The Wall

Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,” declares the Lord, “and I will be its glory within.” - Zechariah 2:4-5 (NIV)

A human mind is conditioned to build security for ourselves and our families. Security of a home, of parents, of brothers and sisters, of medical insurance, life insurance, money in the bank, assets, jobs, businesses ... and the list goes on and on. And by the way, God is also there as a backup, is how we think. No person in his right mind would not try and create security for his life and his family through the world's mechanisms.. We consider that our primary security. That's the human way.

But what is Gods way? He does not say these things are bad. What He does say is that our primary security is God Himself. Not what we create but what He does. We are invited to make Gods provision of His security our primary source of protection, our Armour (as David did).  And this means letting go of world conditioned thoughts and attitudes. And practices.(as David Did)

As scary as letting go may be, the world has experienced this during Covid. 

As for us, no amount of insurance, no amount of money and no amount of human security could protect us. It was an invasive, intrusive epidemic which left disaster in its wake. People were ruined, some left parentless, some childless, some lost jobs, some businesses. It was a real life demonstration of Gods will and protection.

We traded in the security of human walls to accept in faith that God will be a wall of fire around us. We traded in the measurements of worldly accomplishments to give God space to be our glory within.

Some survived, some didn't, and some lost everything. Gods' protection and grace covered all.

My family should know - we lost friends and close relatives, lost health insurance, lost business and revenue, away from our home for two years, we separated during the first phase from one child, money soon ran from plenty to zero, and what not. But God's grace carried us through with plenty of food in a Pastors home where we sheltered for 2.5 years (my elder brother and his family, till date haven't heard of anyone doing that for anyone brother or not!). 

We never fell seriously sick (we didn't have insurance remember?) , our one family member left was soon reunited (through a miraculous seat on an repatriation plane), somehow money appeared when needed, Gods solace came when we lost a close relative and in a short break between lockdowns we were able to go and meet their children and be with them. 

That break from the business of life helped a lot of us to learn and grow. Today, we can either look back in horror, or look back in awe. As a family we choose the latter. And during these hard times we remember and state-

As for us and our family, we shall follow and serve the Lord. He is good.

God bless everyone.

Are We Programmed for Defeat?

 

Was there a time in your life when you feared something- a man, a woman or a situation. I know I have. But who else did in the Bible?

JACOB!

"But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.” (Genesis 42:38)

Jacobs filial love, stopped him from trusting God. Just like you and me.

Here are Pastor Chuck Swindolls thoughts.....

"When Jacob learned what had happened, the old gentleman shriveled in fear. Rather than saying, "Thank God, He is at work. Men, He loves us and watches over us. In His care we are all safe," he responded negatively and horizontally.

His sons had not only returned with the food they needed, but also with all of their money. They had been given grain from Egypt free of charge. All the prime minister had asked was that they prove they were not spies by returning with their youngest brother and claiming Simeon who had been left as a hostage. Yet Jacob saw none of this as God's provision. He froze in fear and focused on a worst-case scenario.

As soon as he heard they had left their brother in Egypt, he jumped to the conclusion that Simeon was dead. "Joseph is dead. Simeon is dead. Everything is against me," he moaned. He began to sound paranoid and self-pitying. "All these things are against me!"

Last time I checked, Jacob was supposed to be the patriarch of the clan, the spiritual leader. Yet, with a quick glance behind the scenes, as we sneak a peek through the back door of the tent, we see Jacob as he really is.

It's one thing for us to sit with book in hand and read the story, knowing what the outcome will be, and say with a shrug, "I'll tell you this, I sure wouldn't have done that. I would have trusted God if I had been in that situation." But would you really? Well, then why didn't you trust Him last week? What was it that kept you from seeing God's hand in that matter you couldn't handle last month? Call to mind your most recent major test. Did you rest calmly in Him? Or did you push the panic button out of fear?

Negative thinking. A horizontal viewpoint. A closed mind to something that is unexpected and new. That's why we tend to panic. Because, humanly speaking, you and I have been programmed toward defeat. We have formed habits of response that leave God out of the picture. We don't actually announce it in those words, we just model it and rationalize around it by calling it something else. And aren't we relieved God didn't put our biography into print?"

(Taken from Great Days with the Great Lives by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com)

Has such a situation not happened in your life? I know it has happened in mine. Today my children, two daughters led by the elderly one,, are on the way to lead us to new horizons.