The Double Portion!

We read about Elisha following Elijah from place to place in 2 Kings Chapter 2. Every time they arrived at a location, Elijah told Elisha to stay back, but Elisha would not be left behind! Finally, when they had crossed over river Jordan, Elijah asked Elisha what he was expecting from him. Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit upon himself (v9). Elijah said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."(2 Kings 2:10). We all know how the story ended. Elisha saw Elijah being taken up in a whirlwind, in a chariot of fire with horses of fire and was blessed just as he wanted!

When I heard a message on Elisha, what caught my attention...

We have not walked this way before!

Our second son stayed in the hostel when he studied in IIT Madras. He had a Yamaha bike, and he used to come home often! He by nature, was not very strong in navigation. He will suddenly lose his way and call his Dad to find out directions to where he had to go! His cousins used to make fun of him, saying that he knew two different routes to come home, one through 11th Main road and the other through 12th Main Road because our house was between 11th and 12th Main roads! In that area, he takes after me. I used to pray, 'Lord, show me the way' every time I had to drive myself to a new place! Those were the days before the advent of Google maps!

There are several stages in the history of Israel, and each stage is a picture of our own spiritual experien...

The Lord, who goes before us!

After joining Hindustan Teleprinters, my second trip outside Chennai was to attend a two-week program meant for women managers at IIM Ahmedabad! Navajeevan express was the only direct train, but since it did not run every day, I had to go to Mumbai and then to Ahmedabad. I spoke zero Hindi, and the prospect of changing trains at Mumbai scared me. I told God just how I felt! I told Him that I knew He was with me all the time and knew that He would protect me from all harm and danger but that I was so scared that I would like to have a human companion! That prayer sounds stupid to me now, but you will not believe what happened next. Two days later, I got a call from one Mrs. Indra Parthasarathy, who was a manager in Indian Bank who was also attending the same program. It...

What Child is this?

Very often, we see men lying on the side-walk, passed out due to excessive drinking. It is not that women do not get into the drinking problem. They do, but it is just that we do not see them on the side-walks! When I see such scenes, I invariably think of the mother who gave birth. When the nurse or the doctor who assisted in the delivery called out to say that a baby boy was born, there must have been great rejoicing! No one would have imagined that he would end up on the side-walk in the later years! No one can ever know how any child will turn out. Some turn out well, bringing glory to God. But, some fall prey to the desires of the flesh and the devices of the devil! When Zacharias wanted to name his son 'John,' people were perplexed, and when his mouth...

Where is He … the King of the Jews?

I read this story in 'Our Daily Bread,' and it made much sense to me! It seems a young Mom invited her friend to the birthday party of her two-year-old son in a fancy restaurant. The friend carefully chose a gift, wrapped it up in bright colors, and went to the party. When she reached the place, she found the place decorated and filled with people. She looked around for the little boy, for she wanted to see the sparkle in his eyes when he opened her gift, but she could not find him anywhere. She finally asked the Mom about the whereabouts of the boy, and her reply shocked her. The mother had left the boy with the grandparents! That little boy was not welcome to his own birthday party! How very sad!

Somehow the consumerism around Christmas has hijacked th...

Who is this?

My mother had excellent memory till the end. As long as she was able to go out, she used to accompany me to weddings and other social events. She will invariably want to know those who come and talk to me. She will ask me, 'who is this?' while the person is still present with me! But I had a unique problem. I am not a person of names and faces! Sometimes I may not be able to recall the person who is talking to me, and her question will put in a fix! So whenever I took her out, I will give clear instructions that she should never ask 'who is this?' while the person is still with me!

During the time of Jesus too, many asked that same question. When Jesus forgave the sins of the woman who anointed His feet with an alabaster flask of fragrant...

A Christmas Question!

Charles Spurgeon was an English Baptist preacher who pastored the New Park Street Chapel in London for 38 years. It seems he preached this message titled 'A Christmas Question' on December 25th 1859, based on the text Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace". Spurgeon drew their attention to the two words, "unto us" and posed three questions to his congregation on that day:

Is it so?

If it is so, what then?

If it is not so, what then?

Let us also focus on those two words and see what the Lord is teaching...

Eyes in the Sky!

'Eyes-in-the-sky' is a term popularised by the casinos of Vegas! Something about gambling, probably the presence of large amounts of money, seems to encourage people to cheat, steal, or scam their way into a jackpot, instead of trying to win by random chance. That is why casinos spend a lot of time, effort, and money on security. That was the industry that pioneered the use of elaborate surveillance systems known as the "eyes-in-the-sky" that allows security personnel to watch the entire casino at once. Cameras in the ceiling watch every table, every slot, including the restaurants and coffee shops to spot the cheats! These days since cameras have become very cheap, we find them in unnecessary places too!

The Bible says in Psalm 34:15 that, ...

The Lord, who carried me!

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the new generation of Israelites who are ready to enter Canaan about how God had helped them during the forty years they had wandered in the wilderness. He says, "… in the wilderness … the LORD, your God, carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place(Deut 1:31)." It seems fathers carry their children on their shoulders so that the children can see things that even they cannot see! That is to say that the father desired his children to achieve greater heights than what he had made. It brought to my mind, my father, who used to carry me on his shoulders all the time when I was a little girl. Those were the days when there were no cars or scooters,...

The will to obey!

After my father bought his first car, an old Standard 8 in 1963, we used to travel a lot by car. Our first dog was a mixed breed terrier by name Billy and from the time he was a pup, he loved the car rides! Once we were on our way to Tirunelveli by car, and we decided to stop to get down to a river and play in the water. In spite of my Dad's warnings, I dipped Billy into the water holding him in two hands. If I had let Billy into the water, he might have been free to swim. Seeing me, my Dad said, 'dip him well.' I missed the irritation in his tone and mistaking it for approval, dipped Billy again and again! Billy almost died that day, for he was barely two months old. He was shivering so much that we had to stop at a hotel to get warm milk for him!