Scars of Life

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in South Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran towards the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.

Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.

From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, 'But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too.. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go.'

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

The Bible teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God and He created you. He is your Father and He so loved the whole world. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead.. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

The Widow of Zarephath

Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."

I Kings 17:24

My imagination was running high when I read this verse on Saturday night: Why didn't the woman realize that Elijah was a man of God when the flour never ran short and the oil when ran dry but only after he raised the woman's son?

This is how I imagine how the events would have taken place: God sends Elijah to a widow in Zarephath and he arrives there. He sees the widow that God had mentioned, collecting wood. He goes to her asks for water and then asks him to prepare a meal for him. The widow replies that she has flour and oil only for a meal and she's preparing it for her son and herself so that they may eat and die. However, Elijah asks her to first prepare a meal for him and then for her son and herself since the flour and the oil will never run dry. Now, this is really a hard decision for any person to make. The country is running high on a severe famine. The widow has flour and oil for one last meal. She decides to eat it and then die by starvation. Now a man from nowhere comes to her and asks for her last meal. She neither knew him or his God (if she had known him, she would have also known that Elijah and his God were responsible for the famine in the country since it was Elijah who said that there will be no rain until he says so). And she's not even an Israelite. How could she then rely on this man's word of flour and oil never running up dry and prepare him a meal? What if that man was lying for a meal? Would she give up her last meal if she had known that this man was responsible for the famine? I do not know what made her to put her son's life and her life on this man's words that she decided to give up the last meal to him. May be she would have thought like this: anyways we are going to die – now what matters is the time – if we give up the last meal, we die sooner but if we eat, it takes a little longer. I don't know but what I read is that she did what the man of God said (v15) and what he said came to pass – the flour was never used up and the oil never ran dry (v16).

From that day onwards, everyday living was a miracle to the widow and her son. The next chapter tells us that Elijah went to meet King Ahab in the third year of the famine. This indicates that Elijah was with them closer to three years and all these years, they were experiencing everyday-miracle-life. Oh, the life that followed was amazing. No need to work, no need to sow, no need to toil since food was always available. She would have moved into a comfort zone. The only work she did was to prepare meal for Elijah, her son and herself. Life was so wonderful then. Bible says in v17 after some time later the son of the woman became ill and stopped breathing. Till then she was enjoying the providence of God and now God allows her to be tested. The moment her son dies, she points finger at Elijah that he is the reason for her son's death. I don't think that she was grateful all these years neither to God or Elijah for the food when the whole country is on famine. If she had been grateful, then she would have asked Elijah to pray. Most of the times, we are like this widow. Our everyday living is a miracle but we are not grateful for His providence. And when God allows testing times in our life, we start grumbling and get angry on God, asking "Why me?"

I don't know what made the widow to ask Elijah that whether he had come to remind her of her sin and kill her son for that. She's angry with the man who had brought miracle in her life. Remember, she said that she was planning to die after the last meal but it was Elijah who increased her life span and what he got in return was accusation. May be that during those years, Elijah would have told who he was, what he had said to King Ahab, why the famine in the country because of King Ahab's sinful ways and what he is doing in Zarephath. The widow would have then learnt that as the famine in the country was because of the king's sinful ways so was her son's death because of her sin. May be that would have led to ask Elijah such a question.

The reaction of Elijah is truly godly. He knew that he received evil for the goodness he done to this family. However, he did not return evil for evil instead takes the matter into God's hands. And the prayer he prayed is amazing (v19). He prays, "How can you bring this tragedy upon the widow with whom I am staying?" He grieved because the lady has said that the death of her son was because of him but our God graciously brings back the life thru Elijah himself.

Till then she heard only what Elijah did and that day, she witnessed a miracle of bringing back life. Of all the years, only that day did she realize that not only the man was from God but also that the God is the only true God. Miracles in our life only take us up in our spiritual life.

Friends, do not get grieved when God allows testing times. Instead of asking God, "Why me?" put the matter into his hands like Elijah did. And let us be grateful for our everyday-miracle-living.

The Calling

Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens.
"Great", she thought. "Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry."
She looked and looked, hoping that somehow the lens had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there.
She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.
When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains.
She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.."

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?"
Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!

Brenda's father was a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."
I think it would do all of us some good to say, "God, I don't know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will."

