How well do you know Him?

This morning I am reminded of the conversation that Moses had with God. Exodus 33:15 "Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here." 

In chapter 32, God refused to accompany His disobedient people because they broke their covenant and built a golden calf. This resulted in 3000 of their sons and brothers being killed then in desperation Moses tried to make atonement for the nation’s idolatry.

In chapter 33, the people repented of their unbelief and Moses went on his face before the Lord to plead for forgiveness and prayed that the Lord would still accompany them and that His presence would continue with them.

I could imagine Moses thinking ‘no way am I going anywhere without my God. He has done so much for me and for us, how can I take a step without Him!’

Moses knew His God, he knew God’s power, His love, His faithfulness and His goodness that he couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from Him. In verse 15, he pleads with God, …..’if Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.” Moses knew that he was nothing or they were nothing without God. His experiences and His knowledge of God led to his desperate plea.

There are so many lessons that can be learned here but my take away this morning is despite all that is happening around me, I need to dig deeper into His Word to know Him, to know His grace, His faithfulness and His goodness.

Lord Your presence is what I desire. May it go before me and with me everywhere I go.

Seek the Lord, take up your position; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord

2 Choronicles 20:1-22
I so love this story about Jehoshaphat and lessons within it. When Jehoshaphat heard that the
men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir were coming against him, he proclaimed a fast for all Judah so they could seek help from the Lord. He didn't try to work things out on his own, he fully trusted in the Lord's ability to deliver and help him out. He turned to God in prayer and fully trusted His promise of deliverance. That was his first port of call! 

I could imagine the size of the army that was coming against him. In verse 12 it says
"For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” The thoughts that were probably running through Jehoshaphat's mind. He knew that they couldn't face this army alone but he knew that the great God that they served had the ability to turn impossible situations around. He admitted, Lord we have NO power to face this vast army. We do not know what to do but OUR EYES ARE FOCUSSED ON YOU! Despite what's happening around us Lord, our eyes are glued on You. All our trust and hope is directed towards You, fully trusting that You alone will deliver!

And I love the Lord's reply in verses 15-17, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’

I thought about how many times the Lord continuously reminds me that the battles I face in life are not mine but His. Often I try to fight with my own human knowledge, strength, finances etc. The
Jehoshaphat story reminds me to seek the Lord, take up my position; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give me,

When  Jehoshaphat heard from the Lord, he bowed down with all his people to worship God. Some Levites praised the Lord with very loud voices! On the morning of the battle, Jehoshaphat encouraged his army by saying "Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 
 He then led his army out, praising God for what the Lord was about to do, At the end of the story,
"As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. ²³ The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another."

 What I love about this story is the fact that Jehoshaphat chose to fast and pray when he was overwhelmed with the news of the impending attack. He fully trusted His God to help him! He worshiped and praised Him! "Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his^[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    for his love endures forever.”

And his God delivered!  

Isaiah 45:2-3

God's promises never fail. 

'The Bible says it, I believe it and that settles it!' Author Unknown.

What is your first port of call?

--> What would be your first port of call when you receive a late night phone call from your doctor explaining your medical check up results?

I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I didn’t say that I had a few moments of panic and worry and my mind going into overdrive, racing to try and figure things all out!

After a few minutes of trying to problem-solve in my head, I sat down and had a conversation with Daddy. I could imagine Him smiling and at the same time shaking His head and thinking 'There she goes trying to figure it all out!" 

Why talk to Him?  I believe that He is the only one who knows me better than I know myself. It was His hand that knitted me together in my mother’s womb and His eyes saw my unformed body! (Psalms 139:13, 16). He knows how everything works! Who else would be a better doctor and listener then my Creator!

I am encouraged by His words in which He says,  But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. (Isaiah 43:1)

The reading goes on to say ..When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (vs 28) 

I take comfort in His Words, knowing that He is faithful and that when I hand over my fears of the unknown and my whole situation to Him, I believe AND trust that He will take control.

You are the voice of hope

You're the voice of hope

The anchor of my soul

Where there seems to be no way

You'll make it possible

Love You Lord!!

His Mercies are New Every Morning

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 3:22,23

I am so thankful that we serve a God of second chances! Each morning is a clean slate. Though we may change ( for what ever reason), HE DOESN'T.

