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 Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
My dear Brothers and Sisters the above context tells us that God is so concerned about you and your family. God wants to grant you peace and not do evil for you. Therefore put your trust in Him. He who called you is faithful. He will neither leave you nor forget you. He has engraved you in the palm of His hands. Your walls are ever before Him. The Lord desires to give you a better life. He does not want you to suffer the hard way you have lived. He wants to give you a completely new life. In the Bible, we see, that everything was against Ruth. She shared her tears with the Lord. So she held on to her Mother in law, Naomi. She decided to hold on to her mother in law, in order to receive the blessing of the living God. She clung to her Mother in law. She said to her mother in law, “Your people shall be my people, And your God my God. Where you die, I will die.” She was determined to hold on to her mother in law, even though she was a childless widow, and not leave her alone at any cost.
Therefore God blessed the latter part of her life to a glorious one. God also blessed and honored Naomi who loved Ruth for who she was. She wanted to do good for her and therefore sent her to work in the fields for Boaz who later married her. And Ruth bore a son Obed and made a new generation and the people of the town praised Naomi who was an elderly widow. God changed their sorrow into joy.
My dear Brothers and Sisters, I wish to illustrate an incident as to how God blessed a couple who once came to me crying about their unhappy married life. A young girl came to see me and she said, “Sir you too came to my marriage and blessed me on my wedding day. The members of my husband’s family are closely associated with you and your ministry. But I am not able to get along with my husband and his family. So I left my in-laws house and now I live with my parents. I have decided to divorce my husband. Please show me a way. ”I was shocked to hear this from her because I know the bridegrooms family very well and they are very god fearing, so how can this happen. I was disturbed in my thoughts. So I called up the boy and spoke to him to know what was the problem and why she had left the house. Then I cried to the Lord and said, “Lord this marriage was conducted by several men of God. And God Himself conducted the marriage let no man separate this marriage. If she could not live in that family then she cannot live in any other family. I also realized that there is no family where people don’t make any mistakes. So I called the couple to my office once again and gave them counseling. I told the girl to join her husband before things worsened. Then God spoke to her prophetically saying “who knows if God would give a project to your husband in America and you too might go and live there. “So she left my office peacefully. After just ten days of their visit to my office God gave her husband an onsite project and asked him to go to USA. As soon as he left to USA he prepared a visa for his wife also and took her to America. Thus just as God joined Ruth and Boaz, God joined both the husband and wife and settled them amicably without any problem. So I wish to say that if you struggle for the welfare of your family like Ruth God will definitely exalt you and bless you.
Prayer:
Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord teach us to adjust with our spouse and our in-laws like Ruth so that we can enjoy a good family life. Help us to be honest with each other and extend love, care and bear one another’s burden. Help us to have a better understanding and maintain a good relationship within the family circle. In Jesus name, we pray.
Amen.
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 Genesis 50:20 , “But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.’’
My dear Brothers and Sisters from the above context we see how God settles His children in fertile places, where they can enjoy the grace and glory of God by His rich providence. Namely the rivers of water and ever green pastures .
May be all these years your effort to make a better life, had been a failure. But God is saying, hereafter, you shall enjoy the fruit of your hard work. You might have tried for a good job, or for your promotion, or expansion of your business but all these years you were not, able to progress in life. But the moment Jesus comes into your life and through the meditation of God’s word, you shall experience a great change in your life. Some of you have incurred great loss in your business or may be your marriage didn’t work, nothing seems to be going on well in life. Therefore you seem to be frustrated in life. Some even go to the extent of committing suicide, because of failure in life. But Jesus says, that He will turn your failure into success. Whatever went wrong in your life will turn for your good.
That’s what we see in the life of Joseph. His own brothers threw him into the deep pit. Then they picked him up from the pit and sold him to the Egyptian merchants. There in Egypt he was cast into the prison, because of Potiphar’ s wife. But Joseph never murmured against God. The Lord was with him and whatever he did the Lord made it to prosper. As God was with him, he became the governor of Egypt. His brothers came to Egypt to buy food grains from the land of Canaan. He recognized his brothers and showed mercy to them. He cried out to them, saying “you meant evil against me but God meant it for good in order to save the lives of many people’’. In the same manner, until today someone must have sown evil seeds to cause destruction to you. But the evil, they had done for you, would actually be for your good. God will lift you up and exalt you in such a way that others may be surprised at your elevation. When God decides to show favour to you no one can stand against His decision. Hence cheer up in the Lord.
God bless you.
Prayer:
Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord we thank you for changing the evil for our own good. For planting us by the rivers of water and helping us to be fruitful. And blessing us with all good things. Lord let no evil befall us, Instead bless the work of our hands and help us to prosper in our life. In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
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 Ruth 3: 10, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter, For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after, young men whether poor or rich. “
My dear Brothers and Sisters, Today the Lord is going to give you a new life altogether. You must have endured many struggles in your in-law’s house. You feel that you cannot manage any further in your in-law’s house and you are making an effort to flee away from your husband and his family just for petty and silly problems. But Ruth endured very patiently. She bore the struggles in life as a young widow with Naomi her mother in law. And since Ruth endured the struggles patiently and decided to serve the living God and sacrificed her youthful life for the cause of Naomi her mother in law, God looked at her miserable life and thus exalted her.
