Angels of the Morning

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;

    in the morning I lay my requests before you

    and wait expectantly.

Psalm 5:3 

There is something magical about early mornings. The sun is still deciding whether it really wants to come out and we have a soft awakening to a new day., no matter how hard we expect it to be. However the previous day went, we will have a lot to look forward to in the new day. 

In these early, dawn hours, it's a blessing to be able to connect with the one who created the morning and the day, the evening and the nights. created us and all that surrounds us. Our worries can be laid on Him and our joys can be shared with thanksgiving. No matter how hopeless we think a situation maybe, a new day will always bring hope - because the one above all, still rules. We only have to be silent, in mind and body. 

As the sun slowly peeps over the horizon, a sense of unworthiness overtakes. How can we ever live up to the one who created all this? His perfection, His love and His power? 

And the biggest wonder of it all? In a world of 8 billion people, 200 million square miles of land, 3 trillion trees, 7.7 million animal species and much much more, He still has the time and the inclination to listen to me in these still hours. To care for me. To protect me. To provide for me. And for each one of His creations! 

Of course, In such a vast world, things can and will go wrong - sometimes engineered by us and sometimes by spiritual forces working against creation. Like they did Job, they can attack us and try to destroy our lives through hardship and heartbreak - but we have one who reigns above all and He listens. He saves. He does not want us to suffer but live a beautiful life, so He is our last resort. 

As the darkness lightens, we talk to Him, share everything thank Him for another day, for the past day, put our problems at His feet and ask Him to be with us through the day, ask His spirit for discernment, for wisdom for guidance, for we are foolish people, led astray by the world and its ways of thinking and acting. Ask Him for help to solve our problems, for healing, for help, for means to help others who need. We ask Him to make us instruments of His purpose, of His work and of His will. Each of us have a role to play in His world. 

Thoughts then roll over to people who brought us to Him. Parents, Pastors, friends, situations; and we thank Him for sending them into our lives. 

We mess up. That is a given. But we also know that every sunrise is God's way of saying, 'I haven't given up on you yet". This simple fact of a new day breaking is a profound testament to God's persistent hope and unwavering belief in our potential. It's His daily promise that He's still with us.

And so, begins a new day.

 

The Genesis of Evolution

“Except for the divinity of Jesus Christ, no issue polarizes believers and sceptics as much as the question of the origin of our planet Earth. Is the world the result of divine creation or evolution.” – David Jeremiah.

Today, let us not focus on who is right or who is wrong - but on what we believe. 

We know that as Gods Spirit hovered over the face of the primeval waters; so did Gods Spirit hover over Moses’ hand as he wrote this Book of Beginnings. We know that the actual inspiration of the Book of Genesis is the Holy Spirit Himself who was present during the process of creation, as part of the triune, and this foundational truth invites us to view Genesis as the ultimate account of creation, focusing on why the world was made rather than merely how it came to be.

To really imagine the magnificence of creation as described in Genesis, we need to look around us. Recognizing the grandeur and complexity of creation helps us grasp the immense power and wisdom of God. Understanding creation’s beauty and order reveals the deep relationship between Creator and creation—a central theme throughout Scripture. Today, the world leaves us in awe, as creation continues to reveal mysteries that boggle the human mind. Even now, we understand only fragments of our origins—whether one looks to divine creation or evolution.

For instance, consider the deep sea, which covers 95% of Earth's living space and holds countless undiscovered species. Life might have begun here, yet its inhabitants astound us with their bizarre beauty—giant squids, colonies of cooperative organisms, and creatures whose size or behaviors defy imagination. Through advances like live-streamed ocean exploration, we can now witness these wonders firsthand, marveling at habitats we were once blind to.

On the other end of the spectrum are towering mountains like the Himalayas and Mount Everest, whose mysteries and majesty stretch the limits of human imagination.

If we want to have a glimpse of the world God had intended, read Isiaah 11 ver 6-9, Isiaah 65:25 and Revelations 21. 

And amidst these natural marvels, humanity stands as God's crowning creation—on whom God showered attention to create a being who is intricately and wonderfully made. Among all the earth and its creatures- the human creation inspired King David to marvel at Gods work.

And the most marvelous fact is that He made us in His own image!

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”. Genesis 1:27 KJV

This fact, in itself is so charged that it makes the mind boggle at the thought. Imagine, we are the very image of God. It maybe physical (we do not know) but we are definitely in His image spiritually.

This should remind us of the inherent dignity in every person, urging us to honor others and ourselves as bearers of God's likeness, regardless of flaws or differences.

The second fact that mesmerizes and which we don’t notice much, is that when God finished each part of creation, “He saw that it was good”. He was not giving Himself a pat on the back, but was referring to the fact that what He created was "good" for, and had a role to play in, His creation. It's time we took cognizance of this aspect of creation and learned to respect all that God Himself found good, which is His entire creation. Instead of misusing all the resources God gave us, we need to start respecting them and replenishing them, given that He made us stewards of His world.

Lastly, Genesis addresses the question of why did God actually create the world and us? Genesis Emphasizes the Divine Purpose in and of creation. Genesis 1:1 says - "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." This verse establishes that creation was intentional, reflecting God's sovereignty and purpose. It focuses on who created and why—to bring order and meaning to the universe. In Genesis 1:26-27 it goes on to say - : "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky..." thus making us "stewards" of His creation. 

Thus, Humanity is created with a specific purpose: to reflect God's image and steward creation. This highlights the why of human existence.

The Bible's teachings align with our divine purpose: to love and care for one another, to protect God’s world, and to revere and love the Creator and honor Him in all that we do. Understanding this helps us live lives of deeper gratitude and responsibility toward God and His creation.

