The halfbaked Bard

Jer:33:6 Neverthless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem's wounds.  Any woind is painful until healed. Deeper physical wounds take long time to heal. Wounds in your hearts and your minds take even longer. If healing is delayed, doctors will have to intervene to find out the cause - infection or malignant transformation.  However deep or big your wound looks, however mon healing and ugly it seems to be - the Lord promises healing and we can trust that.  There is healing in the matchless name of Jesus. By His stripes we are healed. All I have to do is to believe, have faith, cling on.  And when He heals, He leaves no scars.  Image credit: https://hellogiggles.com/how-to-heal-scars-2/

Jer:33:3 Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.  What is in God's heart, He is willing to communicate, willing to reveal. Oh! But we don't ask.  Unless we ask, unless we seek, how can He reveal? He will not impose. Unless we sit in God's presence, humbling ourselves and admitting our helplessness, how can He teach?  Image credit; https://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/5-important-tips-for-teaching-anything.html

Jer:32:17   Nothing is too hard for you Jer:32:27 I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?  Is reinstation hard for the Lord.  Is forgiveness hard for the Lord?  Is causing repentance too hard for the Lord?  Is doing miracles difficult for Him?  Absolutely not.  His promise is - I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land!(v:40-41)  I the Lord have spoken (v:44)  Image credit:  https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2020-04/29/19/asset/08b8cc350df3/sub-buzz-208-1588190066-19.jpg?downsize=800:*&output-format=auto&output-quality=auto

Jer:31:36-37 I am as likely to reject my people Israel As I am to abolish the laws of nature This is what the Lord says Just as the heavens cannot be measured And the foundations of the earth cannot be explored So I will not consider casting them away For the evil they have done I the Lord have spoken As sure as the laws of the nature are, so is His forgiveness. As firm as the foundation of the earth, is the assurance of His love and forgiveness.  Oh! He promises He will not cast me away, because of the humungous evil that I've done. Even though I have hurt Him repeatedly.  That is His character.  Whether I take it as a license to sin further or as an excuse to indulge in my own things or I go back to Him weeping and wailing, seeking forgiveness.  That is my character.  Everyone needs forgiveness. Everyone wants forgiveness. Everyone seeks forgiveness.  From the biggest murderer to the smallest liar.  Who might or might not get it from the ...

Ps:113:2 Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.  Exalting His name.  Giving the glory and honour and power and praise to the matchless name of the Lamb and the Father because He alone is worthy. The Lamb alone is worthy.  Praising God for who He is.  Thanking God for what He has done.  Worshippinh and adoring Him because He is seated on the throne.  Why do we need to do this? That praise be on your lips (and in your hearts) forever?  - the impeccable God He is. There is no one like Him. Holy. Blameless. Spotlessly clean. Enthralled by His persona. His character. The attributes. The God He is.  - my fallenness. My wretchedness. The mire that is around me and within me. The contrast. The unscalable wall that is in between. Helpless. I repent everytime I realize my situation.  - and seeing this plight of mine. He stooped down to come into that swamp. The very thing that disgusts Him, He became that to salvage me. Cleansed m...

Jer:31:40 The entire area...... will be holy to the Lord.  The magnitude of the promise is huge. That I will understand only if I have a look at the backdrop.  A holy God.  An impeccable persona.  Who hates sin to the core.  Abhors. Yet He loves me.  The one who is a sinner. He loves me, who is indulged in sin.  Helpless I look unto Him.  But still reveling in that mire.  Partly my nature. Partly my choice.  Or fully both. To be precise.  He comes down Into that swamp which nauseates Him.  To the very thing that He disgusts.  He humbled. He obeyed. He loved.  Bore all the consequences Bled unto death to save me.  To rescue me.  Dirty as I am, He washes me.  By His blood He cleanses me.  Declares me righteous.  Gives me a clean white robe.  Spotless.  Blemishless. Presents me before the Father.  Who sees me through the Son.  The Spirit enables me further.  A...

