New Year's Promise

When I sat this morning to write my devotion little did I realize that the Lord was already ready with His promise for me. Many of us planning to attend the New Year Eve's service will be full of hope and expectations, for it is a time that the Lord will grant them the promise that will sustain them through the coming year. When I read my promise for the year, one thing that dawned on my mind is that more than me the Lord was eagerly waiting to give His precious promise to me. We will understand the depth of this truth especially if we are a parent. More than the children the parent(s) generally eagerly wait to give their children their Christmas gift. They will try to be cautious to buy the gift without the child's knowledge or try to hide the gift where the child cannot find.

Our heavenly Father's heart is similar to this. In fact more than that of an earthly parent. Our heavenly Father will be more eager to give his promise to us. One may wonder what's in a promise. His promise is not just a mere promise. It is His word. And we all know that the heaven and earth may pass but His word will never fail. His word for His children is precious because He has given it to us.

I have got mine for this year and I am sure each one of His children will receive theirs too. One thing to remember here is, before we go into His presence with an expectation to receive it He is eagerly waiting to give one to us; and He knows exactly the one we need.

I am holding His promise for me...

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 NIV
This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

and I wish that the promise you receive meet your heart's longing...Amen

Why do I feel Blue?

In spite of holding God's promises for us, we cannot assume that we will always be positive all the time. There are times of feeling blue, apathy, loneliness and disappointment. It is natural for us to feel that way...because waiting is similar to that of a weary traveller. There may also be times where we feel dejected especially when we start comparing our lives with others. We tend to see that others are living better lives than us...This comparison could further pull us down.

Why do we go through this kind of phase? What we fail is to see life as a whole...we see others enjoying better than us. We presume that they have better standards of living, or they making better trips with families and friends and they spending more than us...What we see outwardly is only a part not the whole. Many of those in the world have emptiness filled in them and each one of them including us try to fill that void by doing things which we presume can satisfy us. For instance, going for a movie, vacation, buying stuff, eating out, etc. These are stuff that can give us moments of happiness which I don't disagree. But these things can never ever fill the void in life.

How do one go about filling that void? Only God can fill that void and no person or thing can fill that emptiness of the soul. If we presume that we can fill our void by doing or getting things then we are on the wrong track. When we get weary holding God's promise and become clueless not knowing what to do, just know one thing...

Colossians 3:3
 your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

This scripture gave me a new dimension to see life. When my life is hidden with Christ in God, then every circumstance, every day and every moment in life...He is in control (as long as I ensure to submit to Him consistently) and He allows only those things that build me up...

Holding God's Promise with Peace

Yesterday, we were talking about holding the peace of God while waiting for Him to answer our prayers. Aw! I know the pain of waiting...it's not easy to wait. Sometimes I have left with no option but wait. No amount of wailing, complaining, arguing, bargaining, being angry with God works. I have gone through times when the doors of the heavens seem closed. After struggling inwardly for a very long time, I decided to give up...You might say that giving up is not an ideal option for children of God. I did give up but not in dejection or depression... I gave it over into God's hand.

Giving up into God's hand is emptying oneself completely to the will of God. I prayed, " Lord, anything that I ask for in my life, may you grant it if it is your will". Once I did that I automatically was filled with peace. His peace that surpasseth all understanding. I had never experienced this until recently. After I experienced His peace the inward striving ceased. Even as I continue to pray for my need I am inwardly assured that my prayer will be answered as per His will and time. I have no need to get dejected or disappointed. This assurance of God is unexplainable.

As long as what we pray for is in line with His will, there is no need to strive. As long as we don't dictate God to work things according to our expectations, we will hold the peace He gives. As long as we trust His ways, there is no need for doubt.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

A Wish List

As the New Year's Eve approaches a majority of us are ready with a wish list...As usual some of us have a list of things to do or achieve, weight loss, save money, plan for a house, a car, etc. And still others like me would want a greater breakthrough from God. This break through can be different for each of us... work wise, finances, better job prospects, higher level of living, soul mate, good health, fulfilment of deepest longings etc.

Some of us may really be looking out for a breakthrough from God for long. Sometimes I think, didn't I have the same kind of wish list last year. How many of them got fulfilled. Perhaps not many. But this year again I do have a wish list. Why does this go on?

Trust me as long as we live our lives on this earth we will have a wish list year after year and we will have needs and wants which only our heavenly Father can fulfil. We should be happy that we do have a loving heavenly Father who hears our prayers and is able to fulfil them. Many people in this world strive to reach their goals and are left with nothing but hope and efforts in their own strength.

