GOD IS JEALOUS

“God’s jealousy is that of a lover who longs for and demands the exclusive attention, worship and faithfulness of His people". Greg E. Wiley

For reading and meditation: Exod 20:4-6, 34:14, Nahum 1:2, Zechariah 1:14, 8:2

A person who was ever in love with some one might understand this better. When you are in love with some one you long for his/her attention and loyalty. This is a basic fact in relationship. When we talk about God is being jealous over us it doesn’t mean that God is possessive or very controlling, rather He loves us so much so that he wants us to delight in Him. This can only happen if we have an intimate relationship with Him.

Though there are many areas, I want to concentrate on 3 areas where God is being jealous

1. God is jealous over us as a person.

Exodus 20:4-6 “You shall not make yourself an idol……….. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God is a jealous God.

God longs for our exclusive attention. He expects us to give Him the first priority in our life so that He can bless us.

2. God is jealous for our worship.

Exodus 34:14 “Do not worship any other God, for the LORD whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”.

God longs for our exclusive worship. He doesn’t want us to share His place with others. Anything which takes away the place of God can be an idol in our life, not necessarily worshipping any man made idols.

3. God is jealous for His land.

Zechariah 8:2 “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her”

God’s love for His land is passionate and strong. I believe God is jealous for His land because of His promise to bless Jerusalem and to bring back the people who belong there.

Thoughts to ponder: God is jealous for us. Are we jealous for God? Is your heart loyal to God? What are the idols of my heart that takes away the place of God?

Prayer: Dear God, Help me to remember your love for me and to be loyal to you. Help me to worship you whole heartedly with a faithful heart. I thank you for your love which is so passionate and real over me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

GOD IS FORGIVING

For Reading and Meditation: Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness plays a major role in our Christian life. The very nature of our God is forgiving. Sometimes it is hard for us to understand the way God forgives us. We struggle to accept His forgiveness to us by separating us far from Him whenever we are failed in our shortcomings. I believe, there are no conditions for receiving God’s forgiveness other than confessing our sins. 1John 1:9 says,” If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our unrighteousness”. The only thing separate us from God is our sins. God has taken away that separation through His son Jesus by His death on the cross for us. The very attitude of Jesus on that cross was forgiving.

Jesus is the role model for us. Even on the cross He was willing to forgive the people who were crucifying Him. What is our attitude towards to the people around us? In Matthew 18:21&22, Peter coming to Jesus with a question of forgiveness. He wanted to know how many times he should forgive his brother when his brother sin against him. The answer Jesus gave him was to forgive him seventy times seven. It simply means that it is not about the number of times you can forgive but the attitude of forgiveness. God expects us to walk in an attitude of forgiveness without any conditions because we also receive God’s forgiveness without any conditions. The bible says “He died for us while we were sinners”.

What is our attitude as a body of Christ? Many a times our attitude is like the unmerciful servant in Matthew chapter 18. We freely receive forgiveness from God but we are not able to release forgiveness to one another in the same manner. Due to this reason we go through much torment within ourselves. We struggle with envy, bitterness, pride etc…God wants to set us free so that we can walk in freedom. It is the will of God for His bride to be pure and holy.

Thoughts to ponder: Am I walking in freedom that comes from forgiveness of my sins? Am I able to walk in an attitude of forgiveness towards others regardless of situations?

Prayer: My heavenly Father, I want to thank you for your forgiveness towards me regardless of who I am. God would you please help me to walk in an attitude of forgiveness toward others no matter what the situation might be. Help me to walk in the freedom that comes from forgiveness. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

GOD IS HOLY

He is totally separate, above and other than His creation. He is pure and spotless with no fault at all.

- Greg E Wiley

For Reading and Meditation: Isaiah 6:1-8

Heaven always sing of God’s holiness (Isaiah 6:3, Rev 4:8). We cannot think of God without having to think about His holiness. This natural attribute of God is not just part of His being or a character He possess time to time. He is absolutely holy with no moral impurity at all. Though the holiness of God is something that makes him who he is that we cannot be, there is also a calling to each one of us to be like Him in the area of holiness. This is the only natural attribute of God which He expects us to become. God says “Be holy as I am holy”. How do we reach to that place of holiness? Where do we start? We can learn something from the life of Isaiah. It was started with Isaiah having a revelation of who God is. The magnificent view of God being exalted and lifted high in His holiness led him to a deeper sense of knowing who he is. He had a revelation of God’s holiness. That revelation brought light in to the dark areas of unholiness in his heart, leading him to repentance and purification. His guilt was taken away and the sin was atoned for. One of the interesting things I learned here is, right after Isaiah had made things right with God he started to hear the voice of God. Isaiah 6:8 says, then I heard the voice of the Lord saying “whom shall I send? And who will go for me?” It is important to notice that sometimes unholiness in our life can hinder us from hearing the voice of God. Isaiah also had a calling for mission right after he dealt with his area of unholiness.

