Blessings

Blessing 115- Job 9:27, 28

2009-02-15T02:19:00.000-08:00

If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,' I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent. (Job 9:27, 28)

Job wanted to desperately smile despite his misery, yet he knew that it was not going to be a "smile because of true joy" but a "smile that momentarily hid his pain"

Interestingly, behind many a smile hides many sorrows. You experience it at some time or the other in this life that we live on earth.
Job had tried to prove himself innocent before God. He had no lawyer, so he argued his case with his friends and with the Almighty.
It didn't seem to be working though.

It is easy figuring things out when all is going well for the believer. Then comes a time when things go wrong and you can't figure out anything. There will be no dearth of advice though, yet nothing will work till God holds out the golden sceptre.

Job finally was set free from his misery not because of his arguments, but because God's time of deliverance had arrived.

What's the time now? Too late you may say, as Mary and Martha said when Jesus came to Bethany to raise up Lazarus. Hang on..Just hang on..Deliverance may just be around the corner, so hang on to the faith that you have left, even though it may be as fragile as a single strand of thread. Don't give up. Jesus loves you.

Blessing 114- Job 42:2

2009-02-15T02:18:00.001-08:00

"I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2)

Job here has finally realized that whatever God decides to do, he brings it into being. No one can thwart what he purposes to do. That means whatever he has decided for you as a child of God, he will bring it to fulfillment. no one can thwart what he has purposed for you. As a New Testament believer, you must remember what Jesus has said regarding you; you, who has believed that Jesus is your Good Shepherd.
Jesus said,
"......I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)
'
That's the plan and purpose that God has regarding you. But how can one have an "abundant life" in the midst of such terrible problems that plague our world? Quite an "enigma". Yet if we lean on the Lord for all the small and big things of our life, we can surely experience this "abundant life" that Jesus is talking about. That's why in the same chapter Jesus said, '"I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, (John 10:14) and also
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; (John 10:27)

Jesus, here is talking about a personal relationship where his sheep hear his voice. This is not a one time experience but a life long relationship. If we are willing to enter into such an relationship, only then we can experience the "abundant life" that Jesus spoke of.

His plans for you are concrete and they are for your blessing; to give you a hope and a future. God bless.

Blessing 113- Jeremiah 30:17

2009-02-15T02:17:00.001-08:00

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.' (Jeremiah 30:17)

A great promise of restoration to a people who were suffering at the hands of the enemy. God's own people were now being called "an outcast." It was like no one cared for them. Everyone seemed to have forsaken them and they were feeling very low.

As Gideon, one of the men whom God chose to be a judge of Israel once asked:
"But sir," Gideon replied, "if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." (Judges 6:13)

Israelites had sinned and so God had given them into the hands of the enemy then. But sometimes we may not find any explanation to the sufferings that we go through.

"Why God lets us suffer even when we are sure that we are not doing anything wrong" is a question that haunts many believers.

Not everything is explainable, but the promises of God are for us in times of suffering and finally he will grant the deliverance that we are so eager to have. The Bible says,
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10)

Restoration is guarenteed, so hold fast to his promises. God bless.

Blessing 112- 2 Chronicles 16:9

2009-02-15T02:13:00.000-08:00

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him......." (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Hearts fully committed to the Lord are hard to find, but such have a special blessing from the Lord. He is always there to strengthen them in times of trouble and distress.

The Psalmist says:
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. (Psalm 33:18)
Again in Psalm 34, we read,
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry. (Psalm 34:15)

Committment is difficult but it pays dividends. Athletes who win top spots really put in a lot of hard work to achieve success.

The Apostle Paul referring to this writes:
No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs - he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. (2 Timothy 2:4,5)

Writing to the church at Corinth, Paul again says,
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (1 Corinthians 9:25)

That's what all of us believers are hoping for! Aren't we? A crown that will last for ever.

And a crown that will last forever is what we will receive--that is--if our hearts are committed to the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Blessing 111- Genesis 46:29,30

2009-02-15T02:12:00.000-08:00

Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." (Genesis 46:29,30)

What a day it must have been for Jacob! Unbelievable, to say the least. The events that transpired must have confused him a lot as he travelled to Egypt to see his long lost son. But the voice of the Lord strengthened him.
"I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." (Genesis 46:3,4)

How wonderful it is when the Lord comforts us and strengthens us with his words. Notable are the words: "I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again."

Jacob, now old and tired of all that he had faced in his life needed God's affirmation of his presence with him and that is exactly what God did.

In verse 30 above, we read Jacob telling Joseph: "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive."

The Bible says,
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)

That's exactly what Jacob had experienced in his life. Now he was content after a long, long wait.
Are you waiting for something to happen? Something that you greatly desire, but not yet received? Take heart. The Lord will fulfill your desire as he fulfilled Jacob's. God bless.

Blessing 110- 2 Chronicles 18:29-33

2009-02-15T02:10:00.000-08:00

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel." When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "This is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him, for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him. But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told the chariot driver, "Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded." (2 Chronicles 18:29-33)

Jehoshapat, the king of Judah, who was God fearing made an unholy alliance with Ahab, the wicked king of Israel. This almost killed him, but for the mercy of the Lord. The Lord drew the enemy away from him and he was saved. But look what happened to the wicked king who devised the plan to save himself in war by making Jehoshapat look like the king that the enemy were after. The Bible says, "someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor"

It was not just something that happened by chance. It was God's judgement on the wicked king.

Are you in an unholy alliance? It may lead to your downfall. Cry to the Lord for mercy and he will save you as he saved Jehoshapat.

The Bible is very clear regarding unholy alliances. the Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians says,
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Being yoked together with unbelievers, wickedness, darkness, Belial, Idols... all these are definite danger signals for the believer. Check your life this day. Keep youself clean. God bless.

Blessing 109- Ezra 1:1, 2

2009-02-15T02:09:00.001-08:00

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. (Ezra 1:1, 2)

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites - everyone whose heart God had moved - prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:5)

From these verses, we can learn of a very important fact- The Lord moves hearts. He does it so that his plans and purposes are brought into fulfillment. After Solomon's temple had been destroyed and the Israelites had gone into captivity for 70 years, we see God moving the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to send the Israelites back to their land and give them permission to build the temple at Jerusalem.

God is soveriegn and he can move the hearts of men to act favourably towards his children. He can devise circumstances in ways that tend to bring about deliverance for his children.

The Lord gave Pharoah dreams which finally led to the exaltation of Joseph. The Lord is righteous and he won't sit idle when he sees ruthless and wicked men trouble his children. Sometimes he forces them to set free his children as he did in the case of the Pharoah and the Israelites who were in bondage for 430 years.

Are you suffering because of you being subordinate to others, whether that be in your workplace or in the ministry? Take heart this day. The Lord is going to move the hearts of men these coming days and they are going to speak in your favor. They will set you free because God is going to bring such circumstances in their lives that they will be forced to set you free. Do you believe this?

Remember what the Lord Jesus told Martha,
"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)

Believe in the Lord's words. He's going to set you free. God bless.

Blessing 108- Job 12:4

2009-02-15T02:08:00.001-08:00

I have become a laughingstock to my friends, though I called upon God and he answered - a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless! (Job 12:4)

When God's answer to our prayer is delayed, this is how some of our friends and relatives treat us. Perhaps some of them may not be calling upon God even half of what we do and the situation is often baffling to us as it was to Job.

Job was in great distress and this is what the Bible says about his friends:

When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. (Job 2:11-13)

Their intentions and grief seemed to be genuine & sincere for 1 week, but when they opened their mouths, it was accusation and judgement that they proclaimed upon Job.

Sometimes one gets fed up of listening to "It's all your fault", "It's all your fault" all the time. So what's to be done??

The prophet Jeremiah writes,
I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:24-26)

Jesus is righteous and He will bring deliverance to you at the right time putting all those who falsely accused you to shame. Trust in Him. He's a wonderful Savior. God bless.

Blessing 107- Romans 8:11

2009-02-15T02:06:00.000-08:00

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)

This is a great promise that the Bible gives to every believer. The promise of being resurrected. The word "resurrection" is found 40 times in the New Testament and it has great significance in relation to the Christian belief. The Apostle Paul says,
"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." (1 Corinthians 15:12-14)

There are many christians who do not believe in the resurrection. They are like the Saduccees of old, who did not believe in it either. But the Bible is very emphatic regarding this and talks of the "resurrection of life" and the "resurrection of damnation."

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28,29)

The program of the resurrection is clearly outlined in the Word of God.
1. The resurrection of Christ is the beginning- 1 Corinthians 15:23
2. The resurrection of the church age believers at the rapture- 1 Thessalonians 4:16
3. The resurrection of the tribulation period saints (Revelation 20:3-5) and the resurrection of Old Testament saints (Daniel 12:2) at the 2nd coming of Christ.
4. The final resurrection of the unsaved dead- Revelation 20:5, 11-14

The first three would be all included in the first resurrection or the resurrection to life and the fourth would be the second resurrection or the resurrection unto damnation.

And the Bible tells us,
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)

Praise the Lord.

Blessing 106- Psalm 92:12-14

2009-02-15T02:05:00.000-08:00

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, (Psalm 92:12-14)

Besides drink, food and shade, palm trees provide material needed for housing, thatching, hats, baskets, furniture, mats, cordage, clothing, charcoal, brooms, fans, ornaments, musical instruments, shampoo, containers, implements and oil for fuel, light, ointments, soap and more.Perhaps this is what the psalmist had in mind when he said that the righteous will flourish like a palm tree. He was looking at the abundant fruitfullness that they can have.

And then he compares their growth to that of a cedar. The flag of Lebanon features a cedar in green which is a reference to the famous cedars of Lebanon, renowned throughout the region. The Lebanon Cedar is an evergreen coniferous tree growing up to 40 m (130 ft) tall. To put it concisely, "The spiritual growth of a believer has no limits and can reach heights greater than the cedars of Lebanon."

The psalmist then tells us that, for this to happen, the believer has to be planted in the house of the Lord, because all the nourishment for his/her spiritual life comes from him/her being in the presence of the Lord. And when that is taken care of, they start flourishing. Age wouldn't be a factor for them to stop being fruitful. He says that they will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.

Are you planted in the house of the Lord? No, it doesn't mean attending church, but being firmly rooted in the Word of God. If you are, your growth and fruitfulness are guarenteed. God bless.

Blessing 105- Isaiah 41:13

2009-02-15T02:03:00.000-08:00

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

Though spoken by the Lord to Israel as a nation, think of it today as the Lord speaking to you. The Lord has taken hold of your right hand to strengthen you and he promises to help you.

