Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25 NIV)
When I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior some thirty over years ago during an evangelistic meeting, I was given a small booklet by a counselor on the first steps for new Christians. In the booklet, I got to understand the basics of how to stay assured of my salvation, grow in the knowledge of Christ Jesus by studying the Bible, and to pray.
Years later, God granted me the opportunity to serve as a counselor for several large scale gospel events, including those organized for speakers like evangelists Billy Graham, Luis Palau, and Reinhard Bonnke. During these events, the people in the crowd receiving the Lord were one by one directed to a counselor for briefing after prayer. My task as a counselor was then to go through with the new believer the steps to peace with God using a booklet that explained God’s plan, man’s problem, God’s remedy and man’s response. After that, it was all administrative stuff for follow up arrangements.
When the new believers were eventually assigned to the various participating churches, my role continued in following up to guide them in the first steps as new Christians. This systematic approach to follow up new believers before they join a Bible study or cell group had helped kept many in the faith.
The task of guiding new believers on the right steps to take to grow in Christ is critical, especially for those who were previously from another faith. As Christians, we have been called to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything our Lord has commanded us (Matthew 28:19-20). To this we have been called, since Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). If we therefore live by the Spirit, we should also keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). And if anyone should fall or be caught in a sin, we who are spiritual ought to restore that person gently, keeping watch at the same time that we ourselves are not tempted (Galatians 6:1).
Dear Lord, help us not neglect the following up of new believers in the faith. Teach us to be sensitive toward them Lord that we may not be too quick to point a finger at them when they falter or fall into sin. Place within us a gentle spirit Lord that we may correct, restore and nurture those who are weak, and help them grow strong in You. We thank You Lord for readily suffering on our behalf to die on the cross to redeem us. Henceforth Lord, we purpose to walk in Your ways and keep in step with Your Holy Spirit.
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. (Isaiah 35:1-2a NIV)
Crocuses are among the first plants to burst into bloom even while snow is still on the ground. According to an article at GardenersNet.com, these hardy flowers begin to grow with a warm spell in late winter or early spring, and blossom into bright colors of impressive beauty within a few days of growth.
One of the good things about crocuses is they are easy to care. Even if snow falls again before they bloom or during bloom, the crocuses remain unharmed and come back year after year to brighten up the winter gardens with colors in large display. Bumblebees and butterflies hungry after hibernation love to feed on the nectar from the crocuses. Yet despite such beauty and value, crocuses disappear soon after flowering and do not leave behind any ugly aftermath of dying foliage. This is according to Nigel Colborn in his article on the magical powers of crocuses at DailyMail.co.uk.
The crocus is described in the Bible as a plant that bursts into bloom and brings much rejoicing to a deserted land. The parched land exemplifies the ‘dried up’ lives we live in during the times we run away from God or are not walking in Him (Isaiah 35:1-2). Yet even then, God promises us if we are to turn from our wayward ways and return to Him, He will restore us. Our lives will be like water gushing forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool and the thirsty ground bubbling springs. Gladness and joy will overtake us and sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isaiah 35:6-7, 10).
Are we down and out feeling all dried up in our spiritual lives? If we are, let us come back to God that He may refresh us and quench our thirst. Like the crocuses that bloom to brighten up the gardens and feed the bumblebees and butterflies, let us also ‘bloom’ to reveal to the world the beauty and glory of our God in and through our lives. No matter how long or short our lives may be on earth, let us not leave behind anything with regret or sadness, but let us be found faithful to the end in showing faith in the way we live.
Dear Lord, thank You for not turning away from us even when we run away from You. Restore our souls O Lord and quench our thirst in our times of spiritual dryness as we return to You that we may with gladness and joy show to the world Your great mercy and love. Take our lives and make them wholly Yours Lord, for we desire to do Your will and live in You all the days of our lives through eternity—life forevermore.
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NAS)
I am always not getting enough time to do the things I am supposed to do for the house. Having to work five days a week as an employee, I am almost always exhausted by the end of the day coming home. Saturday mornings are taken up by the need to run errands or follow up at the clinics, leaving the afternoons for visitations, household repairs and maintenance, or the updating and housekeeping of my blogs and websites. Sunday mornings are spent in church and the afternoons writing devotions for a writing challenge and a Christian blog.
