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Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label praise. Show all posts

Friday, April 10, 2020

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)

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)
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)

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)

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.

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.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Overthrow SELF PITY

MEDITATION John chapter 5: 1-9



1. In Jerusalem there was a pool named Bethesda having five porches where many impotent people, lame and blind were laying. (V1-3)
2. They were waiting for the water to be stirred as some times an angel comes down and troubled the water and whoever stepped in first were healed of all their diseases.  (V4)
3. There was a man lying there with an infirmity for 38 years. ( v5)
4. Jesus saw him lying and asked him if he wants to be made whole (V6)
5. The impotent man said that there was no man to put him in the pool when the water is stirred and someone else enters first. (V7)
6. Jesus told him to rise, take up his bed and walk.  ( V8)
7. Immediately the man was made whole and he took up his bed and walked.  (V9)

LIFE APPLICATION:

Today I would like to bring to light the stronghold of self-pity, which the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to, through this meditation:

1. I would like to analyse the condition of this person. If you can identify yourself with this person, then this meditation is for you.
A. 38 years of infirmity.

A long term illness undefined, that he can do nothing by himself and under the mercy of others.
Many times we are unable to pick ourself up. We are lying in our weaknesses (V5)

B. He had repeated failures;

 He has seen before his eyes the waters being stirred and someone being healed but not himself. (V7) We see a lot of people around us coming out of problems easily, but not us.

C. He was discouraged because of repeated failures:

He puts it as, when the water is stirred, someone else enters first and he misses every time. (V7)

D. He was very angry:

He was angry with people that nobody helped him out in his distress. (V7)

E. He was sad:

He was sad again, as he has no way out. (V7)

Who has more reason to feel pity for himself, more than this man??

Also the self-pity can follow a  series of emotional manifestations like,
Discouragement, disappointment, sadness, depressive thoughts, hopelessness and why not even thoughts of suicide.

So how are we to deal with it? Scroll down to know more...

 1. Waiting for Miracle:

Long term waiting is not a pleasant situation to face. The WORD of GOD says,

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Proverbs:13:12

Yes, whenever our hopes are deferred our heart is sick. But when what we desired comes it is like a tree of life.

Dear brothers and sisters, is your heart sick of waiting? God has a better way of dealing it. The WORD of GOD says,

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah:40:31

If waiting for a miracle is making your heart and life sick, wait on the Lord, for strength.
He will give you the strength to run till you receive your miracle.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
Psalm:84:5

Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
Psalm:84:6

They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
Psalm:84:7

You want to move from strength to strength? You feel your strength failing? You cannot go 1 step further, wait on the Lord and he will be your strength.

2. Dealing with repeated closed doors:

This is another source of frustration. We desire for things to happen and if it doesn't our heart is becoming sick. We don't stop there, we blame God for that too. This is human nature.

What to do when confronted with closed doors everywhere?

1. Be still:

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more forever.
Exodus:14:13

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm:46:10

Let us be still and know that he is our God.

2. BRING our desires before God:

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Psalm:145:19

Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
Psalm:21:2

3. Acknowledge GOD and allow God to direct your paths:
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs:3:6

C. Dealing with discouragement:

Discouragement hits everyone. Even the great prophets like  Elijah and Jonah were discouraged that they wanted to die.

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
1 Kings:19:4

Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
Jonah:4:3

But praise God for the blood of CHRIST we can boldly go before the throne of grace.

Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews:4:16

Dear brother, Dear sister do not be disheartened... through CHRIST we have Grace upon Grace. We do not need to stay discouraged forever.

We can boldly approach the throne of Grace when in distress.

3. Dealing with anger and sadness:

Getting angry or becoming sad, especially with other people when our things don't work our way is not going to help us any further.

This is where we renew our minds to rise up. Christ has promised us a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness.

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Isaiah:61:3

Put on the garment of praise, that is the treatment for a heavy Spirit. It is a willful act. We might sometimes have to force ourselves to give thanks to God. But do it...
 This is how we declare to the enemy that we are no more on the bed and along with the people who are going to be there in infirmity forever...

This is what CHRIST means, RISE UP, TAKE YOUR BED and WALK. My good friends, the word of life is spoken in your life. Rise up... stir your spirits and renew your strength like an Eagle...

All the more.... Rejoice! We have a miracle-working GOD

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