Posts from — April 2010

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” –Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

Christians are perhaps the most worried of sorts. Ironic is it not? The very people who serve a God who promises to protect and provide for them even more than His loving care for the sparrow, are the most notorious for being anxious and troubled. Whenever trials come, the first response always seems to be “why?”. Why did God allow this to happen? Why doesn’t God provide for us now? Despair is a natural human response, and because we can never look above our circumstances and see the whole plan God has set for our lives, we often react to our present reality. God understands our short-sightedness and allows us to despair. Psalm 88 is prime evidence of that fact. It is perfectly understandable when troubles come to grieve, wail, and mourn for in reality, keeping a stiff upper lip is often hard to do.

At the same time however, Christians should take comfort in the fact that God never forsakes His people, and always has a beautiful plan for their lives. Although we can never see the whole plan, we can see bits of it in retrospect. God’s faithfulness to His followers is often understood by His followers after the trial has passed. Suffering produces strength and faith in the believer. Should a believer hold the hand of God and trust Him in his present situation, not only would he have the strength to face greater challenges, but his faith in God’s faithfulness will be strengthened simultaneously. Despair has its place no doubt, but clinging onto despair will only further entrench a person into helplessness and misery. Christ came to set free humanity from a lot of things. One of these things was worry. As long as the believer continues to place His trust and obedience in Christ, He can rest and find solace in his Savior’s promises never to abandon and never to forsake, that the torturous night eventually gives way to the glorious day.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.” -Isaiah 26:9 (NIV)

I’ve often had sleepless nights. Not out of fear, but usually out of excitement. The promise of a much-anticipated trip or a reunion with an old friend whom I haven’t seen in years is enough to keep me up at night tossing and turning in a futile attempt to make morning come faster. Do I have the same reaction when it comes to spending time with God? Rarely, if never, have I had a night when I was sleepless on account of being excited about reading the Bible. Does this mean that I should? Perhaps. But in His goodness, God has given man the gift of sleep to rest his mortal body. Man is but dust, and I am thankful that I serve a God who understands this well. Besides, I hardly think that God wants His message to be spread by insomniacs. How ineffective a witness that would be for the Christian!

But like all verses in the Bible this one raises a good point. How often do I rush through my morning not stopping to spend time in His Word? I would like to describe myself as someone who pursues righteousness, justice, and truth. But what good is this pursuit without consulting the perfect source from which all these things flow? Can man comprehend the standards God has placed on these qualities? To an extent perhaps, but as with anything man touches, even the most purest of pursuits end up tainted by his sinful nature. It is only through reading God’s Word that the Christian may understand such concepts in their purest form, and interact with them in a way that glorifies God and alleviates the suffering of the world. That alone should keep me up at night.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” – Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)

One only needs to crack open a history book to see the depravity of man. Even the most noble of ideologies, the most benevolent of movements, fall prey to the corruptive force that is human nature. Throughout history, man has tried to wrestle with the problem human depravity by proposing ideas and methods that would eventually take man to a perfect society where their corruption will cease to persist. However man, in his finite understanding, can and will continue to only come up with solutions that may address and solve part of the problem, but never the whole. The unfortunate result is that the part which was not dealt with festers and grows until it completely destroys every noble aspect of the movement or ideology. Why does this happen? The reason is that man constantly applies small bandages to gaping gashes. Man’s depravity is total. It is inherent and affects every single person born into this world. It does not discriminate against race, gender, or socio-economic status. As long as human beings exist, depravity will exist.

What then is the solution? Total depravity deserves a total solution. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross had as its intent to deal with the root of human nature; its inherent wickedness. God knew that man could not save himself because all have fallen short of His standards. Since God is holy and just, He cannot tolerate sin and by His standards, all who sin face death. Yet, God in His love did not want to send His creation to such a fate and thus sent His Son to die in place of humanity. If an individual only believes that Christ came to die in order that the penalty of their sin may be satisfied, then they are completely forgiven. Christ’s act of redemption through His death and burial is complete and final. It had to be so in order that each and every sinful desire of man would hold him back no more. Through an acceptance of this fact, man can be elevated out of his corruption. Not by his own hands, but by those of Christ working through him. Total depravity is a problem bigger than humanity itself, and it needs a person bigger than humanity and its depravity to solve it.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

” For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” -1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)

Why do humans tend to focus on things that will pass away? Money, fame, success, relationships. When our time comes to die and be buried, will we be able to take these things with us? Naked we have come into this world and naked well will depart. Are these things evil in themselves? No, but once they become an obsession, a craving, not only does it become sin, but it becomes the source of much grief. How many people have all the money and wealth in the world, but are never satisfied? How many pursue fame and success, only to find emptiness? How many drift from relationship to relationship, yet never find happiness?

Humans feel that somehow the things of this world will make them complete. If only I get the contract, the degree, the right partner, then I will lack nothing. The sad reality is that this is not true. In this world, man will never be satisfied because everything thing in this world is fleeting, a chasing after the wind. One can lose money as quickly as they gained it. Fame and success may last during one’s lifetime and may even persist after their death. However, time eventually erodes human greatness. Friends come and go, and even spouses die eventually. In this world, where everything seems to slip from our grasp if it hasn’t already, what do we cling onto? He who calls upon the name of Christ will never thirst. Those who understand and believe in Christ’s sacrifice and His resurrection, and have dedicated their lives to Him, will never be restless. They will always find satisfaction in His eternal love and grace, and comfort in the hope of a beautiful life in the hereafter.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

It is written: ” ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ ” – Romans 14:11 (NIV)

When I was traveling in India, I came across a church with a sign bearing these words. ”He who kneels before God can stand before anything”. It’s a profound statement. There are times when I feel that life has overwhelmed me. Once I feel comfortable with the rhythm life is at, the tempo picks up speed and the rhythm becomes distorted; leaving me to struggle in an attempt to keep up. Sometimes life seems so confusing, to the point of absurdity, that I often wonder whether I am living in a dream. At times when I feel that life has left me lying on my back, I remember that I serve a God who is constant and unchanging in an often fluid and chaotic world, who stands above the world and keeps it in His hands.

What a great privilege I have, that this same God desires to guide me through the chaos of life. Realizing that the world is fallen He, in His compassion, wants to aid the suffering and redeem His Creation. All that He requires of me is to trust Him in humble submission. Truly I, in my imperfect state, cannot hope to make sense of my own life. I have tried and failed on more than one occasion. But a God who not only has ordained my days for me, but wants to reveal His plan for me should I allow Him to, is the most perfect and compassionate guide to help me sift through and make sense of the disorder that life seems to bring about. By kneeling to Him, I gain the strength and confidence that only He can provide, to brave any storm life seems to throw at me. This is why God allows suffering in the life of the Christian. So that we may grow stronger, both mentally and spiritually, and that we may come out more enlightened than before towards His ways.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.