Meditation on Giving

Meditation on Giving

Today's Passage
Luke 21:1-4 ESV
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, [2] and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. [3] And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. [4] For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

Just before Jesus looked up, he was actually warning His hearers about the pride, greed and false piety of the teachers of the law in Luke 20:45-47

As I was meditating on these verses I realised that there was in fact no break in between the incident in Luke 20 and 21. It was only much later that the chapters and verses were added and headings given for easy reference.

Jesus most of the time, taught in the synagogues and on the temple grounds. That's where, He saw the teachers of the law and observed how they behaved and warned the people not to be like them because those who behave in like manner will be punished most severely. That is when Jesus saw the poor widow, as He looked up.

What was Jesus trying to teach us? Before we come to that, let me tell you how some preachers interpret and teach it. 

Some preachers quote this to tell their congregation  to give to their churches all that they have, like the poor widow did. They tell them that God will give it back to them in abundance.  Some even tell them to give their monthly giving, using their credit cards.

They quote Luke 6:38 ESV,
"give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."... to support their claims.

This then will be combined with prosperity sermons. They will even testify how God blessed them with a huge car, mansion and a huge bank account just because they once gave all that they had in their wallets.

Then they will add the verse from Malachi 3:10 ESV
"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."

They will compel people to give, even if they have debts and unpaid bills, saying, all their debts will be met if they give now. Instead of teaching them how to manage their finances well, these prosperity preachers prowl on the weak and poor so that they themselves can become rich. Eventually the poor ones, who don't know proper money management, will be taunted by loan sharks and they go into depression. 

Did Jesus mean what these preachers claim that He meant? What was His message to us?

I am viewing today's passage from three angles.

Angle 1

In Luke 6:38 Jesus did not specifically preach about giving only money. There are many ways to give what God has blessed us with. We can give money to bless our church, the missions and the poor. We can give food to the hungry and clothes and footwear to the poor and naked. We can give of our talents, time and energy, listening to and helping the lonely, the unloved, the marginalised and the outcasts in society etc.

In Luke 20:47, He tells about the teachers of the law and how they devour widows' houses (here houses could mean all that the widows ever owned). In Luke 21:1-4 Jesus looks up and specifically comments about the poor widow who caught His attention. This which happened right before their eyes was an actual proof to how they devour all that the poor widows owned. That is why Jesus could be mentioning about her, as a practical example.

The teachers of the law would have imposed their own stringent laws for giving. This would not have affected the rich who had much wealth. It surely did affect the poor and the widows who did not have much to live with, but were subconsciously coerced into giving.

Therefore in this passage, there is a warning for all preachers who use God's Word infused with their own laws and interpretations to manipulate and devour their poor just as the teachers of the law devoured widows houses. Read Luke 20:47 again.

Angle 2

Let us look closely at the passage again from another angle. The rich have been giving, out of their wealth. They could have been proud that they were able to give much. In contrast, the poor widow humbly, gave only two very small copper coins, out of her poverty. It must have been very obvious to the public, who the rich were and who the poor were, by the gifts they were putting into the treasury.  Here Jesus could be showing us the difference between the proud giver and the humble giver.

Angle 3

Now finally let us examine this passage from a third angle. Jesus Who is truly Man and truly God, knows our life's struggles. Therefore He was able to boldly state that the widow, put in all that she had to live on, out of her poverty. The rich after giving from their wealth still had more wealth to depend on and cling on to. But the poor widow who gave out of her poverty had nothing else to depend on and to cling on to. She only had God. She depended completely upon God. She put her wholehearted trust in God alone. Thus I believe Jesus used her as an example to teach us how to trust God completely, even when in want.

As we meditate on this passage let us remember that God knows our struggles and problems. He knows what we are going through daily. He only wants us to put our complete trust and dependence on Him.

