HIGHER PLAN AND HIGHER LIFE IN CHRIST

Isaiah 55:8-9

 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

In our Christian life several times we come across confusing states where our plan and God’s plan are not matching. There may be times we doubt about Gods plan and purpose in our life. Also when we face some unexpected struggles in our daily life, we start doubting the love of God towards us.

Above bible verses gives us much clear direction in confusing times. The above passage provide an assurance and guidance in such situations. I want to encourage you with couple of biblical truths which will give you hope and peace.

1.       God has a plan for you

God is having a perfect plan for each one of us. It also means God knows you personally. God didn’t create us without a plan or purpose in our life. God is watching over us. God never forgets his children.

Isaiah 49:15 says “can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”

2. God's plans are much higher than our plans.

When we plan for ourselves, we plan it according to our abilities and resources available with us. But when God plans for us, He plans according to His Riches and His abilities. Bible says “now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”( Ephesians 3:20)

We always ask or imagine things within our reach. It is having a limitation. But Gods plan is much higher than this and beyond any limitation

3.      God's power always working within us to take us to the plan of God.

       Ephesians 3:20 says that God’s power is working within us. God has put His power

       inside us so that God can fulfill His plan in our life. God doesn’t need our abilities  

       for that. Instead we need to depend on His power (Holy Spirit) which is inside us to  

       take us to the Plan of God. This power of God is always working within us.

Dear Child of God, today someone is feeling depressed and sad as you are not able to move as per the plan you have, may be in your education or finance or in job. But God has opened some other ways. You are not much comfortable with that plan and you think that it is an inferior plan than what you have. Still you are in a confusing state. I want to assure you that the way God opened for you is the most suitable plan for you and you will never turn back and regret about it.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for knowing us and remembering us always. It is a great assurance to us. Lord we know that you have a plan for each one of us. It is not  possible for us to reach your plan with our abilities. But we know that your power is working within us to take us to that level. Help us to believe your plan beyond our Human understanding. In Jesus Name Amen

Blessings in Jesus Name.

Christian Contentment - I

One area the Holy Spirit has been nudging me recently is in Christian Contentment. The next few of my posts will be on this subject.

As we all know, contentment is a moving goal post. World's image of oneself and expectations change constantly. Most of us (including Christians) are caught up and get "groomed" to conform to worldly standards and expectations. It is apparently hard to find many contented Christians neither at the top economic ladder nor at the bottom.

An adaptation of an article written by Larry Burkett's Biblical Principles Under Scrutiny, found in www.focusonthefamily.com/lifechallenges/managing-money/breaking-free-from-debt/learning-contentment, states "One of the greatest mysteries of Christianity is Contentment.....Yet contentment is not something that's found, its an attitude."

There are people who accept poverty and those who embrace affluence and prosperity. Do either of these conditions bring contentment? The clear answer is NO.

So what does?

Contentment does NOT mean satisfied where you are and stay where you are (attitudinally). Rather, it is knowing God's plan for your life, have a conviction to live it, and believing that God's peace is greater than the world's problems. Paul says in Philippians 4:11, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Meditate on this that God through the help of the Holy Spirit will bring us to the understanding, knowledge and wisdom of its true meaning.

Based on Paul's words, being content is not something God gives us, but it is something we learn with the help of the Holy Spirit and put into practice - which is knowing God's plan for your life, have a conviction to live it, and believe that God's peace is greater than the problems we face in this world.


   

“LET THERE BE LIGHT” AND THERE WAS LIGHT

Genesis 1:1-4

In Genesis 1: 1 Bible starts with “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep”. Here is my question, did God created earth as formless and void, Will God create anything void and formless. No certainly not. Anything God created is with a purpose. Dear reader, you are created by God for a purpose designated by Him. You may be thinking that there is no purpose in your life. Many might have looked at you and said so. But I want to assure you that you are created for a special purpose by God.

God will never create anything which is formless and void. Bible teaches that God looked at His creation and found them good. How do we explain between verses 1 & 2 in the matter of time, verse 2 is not an immediate incident after verse 1. There is a huge time gap between Verse 1 & 2. Verse 2 is after number of years from the first creation mentioned in Verse 1. Initially God created heavens and earth as mentioned in verse 1. But something happened in between Verse 1 & 2 that the earth become formless and void. Mostly it can be due to the fall of Lucifer into this earth. Somehow the earth fallen from the heavenly purpose into a void state.

In Verse 3, we see that God is again starting a creation by His word “Let there be light”. I was wondering why God did that. It is because God didn’t wanted His creation to become formless and void. God is concerned much about His creation and was watching over it. The heart of the creator was weeping by seeing the condition of earth. Hence god decided to start over.

As we are created by God, God doesn’t want us to become formless and void. Heart of father God is getting pained by seeing the condition of you and me. He doesn’t like to see emptiness in your life. If you are going through difficult situation, God’s heart will be broken with pain. Because you are so precious to God. Hence if you are going through situation of emptiness and troubles in your life, as you are so precious to God, He will come down to fill your emptiness and bless you by creating new things in your life.

Vs 4  says “And seeing that the light was good, God separated the light from the darkness”. God kept a barrier between light and darkness. God didn’t wanted darkness to enter into the light zone. Darkness shows situations and influence devil bringing into our life. Today God is keeping a barrier to the darkness you are going through in your life so that it will not trouble you anymore.

Dear Father, thank you for creating us with a purpose to fulfill in our life. As we go through many emptiness and difficult situations today in our life, thank you for watching over us and filling us with your blessings by creating new things in our life. We know that you are in control over every situations we are going through and will not allow the darkness to rule over us. Help us to walk in the light of your word. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Have a blessed day in Christ Jesus

Give Thanks in All Circumstances

You may have a gruesome situation of job loss or a loss of a dear one or loss of health or going through a broken marriage. You also might be thinking of quitting as your long suffering is rigidly tested and defiled your joyful spirit. Don't you have the right to grumble? How does this verse appear to you when everything is nothing but negative in your life?

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5:16-18)

Paul had all the rights to fret about the circumstances he has going through. He was often beaten, separated, humiliated, thrown into prison, mostly awaiting for execution in the Roman prison. But instead of fretting, his lips (and heart) were singing the words of praise and thanksgiving.

Is it radical to give thanks no matter what? The answer is yes. It is crucial to understand the power of God and what He does during one of us is going through suffering. Have a deep dive into the below verses.

- No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (1 Cor 10:13).

- Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7)

2 Thankfulness is often an undervalued virtue and not very much cultivated in our daily lives. Only one, out of the 10 lepers came back to Jesus with gratitude. I have to admit, most of the time this was the pattern of my personal prayers too. Later I experienced the pinches an ungrateful heart leads to and the joy and freedom that thankfulness offers.

Being thankful to God is not one of the 10 commandments, God does not need glory as He is all glorious, but it is a requisition for us fragile human beings to stay contented and guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. It's a discipline to accelerate our faith in our Creator and a sign of spiritual maturity. 

Let me conclude with a piece of wisdom I heard in one the Christian movies and one of my favorite Bible verse- " Lest not forget affliction during prosperity and prosperity during affliction, and be thankful in both circumstances."

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 107:1).