Expiration Date

While shopping, don’t we look for expiration dates? While buying perishable goods, the obvious answer is yes. So we look for something that was produced closer to the date of purchase and so that the product has a longer shelf life.

But do we knowingly or unknowingly put an expiry date on our prayers to God?

You see, it is very easy to lose hope when we have been earnestly praying for something for so long and we do not know whether the answer is a definite “Yes” or “No”, and since it hasn’t been answered for so long we tend to assume it’s a wait and after a while we feel that the prayer might not have reached up to heaven at all. Those are the times we are tempted to take things into our hand and do something about it.

It is a very difficult situation to go through.

Even so while baking bread there is a perfect temperature at which the baker removes it. If it’s removed a bit early, it tastes raw and a bit later, then the bread becomes hard. The baker knows the exact time that the bread must be removed for it to be perfect.

Similarly with God, He knows the exact time to answer our prayers too. He is never too early nor too late. God knows the exact time and what we must go through before He answers our prayers so that we are ready and prepared to enjoy God’s gift.

For if we did not know know the dry deserts, would we have known the value of green land. And if not for the valleys, how would we have known how high the mountains are.

“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” – Psalm 61:2

Treasure Hunt!

1 Chronicles 16:11 – Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Tommy loves adventure. Name a sport and he’s a pro in it. Name a game and he’s already played it. He’s so full of life, that even a trip to the dumpster is an adventure with him! He fills life into those around him, and kindness and gentleness follow his every word.

Tommy is autistic.

Now read the previous paragraph once again.
Not everyday is easy for him. Not everyday is easy for the ones around him. Although he maybe excellent at sport, it takes him some time to understand the logic behind the game. It requires a lot of patience and practice. He takes medicines to help him understand the world around him and to live a normal life. Yes, everyday is an adventure with Tommy because the ones around him told him so, because the ones around experience it so.

Life is always what you make and what you seek. If you seek joy, then most of your days are filled with laughter. If you seek excitement, then everything becomes an adventure. If you seek sorrow (yes, depressed people seek sorrow), then even the smallest of actions will fill you with gloom. You always find what you seek. Have you tried seeking God? You can find Him everywhere! He’s in the love of a mother, in the hug of a friend, in the words of a brother and the smile of a stranger. Yes, God is everywhere. He is hard to look for but easy to find. He is always near, never out of sight. He is beside you when you sleep, ahead of you when you’re lost; surrounding you when you need strength and within you when need Him the most!

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

-Matthew 13:45-46

My Lord is that one pearl of great value. He’s worth leaving the world behind for. Go find Him and seek Him continually!

I Know who Holds Tomorrow..

Romans 15:14 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The song “I know who holds tomorrow “ by LeAnn Rimes which goes like this:

I don’t know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
And I don’t borrow from the sunshine
‘Cause the skies might turn to gray.

And I don’t worry about the future,
‘Cause I know what Jesus said,
And today I’m gonna walk right beside him
‘Cause he’s the one who knows what is ahead.

There are things about tomorrow
That I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

And each step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb.
And every burden is getting lighter
And all the clouds, they’re silver lined.

“I wonder how I will make ends meet this month”

“I wonder what I will eat for lunch”

“I wonder when I would get a job”

“I wonder how I would get this work done”

“I wonder if I would pass this course”

We wonder a lot but in reality we worry. We worry about every possible thing under the sun that we could worry about.

We sometimes don’t realize that we are worried about it, we just wonder about things that should, could or would happen almost drowning in it yet forgetting that our life guard walks on water.

If a house is built, it needed a mason , if it was painted it would have been done by the painter and if we were created we definitely have a creator who has the blueprint of our lives. Would a builder knowingly build a bad house, then how do you think our creator up above would be?

We still wonder and worry about how we would get the food on the table and about our work and studies and family and sickness and it goes on and on, we were just built this way but here is where you and me can make a change to our situation.

We can take control and say replace worry with prayer, anxiety with prayer and everything that comes in between to be fully handed over to the Most High. Aren’t we lucky to have such a privilege? We just forget sometimes that we have a God who sent His son to die a painful death on the cross for our sins.

With this big promise do we need worry about our lives?

Lord, I want my life to be built on you Lord, I want you to be my rock and salvation, the center of my life. I submit myself and each one of my worries to you this day. Help me to grow stronger and trust in you more each day. Amen.