God does not need our money. He owns it all. He declares in  Isaiah 66:1-2 ESV
Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? [2] All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

We can give all that we have but if our heart has pride in it God will reject our gifts. Alternatively even if we just put in a one dollar coin with humility in our hearts, God will be pleased with the gift.

Let us not give grudgingly but with a cheerful and thankful heart, trusting the Lord totally for our future . Let us bless others with what God has blessed us with.

Summary

Let no one deceive us into giving and expecting to become rich and successful in life. Do not borrow from someone else or a bank to give. God does not want us to be debtors. Never use our credit cards to pay our tithes. When we give, let us just give to bless. Let us not expect anything in return. If we do, that would mean that we are lending to God expecting an interest. Read Luke 6:32-35. We may or may not receive our reward on earth but we will surely receive what is due to us in heaven. We must give without counting the cost and give without expecting returns.

What can we give? First and foremost let us give God thanks with a greatful heart for all that He has blessed us with. Let's give what God impresses upon our hearts, to support our churches and our ministers because this is the right thing to do according to Galatian 6:6-10. Let us give our money and whatever we can give to support the missions and to help the poor. Let us give of our time, energy and talents to help those in need. Let us do whatever we can do, in secret, because then God who sees us in secret will reward us publicly. Let's not boast about our giving.  God is pleased with a humble giver; not a proud one. Let's just place our confidence solely on God.

Contrast between the 'Fallen Man' and the 'Born again' Man

The Fallen Man
The innate nature of the fallen man is to take. 

He lusts after what he can get for himself. He takes under the pretext of giving. The sad part is that, he himself is unaware of his natural inclination to take instead of to give.

Let us see how the fallen man's  'Taking' is camouflaged as 'Giving'.

A). He gives of his time and energy working sleeplessly for days and nights, for himself and his family, expecting his family to appreciate him; expecting his children to do well in life and uphold his name and honour; expecting to earn much and live well in comfort; expecting to get a raise and a promotion at work; expecting to earn in order to go on long, expensive and relaxing holidays twice yearly.

B). He gives of his hard earned money and whatever energy he has left to
physical instructors, nutritional consultants and beautitians, by going to the gym daily and getting expensive nutritious meals and products and getting beauty products. He gives to these causes expecting to live a long and healthier life. He gives expecting to look younger than he is. He gives expecting to look good.

C). He gives of his hard earned money, his remaining time and the little energy he has left to help the poor, those in the missionfield and he visits the sick and the prisoners. He then publicises his giving by telling everyone what he has done and by posting pictures of himself doing all this on social media while constantly checking on how many likes he gets. By giving, he expects to earn a name and some praise for himself.

D). He gives of his time and energy visiting and helping the sick among those who are rich and powerful, well to do and are prominent in society, expecting to earn their favour and their help one day, when he needs it.

E). He gives to his church every month. If he is wealthy, he writes his name and the amount he gives in bold on the envelope to  ensure that his pastors know that he is giving a big amount. He walks with his nose in the air expecting the church to treat him better because he gives more than the poor man next to him. Then he anxiously waits, expecting God to multiply his assets a thousandfold just as his pastors claimed he would.

The fallen man gives, expecting a return of some kind. If he does not get what he expects, he will get disappointed and all hell will break loose. This is not true giving.

The Born again' Man
In contrast, let us look at the giving of the 'Born-again' man. He loves God and others as himself, therefore he gives selflessly without expectations.

A). He gives of his time and energy working sleeplessly but cheerfully, for days and nights just trusting God to take care of him and his family. He expects no return from his family. He only wants to raise up god fearing children who would be good citizens of heaven. He knows that God will reward him in His own time and way. He praises God for giving him the time, the strength and energy to work and earn. He sings the praises of God from early morning till he lays down to sleep.

B) He gives of whatever time and energy he has left, to keep himself healthy for his dependants and himself by exercising daily without spending much money. He eats moderately and eats a healthy diet not spending much on it. He blesses and thanks God for giving him the time and energy to exercise and keep healthy.

