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You are important!He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel: Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. (1 Chronicles 16:4-6)Sounding the cymbals may not seem to be an exciting job but that was what Asaph was appointed to do as part of the worship and he was supposed to do it faithfully. There are many unsung heroes in every church, every worship and even every forum. They do the work that they are called to do without much or any fanfare. Everyone is important, though many do not realize it. The success of a venture does not only depend on the person at the helm but also the unknown “behind the curtain man or woman”. But even though people may not appreciate or commend such people for their efforts, God rewards them in his infallible ways.Asaph had a calling to be one of the chief musicians during the reign of King David and he fulfilled his role faithfully. He authored 12 beautiful psalms, namely psalm 50 and psalms 73-83. Later on, we read of his children playing important roles in leading the worship.When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel. (Ezra 3:10)Faithfulness is what God desires from each one of us and the rewards are sure, in God’s time and in God’s ways. Reawrds may not be monetary though, but what more blessing can believing parents receive from the Lord than seeing that their children follow in their ways of serving the Lord and being blessed by the Lord in every aspect of their lives.So even if your role doesn’t seem important, hang in there, for God has a purpose and plan for you and he will bless you and your family for whatever you are doing for him and his kingdom these days.
Tags: Jesus God Christian Bible Devotionals
A Barren Patch
I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. (Isaiah 41:18)
Sometimes, we as believers can hit a barren patch in our lives. Gone is the excitement to worship, the zeal to pray and hunger for the Word seems to have died out. Perhaps it's some long sanding problem that has played on our minds and is the cause, but often it's difficult to figure out what the problem is.
After all the excitement in the first 40 years of his life living in the palace with the Egyptian ruler Pharaoh, Moses hit a barren patch for the next 40 years. Though he got married and had kids in Midian, Moses must have often remembered his days in Egypt. He must have wondered whether things could have been different if he had not taken matters into his own hands by killing an Egyptian. Like Moses, many questions may plague our minds when we go through a barren patch. Things don't seem to move swiftly, dreariness sets in, we go through the motions, but are left unsatisfied.
To preachers who have preached almost everyday and sometimes several times each day, not getting enough oppurtunities to preach or teach the Word can bring a sense of unwantedness. Is it a satanic attack or is God involved? The answers do not come easily.
Moses, finally seemed to have accepted the new life that he was living, taking care of his family and tending to Jethro's flock. The memories of Egypt were fading. "This is it", must be what he felt in his mind. And "this is it" must be what you are thinking in your mind. But wait! God had not finished with Moses and he's not finished with you. A sudden call came to Moses from God at a time when he least expected it and Moses thought he was unprepared for the job. He didn't want to accept it. But God wouldn't take "No" for an answer for he was preparing Moses for this work for 40 years.
If you are going through a barren patch in your spiritual life, God is preparing something new for you. Persist in prayer, worship and meditation of God's Word even if you don't feel excited about it. Things will change. God will do a miracle for you. He will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valley for you.
Tags: Jesus God Christian Bible Devotionals
The Right Response
For twenty-three years - from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day - the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. (Jeremiah 25:3)
The people of Judah were stubborn and did not care for the godly counsel that Jeremiah gave them. They persecuted him and tried to kill him on several occasions, but God saved him time and again.
Over the past 17 years as a minister of the Gospel, there have been many who have approached me wanting me to pray for them and tell them what the Lord's counsel is regarding a certain situation they are facing in their lives. Perhaps it's a new job or a new location that they are planning to shift to or regarding buying a plot of land to build a house. The situations are diverse and the seekers are keen to know what the Lord's will is. Whether to----or not to-----. But many a times, I have noticed that the seekers have already made up their minds regarding their situation. And even if I tell them that it is not the Lord's will, they anyway go ahead and do as they like.
