Skip to main content

Reflect

Israel is a peculiar nation. When the Lord said to go and occupy the land, they hesitated,they doubted, they rebelled.
So the Lord says, because they treated the Lord with contempt, He is going to abandon this generation. For 40 years they would wander in wilderness. All except Joshua and Caleb who gave a good report on the promised land, would perish.
Now what do they do now? Num:14:39-40 says that when they realized the truth, they were filled with grief and the next morning they decide - okay then we will go.
No remorse, no repentance. 
Just a change in direction. I don't think there is any trust involved. Nor is there any feeling of "Oh! I've hurt God"
Probably because their aim was their comfort. Be it going back to Egypt or now when this promised land has become more practical and makes more sense. Their God was their belly. They were not God oriented but self oriented.

Dear one, it is not about what you will do or what you desire to do or what will happen to you. 
Lazarus had to die. Why? Inorder that God's name would be glorified.
It is actually about God. His glory. His character. And we being created in His image are only mere reflectors of Him.
The moon can never shine on its own. It just reflects the sun's light the way it can. It need not bother whether it's full moon or crescent or no moon. It's job is to reflect. Likewise our purpose in life is to be vessels of God's purpose and glory. Not seeking our glory. It's not that we shouldn't have desires. But we can't be adamant. "Not my will but yours"

Secondly. How genuinely repentant we are?About our words, about our thoughts and actions? Many a times we repent superficially so that all would go well with us. God calls it defiance.
A genuine repentance coming from our hearts and not from our mouths alone is rooted on the feeling that I have disappointed God and have hurt Him. Not to get things done for me. 
It looks at God's heart, not His hands.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

why fear

What has been entrusted

1Tim:6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Each of us have been given these entrustments. It can be family; it can be privileges and opportunities; it can be blessings in this world; or knowledge or insight from God;  it can be your job; it can a good habit.  Whatever you can think of- it is a gift from God entrusted to you. Guard it. Value it. Cherish it and take care of it with utmost thankfulness and seriousness. When you think of people, who do not have what you have, it fills you with gratitude to God. And you take care of it with seriousness; without a careless attitude. That will take away the routine mundane boredom to deal with it. Contentment is the key to gratitude. The truth to realise is - that you have been given. That you have been gifted. The reality is that all you have is not what you deserved. Therefore do not take these lightly. You have been just kept as a steward, not as an owner of what you "have". A steward does not deserve....

Work hard, rather than hardly work

If a man will not work; he shall not eat. 2Thess:3:10 Work hard. Whatever is entrusted to you. Be it physical labour or be it a white collar job sitting in the AC. Be it studying or be it organising things. Be it a small thing that you take up or a bread winning job. Be genuine and hard working. An idle man is not deserving of any wages. An idle man is complacent and proud. An idle man is discontented and dissatisfied. Where as a hard working man is grateful for what he has got. He knows that he has got in his plate is not something he deserves. Let money not be the motivation factor too, for working hard. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. So wash your plates genuinely. When you clean the table and set near your room, let God's name be glorified. As unto the Lord, may you do it. When you treat a patient or build a house or develop a programme or play the fiddle, let it be genuine, let it bring a smile on Jesus' face, let it bring glory to the Father. Not ...

Godliness

Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1Tim:4:8 Godliness is God orientedness. It is bringing God in every equation. It is trusting in God in every situation. That is the real fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. That will bring promise both for the present life and for the life to come. It makes life simpler. In the middle of tumultuous waves, it brings peace. For the creator, sustainer God is with you in the boat, then why worry! God is with you, is the greatest promise you can have. Are you with God?

Contentment

But Godliness with contentment is great gain.  1Tim:6:6 Contentment is being happy with what you have. Contentment is the opposite to greed; covetousness; dissatisfaction; wanting for more. Godliness coupled with contentment is great gain. A surity that God would provide for all my needs. An assurance that God would supply all my needs according to His riches and glory. That He is Jehovah Jireh and I need not worry about my needs. He will take care. This will also help you to give. Like the widow who put the two copper coins which is all that she had. Knowing fully that her God would provide. Cheerfully we can give. Whether in surplous or in nothingness. Knowing for sure that God loves a cheerful giver, we can give happily. Knowing for sure that He would give back, in good measure, pressed down, shaken together.  And finally you will be free from greed. It starts well - planning, money orientedness, ultimately leading to compromising on many important things just t...

God

1Tim:1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen. Eternal. Not created. The Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. Who exists from time immemorial to time endless. Immortal. No death. Nor does He succumb to decay. Not defined by rules of the end. Who exists beyond. Invisible. Not the age old concept of God is there in everything. Not even the unseen guest of our home. But the omnipresent. He is the Only God. To Him be the honour and glory forever and ever.

Cleanse

If a man cleansed himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy and useful for the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee from the evil desires of the youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. 2Tim:2:21-22 Cleanse yourself from ignoble things and set yourself apart for noble things. Why concentrate on the evil desires of the youth when you have more richer things to pursue - like righteousness, faith, love and peace. Make yourself useful for the Master in the way you can; concentrating on being holy and doing things for the Kingdom. Why waste your time and energy in useless browsing, meaningless chatter and harmful quarrels. Pursue godly things. Unless you feed yourself with godly things, there is no pursuing noble things. If you feed yourself with ignoble things you will persist to pursue ignoble uselss things. Image courtesy: https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/clean-vs-cleanse-difference-usage