The halfbaked Bard

Isa 66 The Lord blesses those He wants to bless and curses those He wants to curse?  Rom:9:18 - God chooses to show mercy to se and chooses to harden the hearts of others, so they refuse to listen.  Is it fair? It is the Lord's choice and how man is answerable for this? Yes the Lord is Sovereign. Paul continues to write, how a creature can question thr creator?  But somewhere, man's choice is also involved. You cannot draw a line and  say this is where God chose and this is where I chose. Pharoah hardened his heart and the Lord hardened his heart too.  God wouldn't judge you for choices He makes for you. But definitely for the choices you make. Either you are for Him or you are against Him. There is no equivocality.  Luke9:26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in His glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.  The Son of man is ashamed of not the one who is...

Isa:66:4 For when I called, they did not answer When I spoke, they did not listen Obedience is expected to be complete and absolute. Not according to my convenience.  When the Lord tells you as a father tells his child, it demands immediate obedience. All the more because of my love to Him, His holiness, His authority. How dare I sillify His words?  The sun, the moon and stars, the seasons, the birds in the sky, the animals - wild and tame, all obey Him at His word. I alone give excuses, may be three years later, may be after I retire, let me settle, may be let me save some for my family. An age old proverb, still holds true - Delayed obedience is equal to disobedience.  If there is a command to obey, an admonition to correct, that comes from the word, which spoke directly pointing fingers to me, and if I postpone, I would be squandering that opportunity to obey the Almighty and be part of His kingdom making. And I would also be wasting time.  Procrastina...

The Lord forgets not He is faithful. His love endures forever He is true. He is love.  In my revelliin He chooses to remember.  I have a habit of forgetting His faithfulness. The ways which He has led And as I forget, I fret.  With no trust. No belief.  The Lord forgets.  The sinful ways I've tread And as He forgives, He forgets.  His righteousness He bestowed upon me.  I will not forget The hurtful paths I've trodden.  The people who have hurt me.  Forguveness in itself is difficult. Forget about forgetting.  The Lord forgets not.  The promises He made From everlasting to everlasting it lasts For He is true - to His own self.  I keep forgetting what I've promised Convenient excuses lining up the way.  Priorities do a roller coaster ride So do my words of promise.  The Lord forgets not the widow and the orphan He is always pro poor. Not just economically Socially, emotionally and spirituallt poor too....

Isa:65:1 The Lord says,  "I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me." On one side is the promise - Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you.  On the other side is the crying heart of God - I was ready but you did not ask, you did not seek.  Why does God insist that we ask? Why does he persist after our seeking? He is all powerful. He can do anything that pleases Him. He can just barge into our lives and force things.  But He loves trust. When out of our helplessness we would seek Him. When we ask Him, we ascertain that without Him we can do nothing.  Prayer is an outcome of trust. Prayer is a consequence of dependence on Him. And God loves a dependent heart. 

Sin maligns us. It taints us.  Like a filthy rag, it represents us All our righteous deeds are useless For God sees all our life as repugnant (Isa:64:6)  Sin sweeps us away like the wind As we wither and fall It sweeps our deepest root and we fall face flat Sin is our enemy who dreams of our total destruction (Isa:64:6)  Sin and God are antagonistic They do not go hand in hand Not even the smallest or the tiniest It hurts the everloving Father; because that's not in His nature.  But we in our rebellion, love to revel in it We find ways to get approval Basking man on one side. Deeply saddened God on the other Man on the highway to eternal destruction. God pleading.  Though it was something He abhors Disgusted even the very thought of it Though not even an iota of it stands in His presence He became sin for us (2Cor:5:21)  As much as He hates sin As much as He abhors it So much or even more He loves us That He gave up even His own life (Phil:2:8)...

Isa:63:17 Lord why have you allowed us to turn from your path Why have you given us stubborn hearts so we no longer fear you Return and help us for we are your servants The tribes that are your special possession.  A cry to a merciful God to bring us back to His presence. A cry to enable us to seek Him and know Him. To enable us to live a God oriented life. A God fearing life. A prayer that He would grant in our children, a life that is God centered.  When was the last time I cried to God to bring me back from the strayed path. Not my will power.  Our cries and our prayers are all so self centered. Pertaining to our needs; our whims and fancies. When did we last cry thinking of God's heart. Thinking of the heart that still bleeds for us.  The idols that we have cemented in our hearts; The rebellion that is so engraved in us, needs not to be just taken away but demolished. And that only God can do. Cry for His mercy. 

