Starting Afresh

We all make so many resolutions during New Year's eve. And most of those resolutions are to make a better 'we'. We would plan to undo all those inappropriate habits or choices made and learn to adopt fresh and new ones...believing that these would help us make a better person than what we have been. All this is for good, for it signifies that we are constantly thriving for the best.

Many times when we look back, even our relationship with the Lord requires some renewing. We need to renew ourselves in the Lord so that we may become better as His children.

2 Kings 23:3 (New International Version)
The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD -to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

The children of Israel and Judah had forsaken God and had adopted idol worship. But King Josiah helped his people renew their covenant relationship with the Lord. Till his reign the destruction that was prophesied upon Israel and Judah did not come to pass, for people were kept from turning away from God. But after Josiah's death when people turned back to their old ways trouble started coming upon Israel for close to twenty two years till Jerusalem was completely destroyed.

As long as we remain in Christ and listen to Him we will not invite unnecessary troubles in our life. And our life will be preserved by the Almighty God. Let us renew our covenant relationship with the Lord and expect Him to keep us free from all troubles and pain this coming year.

Better tomorrow

As the new year is approaching people make a lot of plans for the coming year. A few even make resolutions for a better tomorrow. Some may have high hopes and expectations, while some may make greater plans for achievements. But all of us have big anticipations regarding the future...And something which is best.

Even God's children may expect greater breakthroughs in their life for the coming year and might eagerly wait for the Lord's promise. Our Lord sure has a wonderful promise for His children which He will fulfill. But for that to take place, the Lord asks us for one thing...

Joshua 3:5 (New International Version)
Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

If we want the Lord to do amazing things in our life then we have to consecrate ourselves. To consecrate as per God's Word is to set apart for God and His purposes. How is this consecration made? How can we be set apart for Christ?

Romans 6:11 (New International Version)
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

If we can live a life dead to sin but be alive in Christ by yielding to Him than our life will be consecrated on a daily basis. And we can expect the Lord to do amazing things among us...

Tried and tested

The Lord gives each of His children a specific promise (according to each one's life) to carry out His perfect plan. And there is always a time frame between a promise given and the time of its fulfillment. During this phase, all that we should do as God's children is to hold on to His promise with faith. Faith is an intangible and unseen thing and to hold on to something which we cannot hold or see requires quite a courage. But we can hold on to His promise with courage for the only reason He who promised is faithful...

But until the time of fulfillment comes, there will be a lot of trials with respect to the promise of God. The devil will try to steal that promise saying things that will hinder our faith. Thoughts of doubt whether the Lord really gave that promise to us or are we trying to interpret it the right way or is it the will of God...Such thoughts can be attributed as test to our faith. Yet to hold on to God and His promise, we need to be ready to be tried and tested...Only then we shall come forth as gold that is refined.

Psalm 105:19 (New American Standard Bible)
Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.

The Lord gave a dream to Joseph that He will rule over his brothers. But that did not come to pass immediately. Instead he was sold as a slave, was falsely accused and imprisoned. He went through all hard core trials and only then the promise was fulfilled. But all these trials refined Joseph as a man of character.So all our trials are worth the cost when we will see the promise of God fulfilled in our lives.

Demonstrating God's love

When you show the love of Christ to people, people don't really get offended or hurt. But the moment you talk about accepting Christ or leaving a righteous life in the Lord, that is where people find it difficult to accept or even accommodate. But when we truly love the Lord we cannot overlook when others live comfortably in sin. True love always corrects, always leads into the truth and show the path of righteousness. True love can never compromise with something that God never approves of.

Look what the Lord says in the scripture,

Revelation 3:19-20 (New International Version)
19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

When the Lord says that He eats with the someone, it means entering into a right relationship with the Lord which means leaving off every form of sin and living a righteous life in the Lord (with the help of the Lord). When we share the gospel this is an important message which we need to address and not merely about blessings. Blessings is a by product of our obedience to the Lord, that is not the goal of accepting Christ... but salvation which otherwise we can never attain.

Knowing Him more naturally

Most of the times we hold some perceptions about God and His ways and we stick to them very strongly. We at times do not want to change our views for we believe them to be spiritual. How much ever we would have learned from the Lord, there are still many horizons which are new and we should be willing to learn them.

Once Rev. Selwyn Hughes testified that when he was in a dilemma, God cleared them to him not through the Word or by an inner voice but from a sparrow in a nest. Likewise we should be open to God to lead us in His way and be open to know Him even through simple or natural ways.

Though Moses had walked with God for more than 40 yrs, he prayed to God when he faced a dilemma in a very open way...
Exodus 33:13 (New International Version)
If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.

When we believe that God lives within us then we can be pretty sure that His Spirit will be there to lead us and guide us and also stop us when we go the wrong way...

A time to just sit...

As God's people we may make so many plans with respect to our service for the Lord. Some may want to do charity work, some may want to show some deeds of kindness and some ministry work. But sometimes the Lord may ask us to simply lay aside all our plans and be quiet. This He may show us either through a personal conviction or a revelation or even through closed doors. Why the Lord is asking us to do so, we may not quiet understand His will. Yet it is allowed for a purpose.

When the Lord went to pray in the garden of Gethsemane, he asked few of His disciples to sit there... We do not understand why He asked them to do so. They did what they were told.

Matthew 26:36 (New International Version)
Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."

Whatever be the reason if the Lord asks us to sit there, then we better obey it rather than questioning Him. It is better to lay aside our plans and do His will. For our life is to do His will all the time.

God's greatest gift

Christmas is a time of giving which we all know... and many preserve the gifts given by the loved ones for it reveals the heart and the love of the giver... Out of all the gifts given the greatest gift which God the Father has given to mankind is His beloved Son Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 (New International Version)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God's love is so much that He even allowed His Son to suffer and die on the Cross for us so that God can bring us back to Himself. What amazing love this is... which man sees yet sometimes is so indifferent to it? What does the creator want out of all this? Can you imagine?

It is us...

God is deeply in love with us. He wants nothing but only us and our love for Him.

When Jesus was born a child in the manger, the wisemen who came to see Him gave Him gifts for they saw that He was God's Son. All that we can give Him for what He did for us is not in terms of money or service or sacrifice...But only ourselves. Sometimes people doesn't want to open their hearts to Jesus to give themselves or their love. Yet that is what God desires from us...

Are we ready to give our heart, love and loyalty to Him? We need to ask ourselves...