When the Spring Goes Dry {Read Jeremiah 15:10-18}

Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry (Jer. 15:18).

 

When a water supply pipe in a big city breaks, it causes chaos and panic. For a few short hours the taps are dry and all the activities in the city are disrupted. Telephone lines are overloaded by anxious and furious people When the wells in rural areas dry up, life is made very difficult.

 

Jeremiah was in the grip of problems and he started doubting God. He taught us earlier on that God is “the fountain of living water” (Jer. 2:13). Now he wondered if he was right. He was spiritually thirsty. Deep inside he started fearing that the message he brought to others was now backfiring on him. Some of the watercourses and brooks streamed with water in Israel during the rainy season. But many of them were deceptive streams. They dried up quickly and when the scorching summer heat came and the people were desperate for water, they had nothing to offer. He feared that God was acting like one of those unreliable brooks.

 

Are you afraid that God is like a stream running dry in your life? God’s answer to Jeremiah was, “No, Jeremiah, I never run dry.” No matter how scorching the heat might be, some rivers are permanent and steady and never dry up. God is one of them. He is an endless supply of goodness, grace, and strength. He will renew you and provide for you and sustain you. He flows like an everlasting stream.

 

Everlasting God and Father, flow strongly again for all who fear that You might disappoint them. Amen.

To Whom Do You Belong? {Read Jeremiah 15:10-18}

When I discovered Your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O LORD GOD of Heaven’s Armies (Jer. 15:16).

 

Many military commanding officers enjoyed widespread recognition for their ability to command their troops. Just think of Pompey, Alexander, Napoleon, Wellington and Eisenhower, to name a few. The infantrymen were proud to be called “Wellington-men” or “Napoleon-men,” and so forth.

 

Jeremiah admitted that God was superior to all the gods and he often used the name “Lord, God Almighty.” The name is of military origin and is often translated as “Lord of Hosts,” the hosts being the soldiers. When a war is waged today, a general is appointed over all the others. He is known as the commander in chief. To Jeremiah, the God of Israel was the commander in chief and he was extremely proud to be on the Lord’s side. He belonged to the Lord, the Commander in Chief not only to Israel, but the Almighty over all people.

 

You have a choice who you want to belong to. You can be satisfied with a lesser god, but if you are, you will be on the losing side. It would be better to join the army of the greatest Commander in Chief of all time. He has a perfect strategy, a master plan and the hosts He commands are always victorious. Only He knows exactly how strong the enemy is, but He is not impressed by it. He knows that He can appeal to faithful soldiers - not only all over the world, but also to a host of invisible spiritual warriors who serve Him. His cause is just, His weapons are love and sacrifice and His final victory is certain.

 

Thank You, Jesus, that I may belong to You, now and forever. Amen.

Temptation {Read 1 Corinthians 10:12-24}

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall (1 Cor. 10:12)

 

Nobody is safe against temptation. As you grow in the Christian faith, your confidence also grows, and eventually you think nothing can disturb your spiritual balance. This is an extremely dangerous way of thinking. If you think the fact that you are a devoted Christian exempts you from temptation, watch out, because that is the forerunner of being caught in the snare of pride.

 

The way to feel secure in the Christian life, and live it triumphantly, is to focus your thoughts and spirit on the Living Christ. There are subtle temptations you cannot overcome in your own strength. If you are more self-confident than Christ-confident, you are certainly heading for a fall.

 

The Spirit of Christ reveals the subtlety of temptation. When you come face to face with temptation, you might become weak and find a good reason to give in to it. Don’t try to resist temptation in your own strength, but appeal to the Living Christ to stand by you and guide you. Temptation will back away from His truth and protective love.

 

The Holy Spirit of God will reveal the destructive power and foulness of sin to you and enable you to discern between truth and lies. He will give you the wisdom and ability to avoid and resist it.

 

Through the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, Holy Master, I am able to resist temptation. Amen.

Oversensitive {Read John 15:1-17}

“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from Me” (John 15:4).

 

Perhaps you are one of those unfortunate people who go through life and are very easily hurt. Perhaps you are so sensitive about what others say and think about you that your whole life has become nothing but continuous misery. If you allow this condition to continue, it could seriously affect your mental and spiritual health. What a challenging thought that this is your own responsibility.

