I greet and bless everyone in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessed word that God has given for you today, is from the book of Ruth 2:12, “The Lord Repay your work, and a full Reward be given to you, by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings, you have come for refuge.”
From the above context we understand how Boaz blesses Ruth, a Moabites. who returned to Bethlehem along with her mother in law Naomi, in search of livelihood. Boaz encouraged Ruth, as she was a woman who had a good testimony by saying the above words, “ The LORD repay your work and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel”. We see a new change had come upon her after the death of her young husband; she put her trust in the God of Israel. She gave up all her former associates, now she had come to live in among strangers. She felt very low in her own eyes. So she found protection under the wings of God.
Boaz, the citizen of Bethlehem, saluted her with words of tender encouragement; for though he was much older to her, yet he was humble enough to exhort her goodness towards her mother in law. God wants to give her another new life in the strange land , as she had come under the wings of God, for refuge. Boaz knew of Ruth’s commitment to the God of Israel. Wings of God, represents trust and security. And Ruth was overwhelmed by his kindness, and was polite enough to say, “Let me find favour in your eyes.”
Many of you are reading this message with a desire to have a new life. You seem to ask for yourself will it be possible for me to restart my life again. I have lost my life. Will God give me another opportunity? Surely God will bless you with another new life provided you make certain corrections in your life. You need to maintain a good testimony like that of Ruth. Speaking about her, Boaz says, “Blessed are you my daughter, For you have shown me more kindness at the end, than at the beginning. And you did not go after young men whether poor or rich.”’ Now my daughter, “I shall do for you all that you, request, for all the people in the town know that you are a virtuous woman.”
How do the people in your neighbourhood consider you.? How do you converse with them? Is your testimony spotless? If your ways are acceptable and worthy of praise surely God will give you another life which you are looking out for. For He is good to all those who put their trust in Him. God is concerned about your life. He wants to comfort you through this message. There is a secret in the life of Ruth, as to how her life that had almost ended. began to shoot up again. It was her sacrifice. She had left her father, her mother, and the land of her birth, and came with her mother in law to a land and people unknown to her. Are you willing to sacrifice all that is unwanted in your life for the glory of God. Ruth not only maintained a good testimony but also fell under the wings of the Lord God of Israel, for refuge. And so God had already prepared a relative who came forward to give her new life.
Ruth’s commitment to the God of Israel, was the cause for her to rebuild her life. The Bible says , “ I will repay your work.”A reward according to your work will be given to you. May be you are reading this message in the midst of agony and broken life. God wants to rebuild your life, re establish your life that has been uprooted or plucked out. For God says in the Bible, For I will set My eyes, on them for good, and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.”’ May the Lord help you to set a good testimony.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord we thank You for rewarding Ruth according to her work. Help us to be like Ruth and hold a good testimony before others. To mend our ways and also practice, self sacrifice in our lives. Teach us to live for others and not be self oriented.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
I greet and bless everyone in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessed word that God has given for you today, is from the book of Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Jesus was on the way to Jericho, and there he healed a blind man. This was a proof that he was the Messiah. The incident with Zacchaeus happens in Jericho as Jesus was passing through. The healing of the blind man spread quickly so that the crowd began to gather as Jesus passed through the city of Jericho.
Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ like Zacchaeus, will break through opposition and take pains to see Him. And Christ invited Himself to Zacchaeus house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart and inclines it to receive Him. He that has a mind to know Christ shall be known of Him. And those whom Christ calls must humble themselves and come down.
Zacchaeus gave proof publically that he had become a true convert. He does not look to be justified by his works like the Pharisee, but by his good works, he shows the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zacchaeus is declared to be a happy man. He had turned from sin to God. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power of them, he is entitled to receive all the benefits of Salvation. Christ had come to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with Him.