C). He gives of his hard earned money, his remaining time and the little energy he has left, to help the poor, those in the missionfields and visits the sick and the prisoners. He does it out of joy, praising God for enabling him to be of use in His kingdom to help all who are in need. He gives without pomp or publicity. Even his right hand does not know what his left hand does. He gives to glorify God and to make the name of Jesus known,  without expecting any returns for himself.

D). He gives of his money, time and energy visiting the sick, praying for them and helping the poor and outcasts who cannot afford to return his favour.  He sees Christ Jesus in every person he helps. He gives without expecting anything.

E). He gives to his church faithfully every month, as soon as he gets his salary, the amount which God impresses upon his heart. It can be 10% or more, he gives cheerfully, willingly and without complaining. He manages his money well with godly wisdom and does not borrow to give. He looks for opportunities to serve in church. He does it humbly and gives of his money, time and energy  without counting the cost.

This is true giving. Giving is God's nature and the born-again man, when he gives willingly, puts on the nature of God Himself.

Conclusion
Let us give joyfully to bless others with what God has blessed us with. If our giving does not cause a pinch in our wallets; if our giving does not cost us our precious time; if our giving does not cost us some form of sapping of our energy, then, we are giving out of our wealth and not out of our poverty. Only when we give out of our poverty, then we are giving our all back to God Who is our Giver. Let us give with humility and thanksgiving in our hearts and tremble at God's Word (be afraid of displeasing God). Let us give in secret. Then let us hold on to Jesus our Saviour and put our total trust and dependence upon Him, because He holds our future in His hands. Let us also remember that when we give willingly and cheerfully, we have nothing to be proud of,  because it is the Holy Spirit Who stirs our hearts to give. Let us practice humility at all times.

This my dear friends, is my humble meditation on the above scripture. You meditate on it and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you in your heart regarding it. He will.

Shall we pray now?

Prayer.
Father God, all that I have, money, possessions, time, energy, talents and knowledge comes from You. Give me a generous heart so that I will give cheerfully, without complaining and without counting the cost. Help me give as David did. I now aak You Father as David did:- 1 Chronicles 29:18 ESV paraphrased:-
"O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts (to give willingly and cheerfully) in my heart, and direct my heart toward you."
I want to have Your heart of compassion and unconditional love to bless others with what You Father, have blessed me with. Hide me in Your heart so that I will never ever displease You in anyway. Hide me and let only Christ Jesus be seen through me and in me. I want to have a closer walk with You. I pray this in Jesus precious name. Amen.

Mary Augustine
19th August 2019

Needing God vs Wanting God! Some Hard Truths!

Needing God vs Wanting God.

"We all seek God" - Do we really?

We need to be honest in answering this because our eternity depends on it.

1.Do we really seek God?
2.Why do we seek God? 
3.How and when must we seek God?
4.Will we find God when we seek Him? 

Do we really seek God?

In these times it is a growing trend among many to disbelieve the existence of God. They think everything existed by chance. They think that they have the power to do what they want and that God is a mythical figure. Therefore such people will not seek God but seek that which will give them satisfaction and pleasure and give them what they need and want.

Some others seek God sometimes, some others seek Him most of the time and few seek Him all the time. 

This brings us to the next question, "Why do we seek God?"

Why do we seek God?

Now let us look at why those who seek God, do so.  We have commonly heard people tell the story of a monk and his disciple. If you have not heard it, it goes like this:-

There was once a disciple who went to his master and asked him how to find God. The master was taking a bath in the river at that time. He then asked his disciple to step into the river. The disciple thought that his master called him to step in because he was going to whisper the answer into his ear. He stepped into the river and went near his master. The master immediately pushed his head into the river and held him there for what seemed like a long time. The disciple began to gasp for air. He could not stay submerged for more than 3 minutes. He forced himself up gasping desperately for air. Then the master told his disciple, "When you need God this much, desperately, you will find Him."

