Keep your promise even when it hurts..!!

Let’s read Isaiah 53:5-7

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth”.

This is one of the many prophecies of the promised Messiah. Such promises mentioned in the Book of Isaiah were written around 700 years before the birth of Christ..!

A PROPHECY is God making a promise through His servant/servants.

To SWEAR is to make a solemn statement or promise undertaking to do something or affirming that something is true.

Do you ever swear? Jesus said in Matthew 5:36 “And do not SWEAR by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one”. This simply means that we should not SWEAR by a person or a thing, because God is in supreme control, not us. Instead we should keep our promises to a simple YES or NO. Anything beyond these two is not acceptable to God.

God always keeps all His promises. It is one of the characteristics of God. He said “YES” to the suffering of His only Son for the redemption of all mankind, and He kept that promise even when it hurt – to the point of death on the cross.

Remember all the promises you made so far – to God and to your loved ones.

Let your “YES” be a “YES” and your “NO” be a “NO” – even when it hurts….!!!

The battle is the LORD’s..!!

Let’s read 1 Samuel 17: 45

“.....You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty.......”

17^th chapter of 1 Samuel describes the ever-famous battle between someone who was “little more than a boy” and someone who was “9 feet 9 inches in height”. 

David was just a “shepherd boy” but Goliath had been “a warrior from his youth”. 

David was sent to the battle scene as a “food delivery boy” but Goliath came for the battle fully trained/prepared & experienced.

David probably weighed less than even the “bronze coat of scale armor” worn by Goliath, which weighed about 58 Kgs.

All that David took to face the giant were his staff, 5 smooth stones, a sling and a shepherd’s bag. On the contrary Goliath was in his full army gear. His shield was so heavy that he needed to have a shield-bearer carry it for him.

Goliath wanted to fight against a “man” for honour, self-pride and vicious victory, David wanted to fight against a “force” that defied the armies of the living God.

Goliath came against David with sword and spear and javelin, but David came against Goliath in the name of the Lord Almighty.

David slung a small stone and struck the Philistine on the forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. It wasn’t the SMALL STONE that gave him the victory. It was the SOLID ROCK (name of the Lord Almighty) on which David firmly stood, that made him more than a conqueror..!

You will boldly say –“He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4) if you firmly stand on the “SOLID ROCK” called JESUS CHRIST..!

“You enemy may look UNBEATABLE....but your God is ALL-POWERFUL...!”

SAVED to be the BEST..!

Let’s read John 2: 5b

“Do whatever he tells you.”

 

John 2:1-11 describes the “first of the signs through which Jesus revealed His glory.” Jesus changed water into wine. 

When the wine was gone, at the right time the servants did whatever Jesus told them to do. What did Jesus get them to do? “Fill the jars with WATER”. And the servants filled them to the brim. What jars were these? These were the kind of jars used by the Jews for ceremonial washing. On the command of Jesus, the servants drew some out from the jars and took it to the master of the banquet. Relishing the pleasant surprise, the master praised the groom and said “you have saved the best for the end”. 

This incident is an illustration to the phenomenon of SALVATION we have IN CHRIST. When all had sinned and come short of the GLORY of God, Jesus came into the picture at the right time and revealed His GLORY. 

Jesus came into this world at a time when the Law was being used as water for external cleansing – External righteousness through ceremonies, rituals and “following the rules externally”. The wine represents the Blood of Jesus that cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness, both external and internal (read 1 John 1:7). Jesus changed the water (Law) to wine (Blood). Water cleanses you on the outside, but the Blood cleanses you from the inside...!!

The jars were filled to the brim by the servants, but notice who gets the credit/praise. The master said to the bridegroom – “You saved the BEST for last”. The bridegroom represents Jesus Christ who alone can save us through the New Covenant (read 2 Corinthians 3:4-6). We are currently not under the Old Covenant; we are under the New Covenant which is the BEST of the two.

Accept the Salvation of Christ under the New Covenant and “Do whatever HE tells you”...!!

