My Dear Brothers and Sisters, 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 Psalms 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the Presence Of my enemies.”
My Dear Brothers and Sister, from the above passage we come to understand that God is always, ready to prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. Every good man has his enemies. He would not be like his Lord if he had no enemies at all. Yet we see the quietude of the godly man even in the sight of his enemies, and how refreshing is his calm bravery. And David was one such person. When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, nothing seems to disturb him, there is no confusion, the enemy is at the door yet God prepares a table and makes you sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh the peace which Jehovah gives to His people even in the midst of the most trying circumstances is inexpressible.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, David experienced the fear of death. He was confronted by his enemies. King Saul was possessed by evil spirit. So David the son of Jessie was called to play music in his harp. And when David played his harp, he would be relieved of the evil spirit or the evil spirit would subside. Since, King Saul knew that David was anointed as the next king of Israel; he was jealous of him and wanted to kill him. So he threw his spear at him with the desire to kill him. But God saved him from the hands of King Saul several times. Not once, but he made many attempts to kill him. But the Lord was with David and therefore saved him from the hands of King Saul.
My Dear brothers and Sisters, similarly David and his body guard Abishai, for fear of Saul, went up the hill of Hakilah and hid themselves which faces Jeshimon, Knowing this, Saul with three thousand warriors , surrounded the hill in which David was hiding. So David could not come out of his hideout. He feared that he would be trapped by his enemies, So he cried out to the Living God. He lifted up his voice to God in prayer, asking God to save him from his enemies. The Lord heard his prayer and put king Saul and his three thousand men into deep sleep. Such that they never even noticed David take away the spear, and the jar of water, from Saul’s head. And they escaped from the cruel hands of their enemies. Thus God prepared a table before him in the sight of his enemies. This royal context explains the presence of David’s enemies, as observers at the feast, they almost mocked at him. But David trusted in God and God delivered him from the hands of his enemies at all times. And this victory was the feast David enjoyed before his enemies.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, the Lord will prepare a table even before you in the presence of your enemies. God will exalt your name in front of those who put you to shame. God will lift your name. He will increase you on every side and comfort you. People might have told that you would never arise from your fallen state. But God says, “Your enemies, will fall down but you will stand erect, and firm.” Hallelujah. ”God will suppress your enemies that rise up against you. Those who afflict you shall never rise up against you. You will search for them but you will never find them. This is the Lord’s doing and it will be marvellous to your eyes.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank you for this blessed day. Thank you for protecting us and preparing a table before us in the presence of our enemies. Lord You hear us when we cry unto you. Grant unto us the grace to walk in the fear of God. Help us to be careful with our enemies. Never allow us to suffer in their hands. May we be victorious before them all the days of our life.
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 Psalms 92:12, “The Righteous shall flourish like a Palm tree. He shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon.”
From the above context we understand the beauty, the erectness, the stateliness and the growth of the palm tree. All this is the symbol of the prosperity, and the happiness of a righteous man. The Palm tree is constantly green and flourishing, spreads its branches very wide and grows to a vast size. The tree affords refreshing shade to travellers. It also produces dates a very sweet luscious kind of fruit. It is a most beautiful tree. And in every way, an invaluable treasure to the inhabitants of those hot countries. And hence it is considered as a fit symbol of the flourishing state of a righteous man.
The Bible says, the righteous grow like a Cedar, in Lebanon. They are immensely large; some of them are nearly 35 to 40 feet tall. They flourish for ages and are always, green. When cut down they yield a most beautiful, kind of wood, brown in colour, solid, durable, and in some sort incorruptible. The Cedars as well as the palm trees when compared to the short lived and withering grass are a striking illustration of the well founded durable, and continually increasing virtue and happiness of the truly righteous in opposition to the momentary, trifling and perpetually decaying prosperity of the wicked.