In the infancy of my work for the Lord, I used to get upset that the seekers were not obeying the Lord's counsel that I gave them. A few years back, once, when something like this had happened, I was upset because the seeker was a member of my Church and he directly did the opposite of what counsel I gave him. But as I spent time in prayer one of those nights and as I put the matter in the Lord's presence, he spoke to me quite clearly and said, "Let me handle it from here."
When I heard that, I was so relieved, that from then on, I was, and am now, never perturbed when seekers do not follow the counsel that I receive from the Lord and give them. May the Lord have mercy on them is what I pray.
We, as servants of the Most High must faithfully do what we are called to do. If our calling is to tell what the will of the Lord is in the lives of those who ask and seek counsel regarding their life matters, we must do it faithfully. What the seekers do with the counsel that we give should not disturb us unduly. Such matters will be handled by the Lord as per his infinite wisdom and impartial justice.
Tags: Jesus God Christian Bible Devotionals
God's Favor
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17)
Psalm 90 is titled as "A prayer of Moses the man of God."
In the verse given above, we see Moses praying to God for God's favor to rest upon him and the Israelites and that he may establish the work of their hands; a prayer that we all should pray regularly.
The Bible says,
Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:8)
God chose Noah in a depraved and wicked generation to fulfil his plans and purposes. Noah walked with God and did as God commanded him. The task was mighty, but because God's favor rested upon him, he could complete the mission God called him to.
We all need God's continued favor upon our lives as did Joseph, the son of Jacob. Though he passed through adverse circumstances, we see God being with him continually and delivering him and blessing him mightily. The following verses attest to that.
The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. (Genesis 39:2)
Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. (Genesis 39:20, 21)
The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:23)
The story of Joseph did not end with that. God fulfilled everything that he had spoken to him through dreams long ago.
A person on whom the Lord's favor rests is truly blessed. That doesn't mean that, that person will not have problems while living in this world, but it means God's continued presence and deliverance in his/her life. Let's make it a point to pray for God's favor to rest upon us continually. Praise the Lord.
Tags: Jesus God Christian Bible Devotionals
Thoughts on Praise-14
The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! (2 Samuel 22:47)
How wonderful it is to worship and serve a living God! A privilege that many don't have has been given to you as a child of God.
The Old Testament saint Job was sure about him serving a living God. He said,
I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. (Job 19:25)
The Psalmist outlined the characteristics of them that are not living gods. He said,
"But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats." (Psalm 115:4-7)
He also spoke about the living God whom he served and said,
"Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." (Psalm 115:3)
King David experienced the living presence of God in his life and praised God saying,
"Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior."
The Apostle Peter writes,
"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy..." (1 Peter 1:8)
It's true that we have not seen our God (well, most of us haven't);yet we believe. How wonderful a faith that is. Praise God. We are also sure that we shall see him some day. How glorious a hope that it. Praise God.
Like David we too must praise the Lord, for he is the Rock, our Savior.
Praise: O Triune God, I praise you because you live and you have given me the privilege to know you and live for you. I exalt you for you are the Rock, my Savior.
Tags: Jesus God Christian Bible Devotionals
Jane was a scholar. She had won many awards. She was brilliant right from childhood. She even excelled in sports. She now worked as a top consultant in an IT firm. The only drawback to such an illustrious life was her being an atheist. She was raised by Bible believing parents, but after their early demise and after joining college, she slipped into questioning the existence of God and relied more on science to be the answer to everything. And then the unexpected happened. She woke up one day with sudden loss of vision. The doctors couldn't pinpoint the cause despite a battery of tests. A week into the malady, she was feeling depressed and words from friends and relatives did not comfort her any more. Her friend Ranie was with her during the day in the hospital, helping her in her tragedy. At nights, she was looked after by the nurses. She preferred to stay in the hospital hoping and believing that the doctors would find a cure.