Although this story seems to be addressing the third question, 'How and When must we seek God', I have illustrated it here to explain question two, "Why most people seek God?"

Most people, even wise monks think that when they seek God like the disciple who sought air to breathe desperately, they will find Him. I beg to differ. Most of the time people seek God because of desperation.

When we have something of value with us all the time, we seldom realise its presence or appreciate its value. We normally take it for granted. We start looking for it when we lose it or begin to seek in desperation when we need it the most.

The same  goes for God. God our Creator and Provider, the Supreme Being, is waiting, watching and calling out to us. It is we who are ignoring Him. God is the One providing us with all that we need. Yet we do not appreciate Him. We take Him for granted. We mostly look for Him because we simply want our prayers answered.

This can be seen in people who have access to, and no access to, medical help. Those who have no access to medical help will cry out to God for help. If the same people have succour via medicine then their reliance on God will wane. They will seek Him again when medicine cannot help them anymore.

As long as we have all or most or even some of our basic and relationship needs met, we won't seek God. Suddenly when disaster strikes and we or our loved ones lose our health or we are on the verge of bankruptcy we cry out to God, to that  Supreme and Sovereign Divine Power to save us. Until then most of us would not have given God a serious thought. It is during times such as these that we realise that we need a Higher Power to provide us with our needs, to protect and to save us from perils.

Conclusion:- Therefore most human beings, seek God or start believing in His existence after they have exhausted their own strength, all means and methods of trying and finally when they need a Power higher than them to rescue them. 

(On a serious note:- Many sadly seek the dark forces to help them, like fortune-tellers, black magic, witches and sorcerers to help them get what they want. These sadly will perish in the end, at the hands of the dark forces unless they turn to God in repentance. They don't know now but will know it when it is too late.)

Why Do We Need God?

We need Him because only He can fill that void; that emptiness within us.

As created beings we need our Creator God, Who is the Maker of this Universe and the many Galaxies, the One without beginning and end. We need Him every moment of our lives. Whether we realise it or not, it is He Who is sustaining us throughout our lives. Without Him no one or nothing could ever exist.

Let's explore 'Wanting God' .

There is a vast difference between seeking God out of desperation, that is, when we need Him most and seeking God consumed by love for Him, that is when we want Him most.

When we want something, like a hot chocolate fudge or more money to build our dream house or go travelling around the world, we get consumed with the thoughts of that which we want most. We will not rest until we get what we want although it may not be what we need.

A little child will want to be beside his mother. He will cling to her because he wants her. A young couple would want to spend much time together because they want to be in the presence of each other. When they are apart their minds will be consumed by the thoughts of each other.

That is how we must seek after God, because we want to be with Him and not because we need our prayers to be answered. We must be consumed by thoughts about Him, love for Him day and night.

One may say, "Going after worldly things with determination and perseverance will ultimately make a man resilient and successful!" Even then, eventually it will make that man a greedy and a selfish person, if he does not seek God . Seeking after God, because we want Him, will make us 'People after God's own heart'.

Who is God and How do we mostly treat Him as?

God is our Creator. He is the Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient Ruler of all. Yet we do not give Him the respect due to Him. Instead we use Him. We treat God, as a vending machine which quenches our thirst or an ATM which dispenses money when we need cash or a specialist doctor who treats our diseases and cures us. We treat Him as such, for our instant gratification.

We sing, "God, You are a Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, A Light Who shines in our darkest moments!" It is good to know all this and cry out to Him for our needs. It is good that we turn to God for help instead of the dark evil forces.

Don't get me wrong. It is not a sin to need God. In fact, it is good. The first response of a desperate human being in need will be to cry out, "Oh God, help me!"

It is a God given wisdom to realise that we all need God.  What I am saying is don't stop at that. Build a relationship with Him.