Delight is a word which every man desires. To be the delight of the heart of the one he loves. And for that he does extraneous things to please that person.  The word delight means - something or someone who gives great pleasure or satisfaction.  The emotion delight is associated with unconditional love, as a husband to a wife, newly married. A father or a mother to his/her newborn child.  The practicality of delight comes in knowing each other, spending time with each other. Spending money in gifts and presents. Spending energy for the other, no matter what. Delight often keeps aside self.  The  feeling delight often fills the heart and eyes. It satisfies. Delight wants the other person as his own. Claims as his own.  Isa:62:3 For the Lord delights in you And He will claim you as His bride.  For no good reason as to you can do to gain His delight. He delights in you simply because of His love for you. For no good deed that you have done....

Isa:62:1 Because I love Zion I will not keep still Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem I cannot remain silent I will not stop praying for her.  What is your motivation for action? What prompts you to work for the Kingdom of God?  If personal interests creep in; then it is useless - fame, name, prosperity. All if you label under God's blessing - that is absurd and if that is your game, it is of no use.  If you are pushed by love to God; love to God's kingdom, hope for Zion's glory. If you're inspired and persuaded by that God orientedness, then it becomes useful.  And what is the work expected of you, other than to pray.  Prayer comes out of a realization that God has to do things. If I am capable enough of doing things them there was no need for God to intervene. We must realize that He has to act and we have to depend. And I am taking part in it by praying.  That doesn't make you idle too. Prayer motivates people. Prayer motivates you to act....

Isa:61:8 I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering And make an everlasting covenant with them.  Is:61:7 Instead of shame and dishonour You will enjoy double share of honour You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land And everlasting joy will be yours.  This promise is for Israel in the midst of its exile. When all was seemingly lost for them.  In the midst of dishonour amd shame; God promises honour - infact double share In the midst of poverty and hopelessness; He promises prosperity - again double portion.  In the midst of sadness and being bereft of hope; there is a promise of joy.  Not because they have turned from their evil ways. But because of His everlasting love and compassion. Because He is a God of justice and love.  Dear one, Are you in the midst of hopelessness? Is suffering coming to you one after the other without reason?  This is the promise for you. For God has compassion on you as you are left...

Ps 105 is a re narration of Israel's story. As the psalmist re tells the story, as the nation sings the story again and again.  How it all started with God's covenant promise with Abraham. How He guided nations and rulers, to comply to this plan of His. As they re read this, they give praise to God, who has made this possible. When they see the big picture, they see that God is involved on ots entirety. They see God's hands. His overarching presence in it and brings it all together.  As we rethink what all happened on our lives, we see God's hand in it. How beautifully and bountifully He has foreseen things ahead and ordained things to happen. And as we see God's hand in our lives, there is nothing but thanks ebbing out of our mouths.  What else can we have apart from gratitude? Our lives would have ended prematurely. Our lives would have been different had we not been chosen. Destined to run in that rut always. Unable to think out of the box. But becaus...

Isa:60:10 I will now have mercy on you through my grace.  Mercy and grace are two pillars of God's choices. Because of grace - He shows mercy. Grace is filled with compassion and it is the first step of reaching out to us. The initial step of them all. Undeserving as I am He chose to love me. He chose to show mercy upon me.  Because of grace - mercy happened on the cross.  Because of grace  - He chose to forgive.  Through grace; when mercy and forgiveness happens on the cross - Now there is no condemnatiom for those who belong to Christ. We have become heirs of God. We are made to sit on the right hand side of the throne.  Because of grace we survive, and we breath every moment. As we live in this dispensation of grace; grace abounds. But a time is coming when time of grace would be over. After death or during the reign of the antichrist, then grace would be hard to find.  God has again been gracious to enable us to live in this age of grac...