The old has been broken by me.  Though He loved me like the ideal spouse.  He always loved. He always accomodated.  Though I cheated. Though I went my own way.  Now He puts in a new covenant So that He can love me more. So that I would recognize the depth of His love more.  He will imprint His words deeper in my heart.  So that I will KNOW Him.  I will be His people and He will be my God And He says, I will forgive all your wickedness.  He finds ways to tell me He loves Why is He so madly in love with me?  Why is He so mindful of me?  Though I have always rebelled, I cannot fathom.  He just continues to love He just continues to forgive He just continues to express His love Unconditional. Without tags. What good in me?  This love attracts me This love allures me to His bosom Fallen as I am, I seek forgiveness Knowing very well, my nature is to fall again.  As I recognise the vastness of His love More and more a...

Jer:31:18 Turn me again to you and restore me For you alone are the Lord my God It is you Oh! Lord who turns me again to you. It is you who initiate the process of repentance and coming back to you.  Why do you do this?  Jer:31:20 Is not Israel still my son My darling child?, says the Lord I often have to punish him But I still love him That's why I long for him And surely will have mercy on him.  Oh! What a God is this? What a personality? Have you seen someone like this oh! Bard. He who out of His everlasting and overflowing love causes you to come to Him, despite all rebellion and revelry. Knowing very well that, you have walked away. He still loves His child. Not keeping an account of what you have done. Forgiving everything. Lavishing grace upon grace, so that you could be rescued.  Probably this is something any parent would do. Right? A mother's love. A father's compassion.  Yet knowing very well that you wouldn't be able to save yourself from...

Jer:31:3 I will turn their mourning into joy I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.  Without hope it is extremely difficult to move on. If you feel, life would go on just like this present situation, there wouldn't be an urge to press on.  "These will change. Better days will come." Even if these words come from a futile source, is soothening to the spirit which enables you to hold on. But what if, it comes from the Almighty creator sustainer God who loves as a father?  It is I who will TURN your mourning into joy. He takes active effort. He doesn't leave it to chance as other motivators do, nor does He prompt you to muster up your strength to come out. He doesn't blindly believe in a eutopian hope. He doesn't falsely say something which He is not sure of and then falsely give you hope. He sets out to pull you out. He transforms. He intervenes.  He knows. He says. He does.  And that is a surety.  If God is for us, who can b...

Jer:31:3 Long ago the Lord said to Israel "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself." Oh! What love is this. I cannot fathom It's unconditional I know For He came is search of me In the midst of rebellion.  It is everlasting For He continues to love Even as I continue to rebel.  It is unfailing.  For He never stops to love Even if now I rebel.                                   Nothing more to write                                  It is all about God.                                   And His love.                                   It is His story....

Those who survive the coming destruction Will find blessings even in the barren land Jer:31:2 The Lord doesn't promise surplous always. Sometimes He takes us through the barren land. But His blessings will be found in that barren land. That is His promise.  John:16:33 In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  Matt:28:20 Behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.  That is the most blessed blessing you can seek when in a barren land.  Ps:23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I fear no evil. For you are with me.  Be of courage today dear one. Even if you walk through barren land today. He is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Image credit:  https://www.google.com/amp/s/hotcore.info/barren-land.html

Jer:30:22 You will be my people And I will be your God This is freedom. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. God initially created man for this purpose which was squandered. And mam became slave to sin, in such a way that he could only sin. As God promises to be my God, there is hope.  This is man's purpose. To be His people. To be His citizens. To be His heirs. To be co-heirs with the Son. Enemies as we were, we are made friends by His one act. I am given a second chance.  This is God's love. Rebels and disobedient we were. Yet He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, so that who ever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life. He says on the cross, you are doubly mine. You are twice mine.  This is God's plan for you. His purpose. My thoughts are higher than yours, He says. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. This is man's destiny. This is where I become complete.  Image credit:  https://stock.ado...

Jer:30:11 I will discipline you, but with justice I cannot let you go unpunished Discipline is an act of love. No man would discipline a child in the streets. A man disciplines only his child. That is because of the love that overflows from his heart. To have the best reserved for his child.  A father (and a mother) disciplines his (or her) child to develop a habit so that it becomes their character. Disciplines to do their duties responsibly so that they would excel. Disciplines to develop a skill that they are good at, so that they would be an expert in it.  No one disciplines his child out of hatred or anger.  God is the one who says that He disciplines His children. And we conclude that it is out of His love.  Yet with justice; He cannot let you go unpunished.  He is love. Yet He is just as well.  He is filled with unconditional love. Yet He is true.  He is filled with compassion. Yet He is holy.  He is filled with mercy. Yet He is...