Imagine a daughter who goes to her dad only for money and talks to her mum only when she needs food or some urgent help from her. Imagine the married children who visit their elderly parents only when they need help from them and don't bother to even call and ask them how they are and if they need any help.  They are preoccupied with their own work, friends and interests all the  time. They do not bother to find  out about her parents interests or desires. When their parents are unable to help them, they stop visiting them giving various excuses. What kind of relationship is that? Many treat God in similar ways.

Unlike that,  we must  want God all the time and not only during specific times when we can't handle things. When we pray for healing and are not healed or pray for some financial need and don't get it, we must not be like those who shun God and say, "There is no God!"  Instead we must quietly abide in Jesus and seek Him Who provides our needs in His time, in quietness and trust. After all whether we are healed or not, whether our financial needs are provided for or not, our ultimate health and wealth is in God and God alone. In Him we are made whole.

As human beings we don't have anything in ourselves to do anything. No capabilities, no power, no strength, nothing. All our ability comes from God. He is the very breath in our lungs. When we realise this, we will stop seeking Him for what He can give us and seek Him because we only want Him.

Why must we 'Want' God?

We must 'want' God so that we can have an intimate relationship with Him.

We cannot form intimate relationship with things.

We can only form close relationships with most people, but not an intimate one. We don't form an intimate relationship with our doctors and hairstylists, just a friendly one.  We do form a very close bonding relationship with our parents, siblings and children but not in the way we are with our spouses. We form intimate relationship only with our spouses, with whom we want to spend the rest of our lives with and share everything we are and have, with. We are unashamed when we are with our spouses and do not want anyone to intrude in our private time together.

That's the kind of an intimate relationship we must build with God. In fact not even our spouses know what we think or feel, but the One Who created us knows our every thought and every intention of our hearts. We can bare our secrets to Him and He is the only One Who can and will understand us.

We will only be able to forge an intimate relationship with God when we want Him for Who He is, instead of just needing Him for what He can give. As long as we treat God as something or someone from whom we can get what we want, when we want it, we will never find Him in a way where we will have intimacy with Him.

Only when we seek Him to know Him as He is, only when we want to be surrounded by His presence and be filled with His Spirit, only when we want to bare our hearts before Him and enjoy His presence, only when we want Him more than anything else in this world, only then we will find Him.

Why do we need to form an intimate relationship with God?

When we build an intimate relationship with God:-

1) We will desire what He desires. We will see others as He does. 

2) We will hear the heart cries of others just as He does. 

3) Our motives and desires will be selfless and pure and will be aligned with His. 

4) We will be holy people, better people and will be blessed people. 

5) We will also be able to bless others in many ways in which those who do not have an intimate relationship with God, can't.

6) Finally, we will be able to fulfill the destiny He has for us. Why do I say that?  Only the person consistently looking at (seeking) the face of God will be able to know what God wants him/her to do with his/her life.

Who will teach us how to seek God and find Him?

Many sages have come and gone seeking God, but sadly all have failed to find Him. It is Jesus, the Son of God, Who was born as a feeble child, Who walked among men teaching them how to live the way God wants us to live, Who, taking the sins of humanity upon Himself suffered and died a cruel death on the cross, Who victoriously resurrected on the third day and walked among men teaching and giving further instructions for 40 days, Who ascended into heaven after 40 days in the sight of His disciples and Who is now seated at the right hand of God our Father, Who taught us how to seek God and find Him and form an intimate relationship with Him. It is all written in God's Word, which is the Bible. It teaches us how to truly seek Him and surely find Him.

God's Word teaches us, how to seek God.

Who else teaches us now on a daily basis?

The Holy Spirit Who resides in us. 

Yes, other than the Word of God, the Holy Spirit Himself guides us and teaches us how to seek Him and live a life pleasing to God. He not only guides and teaches us but also empowers us who abide in Jesus, to bear much fruit. 

In Jeremiah 29:13 , God promises, "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."

Yes, seeking God 'with all our heart', is the key here. Just as a lover longs to be with his bride, just as how his  heart and his whole being are all encompassed by the thoughts of his bride and just as he yearns to be with her every moment of his life, we must yearn for God and His presence. We must want Him that much.

