end. Many of the adjectives have not been anything close to positive. OVERWHELMING is one of those adjectives. Many people are genuinely overwhelmed by everything that has happened and the things that are still happening this year. The list of adjectives could go on and on. 

One man that knew how it truly felt to be overwhelmed was King David. He experienced this from his days as King Saul’s therapist to his days as the King of Israel. King Saul attempted to eliminate him multiple times. He ended up being on the run till the King died in battle. In one of those episodes, his men even turned against him when they got back to their base and realized they had lost everything they had. When he eventually became the King, his son Absalom planned a coup and deposed him from the throne after some years. He went on the run again until Absalom’s death.

During one of the episodes when he was overwhelmed by everything that was happening around him, he cried out to God:

“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety” Psalms 61: 1-2

We can find comfort and reassurance in the fact that God always strengthened and encouraged him at all those times. There are many more examples in the Bible about people that cried out to the Lord when they were neck-deep in trouble and God always answered them in His own way. In our contemporary times, God has not stopped answering prayers. He is our Father and He truly cares. He has always cared and He will never stop caring.

At the beginning of this year – 2020, nobody could have imagined that we would be where we are today. The year may have thrown many things at us, and indeed some of those things might have felt too heavy for us to carry sometimes. The losses may have come in different scales, just like the gains too. We may have many unanswered questions. But like David and all the other examples in the Bible, we can always go to God when we are under the weight of whatever is thrown at us. He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. This is not a promise that all the troubles of 2020 are going to be rolled away by midnight on December 31. It is an assurance from God’s word in Isaiah 43:2 that 

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

The experience of going through the fire or being pushed along by river currents is definitely not a pleasant one. I will borrow the words of John Piper and say “…that the same sovereignty that could stop the coronavirus, yet doesn’t, is the very sovereignty that sustains the soul in it”. Whatever it is that has come your way this year, God is able to sustain you through it. God is able to make you overcome it. God is able to make you better at the end of it all. God will still be God at the other side of those challenges.

As the year draws to a close, my prayer is that we will firmly plant our hope in God because He is the source of our peace. Because…He will keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him, all whose thoughts are fixed on Him! Isaiah 26:3

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