The halfbaked Bard

Neh:9:31b What a gracious and merciful God you are? This is a God of grace. He deals with grace. And grace is giving you what you do not deserve. You definitely did not deserve eternal heirship, forever citizenship, being seated in the heavenly realm. Yet that has been given freely. Mercy is not giving you what you deserve. Definitely deserved eternal hell, damnation, separation from God. Yes we deserved the whole of it. But God was merciful to us not to have given us that. Grace and mercy meets at the cross. When the last drop of blood of the Son was shed. The Father was not gracious and merciful to the Son. Not that the Father was like the hard Taskmaster who forced His Son to be killed to redeem His servants / citizens. But the Son willfully did. The Father and Son being One, this was their decision. His decision. Grace and mercy overflow  to redeem me. To bring me back to His bosom.

Neh:9:28b Yet whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once more from heaven. In your wonderful mercy you rescued them many times. Mercy has no end. Mercy keeps reaching out to you. Mercy is limitless. Malayalam transliteration of PS:136 reads - His mercy endures forever. No matter how rebellious and adamant we are. God is always merciful. The cross covers all our sins - past present and future. He waits always with arms open wide. A merciful Father He is; filled with love and compassion. Desperately wanting you and me back to His bosom. Always. Oh! I am amazed. I am awestruck. Undeserving as I am. He loves me. He is merciful to me. Forever and ever.

Why so rebellious? Why so forgetful? Why do you often forget the ways in which He has led thus far? Why are you of little faith? Why you tend to neglect? And choose the path of faithlessness Why so ungrateful? Why so thankless? Why do you worry so much? The Lord hath led you this far Will lead you through more. But we must remind ourselves again and again How He has led thus far Sicknesses have been healed Difficult people dealt with Obstacles were hurdled out But unless we take efforts to review And remember how he hady guided. How will we have faith and trust in how He leads?

Neh:9:19-21 God's goodness doesn't depend on our badness No matter how much you have abandoned and deserted Him In the business of life, even if you have forgotten Him Still, He is Jehovah Jireh. His help continues to enable you to overcome Sin has no dominion over me; Nailed on the cross I might have hurt Him, while being in His bosom Still, He is Jehovah Nissi I might have chosen 'N' no: of ways to sin The accuser points all my unrighteousness at the court Deemed to die with him in hell, according to the eternal law Still, He is Jehovah Tsidkenu In the midst of storms, I have aimlessly ran Lack of faith, little faith. All variants of faithlessness Unfaithful. Fearing every wave that tosses the boat Still, He is Jehovah Shalom Sin has taken a toll on me Bruises, wounds, sicknesses, ailments Disfigured. Contorted. Fully without any hope Still, He is Jehovah Rapha Yes I have wandered off looking for pasteurs My own thinking have led me astray Disobedient. Dis...

The norm of the world is to love those who love you. Help those who help you. But the standards of God are different. Neh:8:17 You did not abandon them when they made an idol shaped like a calf. It was when mankind fully abandoned God in rebellion and outcry. God chooses to intervene into their lives. When no love was received He chose to love. Rom:5:10 Our friendship with God was restored when we were still His enemies. That is why He could pray on the cross - Father forgive them. That is why His commands say - Love your enemies. He practised what He preached. He walked the talk. He was a different example. Yes He loved us. Loves us still.

Neh:8:17 So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelter during the festival and they were filled with great joy. The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun. Celebrate your life; Not because you have enough. Because you are in shelters; And its a reminder of your eternal home. Because you live as aliens; You are citizens of an eternal Kingdom. Not because all your problems have perfect solutions. But in your problems; He is in control His promise holds true - 'I am with you forever' Because you look forward to a land of no tears. Not because there won't be any darkness But because 'Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death I fear no evil; For you are with me' Because you are an overcomer; You are more than a conqueror. There is absolute freedom promised Freedom from the ability to sin Not just forgiveness No longer slaves to sin; But slaves to righteousness. Celebrate your life; Becau...

Neh:8:10 The joy of the Lord is your strength In times of trouble, the joy of the Lord is your strength In times of weeping, the joy of the Lord is your strength In times of hopelessness, the joy of the Lord is your strength In times of helplessness, the joy of the Lord is your strength In times of brooding over, the joy of the Lord is your strength When you don't know what to do, the joy of the Lord is your strength When you have all things figured out, the joy of the Lord is your strength When everything is under control, the joy of the Lord is your strength. The joy that He offers; is what you can run to always It is eternal; it cannot be taken away No circumstances deter the fact that; the joy is forever This joy doesn't depend on other's opinion This joy doesn't depend on what others would think This joy does not depend on whether I perform or not This joy depends on the Giver Who gives from His abundant riches. Clinging on; Holding fast to this joy; no...