Jer:30:10 So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant Do not be dismayed, Israel Says the Lord.  It is said that this phrase, " Do not be afraid" comes in the bible 366 times. I've not counted it. My mother had taught me this when I was young. So I will buy it. It gives the assurance that every day of the year, even for the day which comes once in four years.  So.  Do not be afraid.  Why should I not be afraid?  V:7 Yet in the end they will be saved V:8 I will break the yoke from their necks and snap their chains.  Because the Lord is the one who will act. Not by my merit. But because of His grace, He will initiate the rescue act out of His compassion.  Even before I have repented and wanted to be reinstated with Him, He has already acted. For He is good. He doesn't deal with me as I deserve. His love endures forever. His grace overflows.  Yes! I have this God on my side.  And that is why I will not fear.  Yes! The one who is in me...

Ps:112:7 They do not fear bad news They confidently trust the Lord to care for them.  Bad news is something which everyone is skeptical about. Sudden, unexpected blow is not something that anyone wants to handle.  This is the promise to the godly, who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands. Bad news may come. Unexpected setbacks mat arise. But a child of God will not fear it. For he confidently trusts the Lord who cares for him. Rom:8:28.For all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  He is sure that God is in control of his life and nothing happens without His foreknowledge. He is confident in the hand that protects and guides him.  He is able, more than able, to accomplish what concerns me today He is able, more than able, to handle anything that comes my way He is able, more than able, to do much more than I could ever dream He is able, more than able, to make me what He wants me to be I...

Jer:29:12-13 In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly you will find me, "I will be found by you" The best thing about this God is this. In the midst of all rebellion and sin, if there is a genuine return to Him, He will surely acknowledge. In fact He would love you the same way He loved you before. He assures He would listen if you wholeheartedly follow. In the midst of all hurts that you have caused God, if you sincerely turned to Him, if you genuinely seek Him, He promises that He would be found by you. He would reveal Himself.  Isa:65:1 I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.  Oh! See the heart of this God who genuinely wants to reveal Himself to us, but we are not seeking.  And He goes a step further.  Isa:65:24 I will answer them before they even call to me.  Oh! What an amazing love is this? I cannot even fathome. A love that comes after me while I'm still reveling in it. When there is ...

Jer:29:11 For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord.  They are plans for good and not for disaster To give you a future and hope.  A God who called you. A God who loves you. Promises to have good plans for you. Plans for your future that is hopeful.  Though the fig tree, do not blossom. Even if He doesn't rescue, the promise the He has good plans for you, that never will change. You can vouch on that. For He is not only good. He is true as well.  He is an eternal God, not bound by time. So when He says He has good plans for you, He sees your future too in one span and sees the good plans for you already accomplished. And He is true.  Yes His plans to bring you good hope in the future has all been accomplished. His promises are all yes and amen in Christ Jesus.  He is not cruel and stingy.  He is not uncertain.  He is good.  He is true.  He is faithful.  He is God; not man.  Image credit;  https://www.sa...

Jer 28 Hananiah was a prophet who claimed to have heard from God about deliverance of Israel from the hands of Babylon. He prophesied that there will be peace and the yoke of oppression will be broken within 2 years - v:11 V: 17 says - Two months later, the prophet Hananiah died.  How come?  Did he see his prophesy come true?  Absolutely not. Question; Why?  Answer: because God never spoke to him.  But we see another prophesy come true in that chapter - that of Jeremiah's.  Question: Why?  V:12 we read - soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the Lord gave this message  to Jeremiah.  Answer - because the Lord spoke to Jeremiah.  Why only to Jeremiah and not to Hananiah. I presume the difference is the relationship they maintained with God. Nothing is said about how was Hananiah's relation with God. But Jeremiah was somebody who obeyed God to the core. When God conveys His message of judgement, he proclaims it without fe...