Covenant is a formal agreement or promise between two people. Where both are bound to comply; both are bound to obey.  There is a clause where both parties are legally agreeing to do. And if one fails to concur, the agreement is broken and the other is free.  Not so with God. All of God's covenants are one sided. There were no clauses for Abram to sign when God promises to bless him and through him, an entire nation and through the nation, the entire human race. When there was a covenant that God made in Noah's times over the rainbow, again God just told - never again I am going to destroy the earth by flood. The covenant promise to Israel for a Saviour, was again not based on how they would live.  Isa:59:21  "And this is my covenant with them", says the Lord. " My Spirit will not leave them and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children's children forever. I the Lord hav...

Isa:59:1 Listen, the Lord's arm is not too weak to save you.  Nor is His ear too deaf to hear your call.  No matter, how deep the pit you are in; no matter how disgusting and abominable the circumstances you are glued to.  If you feel there is no hope for you. That you are destined to be in this for your life, for there has been no change whatsoever, no matter how hard you have tried.  Be it the financial cringe that you are struggling to over come. Be it a relationship that you are trying to mend. Be it a disease that you are fighting tooth and nail. Be it, people whom you so dearly love, you see slowly drifting away from the purpose, from God or from you.  The Lord's promise for you Oh! child is this - The Lord's arm is not too weak to save you. Nor is His ear too deaf to hear your call.  As you call, helplessly but hopefully, He listens. He answers. He saves.  Do not lose your hope. Do not loosen your grip.  Do not doubt. The Lord i...

Isa 58 Do I fool myself when I believe that I am in close proximity to God when actually I am far away?  Do I seem to be delighted to know Him. But yet I am far away from His heart?  Do I act righteous, but I am always a filthy rag?  Why is there a difference from what I perceive and who I really am?  Isa:58:3  It is because you are fasting to please yourselves.  In my religiosity there is selfishness. In my piety there is self centredness. My prayers do not reflect the selfless God that I follow. My deeds do not shine the love of a God who gave His all.  - Free those who are wrongly imprisoned  - Share your food with the hungry - Give shelter to the homeless -Give clothes to those who need them -Do not hide from your relatives who need your help.  - Feed the hungry - Help those in trouble.  Why do I not reflect, the God, who thought of redeeming me;even when He had to shed His last drop of blood.  Bless me, O Lord. Bles...

Isa:57:15 I restore the crushed spirit of the humble And revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.  An attitude of true repentance crushes the spirit. It is not a flury of words. Something that comes from the depths of your heart. Something which makes you uneasy. Something which makes you restless unless you tell it out to God. It demolishes your heart, because it was against your God that you sinned against. It has hurt your Father, yet again.  When you realize that it was the umpteenth opportunity that He gave, that you squandered. When you realize, when you are bereft of all words, your excuses, you cannot even look at His face, because you know you have terribly sinned. And yet again I have disappointed Him.  Your breath is short, because your heart sobs. Years continue to gush out through the eyes. You wail. If at all I had a burlap. If at all I had a sackcloth. If at all I had ashes....  Anything less is not repentance. Anything less is ju...

Isa:56:10-12 A leader is a watch dog. Not a task master.  A leader is the one who warns. Not the one who dictates.  A leader is selfless. Not one who manoeuvres circumstances or people for his own personal benefit.  A leader is altruistic who keeps aside all his interests and desires and passions for the sake of his team.  A leader is a person who sees his team as a God given privilege. Not as his own kingdom which he has set up for his own benefit.  What am I doing as a father? As a husband? As  team leader in my workplace?  Who am I to the people who look up to me?  What example do they emilate, those handful of people that has been handed over to me? 

The Sovereign Lord declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.” Isaiah 56:8 God chose Israel out of love and compassion. Made them His own. Out of nowhere they were called as His children.  Now He extends His love through Israel, into the entire world. Israel themselves now has problems. They call them gentiles. They call them outsiders. Outcastes.  Where as the truth is, the earth and all in it is His. We have been originally His. We have been always His. We have always been His children.  Israel was just a means to reach out. Reach out to you and me.  You are His precious always. It is for you that He came down to die. Not one among the few.  For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will ...

