Psalm 27:13
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
I love this verse. It's been made into a song which I can't recall the title but it's something along the line of Faithful God.
When I chanced upon this verse today in the midst of the devotional passage, I'm reminded of the hope that Christians possess that differentiates us from anyone else.
At the moment of salvation, we exchange the new life which Christ brings for the old that we live. In all circumstances, we enter into the realization of life more abundant as we draw upon the never failing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. What we get is rejoicing for weariness, radiance for dreariness, strength for weakness, triumph through difficulties, and hope for uncertainty.
These past weeks have been trying with frustrating work issues. Honestly, if my eyes sees what is natural and I don't see God in the picture, I would say that work life is really annoyingly sucky and not worth pursuing. But, I'm reminded again that life is worth going through without despair because God is there in the picture and His hope avails inspite of what I perceive.
May you learn to trust this verse that you and I will see the goodness of God in the land which we are living in now.
blessings,
M.
"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" (Matthew 6:25)
21 April 2008
07 April 2008
Amazed but not Transformed
1 Kings 18:21
Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing.
Elijah was a great man who exemplified extraordinary faith and effective prayer. There are four remarkable instances in his life of the efficacy of the fervent prayer of a righteous man. He prayed for the restoration of the widow's son at Zarephath, and the child was restored to life. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three and a half years.
The last document of how God used him amazingly is written in 1 Kings 18 where he confronted the 450 priests of Baal at Mt Carmel. In modern context, it would have been an amazing television/cable reality spectacle as Elijah's challenge was to prove who was the true and living God.
What is alarming is the silence of the children of Israel. They were so blinded in their sinful lives that no one could answer Elijah's question. Similiar to today's popular reality programmes, the people literally participated in a game where they waited to see which God would answer the prayer with fire. Only then would they decide which was the real God for them to follow!
The bible records that when the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice, the people fell prostrate and cried "The Lord, He is God". However, we need to notice something very significant. God's power was miraculously manifested, and the people were prostrate in fear. You would have thought that this would have inferred that the children of Israel weren saying; "If He is the true and living God, He shall be our God, and we will serve Him only."
I'm sure there were some who believed and committed their lives to Him. However, numbers of these people were only convinced, not converted, not transformed! They did not yield to the truth that He was the only true God, nor consent to the covenant He gave to all who believed in Him. The "miracle of the moment" had impressed them, even Ahab, but their hearts were not changed nor were their lives transformed. No true faith had taken root in them!
Today, when I realised the truth of the people of Israel in the bible, I'm deeply concerned as I draw some parallel to some of the lives which we have in church. These are individuals whom have seen with their eyes, felt with their physical, touched in the emotional and encountered with the spiritual, yet their lives today are unyielding, disobedient, wayward and disconnected despite the weekly attendance in church.
What makes me fearful (even somewhat resigned) is the sober recognition that the children of God who lived with one of the greatest prophets and witnessed such a powerful miracle still refused to respond and turn from their wicked ways. Therefore, what hope do the wayward ones of today have?
I struggle with the reality of 'believers', who are drawn by the Holy Spirit to a deeper commitment to the Lord, and yet often do not surrender their lives to be transformed. They, like the children of Israel, are impressed and convinced by the truth, but choose to live liberally instead of surrendering to God's righteous ways. Yet today, I acknoweldge in faith that with God all things are possible, therefore I elect now to pray in faith and break the bondages of corruptable sins in the individuals whom I observe to be indifferent to God. They will not continue to live a life like those of the Israelites of the old testement.
"Lord I plead the transforming power of Jesus, which you revealed to Saul on his way to Damascus, on the lives of those who have seen, felt and experienced you before but today have elected to walk otherwise. I pray 1 Kings 18:37 and for my 33 birthday present, this month I ask boldly for these lives to be transformed and returned".
If my God is for me who can be against me! Therefore, surely today I will declare, blessed be the name of the Lord!
M.
"Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." (1 Kings 18:37)
Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing.
Elijah was a great man who exemplified extraordinary faith and effective prayer. There are four remarkable instances in his life of the efficacy of the fervent prayer of a righteous man. He prayed for the restoration of the widow's son at Zarephath, and the child was restored to life. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three and a half years.
The last document of how God used him amazingly is written in 1 Kings 18 where he confronted the 450 priests of Baal at Mt Carmel. In modern context, it would have been an amazing television/cable reality spectacle as Elijah's challenge was to prove who was the true and living God.
What is alarming is the silence of the children of Israel. They were so blinded in their sinful lives that no one could answer Elijah's question. Similiar to today's popular reality programmes, the people literally participated in a game where they waited to see which God would answer the prayer with fire. Only then would they decide which was the real God for them to follow!
The bible records that when the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice, the people fell prostrate and cried "The Lord, He is God". However, we need to notice something very significant. God's power was miraculously manifested, and the people were prostrate in fear. You would have thought that this would have inferred that the children of Israel weren saying; "If He is the true and living God, He shall be our God, and we will serve Him only."
I'm sure there were some who believed and committed their lives to Him. However, numbers of these people were only convinced, not converted, not transformed! They did not yield to the truth that He was the only true God, nor consent to the covenant He gave to all who believed in Him. The "miracle of the moment" had impressed them, even Ahab, but their hearts were not changed nor were their lives transformed. No true faith had taken root in them!
Today, when I realised the truth of the people of Israel in the bible, I'm deeply concerned as I draw some parallel to some of the lives which we have in church. These are individuals whom have seen with their eyes, felt with their physical, touched in the emotional and encountered with the spiritual, yet their lives today are unyielding, disobedient, wayward and disconnected despite the weekly attendance in church.
What makes me fearful (even somewhat resigned) is the sober recognition that the children of God who lived with one of the greatest prophets and witnessed such a powerful miracle still refused to respond and turn from their wicked ways. Therefore, what hope do the wayward ones of today have?
I struggle with the reality of 'believers', who are drawn by the Holy Spirit to a deeper commitment to the Lord, and yet often do not surrender their lives to be transformed. They, like the children of Israel, are impressed and convinced by the truth, but choose to live liberally instead of surrendering to God's righteous ways. Yet today, I acknoweldge in faith that with God all things are possible, therefore I elect now to pray in faith and break the bondages of corruptable sins in the individuals whom I observe to be indifferent to God. They will not continue to live a life like those of the Israelites of the old testement.
"Lord I plead the transforming power of Jesus, which you revealed to Saul on his way to Damascus, on the lives of those who have seen, felt and experienced you before but today have elected to walk otherwise. I pray 1 Kings 18:37 and for my 33 birthday present, this month I ask boldly for these lives to be transformed and returned".
If my God is for me who can be against me! Therefore, surely today I will declare, blessed be the name of the Lord!
M.
"Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." (1 Kings 18:37)
