So what if...

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand - when I am awake, I am still with you." Psalm 139:13-18
"The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Alas, Sovereign Lord, "I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am too young. "But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord." Jeremiah 1:4-9

And the verses go on and on! Are there days you feel down, discouraged, like you don't matter, like your life has no meaning? I know I get those days. Days when the word failure is part of the vocabulary that is standing out in my mind. There are days I have felt lost and discouraged about many aspects of my life.  The verses above are very encouraging. A reminder that God is the one that made us the way we are, with our abilities and strengths. People may not come and tell you how precious you are, or how your service or contribution to the world around you is appreciated, or how very helpful you are. In fact, they may never notice you! But God does. God, who knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb, looked at you and was happy with the design he made of you!
I wonder how many people would still love you despite your lack of wealth, failures, faded beauty, and all that. Many people would actually look at what you don't have or what they think you should be and end up putting you down. I say, their opinion remains their opinion...but the one who created you, certainly knew what He was doing and made you just the way he wanted you to be! He knew what you would be good at, what your strengths will be and your weaknesses too! And he accepted and loved you anyway! So what if I am not what people want me to be like! So what if I am not the world's famous beauty queen! So what! God loves us and longs for us to conform to his standards! He sets the rules! :-) His word is our guiding principle, and we should conform to God's standards!

Therefore, live life honoring God  - who looks at you and sees a whole lot of preciousness, ability, potential and beauty!

May you be thoroughly blessed in the knowledge of how wide, long, high and deep is the love of God towards you - and all that He has made.

Amen.

Are you anxious? Worried?

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Oh wow! This is such a comforting verse. Truth is, we all have many things that trouble us. We worry about many, many things daily. Some are in our control, others are not. Some are easy to handle, others leave us helpless, and in despair. Well, God does care for us. And I mean He really cares for each one of us. Even the minute things, the mundane things concerning us- He is concerned about ALL of them.
When I read this verse, I opted to cast all my anxieties on him. And they are many! I have worried over many things and even cried over some. But knowing that God cares for me makes all the difference. I can face each day, knowing that God has heard my prayers, my silent cries and He will act according to His good purpose.

Let us have this confidence in our God. That as we cast our anxieties on Him, we will experience the joy and peace of knowing that a loving Father, will take care of those things that really trouble us. Amen.

Be Prepared!

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Matthew 24:3

I read this passage and Jesus Christ had a lot to say about the end times - the signs of the end of the age. Some of these are hard to grasp because somehow they look far-fetched. Truth is, we need to be prepared at all times. We need to be watchful. We need to be very alert at all times, because no one knows the day nor the hour of His coming.
This makes me think of the times we tell ourselves that we have time....to repent. That we do not have to repent now. Well, the time of repentance is now. The time of living the life that God commands is now. It would be very unfortunate to think we have plenty of time yet lose our souls. Being ready means that we are living as God commands, daily seeking Him to know what he expects of us and obeying him completely. Then and only then do we live free lives knowing that no matter the day or the hour that He comes, we will be ready. He explains this further using the parable of the ten virgins! How sad to be left out!

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Matthew 24:44

Blame Game

"Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." Matthew 23:1-3 (NIV)

This is a very powerful scripture where Jesus Christ was speaking. While reading Matthew 23, the first three verses struck me. They describe what is happening today. Most of our pastors and elders in the Church are like what is described here. They have a place of authority, and they teach the Word of God - but they do not practice any of the teachings they teach. Some have even gone further and given wrong teachings! But what does Jesus say to address this issue?
He says that we MUST obey them. As Paul writes severally in scripture, that we should submit to authority - and even go ahead and pray for them. One may argue and say, "But what if their teaching is false?" Well, if it is false according to scripture, then follow God's Word on the matter/teaching. Do your research and ask God to show you the right way. And He will.
Jesus Christ also says that we should do what they say and not what they do. Many Christians have fallen because they blame their pastors for misleading them by example. Well, each individual will give an account of himself before the Lord. One cannot say, because my pastor committed adultery (for example), then I just did as he did. NO! The scripture is clear on what God expects of us and we cannot blame our church leaders for our mistakes.
This is an encouragement to us. That we follow the Lord, and if the church and its leadership is sinful, we have an opportunity to make the difference for ourselves - obeying the Lord and following His instructions to us.

Every day make a point of meeting with the Lord, that He may show you the right way. For these are evil days.

Be encouraged!

The Ultimate Comfort Zone

Many times we associate the term "Comfort Zone" with being complacent or being too comfortable to want to advance in anything. Today, I want to use this term differently.
When I think about a comfort zone, I think about a place of rest, a place of peace, a place of security. When I read Psalm 23, I get a feeling of comfort.
"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever." Psalm 23 (NIV)

 Powerful words! Words of security, of comfort, of encouragement, of protection, of sustenance, of complete freedom in the Lord! Reading through this prayer reassures me of God's love, comfort and ever present help. This is the ultimate place that anyone should aspire to be in. In the arms and care of the Most High God - who looks at us and really just wants to care for us. There are so many verses in scripture that remind us of God's comfort - the place where He calls us to let ourselves go, secure that He will not let us fall.
He is our Shepherd (he feeds us ,he watches over us, he keeps his eyes on us). He comforts us and gives us peace amidst confusing or trying times. He leads us to places of peace and rest. He leads us in paths of righteousness - this is powerful! And even though we face difficult troubles in life, He is there with us. He protects us from harm. He lifts us up when we are down. How great is our Father in Heaven!
How awesome are the promises of God. We thank Him. Everyday, remind yourself of what God says to you because indeed, He is the ultimate comforter.