Isa:55:8 My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts It is higher than what you think. Of yourself. Of the standards.  His thoughts are holy. His thoughts are pure.  His thoughts are clean. His thoughts are good. His thoughts are impeccable.  Not impure. Not fantasy. Not unclean. Not negative. Not unrealistic.  His thoughts for you O dear one are to prosper and not to harm. His thoughts are to bring you great hope. All things He works for your good. He will carry on to completion what He began.  Just trust. Just hope. Just believe. 

Isa:54:9 Just as I swore in the time of Noah That I would never again let a flood cover the earth So now I swear That I will never again be angry and punish you.  At the time of Noah, there was a covenant. Never again will the flood destroy the earth and all its living creatures. And the sign for that covenant promise still adorns the sky.  The rainbow - He said my rainbow (Rev:4:3)  Even as the rainbow arches over the sky, every time it's a reminder that God will stay true to His promise. A promise that judgement will not happen for the entire human race through flood.  Gen:8:21 God said to Himself, I will never again curse the ground because of human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood . I will never again destroy all living things.  Gen:9:11 Never again will flood waters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.  Similarly- I will never again be angry and punish yo...

Isa 53 The Lord's chosen servant is chosen to suffer. The Lord's chosen one is chosen to face all torture. He was counted a rebel, so that every single rebel would be counted into the fold.  He willingly went through the despise and rejection so that we could have access to His grace. He never said a word. He willingly accepted. For it was the Lord's plan to crush Him. He chose to bear it all. Such was the depth of His love to you.  What can we give back to Him. Out of our gratitude to what He has chosen to do, apart from our entire life. Aren't we indebted to Him? Does our wishes and desires and plans even matter? Apart from His will? Our surrender comes as a courtesy and a willingness because He has given it all for our sake.  Yet we are so stingy, so miserly because we are so self loving. We are so self protective. We are so selfish.  May the Lord help us all. 

Isa:51:12 I, yes, I am the one who comforts you So why are you afraid of humans Who wither like the grass and disappear.  Comfort comes from the Lord. And Him alone. If I do seek comfort from other sources, I will definitely be disappointed. Finding comfort in man is so futile. They will not be able to help because they too are dry and parched.  He alone. He alone can only comfort. Once we realize that we run to Him alone.  For He has faced that torture for our sorrow. For that alone He has suffered. He understands. He is the only one who understands fully. He was beaten so that we could be whole.  To have someone who fully understands. To have someone who is always there. To have that one friend who always says it is fine and to hug you when you feel you need a hug.  Is He not enough? What more do I need? Whom else do I want?  Recognizing God as a friend in comparison to a holy God has been a life changing experience for me. That changed all my...

Isa:51:6 But my salvation lasts forever.  There is a desire for eternity in man's heart. That is why all fairy tales end with the clause 'happily ever after'.  Man's desire for eternity came especially true, when it was deprived of Him (at least the physical part of it) But the concept of eternity in itself got contorted. Man thought of physicality. But God's intend was the real man inside.  Man thought He could get away with His fallen body. God tells about a glorified body yet not forsaking His identity.  The promise is too good to be true, especially when it comes back to man's fallen nature and God's holiness.  Salvation lasts forever. And no one can take it away from us.  That cannot happen with these sinful bodies we have inherited. For that He imparted His righteousness, which too will last forever (v:8)  No tags. No 'if you - then I' Is this a dream? A fairy tale come true?  No. A reality too good. That is my God who is called ...

Isa:51:1 Consider the rock from which you were cut The quarry from which you were mined.  Oh! how piteous that I forget where I am from From what source I am Oh! How pathetic my plight is, if I garble my origins as of from the world with all its passions and desires.  Little do I remember beyond my origins.  Little do I remember who formed me in my mother's womb.  Jer:1:5 I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb Before you were born I set you apart.  Created in the Almighty's image and likeness I am.  But fallen I became because of my choices, my passion and my desires. Because of my fallen nature and because of my will, I rebelled. Not deserving anything but punishment.  But love He did, more and more, unrestricted. He made me doubly His. He made me His own yet again. Made me a new yet again.  It is from Him I was carved out. It is from Him I am mined. Even the second time. Though undeserving as I am.  It is His attri...

