Lots of times life does feel lonely. It feels like you’re walking it alone, that no one understands what you’re going through. And at worst, it feels like, “God, why have You abandoned me?” Have you been there before? I have, several times.

When we feel this way, it’s time to remind ourselves that challenges aren’t a sign of God’s absence, and that it seems so “quiet and scary” doesn’t mean He is not there. For were He not there, life would have consumed us.

One of my most comforting Scriptures at such times is Hebrews 13:5. The Amplified version throws so much light on it. It says:

‭ “… for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]”
Hebrews 13:5

Oh, dear Jesus Christ. Thank You for not giving me up nor leaving me without support. Thank You for not leaving me helpless nor letting me down. I take solace and refuge in this truth. Amen

I have noticed that when I am engrossed in GRATITUDE, I complain less. That means, to complain, I first have to be UNGRATEFUL for the good things that have happened. And to be ungrateful, I must first be UNMINDFUL of all those beautiful things that God has done. If you ever catch yourself COMPLAINING, it is because you’re UNGRATEFUL. You’re ungrateful because you’re UNMINDFUL of the great things life has offered you. The truth is, INGRATITUDE hasn’t ever made anyone better!

Dear Lord, help us to be grateful. In Jesus’ Name

The towering Bhurj Kalifa and other similar architectural masterpieces make the world a wonder. The sudden, head-spinning advancements in technology, neuroscience, psychiatry, and space travel are some of the wonders of this world.

Yet, at the end of our lives, all that really matters is not how much we knew, how much we had; not the edifices we have built, not even the accolades we have received from others. What really matters is how much we were able to show genuine love to those within our sphere of influence.

Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13:3 says, “No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, without love I am bankrupt.”

Loving others is what really counts in the sight of God. Therefore, I have decided to live my life pursuing love; to understand more deeply God’s love for me, and to allow this love find greater expressions through me to others.

So help me God.

THE GOD WHO INHABITS YOUR PERSONAL WORLD.

When God lost His family back in the Garden of Eden,His heart was ripped apart. He missed His family. He missed the sweet intimacy. And His heart yearned for man.
He so badly wanted to be with us, that He had to strip Himself of divine glory and ambiance, and became a Man just like us:

“But stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.” (Philippians 2:7, AMP)

The Passion Translation puts it this way:
“Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human!”

All this just so He could be with us again!

God With Us

JESUS Christ is called IMMANUEL. He is the God Who lives in the world we inhabit. He’s not ashamed of your condition, and He’s not holding anything back from helping you!

He’s the God Who personally inhabits our circumstances. He’s not far away nor out of touch with our pains, struggles, fears, confusions.

He lives in our mess with us!???
Not ashamed to be identified with us.
Not irritated with us.
Not embarrassed by our failures.

Touched By Our Pains

IMMANUEL means “God with us,” not in a divine, celestial body; but in human earthly body of flesh and blood. God became Man, that He might live with us. The Man in human flesh knows through experience what it means to be human and to live in a fallen world infested with sin and riddled with pains. And because of His human experience, He is so compassionate, easily touched by our pains, and quick to run to our rescue:
“For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering].” (Hebrews 2:18)

He’s familiar with your reality!

“He suffered and endured every test and temptation, so that he can help us every time we pass through the ordeals of life.”

Let the understanding of IMMANUEL’s true Nature take root deeply within your heart. Know that He’s compassionate. He has a shared feeling with your weaknesses and infirmities. He’s understanding and sympathetic:
“For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to UNDERSTAND and SYMPATHIZE and HAVE A SHARED FEELING with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.” (Hebrews 4:15, AMP)

Let this understanding govern your relationship with the God Who has come to inhabit your personal world with you. He is your Present, abundantly available Help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1). Run to Him and not away from Him. You can trust Him to help, and not turn you away.

“Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].” (Hebrews 4:16, AMP)

Face this week with much peace in your heart, knowing that God inhabits your personal world with you!

You’re CHERISHED!

What does the NAME of the Lord really mean?

The NAME of the Lord entails His CHARACTER or NATURE. A person’s character means their characteristics or distinguishing features. It is a combination of how a person thinks and acts.

There is a very interesting discourse between the man of God, Moses and God in Exodus, which gives us an insight into the meaning of the NAME; CHARACTER or NATURE of the Lord.
When Moses asked the Lord to show him His glory, here is what God told him, “I will make all My GOODNESS pass before you, and I will proclaim the NAME of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19)

The Lord continued to tell Moses that you can’t see My face and live, Moses. “So it shall be, while My GLORY passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by” (verse 22)

What I am trying to bring out here is this: Moses asked to see God’s GLORY. God then tells Moses that “I will make all My GOODNESS pass before you…” and “while My GLORY passes by…”
What does this tell you?
God’s GLORY is His GOODNESS; His NATURE.