What are the dangers of just seeking God when we need Him instead of seeking God wholeheartedly because we want an intimate relationship with Him; because of Who He is?

1. If we just seek God when we need Him, we will become lukewarm in our relationship with Him. There will be no real relationship with God as I already  mentioned earlier.

2.  We will seek anything else that will satisfy our needs and 'worldly wants'; anything that will give us instant gratification.

3. We will be selfish individuals, always complaining and never satisfied. 

4. Without the right relationship with God we will not bear much fruit and will not have God's abiding peace in any and every situation.

5. Finally we will easily fall away. We will either seek after other 'gods' or begin to believe the lie, that 'there is no God'!

Blessings for those who seek God with all their heart.

God promises many things to those who seek Him. Here is one of those numerous promises in the Bible:-

In Ps 34:10 , God promises,
"The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing."

What makes them lack no good thing? Is it magic? No! Those who seek God because they want Him will delight in His commands and obey Him. Just as a lover will want to do what his/her bride/groom desires and will not want to displease her/him in any way, those who want God with all their hearts and souls will think of what God wants them to do and obey Him because they never want to displease Him in any way. Therefore because they are abiding in Him, are rooted in Him Who is the nutrient Provider, they will lack no good thing.

The above truth is clearly explained in the following Psalm...

In Psalm 1, God promises this:-
1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

Blessings assured! & Some hard truths!

Remember, every believer of Jesus Christ has all his sins washed away by the blood of Christ. We are filled with God's Holy Spirit and empowered by Him to walk in the righteousness of Jesus. After Salvation comes Sanctification. We are not left as orphans but we become God's own children and are set apart from those of the world. We have One Who lives within us to constantly help us in our righteous walk with God. This is the Holy Spirit of God Who convicts us of our wrong doings when we sin after our salvation and prompts us to repent and live a changed righteous life in Christ Jesus. We must continue to live sanctified lives ( a life set apart) with the help of God's Spirit.

God's Word says this :-
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.  Titus 2:11-14

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.  1 Peter 4:10-11

But if he/she chooses on his/her own accord to reject the 'Way' of Christ Jesus and displease God then this is what God's Word says about him/her:-

Hebrews 6:4-8 NIV
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age [6] and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. [7] Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. [8] But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Hebrews 10:26-31 NIV
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, [27] but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. [28] Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. [29] How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? [30] For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” [31] It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Therefore every believer who loves God and wants to please only Him, will seek God because he/she wants God, and not just because he/she needs Him only for what He can give.

These believers who love God and want only to please Him, will do the following:-

*will dig deep into God's Word the Bible and read it everyday and mediate on it.

*will meditate on God's laws day and night. 

*will always be thinking of how to please God and do what God requires of them.

*will honour their bodies as God's holy temple; will dress modestly; will eat the right food and in moderation; their speech and thoughts will be holy and uplifting.

*will be very wise in what they listen to, watch or play on their mobiles, computers or the social media.

*will obey, honour and respect parents and authorities.

*will respect all people big or small and treat animals with care.

*will keep their physical boundaries with others especially those of the opposite sex.

*will always speak the truth and be honest in all affairs.

*will have God fearing people who abide in Jesus, as their inner circle of friends.

*will choose God above the Good of this world.

*will abide in Jesus the Vine, Who is the Author of life itself.

*will bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in every area of their lives.

Therefore God says that they will not be troubled or become depressed by what happens around them. Why? Because they will be rooted in God and therefore will be refreshed by Him. 

Such a man will have God's abiding peace within him. He will prosper in whatever he does. He will be respected by all. He will lack no good thing and and will be blessed in every way.

Jesus Himself promised in John 14:21,23-24 NIV
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” [23] Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. [24] Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Are there any more blessings?

Yes there are numerous blessings for those who seek God with all their hearts. The Bible is full of them. We need to read the Bible from cover to cover to discover all of them.

