Month: April 2014

God’s Word is full of promises. When we rely on God and trust in Him, our Heavenly Father will supply our every need.

The Promise Keeper

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Joshua 1:5

In Joshua 1:9, God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous, assuring Joshua that He will be with him. God also urges Joshua not to be afraid or discouraged, but to trust Him with all his heart.

God kept His promise to Joshua on every occasion, even to the extent of delaying the time the sun would set so that Joshua could defeat all his enemies (Joshua 10:3).

While Joshua enjoyed this wonderful privilege, God had also emphasised a few expectations from him. Joshua was chosen by God to be a great leader who would lead a multitude of people. His life had to be disciplined and perfectly focused so that he can lead effectively. Therefore, God commanded Joshua to keep his eyes on Him and to diligently keep His commandments.
We too are assured by God that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He wants us to be strong and courageous, relying on His strength rather than on our own strength. We may face setbacks and oppositions in life. But we can be assured that God will be with us through every difficult situation we encounter. If we remain as ‘God pleasers’ and are careful to obey Him in all that we do, we will be prosperous and successful.( Joshua 1: 7-9)

Today do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Dear Lord,
I come to You in Jesus name. I thank You for this assurance that You give me each day that You will be with me and strengthen me. I can do nothing apart from You as You alone are my confidence and my strength, a very present help in all my trouble. Amen.

Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo & Manju

God creates something out of nothing. Therefore, until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him. – Martin Luther

Has your Brook Dried Up?

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land, Then the word of the Lord came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”

1 Kings 17:7-8

All of us have little brooks that we draw from on a daily basis. The Lord sometimes dries up the brook to take us to fulfil our needs and the needs of others. We will be able to understand His will and move on if we are in tune to hear His voice.

When the Lord told Elijah to go to a widow’s house and that she will provide, he obeyed and knew that the provider was the Lord. The Lord will always use that which is insignificant in our eyes to bring glory to Himself.

The Lord not only met the need of Elijah but the need of the poor widow. The Lord is all knowing and He will direct you to the right person.

Is your brook dry this morning? Have you come to a crossroads? Listen to His voice and depend on Him. He will direct your path. He will use you to be a blessing to others and He will in return bless you. Elijah walked out in faith. Are you willing to take the same step of faith?

When a brook dries up, it is a sign that God has a bigger plan for you; are you ready to face the rushing river? Would you give heed to His voice?

Dear Lord,

I look to You my God, from where cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Please direct my path today. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo & Manju

The greatest of Earth’s living forms,
Tall conquerors that laugh at storms;
Their challenge still unanswered rings,
Through fifty centuries of kings.

– Joseph Strauss
Living like a Redwood tree

For I, the Lord your God, have taken your right hand in mine, saying to you, Have no fear; I will be your helper.

Isaiah 41:13

Often we miss out on the plans that God has for our lives due to fear and intimidations. Last week we read about the tares that the devil sow into our lives that prevents the plans that God has for us. Once we understand that the devil is the cause of our fears and lack of confidence, we can take authority over him and break loose from the bondages that he has woven around our lives.

Paul says that Jesus has the power to set us free from every bondage brought into our life by the devil. As such In Hebrews 2:14-15,  he writes, “By His death, he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

The strongholds of the devil are the lies that have the power to attack our minds, robbing us of our confidence and replacing it with fear.

Today God wants us to know that He is with us in everything that we do. He created us to have a life that is as large as a Redwood tree. We can live that life if we stop fearing, and rise up with courage knowing that the Lord our God is always by our side. He has taken our feeble hands in His able hands and He is assuring us not to fear, as He will be our helper.

Lord God, I come to You in Jesus’ name. I am so blessed to have You, my good Shepherd, by my side in every moment of my life. Even though my heart has given into fear, today I choose to hold on to Your righteous right hand and walk beside You, knowing You will never leave me nor forsake me. Amen.

God bless you,

Theo & Manju

Within every seed, there is life and a program that determines its growth. The other day we were talking about the redwood tree in Northern California which is so large that roads are made through their trunks so that cars can pass through them. Redwood trees grow to an incredible height and live for centuries. This giant tree grows from a small seed.

God’s Seed

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.

Mark 4:7-8

If the seed falls on good ground, the tree will grow to be mature and strong; otherwise its growth will be stunted.
Therefore, it is important for the farmer to prepare the soil well, so that the seed can take deep root. The seed that the farmer sows is a natural seed and will some day perish but the seed of God planted in our hearts is permanent.

In the above text we see that some of the seed fell among thorns. This means that the thorns prevented the seed from bearing fruit. Similarly, our heart is like the soil, so if our heart has divided interests, then the permanent seed of God’s word will not take root and grow, but will perish.

While the farmer sows good seed, the evil one tries to destroy the crop by sowing bad seed which produces thistles and thorns that prevent the good seed from growing.

In Matthew 13:26, Jesus talks about this subtle and devious act of the devil. He says “But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.”

Let us not be asleep and allow the devil to bring in the evil tares but let us be spiritually awake. When we fall asleep, we will become unconcerned about sin and slip into a state of luke-warmness which will hinder us from growing to be the ‘giant redwood trees’ that God desires us to become in Him.

The word says that heaven and earth will pass away but His word will not pass away. Therefore, let us beware and protect the seed of God’s word and ask the Holy Spirit to settle it in our hearts to bear much fruit for His glory.

Dear Lord,
I want to be a like a tree planted by the waters so that I may draw from Your river and bear much fruit. Amen.

God bless you,
Theo and Manju

Yesterday, we looked at the younger prodigal son; today we will look at the older son who remained at home.

The Pharisaical Attitude

He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 2:9-11

The younger son left home out of rebellion but the older one worked hard, carried out his duties and lived, what appeared to be, a blameless life. However, inwardly he was selfish and unforgiving in nature. When his prodigal brother returned home, he did not rejoice. This was because of the bitterness that had built up in his heart, resenting his brother for squandering away their father’s wealth. He saw his brother as one who had cheated his father so he refused to come into the house when his brother returned.

The father, however, was very patient with the older son. His heart of unconditional love that caused him to run out of the home to bring the younger son back, now makes him go to plead with the elder son for reconciliation.

The Pharisaical mentality is duty bound and full of self righteousness. There was no room for love in the heart of the older son and he did not want to reconcile with the father or the brother.

In today’s context there are many of us who could be like the older brother. Are we merely duty bound when it comes to serving the Lord? May the love of Christ pour into our hearts so that we serve Him in love and thereby love our fellow brothers and our heavenly Father.

Dear Lord,
I thank You that You first loved me. You have picked me up from the miry clay and set my foot upon a rock. Help me to reciprocate the same love that You have given me to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.