Discovering God`s purposes for Life during CRISIS

Many days we wonder if there is a purpose for our lives. Every day we wake up, eat, run to work, come home, care for the family if we have one, do our chores and go to sleep. Of course, we do include a bit of church and social activities in these. The issue is further complicated with the world wide lockdown.
Barely, we notice the birds that sing around, the flowers that bloom and die nor the sun that rise and set each day. We are so caught up in the wheel of life, that we forgo noticing the breath in our nostrils or the kidneys that do their work. Days come and go. People come and leave our lives. Money come and go. Jobs come and go. Nothing seems permanent around us.
 Money seems to have a limit and so is education. Do we have a real purpose for our life that goes beyond boundaries of food, clothing and shelter? Is there any purpose for our lives when the whole world around us turns up-side-down? Let's examine this under the light of the word of GOD.

1. Purpose of our life is to have fellowship with GOD:

Genesis 2:7 King James Version (KJV)

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 Genesis 3:8 King James Version (KJV)

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

We are God's masterpiece. God created us on purpose that his breath is in our nostrils. God made us to be living souls that we will have rich fellowship with him. As in Genesis 3:8 God wants to commune with us. Enoch walked with God. Abraham walked with God as a friend. God spoke to Moses face to face. David was a man after God's own heart. Our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ spent most of his life communing with the father in prayer.

Mark 1:35 King James Version (KJV)

35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Dearly beloved of God! we are called to have fellowship with our GOD. This is the purpose of our creation. This is why we are made for. Only GOD can satisfy the deepest longing of our soul. We will soon know that the purpose of our life is accomplished if we choose to have fellowship with CHRIST.

1 Corinthians 1:9 King James Version (KJV)

9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

2. The purpose of our life is to WORSHIP God:

Isaiah 43:21 King James Version (KJV)

21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

God formed us for himself that we will show forth his praise. 

Psalm 150:6 King James Version (KJV)

6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

There is still breath in our nostrils, that we may praise God. The dead cannot Praise God. But will praise him in the land of the living as long as his breath is present in our nostrils. This is another purpose of us in Christ.

Isaiah 38:18 King James Version (KJV)

18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Isaiah 38:19 King James Version (KJV)

19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

3. The Purpose of our Life is to accomplish God's will for us in our life:

Philippians 2:13 King James Version (KJV)

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God wants to accomplish his will according to his good pleasure in us. But are we willing to submit our will to him?

Matthew 26:42 King James Version (KJV)

42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Jesus submitted to the will of the Father and fulfilled the purpose of his life. If you are struggling to discover God's will in your life, you can go through this blog for better guidance.

MY WILL OR GOD'S WILL

4. The purpose of our life is to seek the kingdom of God and his Righteousness:

Matthew 6:31-34

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

As of now, trying to make ends meet and feeding our family and living a normal life might seem to be the purpose OF OUR LIFE. But, Jesus teaches us to focus our eyes on things that are unseen yet much permanent and eternal than what the world can offer us.

 We will make a willful decision to seek for God's purposes in our lives during this time of crisis. Let us choose to have a rich fellowship with God, let us spend time worshipping him. Let us choose to submit to the divine will and make a choice to seek his kingdom more than anything. I am sure, we will know the purposes of God have been accomplished in our lives. Amen.

FACING THE CRISIS OF COVID-19 WITH INTEGRITY

As we are going through these times of COVID-19 crisis, questions Strom our heads as what life has in store for us. Many of our lives are shaken. Routines changed. Jobs lost. Times of illness. Times of tears. We have forgotten how to smile or laugh. Streets empty. Countries locked down. Meaningful relationships taking a new form adapting to social distancing. Only one thing that seems to be permanent is the CHANGE. As we try to adapt to these new changes, as our ship struggles to reach the other end... here we are scrambling our way to reach out to the anchor. Let us dig a little deeper in the living scriptures on how we can face this crisis with integrity with GOD`s help.

1. THE HOPE WE HAVE IN CHRIST:

The word of God says, THE HOPE WE HAVE IN CHRIST is that anchor as in  Hebrews 6:18,19

18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 

Dear brothers ad Sisters in Christ, it is impossible for God to lie, because HE IS GOD. He is GOD ETERNAL, IMMORTAL AND INVINCIBLE. ( 1 Timothy 1:17 ).  If he says he will be the anchor of your soul, he means it and again, he cannot lie..... because he is GOD.

2. COME TO THE THRONE OF GRACE:

We have a GOD who is a high priest too. He remained sinless, though he was tempted in all points similar to us. So we can come boldly to the THRONE OF GRACE because we have a father who can understand our shortcomings. The word of God says in Hebrews 4:14-16 as,

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15 For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Many of us have turned our backs to GOD. Now we are so driven by guilt, we don't know how to come back. Dear children of God! the arms of the father are open wide. The distance between you and God is just a breath away.... Call unto him in the name of Jesus and there you are in front of the throne of grace....You will find help in the time of your need.

3. HOLDING ON TO THE LOVE OF CHRIST:

a. THE LOVE OF CHRIST is powerful. You want to know how powerful it is...? The word of God says, Love is stronger than DEATH. Many waters cannot quench LOVE. No flood can drown it. You can find it in Songs of Solomon 8:6,7

6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

b. The LOVE OF CHRIST makes us more than a conquerors. Romans 8:37 says,

 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

We are more than conquerors through this CHRIST who loved us.

 c. His banner over us is LOVE. He is going to fight battles for us and we are going to win in each of those battles.

 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

Songs of Solomon 2:4

d. Whatmore, this LOVE of God will never put us to shame.

Romans 5:5 King James Version (KJV)

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

So, this is time to look into the fullness of God`s face, that our faces will shine in the midst of the crisis. 

Psalm 34:5 King James Version (KJV)

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

We will never be put to shame and we will come out of this situation victoriously, being a blessing to many in tears. 

e. There is no fear in love. Perfect love casteth away all fear.

1 John 4:18 King James Version (KJV)

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Let us be filled with the Love of God, if fear is tormenting us. 

f. My final words, 

If we choose to Love Christ, he will surely deliver us.

Psalm 91:14 King James Version (KJV)

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

Our hope and our Love for Christ and his love for us will sustain us these had times. He will surely deliver us because we have chosen to set our love upon the one who chose to love us eternally. To God be the Glory!