Zacchaeus did not expect that he would be entertaining the Son Of God in his own house. As a rich important and chief tax collector he was an individual who was hated by the Jews and despised by the Romans. For they considered him to be a swindler or a thief. But Jesus did not ignore him or condemn him. He took time to come to him, to call him, and open up for him a new path of salvation. For Jesus had come to seek and to save that which was lost. No doubt God had been preparing the heart of this wealthy yet detested tax collector. For God is able to discern the motives of every man. And this meeting with Christ brought a sinner to repentance.
Have you received the salvation of God. If not seek Him and He will be found by you. If you reject Him then He will also reject you and it will be too late to be saved. Because salvation comes from God by grace through faith. And because you have not received salvation you would have incurred great loss in your life. God wants you to get back all that you have lost in your life. Make God the portion of your life. Say Lord “I am Yours and You are mine. Nothing shall separate me from the Love of God.” If you truly make this commitment, God will save you from the mouth of the grave, and the gate of hell shall not prevail you. God bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank you for this blessed day. Heavenly Father thank you, that you came to seek and to save a lost sinner like me, and for the amazing love and grace you have bestowed upon me. Thank you for forgiving my sins, for bringing salvation into my heart and for making it Your dwelling place. Keep me humble and meek. May I be used for your glory in all that I say and do.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
I greet and bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed word that the Lord has given me to bless you today is from the book of Ruth 2:12, “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
The bible tells us about the life of Ruth where she had to go through a great loss. She lost her husband at the time she was to get settled in life. She did not have a child. In this situation, God watched over her carefully. He wanted to know as to what decision she would take during a tough situation. The decision that Ruth took in spite of all the losses she went through, was pleasing in the sight of God. The mother-in-law of Ruth gave her an advice telling her to return to her parents’ house and to start a new life. In turn, Ruth told her that she would not leave her and go anywhere. God watched all that was taking place. When God keenly watched over her works, God was able to see that she was protecting her testimony. As God was well pleased with her, He blessed her with a good life.
Likewise, God watches over you when you take a decision during times of problem. The decision that you take must satisfy the heart of God. You might have had some small problems with your fellow mates. Those small issues might have worsened only because of your tension. My dear children of God, I advise you not to get tensed for every small issue. In situations such as these, learn to take wise decisions. Only then, you will be able to maintain peace with everyone around you. The Lord will reward you for all the efforts that you have put in at your work. When the works of your hand are pleasing in the sight of God, God will do great wonders in your life and you will be richly blessed.
God bless you.
Prayer:
Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord, give your children the wisdom to handle a problem wisely. Let them not get tensed for small issues. Father, let all the decisions that they take especially at the time of a problem be wise and pleasing in thy sight. Jesus, I pray that You may reward them according to the works of their hand. In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
I greet and bless everyone in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessed word that God has given for you today, is from the book of Judges 15:18 ,“ Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised.”
The Bible records the story of Samson. He was a Nazirite to God from his birth. The Philistines wanted to take hold of Samson and kill him because of the atrocities he did in the land of Ashkelon. He set fire to the grain fields and destroyed the crops because his father in law had cheated him. His father in law had given his wife in marriage to his companion and so he grew furious and burned the crops. As revenge the men grew angry and burned his father in law and his wife. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt on the top of the rock Etam.
Three thousand men of Judah went up to Samson and arrested him saying that they will not deliver him into the hands of the Philistines and not kill him. They bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. But when he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. And Samson found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men there with. He threw the jawbone from his hand and called that place Ramath Lehi.
Then Samson, became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now. Shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised.” He questions God if he should die of thirst after having killed 1000 Philistines. Samson fell on the ground where there was not a brook or well or spring from where he could drink water and quench his thirst. There was no one nearby who could give him water, for his thirst. He was at the verge of death because of terrible thirst. At that time he called upon God.
