Month: March 2016

The Storm

Dear All,

Storms are unexpected and they do not make an announcement before they arrive. Similarly, storms in our lives are varied in nature and they can change a situation in a moment. The loss of a job, a loved one or maybe an unexpected sickness can bring a stop to our journey.

The Storm

 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Mark 4:38-39

One evening, Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat when a mighty storm arose, causing the waves to break into the boat. Jesus was fast asleep but the disciples, failing in their efforts to save their boat and thinking they were about to perish, woke up Jesus.

The learning for today from this short passage is that Jesus was in the same boat as the disciples but He was not affected by the storm. The disciples were afraid and tried to battle the storm but were not successful. The reality of the storm weakened their hearts and fear made them give up.

On the other hand, Jesus’ inner faith was strong and He was able to sleep in peace even though a storm raged around Him. In our lives, we may come across many storms on a daily basis but if our faith is strong then we will be able to know the Lord’s peace and walk through the storms.

Jim Rohn said, “We often cannot determine what happens to us, but we can always determine what happens within us.”

Dear Lord,
I thank You for this day. I want to grow to be strong within so that I will be able to overcome the storms in my life. Amen.

Your obedient servants in Christ,
Theo and Manju

Hearing God’s Voice

Dear All,
Samuel was a young boy who was serving at God’s altar. One night when he was asleep, God called him by his name. He did not recognize the voice of God and thought that Eli the priest, whom he was serving, was calling him. This happened three times until Eli realized that it was the Lord who wanted to speak to Samuel and said, “If you hear the voice again, say ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ “ (1 Samuel 3:9)
Hearing God’s Voice
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
John 10:27
This morning we will study a few keys to hearing the voice of God. The first and the most important is that we have to accept Him as our Father and become His children. Children will always know their father’s voice because they often spend so much time in close relationship with him. Similarly, our heavenly Father’s voice will become clearer to us only when we learn to commune with Him and spend that precious time alone with Him. Samuel did not recognize God’s voice at the beginning because he was not familiar with His voice.
In our daily lives, we are making decisions all the time. Do we hear his prompting? The word says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”  Romans 8:17 As we are His children, we are led by His Spirit. However, we may ask ourselves this question: “If we are led by the Spirit of God, can we hear Him for our major decisions?” The word says in Jeremiah 29:12-13, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
We can  conclude by saying that God will make the paths straight for those who trust in the Lord with all of their hearts, without leaning on their own understanding. Remember there are three voices – the voice of God, the voice of our own fleshly desires, and the voice of the devil. Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice”. Let us be His sheep, spend time with Him and we will surely hear His voice that will direct every step of our lives.
Dear Lord,
You are my shepherd and I will not lack. As I abide in You and lean upon You, You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go and continue to guide me in every step that I take. Amen.
God bless you,
Theo and Manju