In the same chapter we read the Lord saying the following,
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

In Psalm 18, the psalmist tells the Lord,
You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. (Psalm 18:35)

The saving, sustaining, strengthening, helping right hand of the Lord has been stretched forth towards you and he will bring about a change in the adverse circumstances that you are facing today. Trust in your Savior Jesus.

Confess with your mouth this day what David said,
I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8)

In the days to come you will be able to acknowledge the Lord's power upon your life saying,
Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. (Psalm 20:6)

and also join with the psalmist in praising your Savior saying,
Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. (Psalm 48:10)

God bless you.

Blessing 104- Luke 4:25, 26

2009-02-15T02:02:00.000-08:00

I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. (Luke 4:25, 26)

If you are reading this, the same applies to you. Remember you have been chosen by God to be a part of his kingdom here on earth and in eternity. The Apostle Paul says,
"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:29, 30)

The Lord Jesus Christ has a plan and purpose for your life. Predestined, called, justified, glorified is the main plan, but while you live on earth, he has a specific plan for you like he had for Abraham and Sarah.

When you sit at his feet, he will reveal his plan for your life. Nothing haphazard, he will tell you things specifically. Because you have been chosen by him, he will arrange situations and circumstances to bring about the plans that he has for your life.

Though Joseph set out to obey his father and enquire about the well-being of his brothers, he landed in Egypt without friends or family, but God had planned things beforehand. God knew that his brothers would throw him in the pit and plan to kill him, so he sent the Ishmaelites at the right time and made them change their mind by speaking through Judah, so they sold him to the Ishmaelites instead of killing him.
Before Joseph reached Egypt, God had already chosen the house where Joseph would stay for the next 11 years.

Live close to God and you will see his plans for you taking shape and being fulfilled. Never forget that you are chosen by God. God bless you.

Blessing 103- Deuteronomy 10:21

2009-02-15T02:01:00.000-08:00

He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. (Deuteronomy 10:21)

Remember the past, how the Lord did great and awesome miracles for you? He is the same unchanging God and He will do it for you again. He is your praise and He never changes. Trust in Him to do the impossible for you and you will see His mighty power being released into your life once more.
So lift up your hands and praise the Lord.

The Israelites often wondered whether the Lord would do yet another miracle when they faced yet another impossible situation. And the Lord never failed them. Whether it was the red sea or Marah or lack of food or water, the Lord provided them what they needed at the right time. Not only that, He crushed their enemies who were more powerful than them.

Your loving Savior has a proven record of being faithful, so cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.

This is what Joshua told the Israelites:
Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. (Joshua 23:14)

You have assurance from the Word today that your Savior will do the same for you. God bless.

Blessing 102- 1 Samuel 3:10

2009-02-15T02:00:00.000-08:00

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:10)

Have you heard God's voice lately? He's always speaking to us in one way or the other. The problem is that we are not receptive many a times.

Think of switching on the radio and selecting shortwave band. There are 100's of stations broadcasting and sometimes we have to really strain to listen to what we want. But when we really want to listen, we would do all sorts of things like putting the antenna in different positions, standing near the window with the transistor and so on and so forth. God's voice gets crowded out with all the other voices that we are eagerly receiving into us. Not that his voice is feeble or not clear; the broadcast is perfect, but the reception and the receptiveness is poor.

In the book of Revelation we read the phrase "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" written 7 times. It's not that only few people in these churches had ears; God here is speaking of receptiveness to his message.

If we have the attitude that Samuel the prophet had, we surely will hear God's voice every day. In 1 Samuel Ch. 3 we read of Samuel telling the Lord, "......Speak, for your servant is listening." (1 Samuel 3:10)

Can we tell that to our Savior everyday? If we can, then he will speak to us and we can have great fellowship with him. Try it, if you have not yet done it; it's a very fulfilling experience. God bless.

Blessing 101- 1 Samuel 17:46

2009-02-15T01:59:00.001-08:00

This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. (1 Samuel 17:46)

Saying the words that we read above required a lot of courage and faith and David finally did what he said. Interestingly, David started off by saying, "This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand....." and not "This day I will smite thee..." because he knew that without the Lord intervening he wouldn't be able to do anything. Here was a giant who had created terror among the Israelites for 40 days and to say the words above either would make people think that he was crazy or he had some magical powers.

Even when Goliath looked David over he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

Must have been in the movies, the fella; and here he was challenging a giant.

No wonder then that Saul commented:
"Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." (1 Samuel 17:33)"

They all called him a youth, but this fellow had guts, so as to say, and did not back out. And the rest as they say is "history"

Paul the apostle, writing to Timothy said,
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)"

Has God called you to minister for him? Forget about them who look down on you because you are young. As Paul says,
"Set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity"

Remember, many called David a youth and a youth he was when he confronted Goliath, but the Lord did great things through him. Trust in the Lord. He will do great things through you too. But remember to give him all the glory. God bless.

Blessing 100- 1 Chronicles 28:9

2009-02-15T01:57:00.002-08:00

"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. (1 Chronicles 28:9)"

There's something very important in these words that David tells his son Solomon. In all that we do or propose to do for the Lord, the one thing that the Lord closely scrutinizes is "what is the motive behind all this?"

Is it to gain fame & personal glory?
Is it to make ourselves rich materially?
Is it to build our own kingdom?

Sadly, many set out to live a holy life at the outset but their aim gets distorted after sometime. The Lord Jesus Christ pointed out 3 things/thorns that destroys our spiritual life. In the parable of the "sower & the seed" we read Jesus telling his disciples;

"The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature." (Luke 8:14)

Solomon began well but he went astray and did many things that angered the Lord and finally he lost much. We may have great zeal in our hearts regarding the Lord's work and we must work hard towards that end, but we must check ourselves frequently to see whether our aim really sticks onto bringing glory to the Lord and building his kingdom here on earth.

David's advice to Solomon here is good for us too.
We must all remember to "serve God with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind." Hope we can do that. God bless.

Blessing 99- Acts 13:2-4

2009-02-15T01:57:00.001-08:00

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. (Acts 13:2-4)

Notice the words: "sent on their way by the Holy Spirit!"

If we seek the Lord earnestly, He will guide us by the Holy Spirit to whichever ministry He wants to us to do.
Ministries vary and God knows what is best suited for us and where we have to serve Him and upto what time.

In the New Testament we read of the great ministries that Paul & Peter had. They are so prominent. But some of the other disciples do not have so much of prominence. In fact, a couple of them have just their names mentioned not more than a few times. Yet the fact remains that God looks for faithfulness in whatever ministry he chooses to put us in and the rewards will be based on faithfulness.

Sometimes God chooses to change the ministry that He has put us in initially. A teacher may be called to be a pastor or a pastor may be called to prophetic ministry at a time when God desires.

We have to be alert to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He is our counselor and guide. As he sent Barnabbas and Saul for the work which he had called them to, he will guide us too and get His work done through us.
May Jesus bless you now and always.

Blessing 98- Psalm 46:10

2009-02-15T01:56:00.001-08:00

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)

There comes circumstances or situations in our Christian life where others are calling the shots, that means we are not in control and we cannot command others to do as we say. We may be indebted to them in some way or the other or be dependant upon them, so perhaps can't argue regarding anything that we think is injustice to us.

In such situations, always remember to be still and let God do the talking. He will argue your case.
The Bible says,
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)"
The Lord knows your difficulties and He will open up ways for you; ways which you may have never imagined about.

He is a just God. He will never let you down.
Praise Him for He is about to do great things for you. He is El Shaddai- God Almighty.
He asks,
"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)"

Be still and know that He is God.

Blessing 97- Jonah 4:1

2009-02-15T01:48:00.000-08:00

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. (Jonah 4:1)

Did you get angry at God recently? Well, it's not an uncommon phenomenon.

Here we have the little prophet getting angry after preaching a sermon which led 1,20,000 to repentance.

Jonah's problem was different, but many of us get angry at God when we abide by the rules of the book and still land up in situations where we don't see an instant deliverance. Of course we wouldn't confess it publicly but the little secret is true.

The prophet here had occasion to celebrate, but on the contrary, he's sulking.
He tells God, " "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live." (Jonah 4:2, 3)

But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?" (Jonah 4:4)

In our desperations we often ask God angrily,
"So what are you after?"
"Am I not living by your Word, what else do you want?"

These are the milder things. The vocabulary often gets worse.

But God understands our desperations. He knows our weaknesses. He has compassion on us. He still loves us because He is our Father and we are His children. He waits for us to calm down. He waits for us to change and He waits for a whole lot of things in our life.
He saves, heals, delivers and comforts, but in His own time. He is Almighty God. He loves you even though you are imperfect. God bless.

Blessing 96- Genesis 21:3, 6

2009-02-15T01:47:00.000-08:00

Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.
Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." (Genesis 21:3, 6)

Finally a time for the Abraham family to rejoice. To have a hearty laugh.
If, Abraham when 99 and Sarah 89 were asked when they had really enjoyed laughing and rejoicing from the depths of their hearts, they would have said, "If only God's promise had materialized, we could."

The one thing they desired was the one thing that was withheld and it caused a lot of heartbreak, anxiety & tensions.

Now with the evidence of the promise in their hands, they laughed and even named their son Isaac which means "he laughs".

Sarah even imagines people talking and laughing;
"Oh, Sarah, she's finally a mom."
"Sarah & Abraham, they finally did it."
"Wonder what took them so long."

When the promise takes a long time to materialize, the joy it brings when it materializes finally is something just out of the world.

Have you been waiting for God's promise to materialize? Do you feel God is doing nothing about what he promised you?

Even when you don't see any signs of the promise being fulfilled, remember, God is at work.
Jesus said,
"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." (John 5:17)"

You are going to laugh like Sarah & Abraham when the promise is fulfilled.God bless

Blessing 95- Exodus 13:21, 22

2009-02-15T01:45:00.000-08:00

By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. (Exodus 13:21, 22)

These verses demonstrate the faithfulness of God in that the Lord never left them even for a moment during all the wilderness years of his people. Anyone looking up and ahead could know for sure that God was with him/her.
The change of the nature of His presence with them must have been so spectacular initially (cloud changing to fire), but as is oft happens, they must have considered it routine later on. An "It's always been there" attitude must have eventually crept in. So it must be in some of our own lives now.

Do we take the presence of God in our lives for granted and consider it routine and without importance?

We must not. We must always remember what the prophet Jeremiah wrote;

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21-23)

"The compassions of God never fail; they are new every morning."
Yes, His compassions are new every morning.