Thought to ponder: Am I unable to hear the voice of God because of the impurities in my life? Am I missing out the calling of the Lord for reaching out the lost because I am insensitive to it? Am I walking in purity before the Lord?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me to walk in purity and holiness. Show me areas in my life which I need to have a revelation of your character. Help me to hear your voice and respond your calling. Give me burden for the lost and help me to share the good news with others. I need your strength and grace to walk in your ways. In Jesus name. Amen.

GOD IS FAITHFUL

He is totally trustworthy to keep His promises and to be true to who He is.

For reading and meditation: Genesis 28:15, Num 23:19, Deut 7:9, psalms 33:4, 36:5

Last week we read in the Genesis about Abraham and Isaac having a revelation of God as an Eternal God. We also saw that the significance of the place Beersheba in both of their life. Now let’s see the hand of God upon Jacob’s life.

Genesis 28:10-18 Jacob’s dream at Bethel

Jacob left Beersheba and send out for Haran where his forefather Abraham was called out by God. Beersheba was the place Abraham had a revelation of God as an eternal God. It was the same place his father Isaac had an encounter with God. Now Jacob is running away from the place of revelation and encounter with God. But something very different happened to him in that night. He had the vision of angels ascending and descending from heaven to earth. There above it stood the Lord, and He said “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac”-a God who is faithful. Jacob failed to recognize the presence of God but the faithful nature of God followed him everywhere he went. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, even if we are faithless God will remain faithful, for He cannot disown himself.

If we closely look at it the entire bible is filled with the stories of people and nations who are unfaithful to God and the heart cry of God who reaching out them.

Thoughts to ponder: Think of the revelations you have received from God in your difficult situations, Where you had an encounter with the Lord in your recent past? Are you in a place where you have moved out of that revelations and trying to go back to the old ways like Jacob left from Beersheba to Haran?

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for being faithful to me even when I am not faithful to you. Help me to trust you and stay in the revelations of your faithfulness in my life. In Jesus name. Amen.

GOD IS ETERNAL

God has no beginning and no end. He is the only uncreated being in existence. Let’s see the man who had the revelation of God as eternal. That is none other than Abraham.

Genesis 21:22-33. The treaty at Beersheba

Abraham made a treaty with Abimelech regarding a well at Beersheba. After he had made the treaty, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree there and called upon the name of the Lord "The Eternal God". Why did Abraham acknowledge God as an eternal God at Beersheba where he planted the tamarisk tree? What was the significance of that revelation? Abraham knew that though he made a treaty with man who is powerful and ruler over the nation at that point, he may not be trust worthy for his coming generations. He needed to trust God as the one who is unchanging and the one who made a covenant not only with him but also with his generations.

Like Abraham saw the problem, it did happen (Genesis 26:17-24). Here we see the problem Isaac is facing over the well again. But some very interesting thing happened there in his life. “From there Isaac went up to Beersheba. That night the Lord appeared to him and said” I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, I am with you”- A God who is everlasting from generation to generation (Gen 26:23-24)

Two things happened here which is very encouraging. First one is Isaac had a revelation of God as an eternal God at Beersheba, the same place where his father Abraham called upon the name of the Lord as an eternal God. He had to come back to that very same place for that revelation. The second one is though Abraham passed away and Abimelech servants forgot about the treaty they have made, God did not forget any of those things. He reminded Isaac that He is an everlasting God who made the covenant with Abraham and He is the same God for Isaac too. He is the same God today. He never changes his heart for us. What a wonderful God we serve.

Thoughts to ponder: What was the revelation God has given you in the past that you forgot about it now? The enemy might have brought doubt and unbelief in your heart about God’s promise. The difficult situation might have buried that revelation like Abraham’s well? Think about it. God wants you to go back to that same place where you had the revelation. You may even in need of a fresh revelation of who God is in your current situation.

Prayer: Dear God would you please give me a revelation of you as an everlasting God. My circumstances might change, people may change but you never change oh God. Help me to trust in you. In Jesus name. Amen

FRUITFULNESS

For Reading and Meditation: John 15

This passage talks about the importance of our relationship with our heavenly father. He is using vine and branches as an example. Jesus used a lot of natural means to communicate about the supernatural revelation. One of the themes in this chapter is a fruit bearing life of a Christian which comes out of an intimate relationship with God.

Let’s see some of the conditions of fruit bearing.

*We should be willing to be pruned in order to bear much fruit
(John 15:2).
An attitude of complete surrender to God.