Many of us, like me, are probably finding it hard to have sufficient time to do the needful as well as the necessary. Once in a while when something out of the usual demands our time away from our routines, we may think of it as disrupting our schedules for a good reason or for no good reason. At the end of the day, we may feel distressed or unhappy, having to rush to catch up with what we should have been doing. Perhaps it is someone in need that we have to give our time and go the extra mile to help or a friend who is trying to catch up with us. Are we always too busy to have the time to spare?
Some years ago in a seminar I attended, a video was shown with a voice over that said, "Time waits for no man, but man waits all the time. People were told to wait another six months for a solution ... The wait is over, the time is now ..." Obviously, what was being said in the video was targeted at getting the audience to make a purchase. Yet, there is some truth in the statement about timing.
Jesus said, “Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest '? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (John 4:35). We know the length of our lives is determined by God and the number of months we live have been decreed, set with a limit no one can exceed (Job 14:5). It is clear there is an appointed time for everything and every event under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Yet we must be wise to know the appropriate time to do what we are supposed to do and the time to do what is most important.
When we encounter disruptions in our routines, be aware that such interruptions may mean we should pause for the moment to deal with more important things. Never think of interruptions as spoiling our plans or upsetting our schedules. Remember, time well spent with the Lord and with the people God placed around us—including the time given to help a friend or a stranger—is worth its weight in gold (Matthew 25:34-36).
Dear Lord, teach us to number our days that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Grant us Lord to know how to differentiate the things we are supposed to do from the things that have to be done. Help us not turn away people who need our help or want to catch up with in our busyness. Slow us down whenever necessary Lord that we may pause to listen to the voice of Your Holy Spirit, and do what is right, according to Your will.
When a stubborn fool is irritated, he shows it immediately, but a sensible person hides the insult. (Proverbs 12:16 GWT)
I work for a startup in a very small office, and it is important that I get along with my co-workers. Occasional conflicts however are inevitable, especially when it comes to the sharing of limited resources and managing personal differences like our working styles, behaviors, preferences, and sometimes even restroom practices.
Once in a while, tolerance is much desired despite feeling irritated, in particular, when faced with a colleague who persistently does things in the exact opposite of how I would have preferred. Maybe it is because of age barrier or maybe it is the fact we do not think the same. No doubt, the co-worker is younger and less experience than me, yet perhaps it is time I learn to adapt to new ways of doing things since everything else in the world is changing all the time.
So what should we do when we encounter a co-worker who we simply cannot get along?
"First look at yourself, then look at others," said Andy Selig, ScD, a management and organizational psychologist in the article ‘Work it Out: Getting Along with Co-Workers’ by Sonya Collins at WebMD.com. "We can't usually change other people, but we can change ourselves."
Selig said while a co-worker's behavior may feel like a personal affront we did nothing to deserve, he or she may feel affronted too. We should therefore first examine ourselves, are we moving too fast? If we are, Selig’s advice is we should not be too quick to hit the ground running, especially if we are new in a job. We should instead come in slow to ease the tension rather than start parenting right away as we need to earn the trust of those we work with in order for them to value what we have to say.
If conflict resolution demands that we talk to someone higher or with the co-worker whom we are facing problems with, the advice in the article by Collins is to first count to ten and not react to the co-worker’s most recent offense. Instead of confronting the co-worker asking “Why are you shooting down all my ideas?” consider saying “I think I may have gotten off on the wrong foot. Is there anything I can be doing differently?” Always keep conversations and attitudes professional, not personal.
Like the advice given in the article at WebMD, the Bible also teaches that we should not be like a stubborn fool to react insensibly when irritated (Proverbs 12:16). We should instead have self-control to persevere in the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5; 2 Peter 1:16). If we need to deal with a difficult co-worker or someone who is misguided, ignorant, or seemingly dislikes us, do so gently since we ourselves and the antagonist are also beset with weaknesses (Hebrews 5:2).
Always look within ourselves first to find out whether we have been difficult, rather than be too quick to point a finger in accusing others. Even if we are not in the wrong, we must be sensitive not to take offense or break the relationship when correcting the other. As believers in the Lord, let us demonstrate God’s love one to another, for by this all men will know we are Christ’s disciples (John 13:35).