Six weeks into her blindness, one night as she slept, she saw a dream. She saw thousands of angels coming towards her in brilliant light and in the midst of them was one whose eyes were like blazing fire, and on his head were many crowns. He was dressed in a robe dipped in blood and he stood smiling at her. She wondered who he must be, but felt a great peace when in his presence. He stretched out his right hand and touched her eyes. She wanted to be close to him, but soon he and all the angels disappeared. She woke up the next morning with great peace in her heart and though now without any vision, she was cheerful, when her friends came to see her.
When alone she pondered the dream that she had seen the night before. She usually did not see dreams but this was so graphic. A couple of days later when the hospital chaplain came by to see how she was doing, she told him of her dream. Earlier she had derided the chaplain in her heart when he had prayed for her, but now she felt that he had the answer. "Well, that's Jesus that you saw and angels accompanying him."said the chaplain. "Jesus", why would I see him? I never even think about him, she replied. "But he thinks about you and knows you. In fact, he gave his life for you on the cross, so that you could be set free from your sins if you believed in his work on the cross." The chaplain prayed and left. She was intrigued and for a long time thought about what he had said. Was it true? And why did he touch her eyes in the dream?
She wanted someone to desperately tell her more about Jesus and asked her friend to call for the Chaplain the next day. When the Chaplain arrived, her queries regarding Jesus were myriad and when he left after a long time, answering her to her satisfaction, she decided that it was time to seek Jesus by herself. She didn't know how or where to begin, the words wouldn't come to her mouth and she felt a choking sensation in her throat. She cried and confessed her sins and there were no end to her tears that night. She slept finally with a great burden lifted off her being. The next morning, when she woke up, she could see partly from her left eye. The doctors were amazed for she had not been on any specific treatment. They couldn't explain the sudden change. Her vision cleared day by day and after 2 weeks, she could see everything as before. She had taken a decision to live for Jesus and her joy knew no bounds. Anyone who encountered her thereafter had this to hear...I had a dream....Jesus touched me.
Tags: Jesus God Christian Bible Devotionals
Are we really grateful?
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. (Psalm 105:1)
The Lord once spoke to me and said, "If you think if you are suffering, take a look at a few others."
My 2 year daughter was sick and he brought to me a mother with her child as a patient, who was far worse in bodily health than mine.
When I felt that my salary was inadequate, he pointed to me, a helper in the place that I worked, who had a very meagre earning and I realized I earned almost 22 times more than him.
I was not happy with my car breaking down now and then and he showed me people who walked to or travelled in packed buses to their workplace.
Sometimes we tend to consider trivial the blessings that the Lord gives us. The tendency is to look at what blessings we don't have rather than be grateful for how much more we have than many.
The Psalmist spoke to himself and said,
Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (Psalm 103:1, 2)
One verse that the Lord has reminded me often in my troubles is from the book of Job. It says,
You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. (Job 11:16)
We, as believers, must glorify and thank God for all his mercies, small and great. As the Psalmist says,
I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. (Psalm 52:9)
Being a faithful witness of his goodness in our lives is what God expects of us. We too must always say this one thing that the Psalmist said,
Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. (Psalm 66:16)
Tags: Jesus God Christian Bible Devotionals
Thoughts on Praise- 13
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. (2 Samuel 22:4)
David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. (2 Samuel 22:1)
God is worthy of praise and the reasons for it are innumerable.
But in this song, David specifically praises God for delivering him from the hands of his enemies, especially from Saul.
Time and again God has delivered you and me from the enemy of our souls-satan.
We can sing along with the psalmist,
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. (2 Samuel 22:17, 18)
The Lord not only rescues us from evil satanic forces but he also arms us with strength for battle to rout the enemy. Great is his faithfulness.
David again praises God while he sings this song saying,
The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! (2 Samuel 22:47)
...You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. (2 Samuel 22:49, 50)
Yes, the Lord is worthy of praise and we as believers must give him praise from the depths of our hearts.
Praise: O Triune God, I praise you because you rescue me from evil satanic forces and strengthen me to war against them by your power. Truly, you are worthy of praise.
Tags: Jesus God Christian Bible Devotionals
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