Tag: christianity

Job 42:5

“I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now my eyes seeth thee.”

It is one thing to hear facts about God from a distance: it’s quite another to know him personally, intimately, up close and face to face. Job has felt and seen God after losing everything he most valued and loved in this world; his children and possessions were taken away from him. We will never have a deeper understanding of who God is if we didn’t go through a turbulent test of faith. During his lowest moments, Job gained an intimate understanding of God’s power.

Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness. Losing everything which you have built and toiled for over many years is devastating. For Job, instead of hating God, he knelt and cursed the day of his birth. He submitted to the Lordship of God over His life.

Job 1:21 “And he said, naked came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither; The LORD gave and the LORLD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Even though he knows that God is strong enough to keep him, his loved ones, and his belongings safe, He nonetheless permitted everything to occur. Despite everything being taken away from him in an instant, Job continues to believe and trust in the God who gave him everything.

The Lord blesses the later days of Job more than his beginnings. Job Chapter 42:12 “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels and a thousand yoke of oxen, and thousand she asses.” When someone completely trusts and surrenders to God, he acts on their behalf. Just believe in your heart, even though it may be heartbreaking and mind-blowing that you are unable to understand what caused all of the chaos in your life despite of loving and honouring him. The Lord takes full responsibility for all we go through; all you need to do is stay on to your faith and keep His words close to your heart. The Lord rewards people who love him in both good and difficult times.

Whenever I am cumbered with a load of care, I would always want to ostracise myself. I can easily get irrigated and burst out in anger prompting me to shout or scold my kids for their simple mistake. My kids can easily detect my mood, they know if I am in good mood and if there’s something I am bothered off I will make the them the object of my mood swing. I am their mother, and my children are not to be the target of my rage when I am not in a good mood. I should not make them the target of my displeasure. They are not designed to act as a shock absorber and transcend my emotions.

Children are sometimes the source of our anxiety, but they should not have to deal with what we are going through. We should protect them rather than force them away. I usually lash out at them and drive them away, leaving them with the impression that they are my problem that I no longer want to talk to them. When they are in the house, they attempt to avoid me, scrutinising their every move so that they do not provoke me. My house is supposed to be their safe haven not a horror train.

The bible emphasizes in the book of James 1:19-20

“know this my beloved brothers; let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak slow to anger, verse 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Protecting my kids means not only to the outside but from me. Whatever we sow to their heart we will soon reap it. We should be an example to them. Gentle slow to speak slow to anger.

Ther are many verses warns us against anger Proverbs 29:11 says;

A fool gives full vent to his spirit; a wise man quietly holds it back.

When I truly need to voice my dissatisfaction, I have to learn to control my emotions and choose my words carefully. I didn’t pick it up right away. I slowly learned the hard way apologizing to my kids every time I lose my temper. I spend a lot of time talking to God. Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed by a lot of stress, I will either go for a walk and talk to God or I will go to my room and pray to him, expressing all of my feelings as though he were standing there, listening intently, and saying something like, “Okay, go talk to me.” Casting all of my worries on Him rather of letting them out on those around me makes a significant difference. In contrast to before, when they would simply come home and head straight to their rooms without speaking to me, I soon saw that my spouse and kids would joyfully return home and communicate with me about their job and school activities.

1 peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety to him for he cares for you.”

There is no greater place for me to go than to fall at Jesus’ feet in every situation that life throws at me. I find that praying to God is the best way to obtain calm, comfort, and a revitalising sense of well-being. In prayer and plea, he brought everything to him while kneeling. By venting all of my doubts, anxieties, and needs to God, I am able to get rid of my irritation and anxiety.

Mathew 11:28–30

²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

You did yoga, went out with friends to enjoy life, and spent money to look for comfort to alleviate emptiness; yet the feeling of emptiness still plagued you. You carry it every day; it would be gone for a short time but remains beneath your heart. You’ve tried everything to ease your longing for satisfaction and fulfilment, but nothing seems to work despite your effort.

Most individuals believe that having the perfect life leads to happiness. When we say “perfect life,” we mean everything is smooth. Financial stability, consistent relationships with family, friends, and partner. Having a work or business that provides a sense of purpose and satisfaction. Failure to grasp what a man has in his heart and mind results in dissatisfaction, feeling unfulfilled until he has the object in his hands. Man does everything in pursuit of happiness. As Blaise Pascal said, “All men seek happiness this is without exemption, this is the motive of every action of every man even those who hang on suicidal.” But even with all of that- money, fame, and power there still seems to be a gap that needs to be filled.

When everything reduces to external rituals and material possessions, forsaking inward spirituality leads to the poverty of the soul. When we run after securities while departing from the presence of God, instead of acknowledging his being God, you make everything your God: your possession, your relationship, your family and yourself. You can self-exist. But you can’t be devoid of the fact that everything in this world without the God who purposely made you for specifically for Him – otherwise, you would be unable to understand why you are here. You will always be in search of truth, life, and fulfilment.

Acts 17:24-28  

²⁴ God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

²⁵ Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

²⁶ And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

²⁷ That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

²⁸ For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also his offspring.

