Wait a minute...

Three weeks ago I thought: "I have a certain amount of things to do and at the end on November I'll be done and then it's time to relax." My appointments were booked, my move was planned, my visa prepped and all I needed to do was pitch up. Or so I thought... It turned out that every task that I needed to do grew about 3 extra tentacles and it was out of control.

Some things I had to do 3 times, I got dropped by people at the last minute and my most important appointment got postponed twice without me having any say in the matter. Needless to say, I got discouraged. Why was everything taking so unusually long and just when I think that I have one thing covered, it pops its head out again?

Suddenly I thought: "wait a minute... Who do I believe is in control here?" the correct answer would be God, but if I really believed that, would I be getting frustrated right now? No, I guess I won't, because even if it is out of my control, it will never be out of His hand. Amazing what a little change in perspective can do! I was so caught up in getting things done, that when things didn't go my way, I got frustrated instead of holding my circumstances lightly and allowing God to plan the timing.

Suddenly peace came and I knew that everything will get done in its time and that God's timing is perfect in every situation. It's so easy to forget that God is in control when we get so wrapped up in our own situation and then instead of peace, we experience frustration, irritation and maybe even anger. It has been 3 weeks now and some tasks are still not done, but peace reigns in my heart, because I know that there is a reason for everything and that God can do in a day what we can't imagine in a lifetime!

I can step back and relax, do my part when the time is right and just marvel at how He will make the story unfold. After all, He is the good shepherd and He knows how to look after His sheep.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 ESV)

Photo credit: vi.sualize.us

Receive beauty for ashes

Picture credit: becauseofgrace

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to comfort the broken-hearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.

He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favour has come and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,

a joyous blessing instead of mourning,

festive praise instead of despair.

In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.” Isaiah 61:1-3

Isaiah is proclaiming of the One who is to come, Jesus, and that one day He will be all that the verses above announce Him to be. We see this prophesy fulfilled in Luke 4:18. Where Jesus reads the exact scripture from the scroll and says to the people: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”. It was customary for the Jews to read from the scrolls each Sabbath in the temple and the people would take turns in reading from the scrolls. They would continue reading in the scroll at the place where the last person ended. Luke tells the story of how it was Jesus’s turn to read from the scroll in the synagogue that day.

God’s timing was perfect as Jesus had no way of orchestrating the reading of scripture so that He would end up reading that specific scripture which would reveal to the people who He truly is. This was the first time in Jesus’s life where He proclaimed to the people that He is the Messiah and the people knew exactly what He meant as they have been waiting for the Messiah to come.  

As the Messiah, He has come to do the things listed in the verses above and more. He has come to take away the poverty, the broken hearts, captivity and mourning which you have received from this world. He has come to give beauty where there are ashes, joy where there is mourning and praise where there is despair. He has come to establish His people in righteousness like great oak trees, planted to proclaim His glory.

So I ask these questions today: Where in your life do you have ashes (burnt down hopes and dreams or mistakes you have made), mourning and despair? Where are you in need of freedom? Ask God today to give you hope in the places where you lost it all. Do not give up. Jesus has already made to you this promise that He will freely give to all who ask and receive. Do not hold on today to the ashes of the world, but give it to Jesus and receive beauty. Jesus has come to set the captives free.

Maybe you have lost a friend, parent or child? Maybe you have lost your job, health, honour or reputation?

“Instead of shame and dishonour, you will enjoy a double share of honour. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land and everlasting joy will be yours.” Isaiah 61:7

Do not let Satan convince you that all has been lost, stolen or beyond repair, God restores with a DOUBLE portion all that has been stolen from you and nothing is impossible for Him. Jesus says: “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24

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Warning signs...

Photo credit: vi.sualize

Have you ever wondered why you can be so impatient in a shop, queue, in traffic or just in general? Or why you so easily snap at nothing and for no apparent reason. Symptoms like these should not be ignored, it should waive a little red flag indicating that something, somewhere is bothering us.

Jesus is the perfect example of peace and patience, He still became angry at certain times, but his anger was always righteous and related to injustice for example in Matt 21:12-14 “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’” The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.”

Remember that in those days people would bring animals or doves to the temple as offerings to atone for their sins, but instead of serving the poor people coming to the temple with prayer and counselling, the priests or teachers were selling animals at inflated prices, making themselves rich and this angered Jesus as His people were being taken advantage of.

I know when something is bothering me or draining me and I know that if I don't deal with the issue with God then it would lead to all of the above. If I notice one of those symptoms pop out in my daily life, I take time out, sit with God and ask Him to reveal to me what is bothering me deep down. Sometimes the answer is quite obvious and relates to something that recently happened, but sometimes an issue can get so hidden that we are not even aware of it anymore, but the symptoms still remain.

Anger or frustration never inspire or positively motivate us, they always lead us to a feeling of shame, guilt or just sadness, emptiness or depression. Whatever you want to call it, the fact is that it drains us from our joy and peace.

This is not the way Jesus wants us to live. He has come to set us free forever and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Non-believers often don’t understand me when I say that I'm freer now than I've ever been. This is because they see God as a set of rules and not as a best friend and counsellor. I really can't blame them as there have been so many misrepresentations made about God, by churches, all over the world and people trying to control and manipulate for their own gain.

Nonetheless my point still stands. Jesus has set me free from the bondages that this world and life have placed on me. He has set me free from the anger, hurt, resentment, offence, condemnation and rejection in my own heart, which leaves me at a place where I am secure, free to forgive, free to live life and free to love freely like Him without wounds from the past or any conditions holding me back.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Cor 13:17

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Gal 5:1

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36