 

God gave you the responsibility of choice. You choose your thoughts and attitudes yourself, and you determine whether you will live on the mountain peaks of hope or in the valleys of despair. You might think these conditions are created by circumstances or your specific situation, but on a much deeper level it is the power of your own thoughts that shape you into what you are.

 

This thought can be overwhelming if it isn’t colored by the awareness of a Higher Authority. As it is possible for your thoughts to control your actions, it is also possible for the Spirit of Christ to control your thoughts. When you welcome the Spirit into every part of your life, He takes control of your thinking and you discover that the petty things that hurt you, don’t have the power to harm you anymore. Christ’s Spirit inside you is bigger than any influence or insult. 

 

Dear Savior, because You are in me, I am able to meet and overcome all negative and evil forces. Amen.

 

Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. ~C.S. Lewis~

Abundance and Prosperity

Saint James Assembly of Faith·Tuesday, February 2, 2016

 

Until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops (Isa. 32:15).

 

Most people dream about riches and luxury. They enter competitions with fabulous prizes, they buy lottery tickets, they purchase shares that they hope will rise sky-high, or they bet on the horses. They think their problems will be something of the past if they could only make more money. Some people are stuck with the consequences of these empty dreams for the rest of their lives - even if they possess enough to live comfortably.

 

In the Bible there is also a dream of wealth and luxury. It is the same as the dream of righteousness, peace and healed bodies. We read that it will happen when God pours out His Spirit over us. God’s dream of prosperity is not that of incredible wealth in the hands of a privileged few, but an abundance of food so that everyone is nourished. God rejoices in human undertakings that flourish, especially if everyone benefits from it.

 

In the south of Israel, the desert is thriving where the abundant waters of the Galilean hills are canalized to the Negev desert. Farming is flourishing there, and in many parts of the world where relevant engineering is used, the sources of nature are being developed to the advantage of humankind.

 

Christians will hope, pray and work for a world in which there is enough for everybody. For this reason, they pray that the Spirit of God will act and bring about abundance as well as spiritual enrichment for all.

 

Lord of creation, let the time come when all people will have enough to eat and there won’t be famine anymore. Amen.

Where God Reigns

Even the hotheads will be full of sense and understanding. Those who stammer will speak out plainly (Isa. 32:4).

 

The issue of poor rulers is not the only thing that affects our sense of right or wrong. There are people around us with disabilities and inabilities. Some are blind, others stammer and yet others have mental impairments. When we meet such a person, or know one, we might feel that life is unfair and even wonder why God allows it.

 

The writers of the Bible clearly thought this was an abnormality that was not in keeping with God’s plan for complete perfection. The prophets refused to despair. They argued that if things were not like they were supposed to be, God would intervene in His time and put everything right. That’s why they dreamt of a golden age in the future where there would be peace, a good government, prosperity rather than poverty on earth, and that physically, all people would be perfect. God would make all these things happen when He came to rule over the universe as the one sovereign, unquestionable King.

 

It might sound like wishful thinking to talk about a perfect world. Don’t be too quick to brush aside this thought. Jesus Christ taught us to pray for it: “Let Your Kingdom come! Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Dreaming and praying about it awakens hope in our hearts. And when we hope for it, we declare that God will make these things happen on earth one day. We hope and pray that He will.

 

Father God, we pray for all people with disabilities. Speed up the discovery means to make life more bearable for them. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

A Prayer for February 2016

Gracious God and in Jesus Christ, our heavenly Father: You are the Source of every precious moment we are given in life. Already one month of the new year has passed like a fleeting thought, and I must confess in shame as I stand before You, that I am guilty of allowing the chances and opportunities You offered me to pass by. So much that I wanted to do, and so many noble resolutions fell by the wayside: prayer time in conversation with You to strengthen my faith; Bible study to know Your will for my life; reflecting on Your greatness and omnipotence and the wonder of Your creation; fellowship with You and Your other children; meaningful churchgoing for spiritual depth and growth; willingness to freely give my love to others. Thank You that You are a patient and merciful Gardener; that You forgive time and time again, and give me the strength to stay on the road of victory. Help me to make more optimal use of this month, and the rest of my life; that I will love You more; follow where You lead; serve You with more faithfulness! O God, who creates and restores, renew me and lead me through Your Holy Spirit on the path that Jesus prepared for me. I thankfully pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.