If You Love it, Set it Free..

There is a very famous and overly-used statement in the English language, “If you love it, set it free. If it comes back, then it is meant to be“. The reason I call it over-used is because we seem to use that when it comes to our earthly relationships, but we tend to abuse it when it comes to our divine relationship with God. How often do we let go of God and then come back to Him? How often do to we fall back in the same pattern of getting hurt and hurting, arriving and leaving? Through the various ups and downs, through all the going and coming, there is one thing that is certain – it is easier to let go than to hold on, but we tend to let go of the right ones and hold on to the wrong.

Letting go is a divine act of  Man. Acceptance is a divine act of  God. 

No matter how many times we fall astray or let go of God, He still sets us free, relying that one day we will realise the quality of His love for us and come running back to Him. He lets us leave every time we decide to, but He doesn’t let go of us. He gives us the freedom of making our own choices when we decide to go, He tries to stop us but never forces us. His love is so abundant, so gracious that it accepts every single one of our flaws and loves us the same – as if nothing happened.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and love your neighbour as yourself.”

-Luke 10:27

Let us consider the story of the good Samaritan here. The priest and the Levite saw the wounded man and simply let go of him and moved on, going about their business. But the Samaritan looked at this man with pity and accepted him as one of his own. Nursed his wounds, took him to the closest inn where he paid the innkeeper to look after the man. He even agreed to bare the additional expense of this man’s recovery.
Here is a fine example of letting go and accepting. If the Samaritan didn’t let go of his pride and accept this man as his own brother, he would’ve surely perished!

Like St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless unless they find their rest in you.” That is the state we, as humans, are constantly battling. Our restless hearts are always looking for attachments, looking for connections but none of them last. Simply because we were not meant for this world. Even if this world tells you a million times that you belong, just one whisper from the Lord will make you realise that you don’t. You were made for something greater, nothing short of extravagant. So every time you find yourself out in the world losing a battle, and straying far away from home, fear not! We have a God who doesn’t let go of us even when we think we are too far gone. Just remember to look for Him and you will find Him holding on to you as if His life depended on it!

What a friend we have in Jesus!

The God-Dependence!

God is faithful in the little things; provident in the big. But how often do we fall back to rely on this abundant providence? 

Sean and Lynette have been together for as long as anyone can remember. They met as kids when the lived in the same neighbourhood, went to school together. Even the long distance at college couldn’t separate them! Soon enough they got engaged but that is when things slowly started to change. They got jobs in different cities. God knows how much they needed it, so they decided to put off their wedding for a year. It began with missing calls, then missing their weekend dates and even their Skype dates. But they were committed to their relationship. Their dates always began with a prayer and they continued to pray for each other even when their relationship was on the rocks. They were faithful in the little things. Soon enough Lynette got a transfer and moved to the same city as Sean and they got married.

Today, as they look back at all their trials, they can only see God’s faithfulness through the years.

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Ashley was a bright little girl. Always first in her class, regular to church and even spent her time helping out the lesser fortunate. Every time she had a problem, she looked to God. Sometimes her patience would get the better of her but that didn’t mean she gave up on God. After she graduated from college, she was without a job for a year. During that time, her grandmother passed away and her father fell seriously ill. She could barely support herself when she was expected to support her younger siblings. The God she trusted suddenly went missing, but she never gave up on her prayers. Even when the situation got bad, she trusted and followed God. Even when her heart was not in it, she prayed. Even when the pain and struggle got worse, she prayed.

In due time, God acted and her troubles vanished as quickly as they appeared. Her life was a vineyard of blessings and everyday she witnessed a new miracle. Her faithfulness was the blueprint of God’s providence in her life!

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“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

-Philippians 4:19

I love the confidence with which St. Paul states that verse. It is true that God is a multi billion-billion-gazillionaire! He can give us anything and everything we ask for, if it falls in line with His plan for us. God’s providence is directly proportional to the amount of dependence you have on Him. If you rely on the Maker for just the big things, you miss the opportunity to practice your faith in the little things. Like the little drops of water make the mighty ocean, you dependence on the little things is going to increase your faith in the mighty ones. So before you decide to walk on water, learn to jump in the boat with Him so He was lead you in the way He has prepared. The destination is waiting for you, the choice of the journey is yours to make. Be dependent, choose God.