*We should realise that we cannot bear fruit without remaining in the vine who is Christ (John 15:4-6).
An attitude of complete dependency on God.

*We should be willing to bring glory to our Father in heaven not us.
An attitude of having a clear conscious before God.

*We should bear fruit that last or our fruit should remain.
An attitude of consistence walks with the Lord.

It is interesting to see that the level of relationship with God is increasing here. Jesus starts with an invitation to come in to a relationship with Him. He says “abide in me then I will abide in you“. Then He is talking about the condition of bearing much fruit. Here Jesus is giving them an invitation to be His disciples (John15:8). Third time there is an invitation to be His friends (John15:15).

Our God takes us from being Believers to Disciples then to Friends. The ultimate goal of a Christian life which bears fruit is to go and be ambassadors for Him who called us as His disciples and friends. That’s where our fruit should remain and bringing many to God.

Questions to ponder: Where are we in our relationship with God today? Are we bringing glory to God by bearing much fruit? Are we bearing fruit that remain?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, Help me to remain in you so that I can bear much fruit to glorify your name .In Jesus Name. Amen.

RESTING IN THE SHADOWS

For Reading and Meditation: Psalms 91

This psalm is a prayer of Moses which portrays his deep trust in God especially his ability to take refuge in God in times of trouble. Psalms 91:1 says, he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty (NIV).

We live in a very busy world today. We run from programme to programme in a daily basis. The faster we can do things determines our level of achievements. In the middle of all these things rest becomes a questions mark for many of us. But in this above verse we can see the psalmist talking about rest –not just the physical rest but our soul finding rest in God. This is very important in every Christian life. The one who find rest in the Lord will not be shaken in any difficult circumstances. If we have faith in God doesn’t mean that we will have a problem free life. Through out this psalm we can see that a child of God can face with different problems such as trials from the enemy, sickness, disasters etc… This also doesn’t mean that we are insensitive about everything around us and not being shaken. It simply mean that we make a choice to run toward the shelter of our Almighty God who is a dwelling place for us .That is where we find rest that makes us content and satisfied .

This psalm also shows us a greater amount of submission to God in times of testing. The greatest freedom comes when we submit. The greater deliverance comes when we depend more. The protection is more known to us when we are willing to let God lead us and His shadow cover us. David, known as a man after God’s own heart knew this very well. He wrote in psalms “my soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him” (psalms 62:1 NIV)

Questions to ponder: How are we today? Are we able to rest in Him in our difficulties? Do we run to God or people in times of desperation? Will we be able to stay under His shadow in times of fear instead of running away from him?

Prayer: God help me to be sensitive to your presence and find rest in you always. You are my refuge and strength and a very present help in times of trouble. In Jesus name. Amen.

And these signs shall follow….....

For Reading and meditation: Mark 16: 17-20

Here we see a call of great commission given to all Christians. Jesus said “go in to the all world and preach the gospel to every creature (mark 16:15). He has also given us the power to drive out demons, speak in new tongues, heal the sick etc… The only condition for doing all these things was to believe. The bible says: And these signs will accompany those who believe (Mark 16:17a). The signs and wonders are given to us as promise to those who believe. If we think about these days, signs and wonders are not regular incidents in our churches. (May not be all the churches but church at large). May be we have to pause for a while to think about what we believe. Not just to see the miracle but to expand the kingdom of God. Bible says : Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it(Mark 16:20).The Greek root meaning for the word confirmed given here is to make firm, establish, secure, guarantee etc… The miracles that accompanied disciples preaching confirmed to the people the disciples were right. God was backing up their message with supernatural phenomena. We need miracles today not to bring glory to ourselves but to confirm the word we are preaching. The church should be proactive in their faith to establish the kingdom of light over darkness. We need to ask God to give us the passion of the early church to revive us…….

Prayer: Dear Father, May our heart be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which you have called us, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. In Jesus name. Amen

AN ATTITUDE OF BROKENNESS

For Reading and meditation : John 12: 1-8,John 6:5-13

Jesus was at Bethany for a dinner party, where Lazarus lived. His sister Martha served while Lazarus was among the guests. All of a sudden something happened. The entire house was filled with the fragrance of an expensive perfume. Everybody was curious to know what has happened. Finally they discovered the source of the fragrance. The cause of the fragrance in the entire house was Mary’s willingness to break the jar at the feet of Jesus. It was broken for a purpose. She broke the jar just to minister to Jesus but it also blessed the people around her.

Let’s see another incident here. Once Jesus and His disciples were ministering to the crowd. When they got late and Jesus wanted to feed the crowd. He put a challenge before the disciple but they failed to understand His heart. But everything changed immediately when a small boy was willing to hand his lunch box over to the disciples. It was just five loaves of bread and two small fishes. What difference will it make in that large crowd? But it did make a difference when it was broken in the hand of the master. The broken pieces multiplied and became food for all the hungry people. The little boy was willing to let go of what he had and allowed it to be broken.