Dear Lord, forgive us for sometimes taking offense instead of keeping our cool when irritated. Help us Lord not be like stubborn fools to insensibly react to people who irritate or insult us or be too quick to accuse them. Change our attitudes O Lord if there be anything in us that turns people away from You. Guide our ways Lord that we may do all things sensibly according Your will.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. (Matthew 25:35-36 NAS)
In the hope of getting people to stop being apathetic towards poverty, a non-profit organization serving in Haiti, Leve Project, introduced a fundraising challenge in January 2011 called ‘Nothing to Wear’ (NTW). The idea of the challenge was to let people get a small taste of what they would have been indifferent to due to a lack of identifying with that something, for example, poverty.
Participants were given to wear a small NTW t-shirt as if they had nothing else to wear for a max of 30 days while raising funds to help fight poverty. The aim was not merely about understanding poverty, but also to see how God values the poor and learn to love what He loves. Instead of having people being told they are supposed to care for those in need, remember widows and orphans, give money away, pray for hurting people and serve ‘the least of these,’ participants get to experience it.
The message Leve Project hoped to convey of the challenge was clear, as spelled out in the script of the NTW introductory video.
“We have a lot of stuff. More than we need ... We SAVE, stash away, Upgrade. We like to have choices And we always ... want ... MORE! But while we have more than enough, others have less than they need.”
“Participants commit to wear the same shirt as if we had nothing else to wear while raising funds to help Haitian families in poverty. The more donations we receive, the longer we'll wear the shirt.”
“Why? Because it's easy to be indifferent to something we can't identify with. Like poverty. We cannot stay indifferent. We cannot continue living without taking an active stand to fight for justice for the poor.”
“And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God’ —Micah 6:8.”
Are we caring too much about what clothes we should wear, perhaps for an upcoming occasion or even our daily attire? If we have plenty or more than enough, and have choices we can pick from or consider, should we not also remember those who have less than they need and without a choice? As followers of the Lord, let us not become indifferent to identify with others, especially those in need.
For when the Son of Man shall come in glory as King, He shall say to those who have done well, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” But for those who have not done rightly, He shall say “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” and they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life (Matthew 25:40, 45-46).
Dear Lord, we are forever grateful to You for You have always cared for our needs. Help us Lord not to become complacent with what we have to desire for more. Guard our hearts O Lord that we may not become indifferent to those who are in need, especially those who have less than they need. Grant us Lord when we have more than enough to generously give. We love You Lord and we give ourselves completely to You.
Nothing to Wear
by Leve Project
And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (Mark 6:31a NAS)
When my wife and I visited Pilanesberg National Park, North West Province of southern Africa in 1999, we were amazed by what we saw of this 55,000 hectare game and wildlife reserve. Although we did not get to see all of the Big Five—the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant—at the park, what made a lasting impression in my mind was its landscape. I saw from a distance in the cool early morning a spectacle of astounding beauty of valleys and mountains that seemingly span beyond the horizon into the infinity of God’s unparalleled creation. Such was the deep impression I have of the park, besides its awe-inspiring sense of adventure being up close with the animals of the wild and beautiful sunset.
Not all of us are likely to get to visit a park that gives us lasting impressions. We need not however travel far to be able to appreciate the beauty of God’s creation. As a writer, I used to take time over the weekends to go to a nearby park for nature walks to think and get inspiration from God. Early mornings are always the best times to seek solitude within nature as I calm my inner spirit to heighten my senses in listening, smelling, touching, feeling, and seeing.
Are we weary and burdened by the things and activities going on around us? If we are, perhaps a visit to a park or garden nearby can work wonders for us in refreshing our focus. Jesus said, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31). Our Lord is inviting us to go to Him so He can give us rest (Matthew 11:28). If we are ever in doubt of God’s goodness, then let us call to remembrance the things that give us lasting impressions that we may never forget all His benefits and bless Him (Philippians 4:8; Psalm 103:2).