He has compassion on you everytime you call out to Him (your father in heaven). He is still the same & unchanging God who is faithful forever.

The Israelites saw the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and still they did not trust in Him often.
Jesus said,
".......blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)"
Day or night, He's always there, whether you feel it or not. So believe.
God bless you.

Blessing 94- Psalm 107:29

2009-02-15T01:44:00.000-08:00

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. (Psalm 107:29)

Imagine God the father putting his finger to His lips and saying "Hush" to a storm that is raging.
That's what He's going to do about the storms that are lashing at your life.
Do you believe that?
Perhaps you are at your wit's end with all the problems that have befallen you.
They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. (Psalm 107:27)
Nothing seems to be working right for you!!!
You've been crying out to the Lord for deliverance but haven't seen much/any!!!
Well, don't stop crying out because He's going to still the storms in your life to a whisper.
You are going to say what the disciples said when Jesus calmed the storm in front of their eyes. This is what they said,

"Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (Mark 4:41)
God bless.

Blessing 93- 1 Chronicles 12:18

2009-02-15T01:42:00.000-08:00

Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: "We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you." So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands. (1 Chronicles 12:18)

Loneliness can kill sometimes and David experienced that in his life after fleeing from Saul. Yet God arranged for brave men to team up with him and fight his enemies.
Sometimes in our Christian walk, we may encounter loneliness. Perhaps even when we have all our relations nearby, we may feel lonely because there is no one to say a kind word to us.

David was suspicious of the fellows wanting to join him too, because one of them could tell Saul of his whereabouts. In such circumstances David trusted in the Lord.
To some he said,
"If you have come to me in peace, to help me, I am ready to have you unite with me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you." (1 Chronicles 12:17)

The words of Amasai must have strenghened David a lot.
Amasai said,
"We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you."
If you are feeling lonely today, I pray that the Lord gives you Christian friends who speak kindly to you and strengthen you with their words and actions. God bless you

Blessing 92- Psalm 60:12, Psalm 108:13

2009-02-15T01:40:00.000-08:00

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. (Psalm 60:12) (Psalm 108:13)

Under attack from the enemy again? Fear not, with God you will gain the victory! The Bible says,
"The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. (Isaiah 42:13)"
Your enemy, satan will not gain victory over you.

We may encounter wicked men and women in our lives.Even the apostle Paul faced such situations. And this is what he wrote to the Thessalonians.
And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:2, 3)

Yes, the Lord who has called you is faithful; he will not leave you nor forsake you. He will strengthen you by his mighty arms.

The power behind evil people is satan and we can gain victory over his evil powers by standing firm in the Word, by praying with faith and trusting in the Lord.

The Bible says,
"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. (Deuteronomy 33:26)

To you he says,
"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!' (Deuteronomy 33:27)". God bless.

Blessing 91- John 4:38

2009-02-15T01:38:00.000-08:00

I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." (John 4:38)

Some ministries grow rapidly while with others the growth is slow. Those whose ministries grow fast may think that it is because of their abilities or as some say, a greater anointing that is bringing them results. Anointing, methods and abilities are all important, but we must understand that many others have already labored for the souls that we have finally won for Christ.

It's like several people taking turns to cut down a big tree. The man whose final stroke of the axe brings the tree down cannot say that he was the only one who did the job, because there were several before him who also put in their efforts.

Sometimes it may take years for a person to accept Jesus as Savior. God may have dropped the seed of the gospel through several people of His into that person's life. Finally when the person comes to accept Christ, though the person who spoke last may feel that he/she has won a soul, God sees the many who have labored for it and the reward of the effort will be shared finally by all who have put in their effort.

Not only that, we may work hard to bring a person to Christ and finally he/she may join another church. It's not that we have lost something,but the words of Jesus that we read above coming true.

Sometimes we may do the hard work, but others may reap the benefits or sometimes others may do the hard work and we will reap the benefits.

Blessing 90- Isaiah 45:3

2009-02-15T01:37:00.001-08:00

I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. (Isaiah 45:3)

This is one of the many promises that God gave to Cyrus, the persian king.
Treasures of darkness and riches stored in secret places. Something unusual, isn't it?

In the olden days, kings of rival nations always hid their treasures in secret places and in darkness because if they were attacked and they fell into the hands of the enemy, their treasures would not be discovered. Only a few of the king's closest aides knew about these secret places. God was going to give Cyrus these treasures of darkness and riches stored in secret places. And He fulfilled his promise in the lifetime of Cyrus.

Sometimes God gives us things that we don't ask of Him. It's just like He's decided to give it to us because of His great love for us.
Actually, we deserve nothing but the Bible says,
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)"

Yes, God's love for you is great.
Sometimes some of us ask ourselves:Does God really love me?
Yes He does; He did not spare his own Son, just for you.

Paul the apostle desired that the Ephesians knew the greatness of God's love. So he wrote,
"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, (Ephesians 3:17,1Cool

God's love is infinite and yes! He loves you.

Blessing 89- Job 14:13

2009-02-15T01:36:00.001-08:00

"If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! (Job 14:13)"

Job knew what suffering was and in the depths of his misery and frustration, he cries to God and puts accross the request that we read in the verse above.
"Hide me in the grave & conceal me till your anger has passed."
It's like Job is requesting an underground bunker where he can rest without the wrath of the Almighty coming near him.
Job wanted to die and forget his misery; that prayer was not answered, so now he prays for God to hide him alive till His wrath has passed.
He also prays to God to not just go on indefinitely, but to set a time.

How often we are troubled by problems that just do not go away how much ever we pray or plead. Some believers pray that death would be better than undergoing all this misery. But we must always remember a verse in the book of James. It will strengthen us and give us hope.

"As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:11)"

Jesus who is compassionate and merciful will change the awful circumstances that you are facing these days and bless you like He blessed Job finally. So persevere. God bless you.

Blessing 88- Jeremiah 31:4

2009-02-15T01:34:00.001-08:00

I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful. (Jeremiah 31:4)

Feeling shattered by the heavy burdens upon you?
Depressed? because nothing that you put your hand to seems to work?
Find solace this day from this verse that the Lord speaks to you.

Spiritually, morally and in all ways Israel was often in shambles because of moving away from the living God. But God had loved them with an everlasting love.
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. (Jeremiah 31:3)

Yes, God loves you with an everlasting love. That doesn't mean He approves the wrong in your life. He is gentle and long-suffering waiting for you to have close fellowship with Him at all times.

He wants to build you and not destroy you; He wants to give you a hope and a future. So seek Him with all your heart and He will give you the peace that passes all understanding.
Remember,
"The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10)"
God bless you.

Blessing 87- Psalm 85:12

2009-02-15T01:30:00.000-08:00

I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints - but let them not return to folly. (Psalm 85:12)

So what is the Lord promising? Peace, of course! And for whom- for his saints. Well, we may not have the St. before our names, but that is how God sees us and that is how God wants us to be.

But look at the last part of the verse. It says, "let not the saints return to folly." Saints and folly do not go together. It sounds so un-saintely.
Yet, that's the truth. The Apostle Paul, in some of his letters to different churches begins by addressing the believers in those churches as saints and then goes on to pen their present follies.And the list of follies is quite long.

This is what Paul wrote to the holy and faithful brethren in Colosse:

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:5-10)

The last part explains it all. It's all about renewal. Being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

So let us not return to folly, but submit ourselves to God and experience the peace that comes from that submission. God bless.

Blessing 86- Daniel 6:22

2009-02-15T01:27:00.000-08:00

My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." (Daniel 6:22)

Daniel says he was found "innocent in God's sight."
I wonder how many of us can say that. Can you? Can I? If we can, then certainly the Lord will not let the lions that we are facing now hurt us.

Speaking about lion, the Apostle Peter writes;
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

The Apostle Paul says,
"But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. (2 Timothy 4:17)"

The lion here was Nero who cunningly opposed Paul; In your case it may be someone you know through whom the devil is trying to destroy your life.

Remember what Daniel said, " The lions have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight."

Your innocence in God's presence will be what delivers you. So, see to it that you are found innocent in His presence. God bless.

Blessing 85- Psalm 5:4

2009-02-15T01:26:00.000-08:00

You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. (Psalm 5:4)

Sometimes circumstances in our life may force us to think that God is on the side of our enemies, that he is supporting evildoers. But here is what David realized in his walk with God- that God does not take pleasure in evil and the wicked cannot dwell with him.

The prophet Habakkuk was surprised that God was punishing Israel by sending an even more wicked nation- the Babylonians to persecute Israel. He could not understand God's intention about this. Sure, Judah deserved to be punished, but why the wicked Babylonians? was his question. God answered him in His own way telling him that He would deal with the Babylonians in His own time. The prophet ends his book by declaring that even if everything seems hopeless, he will never stop trusting God.

Well, there's a lesson for all of us here. We need to "hope against hope" as Abraham did and wait for God's deliverance. And come it will, sooner or later. There's no doubt about that. God bless.

Blessing 84- Psalm 125:2

2009-02-14T04:36:00.001-08:00

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. (Psalm 125:2)

We must always remember that the Lord is our protection. Men can arrange the best of protection for themselves, but it's no use when the earth below shakes. The spot of ground that you are secure on, is the spot of ground covered by the blood of Jesus.

The Bible says,
" If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the LORD, who is my refuge then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. (Psalm 91:9, 10)

If the Lord says that, it is true and it will stand you good stead in the time of trouble. Have no fear if you are residing in a quake hit area or an area prone to earthquakes. Hold on to the promise given above. God will fulfill it, in time of need.

God is faithful and he will not let you or your family down.
Remember, he is like a huge mountain covering you and your family from all sides. You are secure. God bless you.

Blessing 83- Psalm 113:7,8

2009-02-14T04:34:00.000-08:00

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. (Psalm 113:7,8)

Feeling "down in the dumps?" There's hope for you because this verse says so. Putting in a lot of effort but failing? There's hope for you because the Lord Jesus has not abandoned you. He's planning new things for you. Are you willing to take up the plans he has jotted out for you and start afresh?

The Bible says,
"He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever. (Job 36:7)"

No, he has not forgotten you. He says,
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15)"

Well, that should give you fresh hope.
If you are still not convinced, read this:
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10)"

The purists may say that this promise was for a nation. I say, today it's for you. Will you accept it?
One more thing: Don't fear the enemy! Who says so??
The Lord says,
"No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17)"

Blessing 82- Matthew 5:7

2009-02-14T04:33:00.000-08:00

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Easy to say, "I told you this will happen, if you are not careful." several times to a believer friend or brother/sister in Christ who is at fault and then give him/her a dose of our wisdom several times. Well, it will all come back to us some day if we are not careful.