Then came the D-Day, when the Lord would proclaim His NAME before Moses. And we are told, “Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the NAME of the LORD, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty…” ” (Exodus 34:5-7)

Let’s remember that the NAME of the LORD is His NATURE or His CHARACTER. God Himself tells Moses, that He is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands , forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, just and righteous. This is the NAME of the LORD; His NATURE; His CHARACTER. And it’s summed up in this one word, GOODNESS!

To know the NAME of the Lord is to know His GOODNESS. And in this sacred knowledge, the understanding of the NAME or NATURE of the Lord, is the SECURITY of the righteous. To believe God’s infinite LOVE for you is to be safe in a world riddled with fears.

In Proverbs 18:10, we see the wise king, Solomon made a very insightful statement about the NAME of the Lord. He said, “The NAME of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is SAFE.”

Our SAFETY in this world, and even in the world that’s to come, lies in our understanding the NAME of the LORD; His NATURE or CHARACTER.
In the ninety first Psalm, the LORD said this about the person who knows His NAME:
“…I WILL SET HIM ON HIGH, because he KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS MY NAME [HAS A PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF MY MERCY, LOVE, and KINDNESS—trusts and relies on Me, KNOWING I WILL NEVER FORSAKE HIM, NO, NEVER]. (verse 14)

Hallelujah!
The NAME; NATURE or CHARACTER of the LORD is a FORTRESS, a ROCK of DEFENSE against every form of evil in this world. And we, the righteous, run into it, through our personal knowledge and faith in His NATURE, and find SAFETY. In fast changing times, He remains the same. And His unchanging NATURE provides us with a formidable fortress. In times of insecurities and uncertainties, His LOVING-KINDNESS remains a place of safety.

Face this week, knowing that God will never forsake you nor abandon you in the face of any danger or challenge.
Shalom!

You’re CHERISHED!

God is GOOD, and NOT EVIL!
He is altogether GOOD, there’s NO TRACE OF EVIL IN HIM!

God is superlative GOODNESS.

When Moses asked to see God’s Shekinah GLORY, His COVERING, hear what God told Him:

“And the Lord said, “I will cause all my GOODNESS to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have MERCY on whom I will have mercy, and I will have COMPASSION on whom I will have compassion.”
~Exodus 33:19

Moses asked, show me Your Covering Glory. And God told him, okay I will. Then He shows Moses His GOODNESS; His MERCY, His COMPASSION, His GRACE, His LOVING-KINDNESS ???

What does that tell you?
God’s GLORY is His manifest GOODNESS!
He is covered, clothed in GOODNESS; in MERCY, in COMPASSION, in GRACE, in LOVING-KINDNESS.

The next thing God told Moses was that I AM going to declare My Name to your hearing. God’s
Name here encapsulates His Nature and Character.

So God Himself passed before Moses and declared His Name; Nature and Character as:

“GOD, GOD, a God of MERCY and GRACE, endlessly PATIENT – so much LOVE, so deeply TRUE – LOYAL IN LOVE for a thousand generations, FORGIVING iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Still, he doesn’t ignore sin. He holds sons and grandsons responsible for a father’s sins to the third and even fourth generation.”
~Exodus 34:6-7, MSG

Jehovah is GOD. He is the LORD. The LORD merciful and gracious, slow to get angry, so deeply true, faithful in love for a thousand generations. Readily forgiving, just and holy, and not ignoring sin!

All of this is covered in His GOODNESS.

The GOODNESS of God is the drive behind all the BLESSINGS – MERCY, FORGIVENESS, PROVISION, GRACE, PROTECTION, HEALING – He daily showers on us! (Psalm 103)

All that He does to us, He does because He is GOOD.
God CREATED us according to His GOOD PLEASURE; we exist because He felt GOOD in His heart to create us.
And He redeemed us because He is GOOD.

It’s my prayer that your faith will become securely founded on the truth that God is infinitely GOOD. Amen!

You’re CHERISHED.