Isa:50:11 But watch out, you who live in your own light And warm yourselves by your own fires This is the reward you will receive from me You will soon fall down in great torment.  Which do you think is safer and trustworthy? Walking with a torch in hand? Or walking in broad daylight? Warming yourself with a coal that is about to die? Or the bright sunlight?  The torch in your hand or the coal can die off any time. It might not give you the full picture. But you can trust the day light.  So is the case if you walk this life trusting in your strongholds. Those will definitely die off. Those will lead you only a little further. Those will have only limited power. In fact no power at all. There is great torment awaiting.  V:10 If you are walking in darkness Without a ray of light Trust in the Lord And rely on your God He alone can rescue He alone can save.  In your plight, in your tumultous journey. Look to the Lord. Look to the eternal light alone. Let...

Isa:50:6 I offerred my back to those who beat me And my cheeks for those who pulled out my beard I did not hide my face From mockery and spitting Why did Jesus willingly choose to suffer this much?  Why did the Father turn His face away so much so that the Son felt all alone on the cross?  It was His choice to suffer. It was because that was the only way. And if He had not chosen we would have to go through this torture, this alienation from Him for eternity.  And that was not what He wanted for you. That wasn't His plan. For He loves us beyond eternity.  What amazing love is this? 

Why didn't anyone answer when I called?  Isa:50:2 See the pain in God's heart. A God who so dearly loves us to the core. Unconditionally without any tags. A God, while we were still sinners loving us always for eternity without any end.  This God calls for attention. Through blessings; through setbacks; through the daily mundane things. But as always; I don't mind Him.  I am busy in my own world. Setting up things in and for my kingdom. I want my kingdom to be established. So! I am BUSY with it. As a result I rush through my relation with God. Where as He is patiently waiting with arms open wide; like the father of the lost son. He is actively trying to get my attention. Why should He? I mean. Seriously! What is there in me to love like this? What good is there in me to be even considered by the Almighty, significant to be loved unconditionally.  All I can say is HATS OFF GOD.  I BOW DOWN IN WORSHIP AND ADORATION AND ADMIRATION OF WHO YOU ARE.  ...

Those who trust in me will never be put to shame Isa:49:23 None of us want to be ashamed before others. None of us in this world want to be defamed. Everyone wants to be appreciated. Everyone wants to be approved not condemned.  The fallen nation will rise again. The people will gather from the ends of the earth under one nation, that was proven to be scattered. The promise is, the Lord will bring them back under one flag.  Though there was no open ridicule among the nation's, when this happened ultimately in May 14, 1948, it was God's name that was being glorified. He is true; that fact is ascertained. He stayed true to His word and Israel was finally honoured.  Though He says again and again that He does not work in accordance with the system of this world, He does it yet, again and again because He says He would.  You have turned our mourning into dancing You have taken off my sack cloth and clothed me with joy  Ps:30:3 Never again will you be cal...

Isa:49:16 See I have written your name on the palms of my hands.  NIV uses the term, engraved. KJV uses the term inscribed. Both are permanent. Both are painful. More than tatooing.  The wounds in His palms are always fresh. The blood that flows always cleanses.  How can someone love like this? His love is new and fresh every morning. He never grows tired of loving me. No matter how unlovable and incorrigible I am. His love is always there.  Quote from a friend - In eternity as we all would have glorious bodies with no blemish, He alone would have wounds. And since time immemorial we would have seen Jesus alone with those scars and probably we would ask, "Why you alone have these woinds and none else?" Then He would tell of the salvation story yet again with the same love. Dr. Deepak George Paulose.  What is there to love me like this O my Father! 

Isa:49:3 He said to me; You are my servant Israel in who I display my splendour.  The Lord's glory displayed in me From head to toe, I am His reflection.  Created in His image and likeness Every single cell is His shadow.  He hath created me thus He sustains for this purpose As a mirror image of His glory Though I'm fallen, He is my crown.  Yet set backs might come.  But still I'm His embodiment His temple is my body For His cleansing is upon me.  Though I may not feel, at times Though I may not feel worthy Yet I am, for He says so And therefore, that remains the truth.  What is important, dear one?  "You will be made head and not the tail"?  Not at all, let that be God's headache, not yours For your life is not for your glory, but His.  He should increase, I should decrease That should be my thought But I'm so self conscious.  Dethrone yourself from that throne.  Father forgive me, if I've not given you glory If I'...