God is no respecter of persons and if we are merciful to others, God will show us mercy in our time of need.

The good samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) showed mercy and did not chide the fellow who was left half dead by robbers.
The question is whether we can bridle our tongue when we know that someone is in the wrong and needs encouragement and kind words.
Of course we can always behave like the priest & the levite in the story of the good samaritan. (Luke 10:30-37)
We may have theology on our side, but the Lord is searching for mercy in our hearts.
Easy to judge, difficult to show mercy? We must search our hearts again. And may the Holy Spirit help us in that.

Blessing 81- Galatians 3:9

2009-02-14T04:31:00.000-08:00

So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:9)

One of the things the disciples got to hear often from Jesus was "O, ye of little faith"
I don't know about you, but I wonder how many times he must have told me that in the past 24 years that I have known him. And the majority of them must have been after I became a minister of the gospel.
The disciples saw all the miracles in front of their eyes, yet wouldn't or couldn't believe. Philip, after being with Jesus after more than a year was asked a simple question.

"When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" (John 6:5-7)

Philip's calculation was good, but not exactly what Jesus expected. And Jesus taught him new things.

Even if he calls us "O, ye of little faith" He loves us, and with every miracle that He does for us, He expects us to grow in our faith in Him.

Abraham had issues with faith too, but he matured in his faith and God honored his faith.
And God will honor our faith in him too. That's what the Apostle Paul writes here.
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Blessing 80- Psalm 67:7

2009-02-14T04:30:00.000-08:00

God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him. (Psalm 67:7)

"All the ends of the earth will fear him."

In the book of Philippians we read,
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

Every knee that has not bowed to the name of Jesus and every tongue that has not confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord will one day do that. But when??
There are so many who die without doing this, but the day is not far when they will be doing it.

In Revelation Ch. 20 we read,
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

Yes, those who have not bowed their knees to the name of Jesus and every tongue that has not confessed that Jesus is Lord (while they lived) will do it just before they are thrown into the lake of fire. That will be the fulfillment of Apostle Paul's words.

As the Psalmist says,
God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him. (Psalm 67:7)
Praise the Lord.

Blessed are you if you have confessed "Jesus is Lord" and accepted His atoning work on the cross.

Blessing 79- Psalm 41:11

2009-02-14T04:29:00.001-08:00

I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. (Psalm 41:11)

The enemy tries to play on our thought processes and he often succeeds in bringing depression and anxiety in our lives. Sometimes nothing that we do seems to work. We pray faithfully, praise & thank God, worship, read the Word, fast, do good to others,etc. etc. yet we encounter delays in our prayers being answered. And then comes frustration which makes us think that all that we do is no good.

Have you experienced or are experiencing such a situation?

It's not going to last for a long time dear Brother, dear Sister. It's just a limited period of time during which we must continue to live faithfully to God and we will surely see His deliverance.

Frustrations come to all of us. It's just a part of life. More important is what we do with these frustrations! We can overcome them by prayer and waiting upon the Lord or we can go in to sin and then blame the frustrations for sinning.

Of course, the Lord understands our frustrating situations. He had gone through it several times when He was doing ministry for 3 1/2 years.

Even the Apostle Paul experienced it. He wrote thus;
At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. (2 Timothy 4:16,17)

Remember, the Lord is with you and will give you the required strength to overcome what you are experiencing today. So cheer up; Jesus loves you.

Blessing 78- Deuteronomy 33:23

2009-02-14T04:27:00.000-08:00

About Naphtali he said: "Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake." (Deuteronomy 33:23)

Naphtali was the 5th son of Jacob, and the 2nd born to him by Rachel's handmaid, Bilhah. At his birth Rachel is said to have exclaimed, naphtule 'Elohim niphtalti, "wrestlings of God"--i.e. "mighty wrestlings"--"have I wrestled."("I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.")
Since her sister was fruitful and giving birth to many children and because she herself was barren, the children her maid Bilhah bore were a source of consolation to her. Naming him thus, indicated that she had won the favor and blessing of God.

Rachel had to wait a long time to conceive a child by herself, but God had mercy on her and opened her womb and from her were born 2 sons to Jacob- Joseph & Benjamin.

Our God is a prayer answering God. He answers our prayers and that's why the psalmist says,
"Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Psalm 66:20)"

Be strengthened this day. Whatever be your request, He will answer your prayer too.

Blessing 77- Job 29:13

2009-02-14T04:23:00.000-08:00

The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing. (Job 29:13)

This is what Job said in one of his discourses. A dying man blessing him and a widow's heart singing. Why? Only because Job was a generous and kind man. He cared for the poor and for the orphans and widows.

The Apostle James says,
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)"

This then should be a part of our Christian life. The poor, the orphans and the widows; they need more love and care than those who are better off and in families.

Job said,
"I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. (Job 29:14- 16)

Love & Compassion, 2 great virtues that Jesus himself had in abundance. He expects us also to follow in the same vein. He said,
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

May the Lord help each one of us to live as the Lord desires. God bless.

Blessing 76- Jeremiah 20:14

2009-02-14T04:22:00.000-08:00

Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! (Jeremiah 20:14)

Jeremiah is lamenting because of the great number of problems and persecution he is facing as a prophet of God. Some of us, when we experience distressing problems in our lives lament like Jeremiah: it was better if I was not born.

It's not surprising that Jeremiah is lamenting thus because he faced a lot of rejection. Read what he says,
"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)

Quite natural, I would say, his complaining. There are wives who have tried to reason with their husbands and parents who have tried to persuade their children to follow godly ways but failed.

But our God is a just God. He will not let you down. He says,
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10)"

He also says,
"No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17)"

So be strengthened this day. The Lord loves you with an everlasting love.

Blessing 75- Isaiah 51:1, 2

2009-02-14T04:21:00.000-08:00

Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many. (Isaiah 51:1, 2)

"When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many."

The call came to Abraham and he set out from the midst of idol-worshippers to a land that God was going to show him. When God called him, He gave him a set of promises which He fulfilled eventually.

With Abraham set out many others and they too were blessed. Abraham was a man of worship and wherever he went he set up an altar to the Lord and worshipped him there. Because of his obedience and faith in God, God blessed him in all things.

And the promise is for us too. The Bible says,
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring - not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. (Romans 4:16)

God has called you through Jesus Christ to be a part of His kingdom here on earth as well as in eternity and there is no greater blessing than that. God bless you.

Blessing 74- Psalm 106:3

2009-02-14T04:20:00.000-08:00

Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. (Psalm 106:3)

Is there anyone who constantly does what is right other than the Lord? I doubt. Maintaining justice and constantly doing right is no easy thing. Many people think that what they do is right, but unfortunately in the Lord's eyes it proves to be different.

A woman caught in adultery was once brought to Jesus. We read,
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. (John 8:3-9)

Jesus is full of compassion. It's not that he was siding the person who was sinning. He wanted to give her a chance to change her life. Not only that, He wanted to show her accusers that they were no better. Thirdly, He also wanted to show that " Mercy triumphs over judgement"

As James writes,
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! (James 2:12,13)

Hope we too can find wisdom in that.

Blessing 73- Psalm 66:12

2009-02-14T04:18:00.000-08:00

"You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." (Psalm 66:12)

When people ride over our heads because we have decided to live for the Lord, it is so humiliating and painful. We know that we have done no wrong, yet when we are subject to abuse, it is so distressing and depressing. We may just feel like hiding in some place where no one can see us. Some cry their hearts out.

What good can such a situation bring in our lives?
The Bible says, " If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Peter 4:14)

There are some who when they have lived according to worldly ways, no one had any complaints against them, but when they find Christ and start living for Him, almost all turn against them. But the Lord is just. He won't allow the suffering to continue forever. The Bible says,

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10)

Blessing 72- Joshua 14:13

2009-02-14T04:17:00.000-08:00

Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. (Joshua 14:13)

One warrior blessing another.
It was of Caleb that the Lord had given a testimony and a promise.

But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. (Numbers 14:24)

That's what the Lord desires from us too--to follow Him wholeheartedly. Of course, it took time, but the Lord fulfilled His promise. The Lord is faithful and He brings to pass what He promises.

Not many know what part of the promised land Joshua received. We read of that in Joshua Ch. 19

When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the LORD had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for - Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there. (Joshua 19:49,50)

Just rewards for the 2 warriors who followed the Lord wholeheartedly.

And the Lord has a promise for us too:
Our Promised Land- New Jerusalem

Blessing 71- Matthew 16:17

2009-02-14T04:15:00.002-08:00

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven (Matthew 16:17)

Peter here answered a question that the other 11 disciples could not. He got a revelation that the others did not get. The question was simple, but the answer was profound. Let's read,

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:13-16)

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are also called the "gifts of grace" [We have different gifts, according to the grace given us......(Romans 12:6)] and the Father in heaven chose to give this revelation to Peter.
Why was Peter chosen to be given this revelation??

God decides which gift is to be given to each believer.

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Corinthians 12:11)

......gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:4)

Of course the Bible also says,
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. (1 Corinthians 14:1)

We have to eagerly/earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but God will give what is best for us to edify others and build His kingdom here on earth.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

It's not because Peter was super-spiritual that he was given this revelation. And neither are we given spiritual gifts because we are above others. It's just grace......AMAZING GRACE.

Blessing 70- Acts 20:35

2009-02-14T04:15:00.001-08:00

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (Acts 20:35)

The Apostle Paul here mentions something the gospel writers have not mentioned i.e. Jesus saying, " It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Believers argue about so many topics in forums or otherwise depending upon their knowledge or what the Lord has revealed to them. Some things that we experience in our walk with God may not be experienced by our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Everyone may not speak in tongues, everyone may not see dreams or visions, everyone may not prophesy.
Those who experience things from the Lord know that it is legitimate and true, while those who do not experience the same may argue that such a thing does not exist. It doesn't mean that they are less spiritual, it's just that God may have blessed them in certain other areas of their spiritual life, perhaps like a- more knowledge of the Word or something else.

Sometimes it's better to keep certain things between us and God for others may not understand it.
It would have been difficult for Mary to explain how she was with child without knowing any man. Would others believe? Would others understand?

For a long time, I used to keep warning believers about a worldwide ministry where there were a lot of so called miracles and "Slain in the spirit" that it was not from God but satanic because the Lord had shown it to me through several dreams. Not many believed and even now don't believe.
Then one night, I saw another dream. Actually the preceding evening, i happened to have dinner with another servant of God and while we were discussing things, the matter of this ministry came up and he said his opinion in favor and I told him what the Lord had shown me. Finally as we departed I told him, "If you do not believe what I say, just ask the Lord whether what I say is true or not."