The Cedar is a noble and long lived tree. The Bible says, as the days of a tree, are the days, of my people. Just as the Cedar waves its mighty branches in perpetual verdure over the mountains, the truly godly man under all adversities retains the joy of his soul and continues to make progress in the divine life. Though the grass makes hay for the oxen the Cedars help in building the temple of the Lord. The palm trees too were planted within the very house of the Lord, and their presence there was ornamental, appropriate and highly suggestive. They were best emblem of the righteous, a fat, and flourishing old age – a peaceful end – a glorious immortality.
God sometimes grants prosperity to wicked men in displeasure. Yet they flourish but for a moment. Hence let us seek for ourselves the salvation and grace of the Gospel. Let us be anointed by the Holy Spirit, and share the Redeemer’s glory. It is from his grace, by his word and Spirit that believers receive all the virtue that keeps them alive and makes them fruitful. The text tells us not only what the righteous is but what he shall be, come what may. The good man shall flourish and flourish in the noblest manner. May the Lord help you also to be righteous and walk worthy of the Lord.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Dear Lord, help us to grow in the Lord daily like the trees that brings forth fruit in its season. Lord let our days be like the trees that live long. Teach us to enjoy peace and grow fat like stall fed calves. Make our lives a blessing to others.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessed word that God has given for you today is from the book of Zachariah 2:5, “For I, says the Lord, will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.”
From the above context we understand that, God wants to encamp round about his temple Jerusalem, because of the enemy. God will be a wall of fire around about to terrify and destroy her enemies, for our God is a consuming fire. God himself wants to be a wall of fire, so that his people might be safe. Hence they need not fear the wrath of their enemies. For if God is on their side then who can be against them? God says, My Word shall be unto her as a wall, of fire, encompassing her round about.
God has come down in a marvellous, manner this morning to protect you and your family. He is mindful of you. He knows what you are, going through, the ups and down in your life. He knows that you are being surrounded by enemies, who prevent you from moving forward in your studies, in your business, in your career, or even in your family life. The enemy, wants to intrude into your life and spoil the peace and harmony of your life.
God found Noah to be the most righteous man, perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God, Therefore God blessed him and his family and protected them from the floods that destroyed the earth. Similarly God wants to protect you and your family from the condemnation of this world. The scripture plainly declares, that there is therefore no condemnation to them, that are in Christ Jesus. That means, they walk with Christ each day of their life. Such people God encircles them as a wall of fire, and God will be the glory in the midst of Israel.
God is sending a peaceful wind to sweep over your family. He is spreading a wind of peace over your business, over your business centre, work spot, and your ministry so that all the turbulence in your life, can come to an end. God wants to give you another opportunity. May be you have lost all your wealth, property, your name, fame and health. But God wants to rejuvenate and restart your life. God is destroying every weapon formed against you and releasing you from all bondages that you are caught up with. Satan has planned to destroy you and your business, but God has planned to flourish and prosper you and your business. God is providing a hedge of protection around you and your family. He surrounds you with a wall of fire all around you to protect and safeguard you. May God help you to be within the protection of God.
Prayer:
Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Thank you Lord for protecting us from the hands of our enemies. Help us to be just and righteous in our life that we may receive the blessing of God. Surround us with a wall of fire and safeguard us from all our foes. Make us successful in all the work that we do, in our studies, career, and family life.
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 Exodus 3:7, And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people, who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry, because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.”
From the above context we understand that God saw the affliction of his people, in Egypt, by their task masters and had great sympathy towards them. God had an affectionate concern for them. So he had a fixed, settled, determination in his mind to deliver them. He had thoroughly observed their affliction and was afflicted with them in it and was bent upon their deliverance out of it.
The task masters were set over them to see that they did their work and to lay heavy burdens on them and afflict them by all manner of ways, and methods they could devise and who abused and beat them for not doing what they ought to have done which made them cry out all the more because of their barbarous usage of them, and cry unto God for help and deliverance. God knows the pains of their body that they were put into and the inward grief and trouble of their minds on account of them. God knew their sorrows for certain.
