When weakness is strength: Our Daily Reflections

"Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light." - Micah 7:8 (NIV)

It is easy to trust God when everything is going well. But when something terrible happens, it is easier to turn our backs on God. Often when we experience grief, loss  and pain, we get lost in the struggle and cannot see God’s guiding light. We may even fall away from our walk with God. But sometimes it is in those dark times that we can more clearly see the light of God shining through. Our source strength and hope.

Our duty therefore, inspite of circumstances, is not to wallow and Instead, live on the three principles of what God asks of His people: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Him. This is our strength. The rest to be left to God, because He will uplift us far and above our troubles.

The man who lost it all: Our Daily Reflection

The phrase "do not be afraid" occurs 365 times in the Bible, one for each day. There are times when the heavens seem shut and drought and barrenness and failure surround us in whatever we do. It must happen to everyone and we have nothing to do but wonder what went wrong? At such times friends, relatives etc offer no consolation. They can't because they themselves may not know the pain or outcome.

But there is one who knows. One Who had gone through worse and yet survived. Job. Job's story in the Bible, is the perfect example of holding God high, irrespective of His circumstances. Looking beyond the obvious as we say. Today his story can help us beyond and to the other side of failure and fear.

Of special mention are verses Job 5:17-26

"He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season."

These verses give strength when they say that while we may go through the worst - the worst cannot kill us.

We may not be spared the situation, but the situation cannot destroy us.

Today if you are going through such a phase in life, it maybe a good idea to read through the book of Job.

Why? : Our Daily Reflection

Most of us if not all of us have asked this question since time immemorial. Whenever we face troubles or challenges, death, a job loss, financial difficulties etc., we tend to ask ourselves why. We are good people, strong believers, haven't harmed anyone, so why are we suffering this problem?

We get this answer from Job, may be the biggest sufferer in the universe, in chapter 42, verse 5, where he says- 

"My ears had heard of you

but now my eyes have seen you".

This very clearly shows that unless we have experienced God, we can never be firsthand believers and will always have a secondhand faith, largely dependent on others.

In the words of Ms Francis Taylor, "We have been taught about God by others. But the time must come in each of our lives to actually "see" what God has done both in the world and in us. For our faith to be "ours," we can't let it rest on the confession of others.

Have we seen the hand of God so that our faith is truly ours, or not? Faith dependent on someone else's isn't strong enough to withstand the trials this life will bring".

So, like Job, next time you question God with a why, remember the answer Job has left for all of us to learn by.

The Dead End: Our Daily Reflection

I will help thee, saith the Lord. — Isaiah 41:14

When we pray, we often expect God to grant our requests in just the way we ask. But in that moment one realizes that while we were praying and asking God to give us a new start, to give us what we thought we needed, God was doing just that but in a different way than we had imagined. And then we think and assume we are at a dead end. 

The problem is we don't know the mind of God! We don't know when the way we want our prayers to be answered is not in God's plan. We pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy will be done." Unfortunately, we don't like it when our will and God's will aren't the same. Many years ago, in a theology class, the teacher joked that we believe that God made us in his image, and we have been trying to return the favor ever since.

This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: “I will help thee.” “It is but a small thing for me, thy God, to help thee. Consider what I have done already. Before the world began I chose you. Throughout your life I have been beside you. 

With me there is no dead end.