Yes, for those of us who have been lured by our fleshly desires, and displeased God by our sins, God promises this in 1 John 1:5-6,9 NIV

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. [6] If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

All of us have sinned. I too have sinned and displeased God in many ways, before I tasted His love, goodness and mercy. I was a namesake Christian then. I did not read His Word and meditate on it as much as I do now. God revealed His heart to me when I sought Him.  It was then that I truly repented and He washed away every sin of mine. He broke the chains which bound me and set me free. I am still not perfect. I still struggle to do things His way. When I fall, I repent and He picks me up. I am weak. Only in Jesus I am strong. It is His strength which helps me walk with Him each day.

Every sin is exactly the same in God's eyes. The sin of disobedience is the same as adultery, speaking vulgarities and committing murder. It is man who divides sins into minor and major sins. God looks at it all in the same way; as SIN. Only the sin against the Holy Spirit is considered grevious and unpardonable. All other sins He will pardon if we truly repent.

When we repent and truly seek God with all our heart He promises to bring us back from captivity. 

In Jeremiah 29:13-14 NIV God promises that,
13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. [14] 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. ..."

God promises to bring us back into intimate fellowship with Him, delivering us from all that has captivated our hearts. He promises to deliver us from the worldly desires and the pleasures of sin. The pleasure of sin may look tempting and glamorous but believe me, it steals, kills and destroys. It brings sickness and poverty into our lives subtly, and drains away all our energy and life, slowly but surely. Before we realise it, we will be suffering its consequenses big time. God promises to deliver us from its bondage. We just have to repent and call out to Jesus.

As we can see, God's promises are conditional. Every time we see an 'if' or 'when' we know there is a condition attached to that promise. Therefore we must fulfill the conditions attached to those promises. But do not worry. He has given us His Holy Spirit to help us to fulfill them.

Will God keep His Promises?

Oh yes! You bet He will.
When God promises He sees it through fruition. He delivers every promise of His. He is a faithful God.

In  Numbers 23:19 NIV, we learn that,
"God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

In 2 Timothy 2:13 NIV, we have this assurance,
"if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

The best promise is this.
In Isaiah 55:11 God promises this,
"so will my Word be that goes out of my mouth— it won't return to me empty. Instead, it will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

Then again if we seek God just for His promises we will fall in the category of those who seek Him when they need Him.

Therefore let us seek God because we want Him. Let us always be conscious of His presence. Let us meditate on His Word day and night. His Word will transform us. It will cause an aversion for sin and an ardent desire to please God, in us.

Let us not run to Him as the last resort. He is waiting patiently for us to acknowledge Him. Let us form an intimate relationship with Him, be refreshed in His presence and delight to do what pleases Him. Then let us look forward to living a victorious and  blessed life now and having an intimate communion with Him throughout eternity.

Jesus calls us now...let us run to Him

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

A Special Note To The Reader.

The main intention of this article is :-

1. To create an awareness of God's unconditional love, mercy and grace which is available to all and the immense blessings wrought, by being rooted in Jesus.

 
2. To create an awareness of the peace and joy received in the midst of various life's affliction when we seek Him because we want Him.

3. Finally to make known the dangers of seeking God only when we need Him.

What I have experienced, I want you to experience too. As I mentioned earlier, I am not perfect. I still stumble and fall, but my God holds me and corrects me and sets me on the right path.

Let us pray!
Father God, You revealed Yourself in Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I know that I desperately need You. I cannot live for a moment without You. You are my very breath and my very heartbeat. Yet Father, I now run to You because I want You more than anything else. I want You more than anything You provide. I want You more than my life itself because Father I know that in You is Eternal Life. I pray in Jesus mighty name that my loved ones and I, be never ever separated from Your love and Your presence. I rest in Your love knowing that You are holding us in Your hands and have promised us that no one will ever separate us from You. Love You my Abba!

Mary Augustine
6th August 2019