“A SPONGE and A LEAKY TAP..!!”

Let’s read Psalm 19:14 & Proverbs 25:28 in tandem

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.............Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”

The primary property of a SPONGE is to absorb and store, till it is fully soaked. A LEAKY TAP on the other hand is a constant annoyance (irritation). You can either be a SPONGE or a LEAKY TAP, not both at the same time.

A classic example of this contrast can be seen between Jesus and the Pharisees (religious leaders of Jesus’ time). 

The Pharisees had the knowledge of the Law of God, but were devoid of divine wisdom, understanding and much needed obedience. Jesus himself certified their knowledge of the Law as valid but boldly criticized their actions/deeds (read Matthew 23:2, 3). The Pharisees were also very careless in their speech. They even called Jesus - "the prince of demons" (read Matthew 12:24). Lack of divine wisdom and understanding caused them to have such verbal diarrhea (habit of talking meaninglessly).

Jesus, on the other hand was placed at the other end of the spectrum. He was in no hurry to correct or instruct others. He soaked-in responsibility, divine wisdom, patience, meekness, love, mercy, compassion and pureness in heart for almost 90% of His life. After which He began His ministry when He was about 30 years old (Luke 3:23-38). And before He even start His illustrious ministry, a voice from heaven said “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased...!”(Matthew 3:17)

Don’t be a LEAKY TAP, always judging others without wisdom and dripping odorous self-righteousness.  

Be a SPONGE, always being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (read James 1:19-20). Wait on the Lord to strengthen and equip you with His righteousness.

“Don’t leak JUDGEMENT...... Absorb EMPOWERMENT...!”

“Your Soul – A capsized boat, till Jesus turns it over...!”

Let’s read John 3:16-18 (the Message version)

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.”

To “capsize” means to be overturned in the water. Author Federico Chini once said “It takes just one wave to capsize a boat, and one more to take it down.”  The first WAVE that capsized your soul was the first SIN (read Genesis 3). The second WAVE that will make all capsized boats sink into eternal hell is the JUDGEMENT OF GOD (read Romans 2:1-5). 

Can a man turn his capsized boat (soul) over on his own? NO. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(Matthew 19:26b).

All have sinned (capsized) and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Have an unceasing belief in Jesus Christ - He will not only overturn your capsized soul that is bound to sink with just another wave, but also journey with you beyond the shores of eternity calming down any storms on the way...!!

“Naa Naavalo Kaalidumu - Naa Seva Jekonumu

  Nadipinchu Naa Naava - Nadi Sandhramuna Deva

  Nava Jeevana Margamuna - Naa Janma Thariyimpa..!”

“Step into my boat – I shall serve thee

  Sail my boat on – from the middle of the sea

  On my life’s new journey – unto eternity...!”

“Yeh Dil maange MORE...!!!”

“Yeh Dil maange MORE...!!!”

Let’s read Psalm 34: 8a & Psalm 42: 1,2a in tandem

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.......

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.....”

When do you ask for more? When do you thirst for something? Only after you have tasted it at least for once and know its satisfying properties. All of us have this yearning to meet a friend or a family member at one point or the other? Why do we yearn? Only because we have tasted their fellowship before..! We know from our past how comforting, joyful, refreshing and re-assuring the experience of our fellowship with them will be.  

Similarly, in the above scripture portion the Psalmist is yearning for God. Bodily thirst can be quenched by water but the thirst of your soul can only be quenched by supernatural water. And only Jesus can give this soul satisfying drink. That is why Jesus said to the Samaritan woman – “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”(John 4:13). 

Are you not thirsty for God? Are you not yearning for His fellowship? If your answer is YES then the reason could be very simple – You may not have tasted God and His true fellowship yet. Anyone who tastes a well prepared Hyderabadi Biryani would want to have it again and again. Anyone who tasted God and His true fellowship will never stop seeking Him.

"Taste Him......Thirst for Him.....Be filled to the brim......Remain satisfied in Him...!!!"