Science Vs. Religion

The name of this post in truth, should have been Science and God. But we view science and religion as being diametrically opposite, though they go hand in hand. 

Science explains the "how" of God and His creation while religion explains the "why". For example, it can tell us how it rains but cannot tell you why it does or does not rain and why should it rain. Why do we die? Science can tell us how we die but cannot explain why we die.

The fact is the world and all that is in it, is part of God's creation. And God uses His creation to bless us or deprive us, according to His will and judgement. For example, we have completely disrespected nature, Gods creation, throughout the ages and today we are paying the price of that disrespect and destruction.

The "how" is what science helps us to understand, so that we truly appreciate what God has done, and praise Him in awe and wonder. This understanding of the "how" of creation inspired King David to say

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well".

King David understood how we are made and praised God.

The challenge is the why? Why are we fearfully and wonderfully made? Why were you made? For what purpose? What is my purpose? Do we even think about it? Yes, the common overarching purpose for all of us is to serve God. But each one will have a specific task as well. 

Science cannot tell us why we were made and our purpose, but if we ask God, He can. And whatever is our purpose, be sure he has equipped us for it. Be warned though, that question is a double-edged sword because the answer can turn our world upside down. So, before you ask, be prepared.

The Eagle & The Butterfly

Adversity is part n package of life. Everyone goes through it, in some measure. It is our response to adversity which determines how well we overcome it and get through it. We can learn a lot from nature on various things on how to handle adversity.

Take the eagle for instance. When a storm comes it flies above the storm. It have the strength and can sustain heights. On the other hand, there is the butterfly. It knows it cannot fly above or in the storm, so it quietly rests and waits for the storm to be over. It takes both kinds to make this world, and both know how to survive.

Which brings us to humans. To us. Our God caters to both personalities - those who fly above the storm and those who shelter during it. Isaiah 40:31 is a passage we have read and heard many times. Songs have been written about this verse. Isaiah said, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

That was for the Eagles.

For the butterflies Exodus 33:14 says -

14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Psalms 91:1 says He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Eagles need to preserve their strength and butterflies need to preserve their beauty. For everyone though, whether eagles or butterflies, the common factor is God. Whoever you are, God will help you sustain yourself through whatever adversity you may face, in whatever way best suits you. Just as the eagle uses the power of the winds in a storm to rise above it, so can we with the power of God. Just as the butterfly rests, we too can rest in Gods security. And at the end of it - you are rewarded with a bright sunshine day and a rainbow, that is when the eagle will get back to hunting and the Butterflys will fly once again, filling our lives with their beauty.

So, get excited about the storms in your life. Challenges bring opportunities. We could see the opportunities, wrapped in our challenges if we weren’t so busy, complaining and trying to avoid them.

Are You a Visionary?

These days we honor some thinker or scientist or politician saying "she (or he)" is a visionary. The meaning of that erm is thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom and believes in it. They are full of knowledge which they apply and practice.

According to world norms, everyone is not a visionary. Only a few exceptional ones.

According to Christian terms, who are the visionaries? Well, everyone, has the opportunity. Few perhaps take it.

Visionaries are the people who look at the world as it is and see what it could be instead. A Christian visionary sees it as it is today, and what he will become beyond, and plans for it. S/He sees and believes that there is a life beyond death which they want to save and are ready to invest in it.

S/He researches, believes and plans. S/He shares. Christian visionaries are not afraid to pivot, and lead a life based on Christ's way. They believe there is a war out there, an unseen but not unfelt war. They pray for, and receive, discernment and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.

The question is can you and I become a visionary? Definitely so! WE WILL find that the knowledge we need to become one is in the Bible. We will read it, not out of duty or compulsion, or force of habit, but out of interest and belief to invest in our future. We will gain that knowledge, think about it and plan how to apply it. Pray for those plans or changes and go forward.

The Christian visionary will believe in the vision of a world shown in Revelations and want to be one of the 144000 or as close to one as possible. They will definitely want to be part of that world and have the courage and the will to invest in it. They will believe in discipline and obedience, correction and rewards. They will accept each as part of their training.

Not surprisingly, there is also a warning to the visionaries:

Revelations Chapter 22: 18-19 says 

18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.19And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

Therefore, let us not try and give our human understanding or interpretation to these words of knowledge (as many do today), but become a visionary based on the uninterpreted word of God, not using its interpretations to justify our ends but pivoting our ends to the unadulterated word of God.

All Things Bright and Beautiful : Pastor Rajiv's Daily Devotional

Genesis 2:15

"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it".
The original mandate to humans was to look after and maintain this beautiful world God gave us. A utopian world which would be bereft of climate change, carbon emissions, pandemics, human tragedies. I could go on and on.
We have failed miserably. Our failure necessitated the coming of Jesus Christ as well. Necessitated His death.
We can't go back in time and correct what we failed in, but we sure can correct ourselves in the present time, on a personal basis, as a personal responsibility, given to us by none other than God and His son.
For starters, we can reduce our personal carbon footprint. You can calculate your personal footprint here and see how to reduce it and help the environment and our world that God gave us.
Second, we should see helping our fellow brothers and sisters as helping God because they are His children. God has commissioned us to be blessings to all His children – both the lost and the found. When we choose to withhold our help, we are turning our backs on God. Make sure that your heart is set on helping those in need at all times. It is always rewarding.
We have been chosen to be disciples and this means that we are the face and hands and feet of Jesus on earth. Jesus depends on us to bring the Good News to others, and most of the time that is by giving example of how Jesus acted during his time on earth.
It is not for us to judge and with hold. It is for us to do what we have been commissioned to do, which is to take care of our world and the people in it.


** From the Poem All Things Bright and Beautiful" by Cecil Frances Alexander. You can read this beautiful poem, now a hymn, HERE.