That night as I slept; in the dream, I happened to be standing in a place attending to my daily chores and suddenly Jesus came near me (in the dream I knew it was Jesus). He smiled and all He said was, 'I have not revealed this to everyone, hinting to me about what I had spoken the preceding evening.'

God has His ways and may not reveal everything to even the greatest of prophets. That's what Elisha once said,
"When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why." (2 Kings 4:27) (Read v. 17 onwards for more understanding of this verse)

God is God and He has His ways; we'll be still learning about Him and His ways till we step into eternity to live with him.

Blessing 69- Joel 2:14

2009-02-14T04:13:00.000-08:00

Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing - grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. (Joel 2:14)

The prophet Joel is telling Judah here that perhaps with fasting and weeping they can touch the heart of God and He may leave a blessing on them even though they had committed great iniquities.

He addressed the nation:
'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. (Joel 2:12, 13)

The specific sin that is mentioned in this book is - Drunkenness. It suggests a self-indulgent lifestyle pursued by those who value material things more than spiritual.

Do we as believers also value material things more than spiritual? Are our prayers always focussed on the material than the spiritual? I think we can assess ourselves. Measure the amount of things that we pray for as "Material" & "Spiritual" and put the percentage on paper. Most of us will be amazed. Material scores very high. God help us.

Blessing 68- Deuteronomy 33:23

2009-02-14T04:11:00.000-08:00

About Naphtali he said: "Naphtali is abounding with the favor of the Lord and is full of his blessing; he will inherit southward to the lake." (Deuteronomy 33:23)

How great it is to be abounding with favor of the Lord.
In the book of Esther we read of the King thrice telling Esther:

"What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you." (Esther 5:3)

As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, "Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted." (Esther 5:6)

and as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again asked, "Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted." (Esther 7:2)

Esther had found favor in the kings eyes, so he wanted to give her whatever she asked for.

And to those who believe in Jesus and are living for him, Jesus says,
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)
Praise the Lord!

Blessing 67- Numbers 23:20

2009-02-14T01:13:00.000-08:00

I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it. (Numbers 23:20)

King Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, but God did not allow Balaam to curse. Here we read Balaam telling Balak that he has received a command to bless and that God has blessed Israel and he could not change it.

People of God should remember that God has blessed them and no one can change it, except for, they themselves. God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to guide us each day of our lives here on earth.

Jesus promised:
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:27-29)

No one can snatch us out of the Father's hand, but some believers take things for granted and walk out of the Father's hand and His protection and become easy prey for the devil.

Balaam could not curse Israel though he tried many times and from different places. Then he devised another plan to get Israel to sin and fall into disfavor with God. That's read in Revelation Ch. 2,v.14
"Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. (Revelation 2:14)"

God punished the Israelites for this sin of theirs and many died.

As long as we stay in the Father's hands we are blessed and no curse can come upon us. The Father's hands- thats where all our blessings are.

Blessing 63- John 1:16

2009-02-14T01:11:00.001-08:00

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (John 1:16)

It's great when we experience one blessing after another coming from the Lord.
The Bible says, " He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)

Salvation, healing, deliverance, peace, hope & joy; all these and much more because of the sacrifice of Jesus. And there's much more to come.

In the 2nd book of Corinthians we read,
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Wonderful heavenly blessings await all those who have put their trust in Jesus and are living for Him. Things that cannot be even imagined by the human mind. Inventions and discoveries that have taken place till today can never even come close to the great heavevenly blessings that await the believer in Jesus Christ.

So let us,
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up............ (1 Thessalonians 5:11) as the Apostle Paul says.

Blessing 66- Psalm 28:9

2009-02-14T01:07:00.002-08:00

Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:9)

David ends Psalm 28 by praying to God to save His people and bless them. Psalm 28 is a mixture of cries for mercy and praise for deliverance. David wanted God to punish the wicked because they cared not for God or His works.
David wanted God to shepherd His people and carry them. Surely he must have been thinking of the times he himself was a shepherd taking care of sheep and he knew how much care some sheep needed.
Paul the Apostle while writing to the Thessalonians said,
".......encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

Some believers who have matured over the years in their walk with God are impatient that new believers cannot be so prompt and "upto the mark" as they want them to be. They often forget that it's all "Grace"
As the Apostle Paul said,
"But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. (Ephesians 4:7)"
....without which we are nothing, so as to say. So let us be thankful that He has given us grace. Surely our God is one who shepherds His people and carries them.

Blessing 65- Psalm 87:7

2009-02-14T01:07:00.001-08:00

As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you." (Psalm 87:7)

People may promise us many things but they may not fulfill those promises. Every believer should understand that all their blessings come from Christ. He is their fountain that never dries up.
In the KJV Bible we read the same as....all my springs are in thee. (Psalm 87:7b)
If all the money that people promised through e-mails were to come true, we would have ranked somewhere near Bill Gates in terms of riches.
God has promised us that "He will never leave us nor forsake us."
Our trust should be in the Lord and no one else. He will provide us with what we need because He is a good father. God may use human channels to provide us with what we need, but these human channels are not the fountain; the fountain is Christ and as the Bible says,
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
So let us hold on to the promises of God rather than the promises of men.

Blessing 64- Zechariah 4:7-9

2009-02-14T01:04:00.002-08:00

"What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'" Then the word of the LORD came to me: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. (Zechariah 4:7-9)

What if we start building and then can't finish? is the thought that often crosses our minds when we take up a project. Zerubbabel and friends had begun building the temple after the exile in Babylon, but what guarentees were there that they would complete it.
The world gives warranties, but the Lord gives a promise to us as a guarentee.
And the guarentee to Zerubbabel was, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. "
When you are unsure whether you are going to complete what you have begun, be it in your spiritual life or your work life or ministry, pick up the book full of guarentees and then you will see your faith rise to see it completed one day.
The Lord promised Zerubbabel that his hands which had laid the foundation stone of the temple will also lay the capstone i.e. the final stone/the top stone. And that too with shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'
And it happened. So will the thing that you have started. So do not worry. Praise Jesus.

Blessing 62- Luke 24:51

2009-02-14T01:04:00.001-08:00

"While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven." (Luke 24:51)

The last thing that Jesus did while being taken up into heaven was blessing His disciples whom He loved so much. It was not unnatural for Him because all that He did while He bodily lived on earth was "doing good to all."
He came to save, to heal and to deliver humanity that was going into eternal destruction. He came to bless and now He's coming back to judge.
He fulfiled the prophesies concerning Him and after doing everything that was required of Him by His Father, cried out, "It is finished."
His work was complete and His faithfulness to His Father was total. The blessing He thus received He now shares with us who have believed in His work on the cross. He is coming back and that's for sure, whether anyone believes it or not, but blessed are those who believe. Hope you are among us who believe.

Blessing 61- Genesis 27:23

2009-02-14T01:03:00.001-08:00

He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. (Genesis 27:23)

The verse above describes how Jacob deceived his father Isaac to get a blessing that was his brother Esau's.

Some people, even believer's manipulate others to get certain things done or for their own selfish gains. It's like telling half-truth. You know that what you are saying is not totally the truth, but say it in a way that fulfils your motives. Well, Jesus once said,
"....with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Matthew 7:2)

If that verse were taken in the matter of wrongs that we do, then Jacob really got back a good measure of deception when he reached Laban's house. 20 years of not so comfortable life. He landed in the house of a deceiver who changed his wages 10 times and Jacob himself gives his testimony to Laban in this manner:

"I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks.
I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night.
This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times." (Genesis 31:38-41)

Jacob left a little bit out of his testimony. How he had deceived his father and brother!
Jacob- the deceiver went on to become Israel- one who prevails with God, but only after God had dealt with him. May the Lord help us all to be without guile all through our life and receive blessings without manipulating others.

Blessing 60- Luke 1:45

2009-02-14T00:59:00.000-08:00

Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" (Luke 1:45)

That's what Elizabeth told Mary when she met her. Was it easy for Mary to believe? I mean, an angel had come to her and said, " "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:30-33)

That must have been quite startling for her to hear and she must have had a lot of questions to ask, but all she asked was one.
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34)

And she believed in what the angel answered her.
Some people ask me, "How far can I stretch this thing called "faith"?
Well, it's very elastic as far as I know. Depends upon how much one has believed in what one has read in the Word of God.

I think what must have triggered faith in Mary was the following words that the angel told her.
"For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)

And so it is for the Lord even today. So shall we believe?

Blessing 59- Zechariah 8:13

2009-02-14T00:57:00.000-08:00

As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong." (Zechariah 8:13)

Here's a blessing for you if others don't care about you or you are an object of ridicule. There are other believers who often look down upon themselves and have an inferiority complex. An object of cursing either way.
Whatever it be, the Lord is able to save you and make you a blessing. He says, " so will I save you, and you will be a blessing"

Remember He is the one who makes warriors out of ordinary men and women. Gideon who once was a man full of fears and apprehensions was changed into a mighty warrior, all because the Lord spoke to him and strengthened him. The Lord said 3 important things to him to change his life:
1. The Lord is with you, mighty warrior (Judges 6:12)
2. Go in the strength that you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you? (Judges 6:14)
3. I will be with you and you will strike down all the Midianites together. (Judges 6:16)

The Lord is telling you the same this day. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You will be a blessing to many. God bless you.

Blessing 58- 1 Chronicles 4:10

2009-02-14T00:55:00.001-08:00

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. (1 Chronicles 4:10)

The prayer of Jabez is much talked about in Christian circles for it's effectiveness. Jabez put his life's concerns before God in precise terms and he got what he asked for.
The time factor is the only thing that is not included in the "Ask and it shall be given tou" promise in the gospels of Matthew & Luke.
And that can be troubling sometimes because believer's often get frustrated that God is not answering their prayers when they want it to be.
And what do you do if your prayers are not answered when you want them to be?

Jesus gave a clue of how this can be acheived, when He said, " And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12) (KJV)
"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it." (Matthew 11:12) (NIV)

Ever heard of getting violent in prayer? Literally banging on the doors of heaven. Holding on to promises in the Word and praying to God, "You must answer my prayer, you must......" It has been done in the past, so too you can. Such prayers have been answered before, so your's too will be.

Blessing 57- Psalm 109:28

2009-02-14T00:52:00.000-08:00

They may curse, but you will bless; when they attack they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice. (Psalm 109:28)

David laments in this psalm about the hatred that his foes have towards him and then cries out for help from God.