Hello 2014....what ever comes my way, I know that my God is faithful to see me through.

His Word

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29 NIV)

This Word manifested itself so powerfully this week. I was facing some challenges and had to make decisions which was tough to do!

As I read this Word, it was like the Lord was talking to me directly....'Marama, is not my Word like fire and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?' SPEAK IT!

The Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance verses that I needed  so I quoted it back to the Father! 

Fast forward to today....one by one, Daddy took care of EVERYTHING! I was and am still lost for words.

Indeed, a faithful God. His Word is like fire and a hammer! SPEAK IT! And watch what it will do.

What does being 'yoked' to Christ mean for me?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)

In these three verses Christ is beckoning us or me to come to Him. It's like He is calling out ' come on, this way!'If you are tired from all your setbacks, challenges, dead ends etc. why don't you turn to Christ?

Why does Christ say take my yoke upon you and learn from me? Just a bit of background information.....
A yoke is a bar or frame by which two draft animals are joined at the heads or necks for working together. Sometimes to explain or simplify a concept, it has to be done in the context of what the audience has experienced. This is what Jesus had done!Two animals are yoked together for the purpose of pulling loads. Often the loads are very heavy but as the animals work together the job is completed.

Christ is saying quit struggling, stop trying to solve things on your own, stop chewing things over, and over in your head. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me! When you get yoked to me, you will find that I am gentle, loving, caring and humble in heart! You will definitely find rest for your soul.

Why would you find rest for your soul?
His yoke is easy and His burden is light! When we get yoked with Christ, we see things from His perspective , we work as one with Him, going in His direction and doing His will. He would give us the necessary strength so we don't have to struggle alone.

Thank you Lord for reminding me today to quit struggling on my own and that I don't have to struggle on my own.

Freedom to choose

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14, 15 NIV)

Joshua had made up his mind...as for him and his household, they would serve the Lord. The same God who gave them land that they did not toil, cities they did not build so they could live in, vineyards they did not plant so they could eat from and who performed great signs before their eyes. This is the God that Joshua decided to serve.

Joshua had witnessed God's amazing power, provision and never ending faithfulness. Throughout his journey, Joshua developed a close relationship with His God and so he knew Who he was going to serve! He made a heart decision!

I like the way God doesn't force us to follow Him but He gives us that freedom to choose. Each day we are offered a buffet of choices.......who or what will you choose. The decision rests with me!

Choose you this day Whom you will serve...as for me and my house we will serve the Lord! That is my heart decision today.

Our battles

The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.” (Joshua 10:8 NIV)
When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks. Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” (Joshua 10:24, 25 NIV)


God showed yet again to Joshua that He was still in control. As I'm reading through the book of Joshua I can see that Joshua understands and knows the importance of obedience. He understands his human limitations and he knows that he is mighty because of Him who is on his side!

All those neighbouring cities and their great kings....if Joshua had looked at them through his human eyes, it would have been a different story. But through the eyes of faith, obedience and the pillar of past experiences, Joshua went on to conquer. The battle was not his!!

Just like Joshua, I am reminded of the verse in 2 Choronicles 20: 15....'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.'

With the battles I face, I've got to TRUST that He who promised is faithful to His words. He will fight my battles for me. Thank you Lord.

He'll hold you

I love the lyrics of this song. No matter what you are going through, He'll hold you in the midst of your storm.

He is Risen!

 

He's risen from the dead. 

He is risen.

He is high and lifted up.

Heaven and earth adore.

Matthew 28:6 He is not here; He is risen just as He said.

Spring is here

      These are beautiful flowers outside my apartment. It reminded me Ecclesiastes 3:11- He has made everything beautiful in its time.

                                           

.

 

 The Creator has timed everything. He is a faithful God.

Faithful

Faithful God!! He is a man of His Words.

Freedom is mine!

It's You Alone

This morning as I read Isaiah 25 again, it stirred up my desire to know this God even more. When my eyes are fixed on Him, His faithfulness which is so 'spot-on' and perfect becomes my shield. By reading His Words and allowing His Words to speak to my heart it strengthens my faith in the shield.

May there be no other God except Him alone! When I seek Him first and thirst for His Presence, everything else will seem so insignificant. Why would I worry about what concerns me because I know that He reminds me through His promises '..... all these things will be added unto you' (Matt.6:33). Just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it yield seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isa.55:10-11).