But the hope that we have is unlike theirs...The hope that is birthed by God will surely be fulfilled. As long as our heart's desires are in line with His will and His ways, our hope is not in vain...And what's the big difference...in spite of all things we hold the peace that He gives us and are inwardly assured that He makes all things beautiful in His time...

Psalm 25:3 (NIV)
No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame

Romans 5:5 (NIV)
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Proverbs 10:24 (NIV)
what the righteous desire will be granted.

Is this My Call?

As children of God each one of us have a distinct work in God's kingdom. Some of us have failed to identify them and some of us have not taken them seriously. However, a majority of God's children have identified their call and are actively involved in their work for God.

How do I know what is my call? Will God speak to me audibly? Does He speak to me through His word? Or would somebody prophecy about my call? Let us not speculate by thinking of high spiritual ways...like the way God called Moses or Jeremiah...The answer is simple. Each one of us will know when God calls us for the work that He wants us to do...

There are two ways to know God's calling. One He will give us the skill or talent to execute the work He wants us to do. Secondly, He places a special burden or an impression in our hearts to do that work. Not all of us have the same kind of calling.

For the word of God says,
Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

I have heard simple yet powerful testimonies of men and women of God, who identified God's call for them through mere life circumstances. Once there was a man who saw a poor orphaned child in the streets begging for food drenched in the rain. The child was frame was fragile and it was clear that she had not eaten for days. The man bought some food for the kid who took it with a cheerful face. Yet when the man returned home at night, he couldn't sleep thinking about the kid. He was troubled and he asked God, "Why Lord why? Why do you allow such things to happen?"...He heard a gentle whisper in his conscience. "That is why I created you". The man immediately recognized his call from God and started an orphanage which he ran his entire lifetime.

We can know God's call in simple ways. One through the burden he places in our hearts and secondly through the natural talents he has given us. What more do we need to identify His call for us?...

Social Comparison Theory -3

One of the reasons why we may be disliked by people even though we don't have any personal strife against them is grounded in the social comparison theory. It is not wrong to have a 'good' feeling about ourselves. However, if we are not aware of social comparisons we make subconsciously with others, we may unknowingly dislike people who may have better attributes than us. For instance, some people cannot stand others who are better off than themselves physically, financially, spiritually, vocationally, intellectually or personality-wise.

Individuals who dislike others that are better than themselves have a poor image of the self. In psychological terms 'we see others the way we see ourselves'. If we have a poor self-image of ourselves, then we tend to dislike others who are different or better off from us. If we have good self-image we tend to look at others by appreciating their unique traits, character or skills.

The Word of God exhorts us to consider others better than ourselves
Philippians 2:3 Living Bible (TLB)
Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.

The above scripture should be interpreted with caution. The scripture is not stating that we should have a low self-esteem while perceiving others better than us. However, Apostle Paul is stating that we appreciate each individual's unique attribute, skill, talent or character while not suffering from low confidence or self-esteem. If we can learn to adopt this attitude then there wouldn't be much reason to dislike someone unreasonably.

Social Comparison Theory-2

According to the social comparison theory we subconsciously have the tendency to compare ourselves with the social group with whom we belong to or recognize; and that social comparison is healthy as long as it causes us to grow, strive, and develop in our lives and well-being.

As children of God, we also develop the tendency to compare ourselves with the characters in the Bible and sometimes incidents that relate to the Lord Himself. We would often hear people say,  "Even Jesus got angry" really not understanding the context of their anger or in turn its expression. If everyone of us can take examples of Jesus's anger and compare ourselves with Jesus I presume it would be ridiculous. The anger of Jesus was not personal but public; it was righteous anger and not based on hurtful ego. We can be in grave danger of social comparison if we are not making them in the right context.

Have you ever heard people say, "I showed the other side face to the one who slapped me just like the way Jesus said" (not literally)... meaning to say I allowed others to hurl insults and/or humiliation at me when they offended me? Rarely...When we cannot dare to make such comparisons with Jesus how can we make any comparisons at all with the great King?

Is there no instance in the Bible which we can use to compare ourselves with the Lord. I doubt so. However, there is one statement of Lord Jesus which we can take it personally. We all know that Jesus was not loved, accepted and acknowledged by all as God. The Pharisees and the Sadducees hated him. If He being good refrained to be called as good, how can we expect others to perceive us as good?

(Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19).
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

We mortals are no good to compare ourselves with the Great and Good Lord- A thought to ponder...