Always Behind

 

We are living in a world that is full of sin and evil. It is because the world is under the dominion of the devil. Just before Jesus started His ministry on the earth, He was tempted by devil. Satan told Jesus if Jesus wants the world, He should bow down and worship the devil.

Evil people live in this world almost like an agent of satan. Like satan, they will be working hard on trying to destroy the ones who live a righteous life. When Jesus was preparing His disciples for ministry, He warned them that the world will reject them since they rejected Jesus.

Even in His birth, Jesus had to face a tough time. As soon as He was born, an Angel of God told Joseph to take his family and run to Egypt as Herod was looking to kill baby Jesus. Herod was afraid that Jesus will defeat him and take up the throne. Same way evil people in the world are always afraid of the one who follows Christ. So they try to persecute the believers.

From Judea, Joseph went to Egypt and then they were not able to come back to Judea. Instead they went to Nazareth. As all this were happing, God was fulfilling the prophetical words spoken by the Old Testament prophets. It shows that God was always in control.

Same way when you are walking with God, according to His will, you may have to face trials and temptations. People will plot evil against you. They will try to put you to shame and build stories against you. Just remember, they did the same against Jesus also.

Devils main agenda is to make you stand against God. So when you walk in God’s presence and face tough problems, there is a chance you question the power of God and His protection. Gospel shows how Christ lived. Even when he was a baby, opposition came against Him. Instead of questioning God, Joseph prayed and moved according to the plan of God.

When you read Mathew 2, you see Angel of God giving him guidance. If a person is able to see Angels, definitely he should be living according to the will of God. Joseph listened and God helped them safe, even though they struggled in moving to different places.

You may think about tough times from your childhood. Even there are children who have to face evil from their own mother or father. If you are among them, just think about Jesus. From childhood day, people were behind him to kill Him. But see how God used Him in the ministry and where He is now, at the right side of Father God.

Don’t lose faith and hope in God. He is your creator. He is your Father. Trust in Him and He will take care of you. You will face oppositions. Pray to the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and you will see God always near your side. May you live accordingly and may God use you to be a blessing, Amen

Never Lose Hope

 

It is a challenge to live a Christ cantered life in this world. People around you will throw stones at you for not leading worldly life. Worldly lives mean the one who knows Christ and live according to his carnal satisfaction. They will insult you and try to put you down in all ways. In Mathew 5: 11, Jesus teaches “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” Christ is encouraging you not to be depressed because of the evil people do against you. In verse 12 he says, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you”. Yes, your reward will be great in heaven.

The people who are against the saints or the ones who live Christ centred life, are the ones who have never experienced Christ in life. They may know Jesus, but have never given their heart to Christ. So when you walk in Christ, others might not like your ways, but be confident that you are a child of God. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him” 1 John 3: 1

Worldly people look at you to find out a loss or failure in your life. They will embarrass you and insult you taking the name of Jesus. But be confident and have hope and faith. In the book of Revelation, John saw people wearing white robe and were holding palm branches in their hands and were crying out loud – “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb”. They were the one who had to go through all the tribulations in the earth. Revelation 7: 9-17. Just imagine yourself among them. Build faith accordingly and stand firm in the midst of loss and failures, when the evil point fingers at you. Never leave the faith and hope in Christ Jesus

In the life of David we see when he had to face the toughest time, he wrote in Psalm 34, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice”

Let the Spirit of God encourage you, motivate you and provide you the faith and hope to have the same heart as that of king David and see yourself being with the Angels and Elders praising God in eternity.

Change the Channel

When negative memories comes to the movie screen of your mind, people take up their chair, get some popcorn and watch it and get hurt. It’s like taking the remote control of a television, watch a channel where some program bring sad and hatred.

Even though if some other channel is playing humour or motivational videos, some people will sit and watch the sad serials in another channel. Instead of playing your past victories, accomplishments and things you did right, people play the channel of defeats, failures and disappointments. Just because a bad memory comes doesn’t mean that you need to dwell in it. Learn to change the channel

Mostly people play the channel of failures when they feel disappointed in life. When you feel cheated in life, when you are not getting married at correct time, when you are not blessed with a child, or when you’re not getting a perfect job, automatically your remote will switch to past failures and regrets in life.

If you’re always relieving your hurts and watching them on the movie screen of your mind, talking about it and telling your friends, you’re just reopening your wounds. You need to change the channel. You may have weakness, but remember your strengths.

In the Bible we see David’s sin against God (2 Samuel 11). He did adultery and to hide it he killed Uriah. Even though David was cursed because of his sin, whenever he was in trouble, he cried to God and kept hope in God (Psalms). When you follow Christ, whatever disappointments comes into your life, you will be able to survive it with hope, faith and the have joy and peace in heart because of the salvation Christ gave.

Jesus Christ came to the world and died for the sins which we have done (1 John 2:2). So whosoever believes in him have the hope and confidence that Christ can change any bad situation to a good one (Psalms 71: 5).

Don’t make the mistake of remembering the things you need to forget, whether it’s your hurts, your disappointments, or failures. Instead remember your victories, successes and the hard times you overcame.

Always remember the sacrifice of Christ and the joy he gives to the one who walks with him. Leave the negativity, negative people and stay close with Christ by reading His word and meditating upon it. Change your channel to Christ who is your only hope and salvation – He will make a way