Be peaceful, be protected, be guided in the arms of the Most High God. The Ultimate Comfort Zone!

What to do with my enemy?! Part 2

People

Now, we may consider some people as our enemies. How do you deal with such people? People who invoke feelings of hatred, insecurity, fear, and other emotions in you. Jesus Christ gave us a wonderful command and guideline to deal with such people.
Lets get practical: am sure you're wondering, are you really really serious about this? Well, I am. I know God is. He gave these guidelines, among others:
"On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Romans 12:20 (NIV)
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" Matthew 5:44 (NIV)

Pray for them and be good to them. I know I have people in my life who invoke all the wrong emotions in my heart! But God speaks to me constantly reminding me that all I need to do, is pray for them and be good to them. And God takes care of the rest. God's commands are for our good and He means well by counseling us to love our enemies. And there is much joy in following God's command about this.
So, lets love our enemies!!! 

Satan

We have been given clear instructions on how to deal with the devil.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
We have got to be sober minded and alert at all times. The devil schemes and plots ways to destroy us. So we need to be aware and careful how we live.

Identify other enemies in your life, look up scriptures to address those kinds of enemies. Allow God to direct you and guide you!

Be blessed!

What to do with my enemy?! (Part One)

Who is an enemy?

According to Wikipedia, an enemy is a being that is seen as forcefully adverse or threatening. The term is usually used within the greater context of war, to denote an opposing group as a threat.

Who is YOUR enemy?

This could be an easy or a tough question to respond to. You may think of your enemy being an object or a person/living being.
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:2 (NIV)
We probably have the same lamentation when it comes to our enemies. Our enemies could be people, thoughts, attitudes or ways of living or ultimately Satan himself. Oppression, Depression, Discouragement, fear are some of the things that our enemies inflict upon us.

How then do we deal with the enemies around us?

It is generally hard to deal with enemies.God gives us some options in dealing with our enemies:
a. Thoughts:
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are told to take every thought captive. We must be aware of the destructive thoughts that plague us, and be able to discard them immediately. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We are also encouraged to replace those thoughts with good thoughts: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Think about the thoughts that currently plague your mind. Ask God to show you how to really be free of them so that you may live a fruitful life. In Part 2, we will cover dealing with our enemies- People.

Be blessed!

Is 'Good' and 'Right' worth it?

"Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun." Ecclesiastes 8:12-15  

Despite all the evil and bad things that happen to us, we are commended to continue fearing God and be reverent before him. I know we tend to wonder whether being good, or doing the right thing is ever worth it. This is because, whether we do good or not, evil will always happen. Many ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" The truth is, none of us is good! We all, at one point or other, fall short in some way. What the author of Ecclesiastes is telling us today is to keep fearing God. No matter what. To keep doing what is right and good because in the end it will go well with us. Life never makes sense! I mean, no one has ever figured out this life. But what we are commended to do is TO ENJOY LIFE! Enjoy the sun rise every morning. Enjoy the singing of birds. The gift of friendship. The gift of football matches between Arsenal and Manchester United where you can scream and shout and be merry! The gift of bridal showers, baby showers and weddings for the ladies! Enjoy the gift of a job if you have one - give your very best at work! Enjoy embarrassing moments - laugh at yourself once in a while! Make every moment of your life count. Encourage someone. Meet people. Be good. Do right. God sees!

"I love to think that  God appoints My portion day by day; Events of life are in His hand, And I would only say, Appoint them in Thine own good time, And in Thine own best way." A.L. Waring

Wisdom Search

"Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it." Ecclesiastes 7:11-12

Many are in search of wisdom. Many of us keep asking, "How can I become wise?" Others, ask, "What is the wise thing to do in this situation?" Well, search no more! "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.." Proverbs 1:7. That is where it all starts! Fearing the Lord! This means revering Him, obeying Him and listening to Him keenly. We can only get to know what God requires of us by listening to Him. This is done through reading and studying His word daily. How else can we know His standards? Well, make a point of reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the Word of God every so often. You will see amazing results!

Wisdom is being kind to someone even when they are rude just because God says so. Wisdom is praying for those who hurt you instead of revenging, because God says so. Wisdom is loving, especially when it is difficult to love, because God says so. Wisdom is giving a gentle answer, in the midst of qualms and quarrels, because God says so. There are many such wisdom nuggets in the word of God. I got my wisdom nuggets today from Eccelsiastes 7. And wow! I think i will do them, just because God says so! This is wisdom!

Be blessed y'all!

Men and Women 1

^"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. " Ephesians 5: 21-30 (New International Version)

 It is very interesting how men and women are so different! Wow! God made them so different and gave them same rules and different roles! Think about it: God has commanded each one of us to love our neighbour as ourselves, to be kind to one another and all. However, God has highlighted different roles of men and women in the context of marriage. Amazing! In the scripture above, both husbands and wives are called to submit to one another. Wives are called to be submissive to their husbands. Husbands are called to love their wives. Now, it doesn't mean that wives should not love their husbands! No! It means in your role as wife, remember to be submissive. And in your role as husband, remember to love sacrificially. Looking at how men and women are wired, one of a man's greatest need is respect and honor. Men love to be looked up to, to be respected, to be obeyed. When women fail to meet this need, the men lose their confidence and in turn  are hostile to their women. One of the woman's greatest need is to be loved. Somehow, women love to be loved. Anytime a man does not meet this need, the woman feels deprived and in turn can get very discouraged. Both men and women are called to love, but in the loving..husbands to love their wives sacrificially and wives to submit to their husbands! The home will be a better place once we fit into these roles and carry out other instructions given to us in the Word of God.

Get on loving!