He starts of by singing, "O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. (Psalm 109:1-4)

Notable here is the last part of verse 4 where he says, "In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer"
Not many believers can really join with David and say, "I am a man/ woman of prayer"
Why do believers spend so little time in prayer when they know that persistent prayer is what brings results? satan is only too happy when believers don't pray. he knows they are easy prey for him when they don't pray.

Nights are good time for spending quality time with the Lord, unless you are working at nights, in which case part of your daytime should be spent in prayer.
David was a man of prayer, a man who was after God's own heart and it's no wonder that God exalted him. God honors prayer and persistent prayer brings results.

The title of Psalm 18 reads, "For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He 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."
Truly, David was a man of prayer and we can do well to be the same. May the Holy Spirit help each one of us to be men and women of prayer.

Blessing 56- Zechariah 4:6-9

2009-02-11T02:56:00.000-08:00

Zechariah 4:6-9
So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: `Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty.”What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of `God bless it! God bless it!' "Then the word of the Lord came to me: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

Construction of the second temple, after the exile in Babylon was started in 536 B.C. on the Solomonic foundations leveled a half- century earlier by the Babylonians. There were several attempts to thwart it. Many enemies rose to hinder the building but finally in 516 B.C., the sixth year of the Persian emperor Darius 1, the temple was finally completed.
If you are out to build something, whether your spiritual life, a church or something in your life in this world, hindrances may come, but remember, “It’s not by might nor by power, but by God’s Spirit” that you have to build and only then you will see victory. Persist in prayer till the answer comes and the hindrance is removed. That mighty mountain before you will be flattened by the Spirit of the Lord. The victory is your’s , so praise the Lord.

Blessing 55- Ruth 3:9-11

2009-02-11T02:55:00.000-08:00

Ruth 3:9-11
Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer." "The Lord bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.

The last part of v.11 has Boaz saying, “All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.”
If a believer has a noble character, it will be very evident in the way he/she goes about living their daily life. We won’t have to prove our nobility, it will be clear to other believers in the way we dress, speak and deal with others. There are some who use the perpendicular pronoun “I” much in their talks. You can be sure that such are not anywhere near being noble. “I did that..”…”I said that….”…”I know….”…”I am the only….” Such will be their talks often.
Ruth had suffered and was willing to go the 2nd mile for her mother-in-law’s sake. Not only Boaz, but all the townsmen knew that she was of a noble character. Words spoken with humility and actions that convey the same message are the traits that go about in making a person one of noble character. May the Lord help us to be like that. God bless you.

Blessing 54- James 1:25

2009-02-11T02:53:00.002-08:00

James 1:25
But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does.

“Not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it.”
That’s what is most important for a believer. When we hear the Word that is expounded to us, how much do we really take and practice in our lives? Unless the ‘heard Word’ becomes practical in our lives, we cannot receive the blessings.

When we act on the Word that we hear, God is happy that we are obedient to Him. There are many who give excuses because they do not want to obey the Word. This may be due to their fleshly desires or love for the world. Human relations can also be an obstacle for some, as they tend to please people rather than God and then the Word that they heard becomes null and void. When we do not ‘do’ the Word that we hear, we are deceiving ourselves and no one else. So let us be ‘doer’s of the Word that we hear and receive God’s blessings.

Blessing 53- Ephesians 1:3

2009-02-11T02:53:00.001-08:00

Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Many believers tend to focus more on the material aspects of life when they pray to God, asking God to fulfill this need and that need and often forget to pray for their spiritual life. Of course we all need to pray for our physical and material needs, but the spiritual aspect is more important. Without building the spiritual aspect and concentrating only on the material needs causes the spiritual life to deteriorate and that causes an overall damage to our lives. We must pray first for God to bless us with a rich spiritual life, ability to pray more (and deeply), to read and meditate the Word more and to spend more time in worshipping God. When our spiritual life takes a back seat, the material things that we have will not give us heavenly peace or joy. Every spiritual blessing is reserved for the believer and we should utilize it for our own edification and for the edification of others. God bless you.

Blessing 52- Exodus 32:29

2009-02-11T02:50:00.001-08:00

Exodus 32:29
Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day."

This is the blessing that God conferred on the tribe of Levi because they took a decision not to stand with idol worshippers. When most of the Israelites were dancing and creating a ruckus around the golden calf that Aaron had made, Moses declared, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him. (Exodus 32:26)

There are many so called Christians who like the other 11 tribes even now stick on to their worldly ways, even idol worship, when God has called them to live a life of consecration. As Paul the apostle writes to the Corinthians, “What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6: 16-1

Blessing 51- 1 Samuel 2:20, 21

2009-02-11T02:44:00.000-08:00

1 Samuel 2:20, 21
Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord." Then they would go home. And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

Does the promise, “Give and it shall be given unto you” work in this regard too? Well, it seems to have worked wonderfully for Hannah. She gave ‘one’ for the Lord’s service and the Lord gave her 5 more.
Many people make vows to the Lord when they are in desperate situations like Hannah was, but later on after receiving their miracle, they forget their vows. God expects us to be faithful to Him when we make vows.

The Bible also advises us,
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth; do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. (Ecclesiastes 5:1, 2, 4, 5)

Blessing 50- Haggai 2:19

2009-02-11T01:21:00.000-08:00

Haggai 2:19
Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. "From this day on I will bless you.

Have you experienced a season of scarcity either spiritually or needs wise? Here is a promise for you from the Lord to bless you from this day.
The question that often troubled the Israelites in their 40 year wandering in the desert was, “Can the Lord do yet another miracle?” They had seen the sea split apart and walked through it’s midst, they had tasted the sweet water which was earlier bitter at Marah, they had seen the heavens pour down manna, still they doubted God when they were in the next trying situation. God is faithful and asks us to believe that He can do the impossible even today. So can we just believe without asking a question? Elijah never asked God why He had chosen the brook Kerith or why He had chosen the widow of Zarephath for him. He just believed that God knew what was best for him and obeyed. He never even questioned God as to why He should show himself to King Ahab who was searching to kill him, but went when God’s command came to him. Faith and obedience both counts.

Blessing 49- Psalms 41:1-3

2009-02-11T01:20:00.000-08:00

Psalms 41:1-3
Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.

So many blessings for having regard for the weak!!!
Sometimes we need to ask ourselves, “Is our attitude like that of the Good Samaritan or like the priest and levite?” (Luke 10:29-37)

Actually in KJV we read the same as, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. (Psalm 41:1)”

The Lord is concerned about the poor and it is His desire that we as believers be considerate towards them.
We can receive the blessings that comes attached to the acts of kindness that we do for the poor and destitute.

Most of the blessings that we read in the Word are conditional and depend upon us doing certain acts for receiving blessings. In the New Testament, however, blessings come to us because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (Romans 8:32) but still the blessings above are valid and God will honor a person who honors His word. May the Holy Spirit strengthen us to be considerate towards the poor.

Blessing 48- Psalms 133:1-3

2009-02-11T01:19:00.000-08:00

Psalms 133:1-3
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

How good and pleasant it is when brothers and for that matter, sisters live in unity.
The psalmist here points out a genuine fact, that God bestows blessings where there is unity. Where there is strife, like in the case of Jacob and Esau, problems keep brewing and there is no peace. Not only unity between brothers and sisters, unity among the members of our family is important for God to bless us. Where there is ill will between the members of a family, God’s blessing upon that family is often hindered. And how can God bless a church where there is no unity among the brothers and sisters. Of course, it’s possible to create a lot of noise in worship for all and sundry to know that God is among us, but the peace and joy that the Lord gives can never be upon that congregation. The Lord will bestow his blessing upon us, if we live in unity, whether it be our families or our churches.

Blessing 47- Psalms 107:35

2009-02-11T01:18:00.000-08:00

Psalms 107:35
He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs.

The wonder working power of God is so very evident in the Bible. The water miracles themselves are so many. He divides the water for His children to pass through, He turns water into blood to terrify the enemy, He brings water out of rocks to quench the thirst of His people, He turns water into wine to help a marriage party be a success, He walks on water to increase his disciples’ faith, He steadies a boat swamped by furious waters of the sea and so many more.
The Bible says,
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

The more you read the Word, the more you hear the Word, the more your faith increases and more the miracles that you experience in your life.

Faith combined with action is very evident in all the miracles described above. When God promises us something, He also expects us to act with faith for the miracle to ensue.

Blessing 46- 1 Chronicles 16:43

2009-02-11T01:17:00.002-08:00

1 Chronicles 16:43
Then all the people left, each for his own home, and David returned home to bless his family.

That’s a really good thing to do- bless your family. There are many Christians who return home from work and then release all their pent up frustrations (acquired in the work place and while traveling) at home and upon their family.

I have heard of a story wherein a man who toiled all through the day used to do a strange thing on returning home each evening. He wore a necktie to work each day and on returning home, before he set foot in his house, he used to hang this tie on a tree nearby and then enter his house.

One day, a friend of his saw him doing this strange thing and asked him why he did that and in reply he said “All through the day, as I work, a lot of anger and frustration builds up in me and to see to it that I don’t release all this on my family, I do this to remind me
that none of this is their fault and I must leave all this outside before I enter my house so that there can be peace and joy.”

Perhaps some of us can learn from this. Let us return to bless our families and not bring strife. God bless.

Blessing 45- Joel 2:13, 14

2009-02-11T01:17:00.001-08:00

Joel 2:13, 14
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing-- grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.

“Rend your heart.” That literally means “tearing your heart.” Not the physical one though.

Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. (Matthew 15:19)”
Sometimes we really have to tear our hearts to see how much “wickedness” is really there inside.
Moses specifically writes why God made Israel wander in the desert for 40 years.

“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 8:2)”

“to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart”

Does it take 40 years for God to know what’s in our hearts? Never! But with God’s knowing the faults in us, comes His plan to bring us to repentance and then receive His blessings.
If we humble ourselves before the Lord and are obedient to His Word, He will not withhold any blessings from us.

Blessing 44- Deuteronomy 1: 10, 11

2009-02-11T01:16:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 1: 10, 11
The Lord your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky. May the Lord, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!

