Make your waste lands an Eden

Give ear to me, you who are searching for righteousness, who are looking for the Lord: see the rock from which you were cut out, and the hole out of which you were taken.
Let your thoughts be turned to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth: for when he was but one, my voice came to him, and I gave him my blessing, and made him a great people.
For the Lord has given comfort to Zion: he has made glad all her broken walls; making her waste places like Eden, and changing her dry land into the garden of the Lord; joy and delight will be there, praise and the sound of melody. Isaiah 51:1-3

Ever wondered how God comforts His children? God often shows us people whom He blessed so that we do not get lost even when the feeling of void comes in our life. Quite often when failure comes to a person he feels like as unwanted as a wasteland. And very often we feel that God has left us high and dry.

Now Moses was looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he took the flock to the back of the waste land and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
And the angel of the Lord was seen by him in a flame of fire coming out of a thorn-tree: and he saw that the tree was on fire, but it was not burned up.
And Moses said, I will go and see this strange thing, why the tree is not burned up,
And when the Lord saw him turning to one side to see, God said his name out of the tree, crying, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. Exodus 3:1-3

Moses was a person who had grown up in the comfort of the Pharaoh’s palace. God had certain plans for him. God took Moses from the desert to ‘back of the waste land’ for his plans to be fulfilled. Don’t feel that when u land in such a barren situation in your life from fullness and joy that God is treating you bad for He is just fulfilling the plan He has on your life.

We often question god when the circumstances turn bad but what Moses could not have received in the palace was only possible in the waste land. Sometime we too feel like we are left stranded by God but the answer to your years of praying is the burning bush that you will see at the end of the wasteland.

While he himself went a day's journey into the waste land, and took a seat under a broom-plant, desiring for himself only death; for he said, It is enough: now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers. 1 King 19:4
And the Lord said to him, Go back on your way through the waste land to Damascus; and when you come there, put the holy oil on Hazael to make him king over Aram; 1 King 19:15

Fear in life is the first seed that the enemy can sow in your life and he achieves a lot when he has properly sown it. ‘If the bases are broken down, what is the upright man to do?’ (Ps 11:3) is what the psalmist had to talk about fear in life. Not even the most successful have had victory over it but by praying and in His presence the fear will go away. Remember till God achieves his desire in us ours will for ever be a distant second. Elijah was a chosen by God and when he feared he wanted to die but God had plans for his and till it was fulfilled God didn’t let anything happen to him.

And straight away the Spirit sent him out into the waste land.
And he was in the waste land for forty days, being tested by Satan; and he was with the beasts; and the angels took care of him. Mark 1:12- 15

Even Son of God had a time in the waste land tested by Satan but just know one thing, be it Moses behind Horeb or Elijah under the tree or Jesus in the waste land, they were always under the protection of an angel. God has never left you, even if your feel He has, for He has given His angels the guard over you. When Moses had to be brought to the waste lands to be transformed then let us be of best hope that god has great for us and is transforming us for that. Soon the walls that surround you will break, your waste land will turn to Eden and there will be a never ending joy and delight in you.

When I speak of this I still am in that waste land but I have not lost my hope, I know that the angel is there guarding me and I know that soon I will see his plan shape up in front of me, a plan that nothing in the world will ever be equal to.

May God bless us all.

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Reap What You Sow

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. John 12:24

The Passover feast mentioned in John 12 is very special. A huge gathering was there. One like never before and this was to see Lazarus who was raised from death and Jesus the One who performed this miracle. Among them a few Greeks made their way(John 12:20-22) to see and hear from God. However, Jesus was not taken by this ‘celebrity’ status. He spoke these verses to emphasize that it is all the same seeing Lazarus and God until 'a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die'. But what does this really mean?

As we look, we can see that the 'fall of a grain and its death' implies humbleness in us. Think about the many who made it to the list of Great in the world but all had a humble beginning.

If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent, unto the prayer that is made in this place. 2 Ch 7:14

Does anyone feel that our prayers will be answered if it comes from a heart not humble, not seeking him or not truthful enough? The importance of prayer is being felt very much through out the world, then how much more powerful will a prayer be when we give it with a dedicated heart. He says our prayers will not only be heard but He will forgive our sin also. He will not only forgive our sins but also heal the land we stay. If He heals the land He will heal our houses too for sure. Heal even the unrests and pain and bring joy. There are always limitations to the comfort a mom, a dad, a friend or any can give but a healing and a deliverance from sin will lighten our heart and make our worries, sickness, sufferings all look light.

Being humble is a basic character that a child of god should exhibit, for Jesus, being the Son of God was stuck, spat on, wounded for us then can’t we in return be humble. No grain falls on the beds of the Kings but it falls on muddy fields and are trampled under foot but reaps a great reward when the harvest time comes.

And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus: and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven:
and he fell upon the earth. Acts 9:3-4

Saul was a very powerful person, who had the authority to condemn the people who worked for god, but no power or authority was big enough to keep him from being visited by God. If we feel that we ourself can get rid of the evil in our flesh it mite fail to happen quiet often, for it can raise its hood like a snake when the time is ripe for it. “And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.” (Gal 5:24) was all what Apostle Paul could advice. Steadfast prayer and submission is the only way forward from from this.

And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight; and he arose and was baptized;
and he took food and was strengthened. And he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus.
And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God. Acts 9:19-20

Do not always wait for God to tell you that you are on the wrong path and push you to ground. Saul needed an Ananias for him to stand again, Let not us wait and test the Lord, for there might not be an Ananias for us too. Hence, as the time is right forgo all the evil of the flesh and submit to the Lord.

Joseph was another person who fell like a grain to the ground. To see the fulfillment of the dream that God had shown him he never gave into the temptations of Photpher’s wife (Gen 39:4). Moses too was an example who once in his anger killed an Egyptian (Ex 2:11-22) but God took a lot of time and a fire among bushes for him to be the Moses who divided the Red sea with his rod. Anger, adultery, hatred, lust are all deeds of the flesh. For to lead a Christian life we should all be done with such deeds and things that make us weary, and to backslide.

Lets us then be like a grain and be fruitful for God. A small prayer from a humble heart will really help us.

God bless us all.