The Hedge: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

Most of us have read or know of, the story of Job. But that story has an interesting fine print which some may not have picked up on. 

That interesting aspect of the story of Job is the fact that satan could not attack Job because of a "hedge" God had put around him for his protection and blessing as is evidenced when satan says to God- 

"Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has...."(Job 1:10)

This concept of Gods hedge of protection is very real. The Contemporary English Version (CEV) translates Job 1:10 this way:

"You are like a wall protecting not only him, but his entire family and all his property"

This hedge is multi-dimensional. It protects us from external dangers and protects us from ourselves. The fact is We are our own worst enemy. God has to protect us from us. To do this, he may create a hedge that makes it difficult to engage in the behavior that he knows is not good for us. He may put obstacles or thorns in the way, as was in the case of the Hosea. Sounds familiar?

Thirdly thus hedge protects us from recklessness, coming from a combination of the first two.

Psalm 34:7 defines the hedge of protection very well - 

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them"

If you have thus hedge of protection around, that's great and if not pray for it.

God will plant the hedge around us, but we need to water it with prayer, so it grows and thrives. The entire Psalm 91 is a prayer for this protection.

Satan could not get to Job till God removed that hedge. Remember that always.

The Evidence: pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

"And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul". — 1 Samuel 27:1

How many times have we all not thought or said that?

The thought of David’s heart at this time was a false thought, because he certainly had no ground for thinking that God’s anointing him by Samuel was intended to be left as an empty unmeaning act. On no one occasion had the Lord deserted his servant; he had been placed in perilous positions very often, but not one instance had occurred in which divine interposition had not delivered him.

David could not put his finger upon any entry in his diary, and say of it, “Here is evidence that the Lord will forsake me,” for the entire tenor of his past life proved the very reverse.

Is it not just in the same way that we doubt God’s help? Is it not mistrust without a cause? Have we ever had the shadow of a reason to doubt our Father’s goodness? Have not his loving kindnesses been marvelous? Has he once failed to justify our trust?

No! our God has not left us at any time. We have had dark nights, and have gone through many trials, but never to our detriment, always to our advantage; and the conclusion from our past experience is, that he who has been with us in six troubles, will not forsake us in the seventh.

The problem is we don't remember His faithfulness after we are delivered, so it does not count as experience. Make a diary. Keep a record. Pray and thank. Book that day when He raised His shield over our heads.

Then like David let us be able to say "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and not be silent"

A Utopian world: Pastor Rajiv's Daily Reflections

Utopia describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island society in the New World.

While we consider Utopia as fiction, i believe it is not, because it is actually described in Revelations -

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Through this belief one can gain strength to handle the ups and downs of life on Earth, in the knowledge that it is temporary and that one day we shall be citizens of a utopian land called Heaven.

But how can we be sure we will get that citizenship? Because through our relationship with the triune and complete trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, we have received an assurance that we will or already have that blessed citizenship. On the other hand, if we do not believe that promise, then it necessarily follows that that blessed Utopia does not exist for us as well!

The choice we have is whether we live as citizens of Heaven today or citizens of earth with all its miseries and no hope...