The promise was given long ago but found it’s fulfillment in God’s own time. The Lord is faithful and He will do what He has said if you hope and trust in Him. The Lord gave Abraham a promise that his descendants would be like the stars of the sky when he did not have a child of his own.
He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." (Genesis 15:5)
And then God reminded him again when he had 2 sons, but far from being like the stars of the sky.
I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore…. (Genesis 22:17)
Abraham “hoped against hope” and this is what we also can do. Even if the odds are all against us, we can hold onto the promise that says,
“God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (1 Corinthians 1:9)”

Blessing 43- Matthew 10:29- 31

2009-02-11T01:15:00.002-08:00

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29- 31)

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies ? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6, 7)

The Lord reminded me these verses as I saw a couple of sparrows fly and settle on the ground while I was walking to work. They seemed to be happily chirping away. Sandwiched between the sparrow sentences is the phrase- And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Well, I don't think we can by any means maintain the count unless we are totally bald. Even those with little hair may find it difficult to keep count, but God who is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent does know even the minute details of our life. If God cares for the sparrows, wouldn't he care for you? You, who have been made in the image of God and for whom God sacrificed His only son Jesus. Worth a thought, isn't it?

Blessing 42- Jeremiah 17:7, 8

2009-02-11T01:15:00.001-08:00

Jeremiah 17:7, 8
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

There’s a basic difference in the someone saying, “I am fully confident that this will happen n my life” and “I am fully confident that the Lord will make this happen in my life”

Statement ‘one’ exudes confidence in one’s own ability and the ‘other’ confidence and trust in the Lord. The Apostle Paul realized this and so he wrote, “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10)
If you are like a tree planted by the water, that means drawing your nourishment regularly from the Word of God; even when problems come, the Word that is there inside you will strengthen you to overcome the adversities and bear fruit that is lasting. May Jesus bless you this day.

Blessing 41- Genesis 26:23, 24

2009-02-11T01:14:00.001-08:00

Genesis 26:23, 24

From there he 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, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."

Did you notice the last part of v.24? It says, "for the sake of my servant Abraham."

God was going to bless Isaac because of his father's relationship with Him.

This verse emphasizes the importance of "godly parents" in the lives of children. If the parents are living close to God, obeying His Word, then God blesses the children because of the parents' devotion to God.

As parents we must realize that our relationship with God relates directly with the blessings our children receive. (I'm not implying that children don't receive blessings otherwise; God sends the rain and sun on the wicked too, leave alone children, but that's because of his mercy)

Abraham lived close to God, obeying Him in everything, not arguing or delaying in being obedient. That's why he became God's friend. And God decided that He was going to bless Isaac because of his father's devotion to Him.

Blessing 40- Genesis 47:7-10

2009-02-11T01:13:00.002-08:00

Genesis 47:7-10
Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?"
And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

“The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult.” This is what Jacob had to say about his life. Jacob had passed through a lot of difficulties in his life. Of course there were times of joy in his life too, but he remembered the sorrows more because they perhaps outnumbered the joys. There was a time when Jacob worked for getting Rachel as his wife. It was a great joy.

The Bible says, “Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. (Genesis 29:18-20)
Jacob got cheated by Laban quite a few times, but actually he was just reaping the rewards for the deceptions that he orchestrated with his mother at home. God worked on Jacob as a potter works on clay and finally he became Israel who understood God’s will and purpose for his life.

Blessing 39- Revelation 1:3

2009-02-11T01:13:00.001-08:00

Revelation 1:3
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

This is the first of the seven beatitudes (state of blessedness) in the book of Revelation. A significant verse which conveys the message that the matter in the book was meant for all of us and not only for people who lived during John’s time.
Many Christians do not venture to read the book of Revelation because many things written in this book are in symbolic form and they find it difficult to understand them.

But the verse here clearly says that the ones who read, the ones who hear and the ones who take it to heart are blessed. The central message of the book is that the final showdown between God and satan is imminent, satan will increase his persecution of believers, believers must stand firm in their faith, they are sealed against any spiritual harm and will soon be vindicated when Christ returns, when the wicked are forever destroyed and God’s people enter an eternity of glory and blessedness.

Blessing 38- Psalms 5:12

2009-02-11T01:12:00.001-08:00

Psalms 5:12
For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

The Lord’s favor surrounds you if you have accepted Jesus as your righteousness and are living for Him. In short, it means you are shielded with favor. And when the Lord’s favor is on you, he doesn’t withhold any good thing from you. And if this favor lasts for a lifetime and it really does if you are living close to the Lord, what a blessed experience that would be. Not that you won’t experience any problems in your earthly life, but His presence will let you overcome whatever difficulties come your way.

He will grant you the peace that the world cannot give; a peace that passes all understanding. As the psalmist says, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)”

Blessing 37- 2 Samuel 19:39

2009-02-11T01:11:00.002-08:00

2 Samuel 19:39
“So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and gave him his blessing, and Barzillai returned to his home.”

One of the few people who helped David when he fled from the palace fearing his son Absalom was Barzillai, the Gileadite. He with a couple of other guys brought David and his men bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds, sheep, and cheese.
Later on, before David died, he remembered the kindness that Barzillai had shown and told Solomon to show kindness to the sons of Barzillai when he became king.

It’s always great if we can remember the kindness that people have shown us in our times of distress and do a kind act in return. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

Blessing 36- 2 Samuel 2:4, 2 Samuel 5:3,4

2009-02-11T01:11:00.001-08:00

2 Samuel 2:4, 2 Samuel 5:3,4

Then the men of Judah came to Hebron and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah………When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.

The prophet Samuel had poured the anointing oil on David long back, but in reality it took a long time for David to sit on the throne as the ruler. God had told Samuel that He had chosen one of the sons of Jesse as the king of Israel and that he was to go and anoint him. Samuel obeyed God and did so. Then God went in to preparing David for becoming king. A shepherd of sheep had now to be transformed into a shepherd of God’s people and God orchestrated circumstances to build David as a king. During those times, he went through several traumatic experiences, difficulties, pain and rejection; but finally matured into a better person who would win many great victories. God molded him and finally when he was ready, God made him sit on the throne.

Jesus is also preparing us to sit with Him on the throne. That’s what written in Revelation Ch.3.v.21
“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Overcome….sin…satan….world….to sit on the throne.

Blessing 35- Luke 6:20-23

2009-02-11T01:10:00.001-08:00

Luke 6:20-23
Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.

Exclude you, insult you and reject your name as evil…..because of the Son of Man. Yes, this does happen a lot. Many are rejected by their own family because of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Some are thrown out of houses. Some are persecuted with threats that they may even be killed. Jesus said, “Rejoice” when such things happen. How can someone rejoice when such things happen? It’s impossible unless one thinks of the final reward. If we think of the temporal in such situations, we cannot survive. As we read in the book of Hebrews regarding Moses, the great servant of God.

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26)
Are we looking for our final reward? If yes, then Jesus says, we are blessed.

Blessing 34- 2 Samuel 6:11, 12

2009-02-11T01:09:00.000-08:00

2 Samuel 6:11, 12
The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household. Now King David was told, "The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.

David’s fear that God would punish him regarding the ark of God seems to have subsided with hearing that the household of Obed-Edom was blessed because of the ark being there for 3 months. The ark was earlier brought on a “new cart” by David and the Lord had struck Uzzah down because he ventured to hold the ark when the oxen stumbled. (Read 2 Samuel 6 if you do not know this happening). Transporting the ark on a cart was against God's specific command. The ark was designed to be carried (Exodus 25:12-15) and was only to be carried by Levites of the family of Kohath (Numbers 4:15). There a lot of “new carts” being propagated in Christianity these days, but it’s always imperative that we check whether these line up with the Word of God.

David wanted to do a good thing by bringing the ark to the city of David, but he didn’t do it the right way the first time. Definitely he must have checked on what went wrong and when he did it the second time, he made sure that he did it the right way. God was pleased, but this time his wife was not. Well, one can’t please everyone. Better please God than man.

Blessing 33- Genesis 9:1-3

2009-02-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

Genesis 9:1-3
Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

A change is seen here, food-wise; God allowing Noah and his sons to have non-veg. food. Earlier Adam and Eve were told by God,” I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” (Genesis 1:29)

Later God placed restrictions for eating certain foods.

And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. (Leviticus 7:26)

"'There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. (Leviticus 11:4)

"'These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, (Leviticus 11:13)

You are not to eat any creature that moves about on the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is detestable. (Leviticus 11:42)

Still later on in the New Testament, we read,

As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. (Romans 14:14)

“You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. (Acts 15:29)

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. (Romans 14:20)

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (1 Corinthians 8:1)

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. (1 Corinthians 8:4)

But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. (1 Corinthians 8:7)

But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. (1 Corinthians 8:

He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. (Romans 14:6)

It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. (Romans 14:21)

Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. (1 Corinthians 8:13)

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, (1 Corinthians 10:25)

So, New Testament- wise it’s basically our choice- what to eat, how much we eat, when and where to eat, as long as we abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals. Also let us not eat certain foods in presence of others which can weaken their faith because of their lack of maturity in the faith. Moreover we have all to be careful to take care of our bodies, which is the temple of God and the Holy Spirit dwells in it, so let us eat wisely.

Blessing 32- Psalms 2:12

2009-02-11T01:06:00.001-08:00

Psalms 2:12
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Have you taken refuge in Jesus? The Bible says that “you are blessed” because of that. Have no fear, “He who has called you is faithful” and He will care about the small and big needs each day of your life.

He is your Savior and He will save you from the wiles of the wicked one. He will shield you with His wings and carry you in His arms all the days of your life. He hears your sighs and groaning which no one else hears. He sees the tears that you shed in private. He understands the turmoil of your heart. He knows the depth of your loneliness because He has gone through Gethsemane. The problems that you are facing today will fade away as the sun sets at dusk and when His light shines on you, it will be glorious than the rising of the sun at dawn. So take heart and believe His word that says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Blessing 31- Psalms 67:1, 2

2009-02-11T01:05:00.000-08:00

Psalms 67:1, 2
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

This is a multifaceted prayer asking for God’s abundant blessings to be poured out individually, as a nation and upon mankind as a whole.
What would be the fate of mankind if God doesn’t sustain him moment by moment?
Read the verses below and we will know what we really are:
The psalmist says,
You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. (Psalm 39:5)
You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth - each man is but a breath. (Psalm 39:11)
Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. (Psalm 62:9)
God cares for us and nurtures us and sustains us despite our sins, shortcomings, unrighteousness and unfaithfulness. He is God and cannot change his nature. He loves you.

Blessing 30- John 20:29

2009-02-11T01:04:00.002-08:00

John 20:29
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

We are all familiar (If you are not, read John Ch.20) with the story of Thomas- disciple of Jesus- called Doubting Thomas by some. Thomas took a decision- “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” He needed a triple confirmation to believe. He wanted to see the nail marks, put his hand where the nails had pierced and put his hand into Jesus’ side. Well, it takes much for some to believe. I guess the other disciples must have said, “Suit yourself.”