God’s design, strategy and great wisdom for overcoming offenses is LOVE. This divine wisdom is revealed in the Spirit’s prayer through apostle Paul for the Philippine church:
“I continue to pray for your love to grow and increase beyond measure, bringing you into the rich revelation of spiritual insight in all things.
This will enable you to choose the most excellent way of all—becoming pure and without offense until the unveiling of Christ.”
(Philippians 1: 9-10, TPT)

LOVE isn’t just a divine imperative to be obeyed. No! It is THE VERY FORMULA FOR THE PROSPERITY OF YOUR HEART AND SOUL AND BODY!
Love alone can protect the wellbeing or sanity of the heart and soul. This is because only love has what it takes to overcome offenses. LOVE FORGIVES!
“Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them.” (Colossians 3:13, TPT)

When God commands us to love and forgive one another, He is giving us His wisdom and design for the protection of our emotional and physical wellbeing. He asks us to draw strength and wisdom from the forgiveness we all have received from Him; to forgive AS He has forgiven us. His love for us should become the motivation for our forgiving others. We forgive others from out of the abundance of forgiveness we have received from God. Apostle Paul counsels us here:

“But instead be kind and affectionate toward one another. Has God graciously forgiven you? Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love.”
(Ephesians 4:32, TPT)

What FORGIVENESS does for us is this, it takes our FOCUS or ATTENTION away from a suffered wrong. And severs the emotional ATTACHMENT we have established with the hurt. Hence, removes the poison or sting of the offenses from our heart and soul!

LOVE COVERS OFFENSES. Love isn’t only a connector but also a Defender and a Shelter for the soul from offenses and hurts.
This is because LOVE FORGIVES and let’s go. Hence, protects the spirit and soul from the poisoning effect of UNFORGIVENESS.
Hear what the Bible says:
“Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].” (1Peter 4:8, AMP)

Love doesn’t focus on a suffered wrong. Because the wrong you focus on for long grows, becomes strong and controls your thoughts, emotions and attitudes. This is where the danger is.

In Conclusion
Let this superior understanding guide your relationships and associations with others. Your heart and soul need vital, meaningful and thriving relationships to prosper and function properly! And the wellbeing of your entire person and your outcomes in life, in turn, depend on the wellbeing of your heart and soul!

It’s my prayer that you would allow God’s wisdom protect you from offenses, and that you would remain prosperous in every aspect of your life, even as your soul prospers. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Offenses hurt our vital human relationships, which in turn adversely affect the wellbeing of our heart and soul.

1. In order to understand fully what I am about to teach, we must first go back to look at how God shaped or configured us to function.

In Genesis 2:18 God said, ” It is NOT GOOD FOR MAN TO BE ALONE; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

So being ALONE, SEPARATED/DISCONNECTED from others, SOLITARY, SOLO, BY YOURSELF is an EVIL that works against your makeup!

So God’s SOLUTION for being alone, by yourself, disconnected was to give man a SUITABLE HELPER, to adapt to his need for CONNECTION, RELATIONSHIP, TOGETHERNESS. God made woman who had the same nature as man, so that she could connect with him physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. And in order to draw or attract them to each other, God placed in them the desire to love and be loved, valued, accepted, wanted or needed, cherished and approved. And God also connected them in a relationship, a family. In this way, their spiritual, emotional, mental and physical makeup would be fulfilled.

That’s why we all crave affection and relationship. We desire to be known and accepted and loved for who we really are deep inside us. And we also long to know others, so that we connect with them, not just superficially, but deeply. BECAUSE THE SOUL PROSPERS OR IS AT ITS BEST ONLY IN A MEANINGFUL AND FULFILLING CONNECTION OR RELATIONSHIP.

2. The enemy understands this truth about your makeup. He knows that your soul’s efficiency is negatively impacted outside of loving, understanding and cherishing relationships. So he’s constantly working to pull you apart from others, disconnect you from loved ones. He does this wherever there are two or more people connected – family, church, business/work place, etc And not only at the individual level, but also among nations.
   He does that by introducing OFFENSES.

So the next time an offense is coming in, know who is at work and what he wants to achieve.

YOUR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING ARE CONNECTED

Your spiritual (soul and heart) wellbeing is intricately connected to your physical wellbeing. You can only be as healthy or prosperous as your heart and soul are.
The Bible tells us:
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.”
(3John 2).

One VIRUS that shatters your spiritual (heart and soul) and physical health or wellbeing is called OFFENSES! OFFENSES kill.
OFFENSES target the very relationships, connections that God has designed for the prosperity of your heart and soul…

OFFENSES come to stop the soul from flourishing by causing separations, dis-unity, disconnection. The end game is always to plunge the soul into the darkness of LONELINESS, GRIEF from loss of vital relationships, DEPRESSION, BROKENHEART from hurts. Offenses really hurt, not only your vital relationships, but also your heart and soul.

In the next post, we shall be looking at God’s wisdom and design for the protection of our spiritual and physical wellbeing from the attack of offenses.

It’s my prayer that God’s Spirit would prosper you – spirit, soul and body. In Jesus’ Name.