What does God expect from us today? Is there any thing we can bring to God and allow Him to use it for His glory? May be our own heart. The Bible says “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, oh God you will not despise”. (Psalms 51:17 NIV)

When we live with an attitude of brokenness it brings pleasure to God. Our heavenly father uses that to bring healing to many others too.

“We leak the love of Jesus through our brokenness”

Let us have an attitude of brokenness in our daily walk with God.

Prayer: God help me to have a broken and contrite spirit, so that I can show the love of Jesus when I am weak. Let your strength be revealed in my weakness. In Jesus name. Amen.

STAYING IN GOD’S PURPOSE IN DIFFICULT CURCUMSTANCES

For Reading and Meditation: Exodus 28-32

Here we see a collection of dramatic events taking place. Moses, the God’s chosen leader of Israelites up on the mountain receiving instructions from God. During forty days of time with God, Moses received instructions about Ten Commandments, the tabernacle, offering for the tabernacle etc… Then we can see the instructions about the priests (Aaron and his sons).God were so detailed in everything such as The Ephod, the breast piece and other priestly garments. He thought of every single step of their ministry at the altar.

But when it comes to chapter 32 of Exodus, suddenly everything changed. The God appointed priests turning to be the introducers of idolatry and all evil practices …….. What happened to Aaron and his sons? What made them to do such a disobedient act in front of God? Some of the reasons may be

*He couldn’t control the crowd who turned very impatient. The fear of loosing control over the people started to grip him.

*He failed to see the authority of God while his present leader was away.

*He wanted acceptance from people.

*Moreover he failed to see God’s heart for him.

Let’s see the two incidents happening here at the same time. On the mountain God is talking to Moses about Aaron –his appointment as a priest, his garments, and his ephod everything .God had great plan for him. Every single details of Aaron were in God’s mind …….. But at the same time Aaron was indulging in idolatry at the foot of the hill and leading a nation towards destruction . If he had a glimpse of God and His plan for him things would have been different …….

Life applications: As a child of God many times we miss out on knowing God’s heart for us. While God is painting a beautiful picture of our lives, we are busy giving our own definitions to life. When we go through life hardships and pressurising situations, we need to have a right perspective of who God is in our life. That will help us to keep going with a focus.

Prayer: God help me to seek you when I am going through pressurising situations in my day to day life. Help me to know that your plans are higher than my plans and your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. In Jesus name. Amen

BEING PURE IN A DECEPTIVE WORLD

How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules.

Psalms 119:9 (NLT)

We live in a world filled with compromises and negotiations. Often times we end up doing the wrong thing without even realising it. As a child of God what is our standard? How can we stay away from being deceived?

What is deception?

Meaning: mislead by lying, tricking

: cause to believe something false

: to lead astray

References – Gen 3:1-6&13, John 8:44, 1 Tim 2:14

Deception starts from the fall. It started with entertaining wrongdoing. When the woman saw that the fruit was good and desirable, she fell for it. She did not turn away from that thought, rather it lead her in to an action of disobedience.

I believe one of the reasons God made woman to be with man was for accountability .When she chooses to move out of that, she eventually moved out of God’s very purpose.

The result of deception is sin. It brings fear, guilt and condemnation.

How can we stay out of deception?

*by having the word of God as our standard and by meditating on the Word (psalm 119:9,29-32)

*by allowing the Holy Spirit to be our constant counsellor (John 16:17)

*by searching our heart daily in the presence of God (Psalms 139: 23, 24)

Prayer:

Dear Father, help me to walk in your ways with a blameless heart. Like David let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing and acceptable to you oh Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

FOLLOWING GOD WHOLE HEARTEDLY

For reading and meditation: Joshua 15:6-15

The promise of God came to pass in Caleb’s life because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly. God was pleased with his attitude of trusting Him no matter what the situation was.

The fulfilment of God’s promise in Caleb’s life was after 45 years of consistent walk with the Lord. One of the interesting facts here is that Caleb also went through the troubles and the wandering experiences in the wilderness with his fellow Israelites. His leader (Moses) passed away even before they entered into the promised land. He had to choose to work under his friend and co-worker Joshua (the next leader). He had to make a choice to stay in faith and not to give up. Caleb held on to the hope that God will fulfil the promise in his life.

ONE MAN’S FAITH AND OBEDIENCE BECAME BLESSING FOR HIS GENERATIONS

Prayer: Father, I want to be like Caleb who served you whole heartedly not for the blessing alone but to be a blessing for this generation too. Help me to have a complete confidence in you no matter what the situation is. In Jesus’ name. Amen.