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Worship

These days the word 'worship' seems to be confined to the Sunday morning singing sessions. Music produces a colorful atmosphere. Worship leaders do their best to inspire the people with their skills. The book of Psalms says, play skillfully, praise Him with the tambourine and dance. King David wrote songs, designed instruments and appointed skillful musicians and trained singers for the Temple of God. During Solomon's dedication of the new temple, in unison trumpeters and singers performed in one voice along with the musical instruments. In the awesome celebration of praise, the house was filled with a Cloud. The ministers could not stand to minister because of the glory of God.

The worship that is acceptable to God is a living and holy sacrifice presented in the life of a true worshiper. The sacrifice you do to renew your mind according to the perfect will of God sanctifies your life and makes your worship acceptable to God. Music without anointing is a mood-altering drug that entertains people; it cannot make your life Holy.

Are you worshiping to please yourself? Without your heart and flesh craving for God, your worship fails to fascinate Him. Hello...where is God and His Glory inside the Church? Compromising leaders don't worry about Glory. Even with the state of the art sound and music equipment, world class musicians and participating multitudes, without the manifest presence of God, your worship is empty. The fullness of joy is only in His presence, a musical performance cannot match it.

When the Lord came you were too busy. When He spoke you were not around. When He left you didn't know, and you didn't give Him a kiss. The act of worship is going on, but God is standing outside knocking at the door. Will you stop the empty sound of music for one minute to welcome Him. Enthrone Jesus first, now with all your heart, soul, spirit and musical resources glorify Him!!! Songs can express your love for God but it cannot replace your intimacy with God. Humble yourself bow down, worship God. Amen.

Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness

Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness……….. (Matthew 6:33)

Unlike olden days, these days people wake up very late in the mornings. Since they sit before their television sets till late night, they’re unable to go to bed early.

Many have time to eat food to the full, time to dress luxuriously, time to work very hard, time to sit before the Television sets but no time to seek the presence of God.

Many strive hard to complete their physical works but when it comes to seek the Lord, they procrastinate.

Not searching the Lord with much importance and due reference dishonors the Lord more than not spending time with Him.

Giving importance to all other things of the world than not giving more importance to seek God’s grace is a greater weakness.

Jesus said “Just as it was in the days of Lot, so also will it be in the days of Son of Man“. The unrighteousness acts or the sinful acts that took place in the days of Lot were not the ones that Jesus was pointing out. People were “eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building“. (Luke 17:28)

Things that are mentioned here are essential for life on earth, but when they were obsessed in these things, then came the destruction. What went wrong? Being obsessed with the things of the world, they were careless about God and His Kingdom. They forgot to search themselves before God and reconcile with Him. The end was unexpected destruction.

It is necessary to look after business, necessary to earn money by working hard, necessary to be diligent in family maters, necessary to look after our children’s needs but amidst all these, God’s fellowship and God’s presence is the most important which makes life a blessed one. There is no profit in working hard lest we have His grace.

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and then blessings over all things, grace, happiness and peace will be given to you. Have relationship with God and receive His blessings. Amen!!!

Courtesy: A Christian magazine "Araikooval"

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Genesis 1:3 - 5

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Most of us know the story or the creation like the back of our hand. However, a recent perusal led to a discovery. Verse 1 says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." So the first thing that God created was the heavens and then the earth. Verse 2 says "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." The earth was formless and empty. Does it mean that God created a formless earth and made it empty? And it continues to say that the Spirit of the God was hovering over the waters. There was no mention about God creating the waters but the heavens and the earth. Secondly, the Spirit of God was hovering over the place where it was formless and empty. And all this is not included in the first day because verse 5 says "... And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day." So I believe that there should be a million years between the first and the second verse.

Now God sees that the earth He had created was formless and empty and was filled with darkness. So God creates light and calls it day and the existing darkness, He calls the night. Now remember, the Sun is not yet created. It is created only in the fourth day as verse 16 says "God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." Scientists or physicists discovered that because of the Sun we have day and the absence of the Sun we have night. However, the Bible claims that even before the Sun was created, God created the light and He separated the light from the darkness. I believe that there is a greater light than the Sun and the greater light was created even before the Sun. And the source for this light is unknown. Only after creating this light, God creates the rest of the creation i.e., only in the light of this light did God create the rest. For verse 5 says how the first day is ended "God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." I believe that because of this light was there day (morning) and night (evening) and then day (morning).

What is this light that is greater than the lights mentioned in verse 16? On comparing with John 1st chapter, I believe that this Light is none other than Jesus Christ himself. He was the first creation and through Him all the things were created. John 1:9 says "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." This proves that the Light is Christ himself. The question is "Do we have this Light in us?" When we have this light, there shall be no darkness (John 1:5).