Friday, 6 March 2015

There is God in Everything We Do...Romans 1:20


One morning, on my way to office I observed that things look a bit strange, that though they seem normal, they do not look like they just happened, like a sort of accident. It looked more like they were programmed, like some one is controlling things or as if there is something much more than just those movements. Well such thoughts are more firm and if you will agree, confirmed when you look at the world suspended and floating and then you come to think of it - just floating?, when if you were to float a bubble or fly a kite, they will definitely hit something along their path and be destroyed or at best, float out of your immediate space and control. Or ever wondered how a child is conceived after the sperm touches the ova and something without bones begin to get bones and teeth, something that was liquid end up producing a solid mass-bones. If you keep imagining along that line, you will see that things are not just ordinary and that you can interprete and read God through the lines.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: - Rom 1:20

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.-Ps 19:1

David saw God in the act of killing Saul thats why he said: "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master...to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD."- 1 Sam 24:6. Joseph seeing God in the act of sinning against him also said: "how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"- Gen 39:9. 

In other words, when we see God in everything we do we rise above human limits, feelings, pity etc. The reason for avoiding sin and troubles will not be fear of avoiding punishment or what men or the church will say but fear of failing God, and disobeying His instructions. All this makes life easy to live. The knowledge that there is a big God out there at the centre of it all that can handle just anything is enough encouragement.

When we begin to see God in everything we do, then we will also function effectively in our churches and various departments. We would mind how we speak to our leaders and to each other. We would respect them enough yet be bold to tell them the truth, like David to Saul even after the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul. 


Acknowledgment:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/davesconnect/works/2039996-romans-1-20
https://www.pinterest.com/lauramarquez50/religion/





Wednesday, 4 March 2015

Counting your benefits...Psalm 103:2


 





Many times we pray, pray and pray over issues in our life. After all that prayer, we walk away expecting our prayers to come to us answered and announced. Life rarely works that way. It takes a good deal of watching to see your prayers answered and then acknowledging the source of the answers. This is the reason why many of our prayers and desires are answered and provided for but we never seem to see them. In fact, God provides many good things to us which we rarely ever acknowledge him for. Health, strength, life, breath, ability to walk, talk, run, jump, think straight, write, type etc, the list is endless.

Psalm 64:9 and 107:43 higlights the fact that it takes wisdom to see and acknowledge God working. So getting to see and acknowledge all of God's goodness to you and me is not just about knowing without some searching. Atimes, we may have to wisely search to see the wonderful things God has done for us - that is why we are to "wisely consider of his doing". So at most times I can see God has answered my prayers, but at other times, I have to sit back and reflect and search out the cases where he has answered me particularly in ways and time I never expected because his ways and thought and timing are different from ours - Isaiah 55:8.

So we have to like the Psalmist tell ourselves: "Bless the Lord O my Soul, and forget not ALL his benefits". How many times do we forget the many things he has done for us when we fail to note our requests and the answers; when we are not wachful in the spirit to the many ways he answers us; when we are not patient and may move out of our places of answered prayers; and when we are easily carried away by our endless prayer points and requests? Note that word: ALL...all his goodness to us-that may seem impossible but is enough assignment for us to do through our period on earth.

Forgetfulness can rob us of many blessings and build ingratitude unconsciuosly. When we do not recognise God's answers, we fail to acknowledge him, and how then can we get more? We are also tempted to believe God rarely answers prayers - how then can we grow?

Our bodies have a way of seeking after vain things, so we need to tell it out, even aloud to ourselves, Bless the Lord o my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name. A Hymn writer puts it well when he said: 

Count your blessings name them one by one
Count your blessings see what God has done
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

 

Acknowledgement:
Images: http://www.biblesinger.com/count_your_blessings/;                                                      https://joseyphina.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/count-your-blessings/
Hymn: Johnson Oatman