Beauty

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”Psalm‬ ‭27‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The beauty of the Lord is more satisfying than all things of the flesh. Food and drink are temporary, sexual fulfilment is between  and man and woman but a relationship with our God is with the eternal One. Our God desires relationship with us. We determine to what extent we are willing to relate to our God. He is willing to share who He is with us.

Christian’s do not need to hunger for being in a physical building to find God. When Jesus because our way to eternal life His Holy Spirit lives within us, we are the temple. We must take care of it. Church is where we have fellowship with others the same. There we can sing, worship, hear good biblical teaching and enjoy being with others who love Jesus.

However, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord is a choice. Do I want to know the beauty of my God? Or do I want a perfunctory relationship. The choice is our!

Beauty awaits us!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=lCurAnLiwiY&si=s-zl2FSAMDDQ_l6w

Mercy

“Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭36‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

When I consider mercy I look at a friend who aggravates me because of his persistent flaunting of the law. Where I would have put him in jail, God continues to give him mercy and plucks him out of the mire. This causes me to repent and keep out of judgement.

If we are prone to obedience and have an ear for the word we will find it difficult to tolerate those who have walked in their own ways. Whilst we can bring a matter to their attention it is the Holy Spirit who convicts. We do not have the Holy Spirit’s job, it belongs solely to Him. While we are in the way, He will not, in fact cannot act.

Our role is to walk in obedience to our God and follow His convictions. We are also told by Jesus: ‘be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful’. He is merciful so why am I being judgemental?

Self-righteousness is a sin. It stinks just as much as fleshly behaviour. Neither are good. Grace and mercy follow me, how about letting them catch me! Amen!

Given without criticism

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.”James‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

It is important we realise God’s love for us. For, who else would give without reserving the right to condemn? Especially if we had been foolish up to the time of asking?

I have relatives who are caught in wrong and destructive places. However, I know that humble repentance will remove all guilt and a prayer for Godly wisdom would be given. Our God is like that!

I am ever mindful of John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace. He had sunk low and was a slave trader, but turned and came to Christ. He went on to work in the ministry, greatly humbled by the grace and forgiveness given. Our God’s love and willingness to endow us with His grace and wisdom never ends.

We can come to Him today. Repentance opens the door to a loving Father! Amen!

Purpose

“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”Esther‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Esther had reached a place where it was not glory and good times. She received word that a wicked man called Haman had a plat to kill all the Jews (isn’t it amazing that a group called Hamas are wanting to exterminate the Jews again). Esther was implored to speak to the king and ask for mercy. Esther knew the court rules: ‘if you went before the king without an invitation you could die’.

Esther had to trust God to give her favour, and He did. The king welcomed her suggestion of a dinner she would provide for him and Haman. It was not at the first banquet did she speak but rather she asked for a second and was granted her request. As the king was joyful and enamoured with love and grace she told him of Hamans plan to kill her people. The king rose up in her, and their, defence. Haman ended up dying on the gallows he had made for Esther’s uncle Mordecai.

Esther faced her fear and was blessed. The king had fallen in love with Esther and was more than happy to defend her. Haman did not know that Esther was a Jew, it was her secret that she divulged only at the right time.

What secret do you hold that God is wanting you to divulge at this time? Where has God placed you in His plan? Are you willing to trust Him? He will protect you!

Everything is used

“Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.”Jonah‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jonah rebelled against God and ran. God provided a lesson in the rebellion. A huge storm arose and swamped the boat on which a Jonah was travelling away from God’s purpose. He knew the cause of the storm was himself and told the captain of the boat, ‘throw me overboard’. He may have thought his end had come, but God had a plan. Jonah was swallowed by a huge whale and he spent three days inside repenting. What a smelly place to sit and contemplate his sin!

Imagine sitting inside and being washed constantly as the whale swallowed plankton, it would have been a wet, disturbing experience. However, Jonah was an irritation to the whale and needed expulsion. After three days he was vomited up on the beach, back where he started. This time he went to Nineveh, the place God wanted him to go. He did not go with a good heart nonetheless. He did as the Lord commanded, he preached a need for repentance. The people repented and Jonah became sulky.What a rebellious, self-righteous man!

Do we represent Jonah? Have we become sulky because God did not act as we would have Him act when He shows mercy and not judgement? Yes! I have a friend who continually flouts laws surrounding what he wants to do. I want God to smack him, however, God graciously removes him from involvement by shutting down loop-holes, without a comeback on my friend. This is exactly what God did for Nineveh. As the people repented He released them from judgement, for a time. They were eventually destroyed for the same sin, but God gave them time.

Sef-righteousness wants judgement on others, not self, of course. It is a stinky sin! Help us find repentance Lord! Amen!

Boldness

“For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.”Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I want more boldness for Christ. Being wary of prosecution makes me cautious. I don’t want souls to miss God’s best for them.

I want my life to honour Christ. Only He knows if I have been successful. I am aware that recently I was in a coffee shop and one Nepali man was trying to engage me in conversation. I carry a small card on which is written: ‘Jesus loves you’ on one side and on the other: ‘for God so loved the world that He gave His Son’. I had purposefully put that card in my bag that I take swimming. I felt a prompt to give the man the card but didn’t because I was unsure of the environment. I should have trusted the Lord. Please bring the man back Lord!

I have a friend who has lived here for 16 years and she has been expelled for proselytism. Her voice is ever in my head.

I need to find the Holy Spirit’s boldness and step up when He commands. I have to trust Him for my safety. Amen!

Recognition

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”John‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

John was able to recognise Jesus as the Messiah. How was he able to do that?

“And John testified, “I watched the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He rested on Him. I didn’t know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The One you see the Spirit descending and resting on — He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God! ”John‬ ‭1‬:‭32‬-‭34‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Jesus was John’s cousin. As John had grown up in the wilderness perhaps they had little to do with each other, John’s parents were old at conception and although they knew about Jesus, John may have not. Or else he was stating that he received his revelation from God and not man.

How do we know Jesus is the Messiah? We also have a divine revelation, our eyes are opened to the fullness of Jesus in the scripture. The Holy Spirit also works in us to reveal Jesus. I remember the day it happened for me. Suddenly I could read scripture and know that Jesus was all it said He was and He was my personal saviour.

This same revelation is wanting to be made available to all mankind, and it so our task to take the good news, just as John had done. Amen!