Boaz appreciates Ruth as she did not go after rich young men instead she sought Boaz for her refuge. Hence He promised to do anything for her. Boaz calls her “Blessed are you of the Lord my daughter.”Even though Ruth was a young Moabites woman, a forsaken widow, he did not despise her or underestimate her in any way instead he called her “ Blessed daughter.” As soon as he returned from Bethlehem, he inquired about Ruth and learned that she was a widow from Moabite. Boaz actually represented God himself. He said that he will do anything for her. He took measures to ensure that he gave chance to the nearest kinsmen of Naomi to marry Ruth if he was capable of buying the field. But the near kinsmen said, “I cannot redeem it myself.” So he took off his sandal and gave it to the other. As it was the custom of those days. Though Boaz, was rich and wealthy he was concerned about his workers. He also gave instructions to his workers to let some grains fall from the bundles purposely for her. He advised Ruth as to how she ought to behave while at work in the fields. He tried to protect her from other field’s men. When the nearest kinsmen refused to marry Ruth, Boaz bought all that was Elimelech’s. And all that was Chileans. And Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. And he came forward to marry Ruth and she brought forth Obed who became the restorer of life. Thus we see the good nature of Boaz. And the Lord blessed both Boaz and Ruth in their latter days.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, God has a plan and purpose for you too. If you inherit the qualities of Boaz and Ruth the Lord will exalt you as He exalted them. The Bible says, “With the merciful, You will show yourself merciful. With the pure, you will show yourself pure. “We need to be merciful to others. And do justice to the poor. He is a God who saves the humble people. The Bible says “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore, I will deliver him. I will set him on high because he knows My name.” When we know His name the Lord will surely magnify us.
God bless you.
Prayer:
Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord, we thank you for Boaz and Ruth who found mercy in the sight of God. Through these characters help us to learn the importance of being humble and righteous. Teach us to inherit good nature from God. In Jesus name, we pray.
Amen.
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 1 Kings 8:15 “He said, Blessed, be the Lord God of Israel, which spoke with his mouth David my Father, and hath fulfilled it with his hands”.
From the above context, we understand that King Solomon actually praises the Lord God of Israel. And He says, Blessed, be the Lord God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David my Father, and hath fulfilled it with his hands. He remembers how the Lord God of Israel, had brought His people out of Egypt,” and had chosen David, to be king over His people.” The Lord is in heaven and he does what pleases him. The Bible says, Lord, You do whatever Your hand has determined to do.
My dear Brothers and Sisters, it is important for one to be blessed by the hand of the Lord. One should receive the favor of the Lord. Then he will be blessed in all the work of his hands. We see that even though David was not able to build the temple, he desired in his heart to build it. God graciously promised David that he should have a son who should build a house for Him and which he had by His power and providence faithfully performed.
When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts. He said, Let all praise and glory honor and blessing be ascribed to the Lord. Who had shown Himself to be Israel’s covenant God by taking up His residence among them in the temple he had filled with His glory. God was pleased with Solomon who obeyed the words of his father and built the temple in Jerusalem, for the God of Israel.
Solomon lifts up his heart in the attitude of prayer, by saying Lord God Of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. Lord let Your eyes be opened towards this temple, day and night, toward the place from where you would hear the prayer of Your servant, pray towards this place from Heaven and forgive them when you hear their prayer. We see the similar attitude of both the father and the son.
My dear Brothers and Sisters, do you have a desire to do something for the Lord as these men of God. Are you a Christian by birth or name alone. Examine yourself, search for God and the things that would pertain to the kingdom of God. David and Solomon were zealous for God and had the desire to build the temple of God. If you have such a desire as these men of God then rise and shine for your light has come. Awake, awake! Shake yourself from the dust and arise, Put on your strength O Zion, put on your beautiful garments and loosen yourself from the bonds of your neck. Be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
God bless you.
Prayer:
Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord, we thank you for David and Solomon who accomplished the task of building the temple in Jerusalem. Thank You, Lord, for choosing this person and for having formed them for Yourself that they should praise Your name. May all glory and honor and blessing be unto You Oh Lord. In Jesus name, we pray.
Amen.
My dear Brothers and sisters in Christ, I greet and bless everyone in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessed word that God has given you for today is from the book of Psalms 4:3, “God sets apart the Godly for Himself.”
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, God has chosen him who is godly for Himself. For His own purpose, to accomplish his own designs and that is David himself. The above verse speaks about David, the holy , good man. A man after God’s own heart, who the Lord chose in a marvellous manner separated him from the rest of his brethren. Took him from the sheep fold, and set him upon the throne of Israel for the glory of his great name and therefore the attempts of his enemies against him would be a failure.
We can also compare this to the Messiah, Jesus Christ whom God has chosen to be the Saviour and Redeemer wherefore the work of the Lord has prospered in his hands. “He hath wonderfully set apart.” It is an amazing instance of grace, that God should make one to differ from another and separate, them from their mother’s womb and call them by his grace. The object of this act is “him that is godly or holy”, not that any are set apart, or chosen by God for their godliness or holiness but they are chosen through sanctification of the spirit. The word “godly’’ refers to kindness, love towards God, and one who is truly pious. The Bible says, “The righteous are more excellent than his neighbours.” The godly are precious therefore they are set apart for God. The godly are set apart as God’s peculiar treasure.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters, If you are precious in his sight then you too are considered godly. You need to set apart yourself to be godly which means you must be prepared to serve the Lord in a way that is pleasing unto God. You must be prepared to set your mind on things above and not on things on the earth. For the godly are considered as the flower of the sun, as the wine of Lebanon. As the sparkling upon Aarons breastplate, as a royal diadem, such is the splendor of a godly person. The godly are excellent of the earth. God calls them jewels. Would you like to be a precious jewel in the hands of God to adorn His Kingdom? Then remember that God has set apart you for His glory.
God bless you.
Prayer:
Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Lord, we are thankful to You for having set the godly for Yourself. Help us to set apart ourselves for your glory. Teach us to be a royal diadem, or like the flower of the sun. Never to deviate ourselves from You O God. Help us to refrain ourselves from all the things of the earth and set our minds on things above. In Jesus name, we pray.
Amen.