God does heal broken hearts!

The Bible portrays God as a healer, not just of the body, but also of the innerman – heart and soul. He is a God Who heals and mends broken hearts. He heals our hurting emotions, and pained memories.
Jesus declared that He had come to heal and mend the brokenhearted. This is Great News!

God heals us by comforting our hearts. Isn’t it amazing that of all the names there are, Jesus chose to call the Holy Spirit “the Comforter”? Observe that Jesus didn’t say “a comforter”. He is the Comforter. That means there ain’t any other comforter in the earth. He took the place of Jesus Christ. He is the One Who comforts us in our brokenness.

The word “comfort” is a compound word from the words “com-” and “fortis.” Com is a word forming element usually meaning “with, together, together with, in combination.” Fortis is a Latin, which means “strong, brave.” Our word fortitude also came from the same root. Putting the two together, the word comfort gives a picture of a union or relationship, which brings strength, solace, help, bravery. So the Comforter is One Who comes alongside or walks together with us, to help, aid, assist, solace and strengthen us, especially in our down moments.

The beautiful thing about this picture is the relationship aspect. True and lasting comfort comes only from the vital relationship we have with the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t offer us help from a distance. No! He’s already come to live within us. He has made Himself one with us. In this way, He feels what we feel. In our pain and affliction, He is also pained and afflicted. He understands perfectly our hard-to-describe struggles. He knows our thoughts before we think them, and our words before we utter them. He is never disconnected from our realities.

Not only does the Comforter share in our own pains and sufferings, He helps us to also share in His strength, comfort, joy, peace and healing. He binds up the brokenhearted; strengthens the weak with much strength in their inner man. To the despairing, He imparts hope for a brighter future. He helps us conquer our shame and disappointment. He gives the ability to rise above our hurt, to forgive and to let go of the painful past.

The dear Holy Spirit comforts hearts that are grieving and mourning the loss of loved ones. How He does it amazes me. Gradually but surely He brings in His peace and restores joy. I have been privileged to experience this myself. When I lost my wife, I couldn’t imagine I would be whole again. I was devastated beyond words. I felt torn apart. My pain was indescribable. It’s been a little over a year now, and looking back, I am so grateful for His healing and inner strength, even though He still has alot of mending to do on my heart.

In the midst of the hurt, the fear, the loneliness, the so many unanswered questions and emotions I couldn’t identify, one thing stood tall for me – the ever-abiding Presence of the Helper deep within me. I was not left alone. He was right there with me in it all. That was so reassuring and took care of my fears. And knowing that He was hurting as much as I was, gave me strength beyond measure. I felt loved and valued. And there were times I could even feel His soothing embrace. His voice is both life and healing to me.

I also found out that, not only does the Comforter relieve our pains and gives us the strength to pull through them, He also changes us in the process. He makes us into comforters. He makes our hearts tender and sensitive to the pains of others. We become more compassionate towards those hurting, especially those who are going through the same thing we have come through.

Apostle Paul aptly captures this amazing transformation when he said this about the Comforter:

“He always comes alongside us to comfort us in every suffering so that we can come alongside those who are in any painful trial. We can bring them this same comfort that God has poured out upon us.” (2 Corinthians 1:4, TPT)

Receive the healing comfort of the Divine Comforter today. In Jesus Name

The God Who Chose Love Over Life

He died to prove that He loves you beyond His life. And that even death would not come between Him and you.

God had a choice. He could have decided to give us up to destruction. He could have chosen to preserve His Life. But He chose not to. He took the path that would cost Him everything.

God chose LOVE over LIFE.

And was crushed beyond recognition, that you might be made whole and beautiful.

He had put upon Himself your weaknesses, wounds and sores and, carried away your diseases, that you might be well.

Jesus wore a crown of thorns, pierced His head with briars, that you might be made whole in your emotions and mind.

Though He was infinitely rich, He impoverished Himself, that you might become rich beyond measure.

He laid down His life for you, that you might be forgiven. And was raised from the dead, to justify, prove that you were “Not guilty.”

Now, “Who could separate us from the endless love of God’s Anointed One?
Absolutely no one!
For nothing in the universe has the the power to diminish His love for us. Troubles, pressures, and problems are unable to come between us and heaven’s love. What about persecutions, deprivations, dangers, and death threats?
No, for they are all impotent to hinder omnipotent love.”

We triumph over all these things.
For the One Who loves us enough to go to hell for us has made us partners of His endless triumph.
We are more than conquerors. We are larger than life. His reckless and passionate love is our sure victory over everything!

Happy Valentine’s Day!