Just as God saw the affliction of the Israelites and heard their cry, God is saying that he is looking at your sorrow, you being oppressed by others. You are currently going through affliction and you are unable to bear it. But the Lord says,”’ In this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world.” So never think that you are in trouble and others are living a comfortable and happy life. It is not so. There is none that does not go through troubles. Every one according to their capacity has their own trouble. When we look at others we might think they have no sorrows but when you go closer to them you will realize that they are going through worse trouble than what you are going through. But God will not give affliction more than your capacity. The Israelites couldn’t bear the hardship any further so they looked up to heaven and cried to God for deliverance.
When oppression strikes your door, cry out to God. As the affliction increases day by day, cry out to God. Pray with faith. Increase your prayer time. David said, “When I am afraid I put my trust in God.” Look up to God. Cry out loudly. Pray without ceasing, pray vehemently, pray from within your heart. Start praying truthfully and honestly. Start praying by praising and with thanksgiving. Render your prayers to the presence of the Lord. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus and fill you with the presence of God and you will experience the deliverance of God. If Jesus makes you free then you shall be free indeed.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Strengthen us, Lord, that we may overcome all the hurdles that we face. Lord, we thank you for hearing our prayers and delivering us from all our problems. Teach us to pray with real faith. Teach us to bear the cross and follow you.
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 John 5:5, 6, “Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition for a long time. He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?’’
From the above context we understand that two thousand years ago, there was a pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda pool. Even today you can see that pool in a ruined state. There was something special about this pool, when compared to all other pools. Bethesda means “House of Mercy.” It is a place where people came there for mercy and received healing through Jesus.
We see in this passage that an angel went down and troubled or stirred up the water. And when one gets down into the water, with whatever disease one suffered from was cured by the water in the pool. But only he that first stepped into the water had the benefit of getting healed. There was a man who had lost the use of his limbs thirty eight years. Those who suffer for a long period may comfort themselves that God keeps account of how long he has been suffering. This man speaks about the unkindness of those around about him, who failed to show sympathy, or courtesy towards him. But he learnt in the hard way, to be thankful and patient. He waited for thirty eight long years, to receive a miracle from the God of mercy. All the sick people would sit by the five gates of that pool. All kinds of diseased people would gather by the pool. There were multitude of people gathered round the pool and were gazing at the heaven to see if the angel, would arrive to the pool. They would be longing as to when the angel would be descending into that pool. And when the angel gets into the pool and stirs the water, then the first one who gets into the water at that point of time, will be healed instantly.
There was no one to lift the man or call out to Jesus for help so he waited patiently. He was diseased over a long period of time. He waited helplessly. This man was one such person who because of his sinful nature had been diseased and was unable to move from his hip to his feet and so he was unable to move or walk about. Someone had to carry, to shift his location. In spite of his deformity he never lost his hope. We see that God loved sinners. He came to seek and to redeem the sinners who were lost in sin, and ruined in their lives. God came to give them, free gift of salvation. This man was confident that one day he would receive healing. God would give him another opportunity to live. He knew that God would help him to walk, run, and carry out his work without any one’s help.
When the man was lying down there by the pool in such a helpless state, Jesus came in search of him, and said to him, “Do you want to be made well? ”He began to complain about those around him saying that there was no one to help him get into the water. Then Jesus boldly said to him, “Take up your bed and walk.”Immediately the lame man gained strength and taking his bed he began to walk home. Wonderful God performed a wonderful miracle. The Lord delivered the man from his captivity. He was in bonds but God rescued him from the bondage and set him free. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. God who healed the man at the pool, who had an infirmity for thirty long years, is able to heal you of your disease too. So cheer up, be confident that God will give you another opportunity to live. God bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank you for this blessed day. Lord we thank you for coming to the earth to save mankind from his sinful nature and give him salvation. You are good all the time but we fail to realize this, Forgive us of our sins and purify us Lord. Help us to be grateful for all that you do in our lives. Thank You for healing the lame man at the Bethesda pool, and giving him another opportunity to live a new life. Come Lord Jesus live in us and help us experience greater things in our lives too.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
