God's Plan

I was listening to a Pastor's sermon a few weeks back, and he made a passing remark about the situation surrounding the birth of Moses, and it made a lasting impression in my mind.   Moses was born in troubled times.  When a new king who did not know Joseph arose over Egypt, he realized the children of Israel were more numerous than the Egyptians, so he wanted to end them.  Therefore he set taskmasters over them to afflict them and asked the midwives to kill all male children at the delivery time.  When Jochebed, Moses's mother, found herself pregnant, she must have been distraught.  I am sure his father, Amram, and his mother must have prayed fervently for the child to be a girl!  Did G...

Soil your hands!

Once, Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former Parliament member from Amritsar, visited Mother Theresa at the Missionaries of Charity, Calcutta.  Sidhu shared the experience of his first meeting with Mother Teresa at Missionaries of Charity in a TV show.  Recalling the moments, Sidhu said, first of all, he did not need any appointment to meet Mother, but he had to meet her while she was tending to the sick and the dying!  He had visited Mother Teresa to offer a donation, but she told him that he could dump it in the dustbin!  But she invited him to 'soil his hands.'  Mother Theresa did not want his money but his time!  This truly challenged me!

All of...

Esau and Jacob

In the household of Isaac, the prophecy regarding the boys that the 'elder (Esau) would serve the younger' (Jacob) must have been common knowledge known to all, including Esau and Jacob.  I believe it was because of this knowledge that Jacob asked for the birthright from Esau.  And it must have been for the same reason that Esau was so careless about his birthright.  Jacob did not want to wait for God's time or God's way but took matters into his own hands and grabbed the birthright!  Later we see Rebekah taking matters into her hand, making Jacob cheat Isaac into getting the blessing Isaac meant for Esau.  She knew of God's prophecy, but again she did not wait for God's time or God's methods. &nb...

Life of Paul

To understand Paul's life, one must read the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistles together.   A simple fact caught my attention as I read about Paul's journey to Rome.  Just before the journey, Paul was a prisoner in Caesarea (by the Sea) for about two years since the Jews wanted him dead.  Paul had appealed to Caesar and so he was bound and handed over to Julius, a centurion of the Imperial Regiment.  Their journey to Rome started from Adramyttium and landed at Sidon the next day.  What impressed me was the trust the Centurion had in Paul.  The Centurion had so much faith in Paul that Paul would not run away that he allowed him to visit with his friends at Sidon!  Wha...

The Island called Malta!

When I was a young girl, our family was in a crisis.  During that New Year service, the Pastor preached a message titled, "The island called Malta." In the Phoenician language,  Malta means "refuge."  I do not remember what the Pastor said, but I remember that God alone is my refuge, and that thought has been with me through the years!  Luke beautifully tells Apostle Paul's journey and the encounter with the storm Euroclydon in Acts 27 and 28 chapters.  After being caught up in the storm Euroclydon, when they had practically given up hope of survival, they sighted land.  It must have been the most exhilarating sight!  Malta was indeed the refuge to the ship-wrecked peo...

When Streams Dry-up

Elijah came to the wicked king Ahab and declared a famine for three-and-a-half years (1 Ki 17:1). And there was a drought, and the land became very dry. But the Lord took care of His prophet Elijah. The Lord instructed Elijah to go to the brook Cherith and drink its water.   God commissioned ravens to bring him bread and meat every morning and evening. And Elijah continued to be there until the brook completely dried up. Why would the Lord allow such a thing to happen? And this question got me thinking. Elijah must have been quite comfortable by the brook until the brook dried up! Elijah must have been sad to watch the brook's flow slow down. When his water source diminished, his assurance of life was at stake! But the Lord sent him to...

Expectations!

Every year that passes by is different.  Last year was one of the most stressful for many.  For some, it has been a mixed bag.  For some, it has been a year of blessings and answers to prayers.  Every New Year has to be started with hope, faith, and positive expectations because we know Jesus is with us in every situation and has promised to go before us.  The Bible says, " … without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6).  Our faith has a strong foundation because we know the kind of God we trust!  The Bible says in Ephesians 3:20, "Now unto...

The Great Commission

As the year is coming to a close, I have been meditating on the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.  In the end times, God will use angels to proclaim His Gospel to people worldwide (Rev. 14:6).  But now, God has chosen to use you and me.  We may be imperfect, yet that is what God has ordained to use.  So many times, we are begging as Moses tried to beg off the call of God!   One cannot understand the depth of the Commission from just one passage.  It can be better understood when we take all the passages together.  

All four Gospel writers record the final words of Jesus Christ.  Luke again reiterates Jesus' words in...

The Star of Bethlehem!

There is a beautiful story tucked in the pages of Matthew's gospel about the Star that appeared to the wise men.  The Bible says in Matthew Chapter 2 that a Star appeared to the wise men from the East in the days of Herod, the king.  That Star was the sign that announced the birth of the King of the Jews to the wise men.  The wise men followed the Star till they reached Judea, and there instead of following that same Star, they thought that a king could be born only in a palace and went to Herod's palace.  There they came to know that Jesus was there.  When they heard that the King of the Jews was not in the palace they were perplexed.  Then they saw the Star again.   The Star...

Preparation!

Christmas is here! All of us prepare for Christmas.  We take out the decorations, clean the house, bake cakes and prepare for Christmas! Not only that. We buy clothes for ourselves and others too. Earlier, we used to send greeting cards, but now no one sends cards. People send only WAP forwards! Preparation is essential. My sister-in-law had prepared a questionnaire of introspection for our year-end prayer a few days back. It had many questions about relationships, not only with the spouse but also with brothers, sisters, and the people around us. It also had questions about our focus for the New Year. It is not about the questions, but the idea of introspection challenged my heart. It is important that we spend time in introspection since i...