My prayer this morning was: That the Lord would help me not to form ties,bond or roots with the material possessions He has blessed me with because when these ties become so promininent they would become idols. I would worry about them and when I worry about them, it would belittle my faith in His steadfast promises.

Perfect faithfulness

O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.
......You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.
In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." Isaiah 25:1-5, 9

To me, this passage speaks about that sense of security and confirmation about His powerful protection. I love where it says '.......perfect faithfulness'. Not tainted or broken BUT perfect!!The God who sees my tomorrow from today (Ps.139:16) sticks to His plans. If that was me planning something a week ago by this week, I would have added or deleted items that were on the list. But His plans stand firm forever (Ps.33:11).

He is our refuge, shelter and shade. I can be confident that when the enemy comes at me like a storm or heat, He will 'still the song of the ruthless.' What a comforting and reassuring passage!!
Because of His perfect faithfulness, He will never fail us.

Loloma

When you come face to face with death alot of things change, especially your perspective on things. My experience last weekend was a massive shock and a wake up call for me. I've labelled this entry 'loloma' meaning love because I know that if it wasn't for the MIGHTY HAND and LOVE of God, the story would have been different.

The car that I was driving is 'a total write off'!! The tow truck driver and the medics who were there at the scene could not believe that I had survived.
Psalms 91:4
He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge;His faithfulness will be your shield and your rampart.

I testify to this. PRAISE HIS MATCHLESS NAME!

He alone can change situations.

Can I take a moment of your busy schedule to share something that happened to me at work this week....it was God revealing His faithfulness!!! Let me take you back........

When we started the year, I was told that the new boy joining my class was a problem kid. According to his previous school reports, he was a difficult child, did not do work- defiant and rude. I argued because I had another boy who also had similar problems already in my class. All you could hear about these boys were negative comments. To cut the long story short.......they gave me headaches at the beginning of the year...

Well, I decided to PRAY for them each day. I knew that I could not change them and no one else could except the ONE who created them. He could mould that heart of stone into a heart of flesh!!!! Over the last few months everyone had been commenting on how these boys had changed!PRAISE THE LORD! So fast forward to this week Wednesday......

Just before our Maths session started, one of these boys kept on begging me to make very important announcement to the class. I said to him 'make it quick-2 minutes only'. He got everyone in class to sit down then he made his speech. His little speech was: Miss, I want to tell you have been a really good teacher to me. I've made something for you to say thank you (it was a mini hat)- please put it on'. The class erupted with a clap!!! We were all shocked with his speech because it was unexpected. It almost brought me to tears because here was someone who woud refuse to listen nor do any work at the beginning of the year and now he blended in with everyone else.

After school, I had a surprise visit from the mum, her comment was I don't know what you've done to my boy but he is not the same person anymore!!! Thank you!He even said to the mum ,he wants to go to church now!

When she left, I said to the Lord, that comment and the speech given today was not mine but Yours because You're faithful!!! It was You who changed them not me!

This AWESOME God, is indeed faithful!!! A God who answers prayers!!!

My perspective of God

MMMMmmmmmmm ....something to ponder on!!What dictates my pursuing God? My need for an answer? my problems to be solved? Who do I see God as?

When we believe God for something for example, breakthrough in finances, healing or even salvation for a loved one, we get into gear or we hype ourselves with prayers, fasting, Bible reading and more prayers....sometimes God comes through for us and other times it seems like God has gone silent on us and we become disappointed.Why do we do all the gearing up?? Probably because someone shared that that was the way they received their answer and we assume that that's the way it's going to work for us. When our answers don't come through, are we still hyped up to continue with our prayers or do we slacken off because we think it's not going to change?

Does my perspective of God change when my prayers aren't answered the way I want them answered? If that is the case, then it means my emotions and my situations dictate how and when I serve God.They also dictate my perspective of God.

For this sort of thinking not to occur, I believe there needs to be a shift in mindsets so that I do not view God as a problem solver but as GOD! A MIGHTY, OMNIPRESENT, ALL KNOWING GOD! This AWESOME God longs to have intimate fellowship with me and if all I can think of is getting my problems solved, I'm missing the point. My focus in coming to God should always be to enjoy Him and to experience His presence.
Isaiah 40:12-31