Dear Lord, thank You for the amazing beauty of Your creation. You O Lord have lifted up our spirits and heighten our senses to love You more and more each day. Wonderful are Your works O God that make lasting impressions on our hearts and minds, and we cannot help but to stand in awe of You. We praise You Lord because we have been fearfully and wonderfully made, and our souls find rest in You.
saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." (Luke 22:42 NAS)
When it comes to recipes, a cup is often used as an instrument of measure. One cup is equivalent to 16 tablespoons or 240 milliters in the United States, 12 if using Australian tablespoons, 200 milliters if using a Japanese cup. A quarter, a third of, or half a cup are ways we sometimes use to specify how full or little an ingredient is needed for a dish.
When it comes to perspectives in life or how we view things, however, a cup is a measure of our responses to positive or negative thinking. Half a cup full or empty is how we perceive the challenge moving forward to run the race or give up (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Just hours before He was crucified on the cross, our Lord at the Garden of Gethsemane prayed, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42). The cup Jesus was referring to was not just His death on the cross but also the agony and sufferings He had to go through for our sake.
As a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, Jesus was despised and forsaken of men, and like one from whom men hide their faces, crushed for our iniquities, chastened for our well-being, scourged for our healing (Isaiah 53:3-5).
As the Son of God, however, He had a choice not to take up the cup and die for us. Yet He chose to go through the pain to do the will of His Father out of His love for us. Jesus knew beforehand what was in the cup, yet He did not give up but went on to run the race and fulfill God’s purpose.
What about us? How do we measure up and perceive the cup? Is it half empty of blessings filled full with sufferings that we are thinking of or feel like giving up? May it never be our choice to give up the faith because of a hard life or tough times! For if we do, we will lose everything, just as we would have lost our salvation if Christ our Lord had given up on us and walked away from the cup of sufferings.
Let us be wise and choose life in Christ, for He came that we may have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). If we should desire to give up, then let us give up holding on too tightly to our own life. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever gives up his life for Christ’s sake will find it (Matthew 16:25).
Dear Lord, help us not give up our faith too easily just because of a hard life or difficult times, but to hold fast and run the race till the very end. Do not allow us to become rooted in the entanglements of this world O Lord that we may not hang on too tightly to our own way of life. Renew in us our first love for You Lord that we may willingly give up our all for Your sake, just as You have given up Your all for our sake. We are forever grateful to You Lord for not giving up on us, but willingly take up the cup of sufferings and die on the cross to save us. Take us Lord as we are and correct us as You will, for we belong to You.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD. (Job 1:21b NAS)
I remember a time when I was without a job for five years, yet throughout that period of struggles and waiting, God never for once failed to sufficiently provide for me and my household. Whenever our finances reached near rock bottom, a freelance assignment or something else would come by to tie us through for that period.
When the time of waiting was over, God granted me six happy years of meaningful work in a job I like as a technical and corporate writer. Sadly, however, the job was taken away from me during a corporate restructuring last year and I was back in the mode of waiting and praying. Thankfully, God granted me another job after several months in a whole new role treading on unfamiliar grounds, though writing is still part of it. I cannot be sure whether this job is to tie me through on short term or intended for long term as it is in a small startup without any guarantee of success, but I trust in God.
During trying times such as mine, we often find it difficult to feel blessed. Yet when we reflect, we know without a doubt how blessed we have been even amid struggles. Blessedness is never about how we feel, but about the assurance of our complete trust in God—the confidence we have knowing that God is in control.
When Job of the Old Testament was told of the disasters that happened one after another—including the death of his sons and daughters—he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Through it all, Job did not sin nor blame God (Job 1:21-22).
What about us? Are we spending too much time complaining about the difficult times we are going through or are we counting our blessings? Are we blessing God for the many times He has taken care of us or questioning Him for events in our lives which seemingly were not to our favor or to our understanding? Are we thankful that God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)?
What a blessed people we are to be counted worthy to receive God’s salvation! Let us therefore sing as Mary had sung:
“My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.” (Luke 1:46-49 NAS).
Like Job and Mary, let us bless the name of our Lord, for we are truly blessed.
Dear Lord, thank You for counting us worthy to receive Your salvation. We are so blessed O Lord because You have been mindful of us in good and bad times, and especially when in need. Help us Lord to be grateful to You forever, regardless of circumstances. We know Lord You are in control of all things and in You we put our complete trust and confidence.