Psa:111:10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom Praise Him for ever What is wisdom? Not knowledge. Not excelling in academics. Not scoring medals or honours.  Wisdom or insight is realisation that God is holy. I am sinful. I cannot help myself out of this. God had to intervene. The cross is real. The tomb is empty. The penalty is paid. I was an enemy. Now a child of God.  To live in that God orientedness is wisdom. If you are not rich unto God, you are called fool by God Himself though the world may address you as wise in all your encounters.  To know the Gospel is wisdom. Because that is what man is created for, which was lost. But now regained for us.  To live a life with eternal perspective is wisdom. That we are aliens and strangers here. The hurts do not matter, that which you leave aside and you live in hope that your Father is coming back to take you home.  Image courtesy:  ht...

Ps:110:7 But he himself will be refreshed from the brooks along the way He will be victorious.  As I was reading Jer:26 today, I felt discouraged. The cost of speaking God's word is being threatened to kill, like Jeremiah, like Uriah. Whereas being someone who tells what their itching ears want to hear is easy and safe.  That is when I read Ps:110 alongside. As David talks about the Messiah, who will be ridiculed and spat upon and finally killed by His own people, this is what kept Him going. He Himself was refreshed from the brooks. He invites His children too for the same so much so that rivers of living waters will be flowing through him.  No matter how discouraged you are, no matter how heavy the circumstances are around you to put you down - be refreshed as you walk along in His presence. Regularly returning back to His bosom enables you to be renewed and refreshed amongst the toil that you have to face.  God will enable.  Image credit:  ht...

Jer:25 The cup is filled with His anger His wrath; His judgement is imminent Who can escape His righteous judgement Who can stand before Him and say, "I'm clean" All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory All have deserted His love in rebellion All have said, "My own way" Following their own ideas,  Setting their own idols in their hearts The same Lord who punished the Egyptians,  The Philistines, the Edomites, the Moabites,  The Ammorites, Tyre and Sidonites Babylonians and even His own people In Jerusalem and Judah; in entire Israel.  Will He spare you oh! Bard?  Do you think He will give you special consideration?  Not at the cost of His holiness That is why the punishment He Himself had to bear.  Because sin was a serious entity that He could not put up with Nor He could put it away. Ignoring it.  Oh! Then why worry?  I'm covered by the blood.  God forbid.  You look at the fate of Ananias and Sapphira Look at Si...

Jer:25:11 The precision with which, the future is predicted. The accuracy with which it is prophesied before hand, makes Jeremiah's sayings authentic. That makes us think, retrogradr that the God of Jeremiah is real and true, controlling the entire universe. It cannot happen by chance.  There are enough and more other prophesies that have  come true. About Israel being called from Egypt into the land of Canaan, about the coming of the Messiah, about the second coming of the Son. About judgement.  Hear the sound of the war, earthquakes, flood and famine. Hear the sound of man going from rebellion. Hear the sound reaching its peak......  Image credit;  https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-prophecy-meaning-of-prophesy.html%3famp=1

Jer:24:4-7 Oh! God is so true in His judgement. He is Sovereign. Though He punishes with a rod, He nourishes with His love.  He provides with His knowledge and the privilege to come back even though He seems to have deserted us.  But to the unrepentant, He is true and His judgement is imminent.  King Jehoiachin (The Scripture doesn't say whether He looked to God in repentance) was given royal places because of the kindness of the newly ascended king of Babylon - Evil-Marodach But Zedekiah who was ruling over the remnants in Jerusalem was moving from rebellion to rebellion without repentance. And the Lord executes judgement. He is Sovereign.  To the good fig, He is kind. Because He chooses to. To the bad fig, He is ever more ruthless, Because He is true to Himself. He is holy.  He is Sovereign Image credit: https://myabishai.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/bad-figs/

Jer:23:29 Does not my word burn like fire? Says the Lord.  What does the word of God do in you?  Does it burn? Burn all impurities?  Does it blaze? Scorching up all sin?  Does it ignite? The presence of God throughout your life?  Does it simmer? Boiling you to overflow?  Does it kindle? Glowing the heart of God on you?  Does it torch? Enlightening the way you should walk?  And for others around you?  Does it cauterize? All unwanted things  in your life Does it cremate? The old man in you?  Or have you charred it off?  Image credit:  https://unsplash.com/photos/wnF27F85ZKw