He tells God ‘’It is true that You have been with me so long and strengthened me to fight against the Philistines, but now that I am thirsty will you let me die in the hands of the uncircumcised.” He was not in a state to even celebrate his victory. Rather he was at the verge of death. God heard the cry of Samson. We read in the book of Judges, So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he drank . And his spirit returned and he revived. He called that place En Hakkore. If God had not heard his cry and provided him with water, He would have died of thirst. And God’s plan in his life would not have been fulfilled. Water also refers to the Holy Spirit. Believers cannot survive without the Holy Spirit. God hears the cry of his children. For when, The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. We see in the Bible many people cried out to the Lord, Moses cried out to the Lord for help. Hannah cried to the Lord in the temple for a child. Hezekiah cried to the Lord to be healed. God heard the boy Ishmael crying for water as he was thirsty in the wilderness. Jeremiah cried out to the Lord for the deliverance of his people. God heard the cry of all these people. Will he not hear your cry ? Your tears will be turned to joy.
God bless you.
Prayer: Our Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for this blessed day. Lord, we thank You for splitting the hollow place and providing water for Samson to quench his thirst. When we cry, please listen to our cry and answer us speedily. Let us know that You are all powerful and that You can meet all our needs.
In Jesus Name we pray.
Amen.
I greet and bless you in the name of our Lord and Xavier Jesus Christ.
The blessed word that God has given for you today, is from the book of Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.”
Paul has been outlining about the riches of God’s grace towards His people. And Paul’s heart-desire and earnest prayer is that we understand the riches of His grace towards us and that we stand firm in the faith; grow in grace; trust in the Lord with all our heart and become rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. And so Paul writes in His letter to the Ephesians proclaiming God’s goodness and grace. Paul desires that we know that God is able. Paul in this inspiring and exhilarating note of praise wants us to know that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.
Many people who go through tribulation, and affliction, often wish to end up their life. They find it hard to live because of the pressure mounting upon them , especially those who suffer from huge debts. If you lose hope, just because of debts, then the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary will become meaningless. Jesus died that you might live. And he became poor that you might become rich. Surrender your life to Him and He will change your situation. God says, Beloved I pray that you may prosper in all things, and be in health just as your soul prospers.
Once when I was ministering in Sri Lanka, I met a person who was hiding in shame and humiliation because he had debts about crores of Rupees. He had a very luxurious house with chandeleons and waterfalls but there was darkness inside the house. The family was overcome with fear, sorrow and shame. This gentleman had nearly seven and half crores of debts. He was staying in his own house for rent. And he said that there was no chance of closing his debts, and the only solution was to commit suicide. After sharing Gods word to him, and assuring him that Our God is able to close debts worth millions of rupees. When I told him that God is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think for Our Father has gold and silver in His hands, and that the Earth is the Lords and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell there in. That evening he attended our cottage meeting.
He gained confidence and took me to his godown and his factory. After a small prayer he sat in his cabin. His Co workers and other business partners, dealers came up to him and encouraged him by extending support to him in his business. Those who came to see him said that he had talents in dry fish export and there were many to support him in his business. They asked him to restart his business and promised to help him financially. They spoke to him without hurting his feelings. They also asked him to pay back the dues slowly as soon as he gets profit in his business. There was a great change in the attitude of the customers and other business giants who approached him. They said that he possessed good marketing and exporting capacity too. They asked him not to worry and asked him to continue his business . And he need to repay his debts only when he made a good profit.
The man was wonder struck at the changed attitude of his business partners. The entire life style of this person changed. All this was because of his faith in Jesus. He cleared all his debts and is now one of the leading business man in town. God exalted him because he believed that Jesus was able to do more than we ask or think. He purchased back his house in which he was living for rent. His business flourished and he bought a new car. God blessed his family once again. But now he was a new person in Christ. God changed his sorrow into joy, and his curse into a blessing. Praise be to God.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Heavenly Father, we thank You, because You are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. Thank You for having given us the power of the Holy Spirit, working in our inner man. Lord we willingly yield to Your transforming work in our life. Help us to realize and experience how great a God You are.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