The problem that we face when we say words of unbelief is that it’s heard by the Lord too and that’s what we see in the case of Thomas too. A week later when Jesus came and stood in their midst again, He knew He had to deal with Thomas’ doubt and He didn’t mince words when He said, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” In plain words Jesus was saying, “Do you need any more proof, brother.” Some people keep searching for proofs all the time, when facts stare them in the face. To such the Lord says, “Stop doubting and believe.”

Blessing 29- Isaiah 30:18

2009-02-11T01:04:00.001-08:00

Isaiah 30:18
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Have you been suffering for a long time regarding a particular problem in your life? This verse gives us hope that our God, who is a God of justice, blesses those who wait patiently for him. Waiting is seldom easy, but it certainly does bring results. The longer the wait, the more we tend to lose our patience. We grumble, we fight and we do silly things because the frustration is intense.
The Bible says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7,
The time factor is not mentioned here and that often frustrates believers. Of course the promise is valid now as it was when it was said originally. But “when dear Lord?” ask some.

And the answer is “In God’s perfect time.” The Bible says, “We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. (James 5:11)

Blessing 28- Matthew 5:6

2009-02-11T01:03:00.002-08:00

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Righteousness basically means doing the right thing or acting in accord with divine law. Sometimes we know what the right thing is, yet we do wrong. Why? We all have different reasons. We all have different weaknesses and we all respond to situations in different ways. Often we try to justify our wrongs.

Paul the great apostle confessed, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:15-24)

There’s always a fight going on inside us between the flesh and the spirit and unless we are totally yielded to the spirit of God, we often do that which is unpleasing to God. This can change only if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, desiring to do that which is pleasing to God. May the Lord help each one of us to do that.

Blessing 27- Psalms 84:12

2009-02-11T01:03:00.001-08:00

Psalms 84:12
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Is our walk blameless? Well; it better be, for such ones have no good withheld from them by the Lord. 24 yrs. after God called Abraham, at the age of 99, the Lord appeared to him again and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. (Genesis 17:1)”And Abraham must have said to himself, “All these 24 years I have been doing that Lord”
But we read in the very next verse that God wanted to establish a covenant between Himself and Abraham and so He was asking him to renew his relationship with Him. Blameless means “being without guile” and “no good will the Lord withhold” from such a person. The Lord will be a sun and shield to such a person and bestow favor and honor too. Praise the Lord.

Blessing 26- Luke 11:27,28

2009-02-11T01:02:00.001-08:00

Luke 11:27,28
As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Jesus could have put in a good word in this circumstance for His mother but He preferred not to; rather He chose to highlight the fact that He was more interested in calling them blessed “who were willing to hear the Word and obey it.” Jesus preferred not to accept praise from men, for He knew, praise for Him came from His father. Sometimes God does not show us the results of our work for Him, for we may get puffed up by the praise that people shower upon us.

There are many servants of God who lament that not much evidence is seen after they pray for others and not many testify about their efforts. That is only because God knows that in the early stages of our ministerial work, we may not be able to handle the praise showered on us and we may become puffed up, steal God’s glory and become targets for the devil. It’s not that people are not benefited by us praying for them, God just hides it so that we do not fall, because of the praise

Blessing 25- Psalms 89:15

2009-02-11T00:52:00.000-08:00

Psalms 89:15
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.

It’s very evident here that the psalmist knows that spiritual growth is a process. We do not mature spiritually overnight. Our relationship with God has to be built up by acknowledging that He is right in all things that pertain to our lives and we have to get in tune with His requirements. Of course there are believers who think that they “know it all” but that’s just a flight of imagination. There are many new things to be learnt each day from the Lord. Some Christians have confessed that what they thought and spoke and preached several years back were just not perfect and now they have changed their ideas regarding certain aspects of the Word.

As we keep learning the “light of His presence” shines more brightly and we mature day by day and this process will continue till we step into eternity to live with the Lord. Happy journey friends.

Blessing 24- Galatians 3:9

2009-02-11T00:51:00.002-08:00

Galatians 3:9
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Abraham went through some tough testing to become the ‘man of faith’ that he finally became. Left his ancestral home because God asked him to, set out for an unseen land because God asked him to, built altars wherever he pitched tent to worship the Lord who called him, hoped against hope because he believed that God who promised would fulfill it, overcame periods of disbelief by hearing God’s voice and obeying it and looked to the ultimate reward that he was to get.

Faith building exercises are never easy and most of us believers never enjoy them.
I have seen people puffing and panting when they try to build their bodies in the gym. It’s never easy, picking up those weights, doing those bench presses or sit ups or push ups or running long distances. But after a while they see the ultimate results and that brings the joy.
The Bible says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
So let us seek Him earnestly and be blessed along with Abraham, "the man of faith."

Blessing 23- 1 Samuel 25:32, 33

2009-02-11T00:51:00.001-08:00

1 Samuel 25:32, 33
David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging me with my own hands.

[If you have not read the account of Nabal, Abigail and David; please read 1 Samuel Ch.25.]

David here blesses Abigail for her good judgment. Abigail’s husband had acted foolishly towards David and now the only hope of saving her family from annihilation was pleading for mercy from David. She did not think of her family status here; just fell at David’s feet and asked for forgiveness for her husband’s arrogance.

Good judgment and a humble attitude. Abigail had both.

If both husband and wife act childishly and are proud and unrelenting, it will only lead to the destruction of the family. The Bible says, “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” (Proverbs 14:1)

Blessing 22- Judges 13:24

2009-02-11T00:49:00.002-08:00

Judges 13:24
The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Has the Holy Spirit been stirring you at the beginning of this year to take a new decision, to step out into the ministry or to take up a new challenge in your ministry?
Often it is through the “still small voice” that God speaks to us. And some of us tend to ignore it because it may not be too comfortable a thing. Well, usually God doesn’t force things upon us, but what He chooses for us is the best. It may appear difficult for us at the onset, but on the long run we will experience the presence of God in a mighty way, because we have been obedient to Him. God bless you.

Blessing 21- James 5:11

2009-02-11T00:49:00.001-08:00

James 5:11
As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Perseverance is not so easy to achieve. Of course, we can always learn. Some believers think, “Why can’t Jesus just answer everything fast and save trouble for us and for Him. Why wait till the 4th watch of the night. Might have had a good night’s rest if He had come in the 1st watch.” Well, He has His reasons for not showing up earlier, some of which we may not know about. Job never could understand why he was suffering. But he didn’t throw in the towel. He just hung in there till the ordeal was over. Of course, he offered God a few options though- to destroy him totally, kill him fast; but nothing seemed to work. If any of you are passing through such a phase, just hang in there. Deliverance is just around the corner. As the above verse says, “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3, 4)

Blessing 20- Judges 5:24

2009-02-11T00:48:00.002-08:00

Judges 5:24
Most blessed of women be Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, most blessed of tent-dwelling women.

It doesn’t take much time for God to exalt someone if He wishes. Here’s a woman who did not flinch when she had to do the required. She hammered a tent peg into the enemy’s skull. I am not advising you women who are reading this to do that. On the contrary, I advice you to do that which God has called you to. Don’t waste that talent that God has given you. Put it to use and glorify God. And men, if God has endowed you with power, don’t stand in the shadow of someone else and see someone else being exalted by God. Deborah the prophetess, who at one time led Israel, instructed Barak to go and war against the Canaanites and capture Sisera, the commander of their army. She gave him the Lord’s counsel that God would surely give the enemy into his hands. But this is what Barak replied. “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”
And this is what Deborah had to say in return. “Very well, I will go with you. But because the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera to a woman. The rest as the say is history, of how God allowed a woman called Jael to finish off Sisera, the commander of the Caananite army. (If you have not read that part in the Bible, just go to Judges Chs. 4 & 5.)

After the whole thing was over, I believe Barak must have said many times, “If only I had……If only I had……”Let that not happen in your case my friend. Just go out and do what God has called you to. God bless you.

Blessing 19- Deuteronomy 16:13-15

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Deuteronomy 16:13-15

Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your feast--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the Feast to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.

The Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Sukkot or Feast of Booths) is an eight day Judaeo - Christian festival (the Season of our Joy) that pictures the establishment of the 1000 year messianic kingdom to be set up at the second coming of Jesus Christ . It is one of the three pilgrimage festivals God gave the children of Israel in the Bible (Leviticus 23). It was during these festivals that the Israelites would bring their offerings and firstlings to the Temple in Jerusalem and enjoy a feast! Not many Christians celebrate this festival now, yet each one of us should be looking forward to what it signifies i.e. the day when the King of Kings rules his people from Jerusalem and each nation goes up to celebrate it. (Zechariah 14:16)

Blessing 18- Deuteronomy 15:7-11

2009-02-11T00:43:00.002-08:00

Deuteronomy 15:7-11
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.

It’s very evident from the above passage that a hard heart and a tight fist go together. Some ask “If God is so concerned about the poor, why does he not remove their poverty?” The answer is “God works through human channels and when the channels become narrow (hardhearted/tightfisted) God’s plan of alleviating poverty goes awry.”
So how much to give and with how much will God be pleased? The answer is “As much as we can give with a cheerful heart.”
And we can improve as we grow closer to the Lord. The Bible says,
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Blessing 17- Deuteronomy 2:7

2009-02-11T00:43:00.001-08:00

Deuteronomy 2:7
The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

40 years in the desert without any hotels/restaurants, no motored vehicles, no air conditioning, no electricity, no permanent earthly source of food or water, no garment or footwear shops, not even barber shops; yet according to Moses, they lacked nothing.

With all or most of these, we feel we don’t have enough. God is so good that He gives us all things richly to enjoy. Let us be grateful to God for all that He has given us. He blesses the work of our hands, watches over our journeys and is always with us as Immanuel. Praise the Lord.

Blessing 16- Numbers 6:22-27

2009-02-11T00:42:00.000-08:00

Numbers 6:22-27
The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons, `This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Wonderful if we could bless our children in this manner. So many great blessings in a few verses. Some people have regrets that they did not do what they had to do as parents when they had to do what they had to do. (If that’s a bit complex, please read it again). Well, the best thing to do is forget the past and look to the future. There’s no point in crying over spilt milk. The Lord is with you if you are on track with Him. Give Him your burdens and your failures and start anew. Not much is lost yet. The Lord can straighten out things like only He can. If your children are with you, for a change, call them and proclaim this blessing over them; if they are away from you just think about them and proclaim this blessing over them. If they are not in sync with the Lord, pray and proclaim this over them till you see a visible change and then give thanks to the Lord for another answered prayer. God bless you.