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; (1 Corinthians 15:33-34a NIV)
I saw a photograph posted by a friend at Facebook recently that tickled me. In the picture were two container tubes of similar shape and size placed next to each other, one of moisturizer and the other toothpaste. In the post, my friend wrote “It's probably a good idea to make sure I'm wearing my glasses when brushing my teeth, huh?”
What came to mind immediately was of my friend struggling in the early morning without her glasses on trying to differentiate the toothpaste from the moisturizer. That thought was such a laugh!
Mistaking a thing for something else or a person for someone else is not uncommon. What's important is that we correct the mistake and set things right whenever possible upon discovering it, or in the case of a mistaken identity to apologize. If we choose to ignore, cover up or condone a mistake and continue to go in the path that is incorrect, then we need to come back to our senses and stop persisting in doing wrong (1 Corinthians 15:33-34).
Balaam is an example of one who persists to do wrong despite knowing what should not be done. God had forewarned Balaam not to put a curse on the children of Israel, yet he invited the Moabite officials to spend the night so he can find out what else the LORD would say to him (Numbers 22:12, 19). When Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials, God was very angry and sent an angel to oppose him. What turned out next was a conversation with a talking donkey, yet Balaam chose to go his own way and assisted the Moabites in causing the children of Israel to sin. For that error in judgment, Balaam was remembered for life—not as a funny or an unwise man—but as one gone astray for his love of unrighteous gains and a warning to others (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11; Revelation 2:14).
Are we at times like Balaam, easily swayed to go the wrong path or direction because of the promises of bountiful rewards? Are we making erroneous decisions because of a lack of knowledge of God’s word and His will? Are we influencing or influenced by the company of people we mix around with?
Be not deceived, the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9). If we choose to follow their ways and continue in sin after we have received the knowledge of the truth, we should also expect the fearful judgment and raging fire that will consume the enemies of God (Hebrews 10:26-27).
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of our God: sternness to those who fall, but kindness to those who continue in His kindness. If we do not persist in unbelief, our God is able to graft us in again (Romans 11:22-23). Whatever hinders us, therefore, let us throw it away alongside the sin that so easily entangles. Pursue with perseverance the race that is marked out for us and fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Dear Lord, help us to always fix our eyes on You that we may not go astray in continuing with our mistakes. Correct and discipline us Lord when we go the wrong path that we may continue to walk in Your kindness. When making decisions between right and wrong or between two that is neither right nor wrong Lord, lead us in Your perfect will. Guide us by Your Holy Spirit to come back to our senses when misled, deceived or mistaken. Remove from us Lord whatever hinders us from having a closer relationship with You. You O Lord are the author and perfecter of our faith, and in You alone we put our complete trust.
Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. (John 11:6 NIV)
I don't know about you, but I like immediate answers. I like to have things on my time-table. I guess a good way to describe myself and most of humanity is that "I want what I want, when I want it!" Of course, we all have to grow up and out of this toddler-like mindset, but every once and a while it surfaces.
Most likely, when the messenger went back to Mary and Martha with the message that "this sickness will not end in death", Lazarus was already dead. Therefore this message had to have been hard for them to understand and could have possibly even caused them to doubt who they believed Jesus was. Most likely, they would have believed that Jesus and therefore, God had denied their request to save their brother's life. However, they were wrong.
A lesson that God has taught me in the last week is that delay doesn't always mean denial. Sometimes we have to wait for God, but we can rest assured that God hears us and always has our best in mind. But, even more than our best, He has His Glory in mind. Everything He does is for His Glory. He allowed Lazarus to die so that He could raise him from the dead and bring glory to God. Sometimes He allows us to wait because there are eternal things at stake that will ultimately bring Him glory.
When the nurse was looking at the tests results of my son Caleb and would not tell me what they were because the doctor had not seen them, I obviously thought the results were bad. I waited for his phone call all day and at 6 pm the nurse called to tell me the results were normal. The first thing out of my mouth was "Praise the Lord!" I spent the entire day praying and relying on God. If I had found the results out earlier, I might not have spent the day with Him. He is teaching me daily that He is my refuge no matter what happens.
Next time you are waiting on God, number one, please know you are not alone. And number two, know that just because He doesn't respond on your time table does not mean He is denying your request. Continue to seek Him, His will, and ultimately His glory. —Elaine R. Price