Seek God; he can fill your emptiness, he can quench your thirst, he can take away your anger and bitterness, and he can give you peace and fulfilment. Go to Him. Tell Him you need Him to be the God of your life. He knows everything that you have been through. He cares about you, even with your pain and emptiness. Just go to him… He has all the answers to your questions. Call upon him; he will answer you.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee and I will shew great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

The Bible teaches about the creator’s relationship with his creations and shows that there was both a beginning and an end to the universe. Consider it a religious tool that incorporates unavoidable facts: there cannot be a creation without a creator. There can’t be a life when there’s no living God who has breathed out the air to give life to human. The bible shows the existence of God and His interaction with His creation, reveals His character, His laws and aspirations for his creations. If reading the Bible is intended to connect with God and engage in religious activity, as any religious organisation believes, then it is a religious act. However, if it is read to connect, learn about his teachings, and grow intimately close to Him, deepen your faith, or personally study to equip and edify others and teach the church on their privileges to access the word of God, you do not act religiously, but rather as one who devotes himself to personal building up.

The bible is described as a religious text, a compilation of different religious communities. It consists of bylaws and a constitution of God that protects the rights and privileges of the people who are part of God’s kingdom. It is written in various genres such as history, genealogy, law, love stories, prophecy, and poetry that expresses worship and honour for God. In many of the stories from the bible when you read the scriptures you will know from the very beginning the downfall of man. Where all the wickedness, killing and suffering had begun. The answers, probably to your many questions, can be found in the different books of the Bible. You don’t need to be a believer or Christian to read. If you are confused, searching for true love, searching for peace, or searching for whatsoever you wanted to know more about in life, try opening the Bible. It has many things to offer you.

The Bible is divided into two part the Old and the New Testaments. The 39 books in the Old Testament present a historical account of God giving promises to the nation of Israel, directing them to look up unto Him as their God. On the other hand, the 27 books New Testament have the account of the birth of Jesus Christ, His crucifixion, death and resurrection.

From there comes the message that God wants His creation to know how much He loves his creation to connect with Him, to regard Him as a God Who is present, and that He will never be silent in calling on those who want to connect to Him as not religious, but as creations made by God to fellowship with and enjoy the blessing of accessing the promises He made long ago. May you be encouraged to read the bible, not as to be religious but Knowing Him and experience His goodness and salvation.

Exodus 34:6–7 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

⁶ And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, ⁷ Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

We move and exist in a world where demands of physical, emotional and even spiritual nature should be given attention, making them equally healthy. The neglect of one would make the scale imbalance cause the other dimensions not to function well, leading to physical fatigue and emotional burnout.

Due to the different responsibilities, we have, we are constantly on the go, accepting jobs without hesitation in order to complete our obligations, keep ourselves comfortable, and make ends meet. Chasing after externals does not have the power to satisfy our internal void. We will always be in need and incapable of sustaining our material and emotional needs. While we burn our energy working long hours and facing demanding tasks and are preoccupied, we are harming our physical, mental and spiritual health.

To relieve one’s thirst, one must drink water; to refill one’s strength, one must consume good food to sustain our physical energy; and we must treat the needs of both our body and mind in order to balance the equation. Learning to meet our needs and administering the optimum dose can help us achieve physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Excessive consumption will ruin our bodies. Similarly, forcing ourselves to work more than the appropriate hours exhausts us, and thinking too much drains us emotionally.

In times when you find yourself out of control to what the demands of life are and you are losing physical strength, connect with God, the everlasting creator, never grows tired or loses comprehension; he provides strength to people who are tired and incapable.

Isaiah 40:28-29 ( KJV)

“28 Has thou not known? Has thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding.”

Verse 29

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”

The only way to relieve your fatigue and emotional drain is to lay all your care on Him. To the God who love, cares and provide for your needs.

1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) “Casting all your cares upon him; for he careth for you.

May your strength be refreshed and replenished as you take the dosage from the word of God, I pray…

“Yes I will make springs in the desert,  so that my chosen people can be refreshed” Isaiah 40:20 (NLT)

1 Chronicles 16: 11 (Kjv) Seek the Lord and His strength; seek his presence continually!

We may be experiencing a tough and dangerous path and having a second thought about whether to climb up the ladder and cross the obviously unsafe bridge or stay in your comfort zone. Taking the risk might lead to a variety of outcomes: you could possibly fall into the water, or you could successfully cross the bridge, overcoming your doubt. The decision is entirely up to us. I believe through His intervention no matter what choice you make God will never leave nor abandon you.

Isaiah 41:10 (KJV) Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness   

Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV) Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee nor forsake the.

When faced with life challenges and unsure whether to continue or stay on your comfortable surroundings take the path that God has called or sent you along. No matter how dangerous the way it may be seem take the step of faith and trust Him.

I was once led to a remote location for a couple’s fellowship with my church’s mate. And as we were travelling through the rice terraces and climbing up the steep step pathway up to the venue, I felt like giving up and returning to where we had come from. I felt dizzy gazing down and feels like falling into the ditch, but I remembered how far I’d already come, so I kept forcing myself to gently mount the steps. Had I given up along the way. I would have not given the chance to see the scenic view. I am a nature lover, God knows what pleases to my eyes, and I would not have enjoyed the wonderful scenery nor given the opportunity to soak in the warm spring water and enjoy the cool wind. If we don’t take the chance and leave our cosy surroundings, we will never experience the wonderful taste of achievement if we let doubt govern us. In the testing of life, no matter how difficult the trek don’t give up, God will provide you the strength and resources to get through, even if it may be challenging, energy consuming and heart breaking at times just keep going. It’s worth the climb.

Romans 5:3

And not only so, but we also glory in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; a tested character; and a tested character hope