Jer:23:29  Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?  The true word of God is a mighty hammer that breaks you into pieces. It shatters your pride into tiny pieces. It points out the sin in you and pushes you to repentance and reinstation with God.  The true word of God attracts you to the unending love of God. It drags you to Him. It allures you to Him, rebuilding the pieces that it Has shattered. For the Word is the Son Himself.  For sin is not an entity that He can put up with. The word points out the sin in you which takes you farther away from Him and pushes you further to Him for the penalty has been dealt with. Yet as the Word convicts, repent and return.  Image credit:  https://unsplash.com/photos/3esjG-nlgyk?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

One problem with false prophets, why they give false hope, why they give untrue prophesies is because they have not been in the Lord's presence. They do not hear what He really is saying. They do not listen. Jer:23:18 Unless you sit in God's presence. Unless you read His word and listen to His voice regularly how do you know His heart? All other inputs are misleading unable to be trusted. All other sources even if from the most divine persons, is to be tested and aeseched again, being open minded like the Bereans. Acts:17:11

Ps:110:5 The Lord stands at your right hand to protect  you Ps:91:4 He will cover you with His feathers He will shelter you with His wings His faithful promises are your armour and protection Ps:91:9-10 If you make the Lord your refuge If you make the most High your shelter No evil will conquer you No plague will come near your home Ps:109:31 For He stands beside the needy Oh! With sin still nurtured in my heart, why does the Holy God do this? Why does He love me like this?  Ps:111:9 He has paid full ransom for His people Jer:23:6 And this will be His name The Lord is our Righteousness Image courtesy: https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?phrase=lioness+protects+cubs

Jer:22:8-9 Why did the Lord destroy such a great city? And the answer will be, because they violated their covenant with the Lord their God  by worshipping other gods.  Punishment is imminent, if there is sin. That is the eternal law. For the wages of sin is death. And God being true, He cannot keep that aside. He is God who finds sin disgusting, who abhors rebellion. He cannot be changed. His wrath is instigated, out of grief.  But His everlasting love never fails. His love endures forever. So even before you would repent, He has extended the hand of forgiveness. But not at the cost of the eternal law. He could have overwritten it. He could have erased it and rewritten another one. But received upon Himself the eternal punishment, because He so loved you and me.  On the cross we see the conjunction of judgement, wrath, forgiveness, truthfulness, infallibility, inerrancy, abhorrence, grief, joy, hatred to sin and love for the sinner. In those eyes lie ete...

Quit your evil ways Live your life focussed on God.  If you focus on anything other than God Life will become a pile of rubble No stone left on each other Forget about of cement or mortar Unusable stuff in abundance Useless rubble all around.  Time is wasted in the rubble Searching for wanted things Searching for meaning in life Amongst the rubble, amongst the ruins Ezekiel saw dry bones being alive By the hand of the living God Rubble can be made a highway Ruin can be transfotmed into fertile land.  If only you would quit If only you would come back If only you would return If only you would rest...                                                Jer:22:5 Image courtesy: https://unsplash.com/photos/i5zePwF9M4o?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

Psalm:109:31 For He stands beside the needy Oh! What a loving God He is. He is there when you are needy. He is an everpresent help.  When no one else seems to be around to help. When you can be sure of no help around, His promise is true. I will be with you till the end of days.  He will extend His hand of help only because He has promised.  Look unto His face. Depend on Him and His word. For He never lies.  Image courtesy:  https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/friend-arm-around-shoulder

Have you ever suffered for telling the truth?  Truth doesn't always look as good as it is supposed to be. People do not like you telling the right thing on their faces. A sin pointed to. An admonition from God.  They deny. They hate you.  They try to corner you and bring you harm.  They cover it and bring false accusations against you.  They don't bother about you.  So what do you want to do with it? You want to say what their itching ears want to hear? You want to talk what they would want others to hear about them?  Jeremiah was imprisoned because of His open words. Against Pashhur. Against the king. Against the people. Many of the prophets were killed. Did they deter from telling the truth? They died for a cause.  The modern world never thinks of truth as inevitable. Truth is something which can be compromised. Can be hidden. Money and power is preferrable than truth.  God forbid Bard! If you keep yourself from pointing sin for...