डर बनाम विश्वास

गिनती 13 और 14 अध्याय से अध्ययन

👎 डर दुश्मन या विरोधियों की ताकत और सुरक्षा को देखता है (13:31; 14:9)

👍 विश्वास परमेश्वर के समर्थन और उनके उपस्थिति को देखता है (13:1; 14:9)

👎 डर विरोधियों के बहुमत को देखता है और खुद को कमजोर अल्पसंख्यक के रूप में देखता है (13: 32,33)

👍 विश्वास परमेश्वर के वायदों, सामर्थ,और उनके प्रेम की महानता को देखता है और स्वयं को परमेश्वर की भाग के रूप में देखता है (14:8,12,17-19)

👎 डर परमेश्वर और उनके वचन के खिलाफ विद्रोह करता है (14:4,9)

👍 विश्वास परमेश्वर और उनके वाणी का आज्ञा मानता है (14:22)

👎 डर विद्रोह करता है (14:9)

👍 विश्वास मन फिराता है (14:18,19)

👎 डर परमेश्वर और उनके उद्धार का तिरस्कार करता है (14:3,11)

👍 विश्वास पुरे दिल से परमेश्वर का अनुसरण करता है (14:24)

👎 डर परमेश्वर को अप्रसन्न करता है (14:34)

👍 विश्वास परमेश्वर को प्रसन्न करता है (14: 8)

👎 डर शिकायत करता है और धमकी देता है (14:1,10)

👍 विश्वास क्षमा चाहता है और निवेदन करता है (14:19,5,6)

👎 डर चिंता और आवेग के कारण कार्य करता है (14:40)

👍 विश्वास परमेश्वर के आदेश और अग्रणी के अनुसार कार्य करता है (14:41)

👎 डर विश्वासहीनता से ग्रस्त है (14:33)

👍 विश्वास परमेश्वर की डर भय मानता है और उनकी योजना पर भरोसा करता है (14:5,6)

Fear Vs Faith

Meditation from Numbers 13 & 14

👎Fear sees the strength & protection of the enemy or opposers (13:31; 14:9)

👍Faith sees the support & Presence of God (13:1; 14:9)

👎Fear sees the great majority of opposers & looks at themselves as weak minority (13:32,33)

👍Faith sees the greatness of God's promises, power & His love & looks at themselves as God's inheritance (14:8,12,17-19)

👎Fear rebels against God & His word (14:4,9)

👍Faith obeys God & His voice (14:22)

👎Fear rebels (14:9)

👍Faith repents (14:18,19)

👎Fear despises God & His deliverance (14:3,11)

👍Faith follows God wholeheartedly (14:24)

👎Fear displeases God (14:34)

👍Faith pleases God (14:8)

👎Fear complains & threatens (14:1,10)

👍Faith seeks forgiveness & pleads (14:19,5,6)

👎Fear acts out of anxiety & impulsiveness (14:40)

👍Faith acts according to God's command & leading (14:41)

👎Fear suffers from faithlessness (14:33)

👍Faith fears God & trusts His plan (14:5,6)

At the Face of Enmity and Opposition

Meditation from Esther Chapter 9 & 10

If God is for us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).
The concluding chapters of the book of Esther share the amazing incident of how the people who were faced with a powerful enemy, became victorious and were saved from destruction.

These two chapters show us what the Lord does to His people, who face the foe and what should be our response & responsibility to God's deliverance.

God's Doing

1. Turn Around:
The enemies of the Jews hoped to gain power over them, but it was changes to a day in which the Jews gained power over their foes (9:1).

The Lord turned around an impossible situation which was unfavourable to the Jews to their favour.

2. Fear:
No one could withstand the Jews, because the fear of them had fallen upon all the people (9:2).

The Jews were a minority and were supposed to fear the others. But the Lord had put fear in the hearts of the majority in regards to the minority.

3. Support:
All the officials of the provinces were supporting the Jews (9:3).

The Lord brought those who opposed to their support!

4. Fame:
Added to all of this, Mordecai was powerful in the King's house and his fame spread throughout all the provinces and he grew more and more powerful (9:4).

The one who was despised became popular and powerful!

Our Response & Responsibility

1. Greed-less:
The Jews defended themselves & destroyed the enemy, but they did not touch the plunder (9:10,15,16).

Haman's plan was to destroy the Jews and to plunder their goods (3:13).

But though the Jews had the opportunity they did not plunder the goods of the enemy.

Greed will lay waste the grace that God supplies in our life. Mind that which is on possessions & materials will not be fruitful in fulfilling the purposes of God.

2. Gratefulness:
The Jews wanted to ever remind grateful to God for the miraculous deliverance. That's how the festival of Purim began to be celebrated (9:22,26).

We should not forget the past, that is, our beginnings and should always remain grateful to God and to people who helped us.

3. Goodness Shared:
The Jews showed their gratefulness in action by sending gifts to one another and to the poor (9:22).

Our gratefulness needs to be shown in action.

4. Goodness Seeking:
Mordecai was advanced by the king, his honour, power and popularity grew. But he did not misuse his power and popularity. Rather he sought the good of the people (10:3).

If we truly know and have experienced God's deliverance, we will not misuse our position, power or popularity and will not harm people, but will only seek their good.

5. Intercede:
Mordecai also interceded for the welfare of the people (10:3).

Our position is not to interrupt the welfare of people, but to intercede for their welfare and well-being.

At the face of enmity and opposition we need not be anxious and fearful, but we need to be assured in the Lord. We should never forget God's deliverance in our life and we should always live in gratefulness, for the good of the people.

Be blessed!

Reasons to Stop or Restart Work

Meditation from Ezra Chapter 4

In the fourth chapter we see that the work on the house of God was stopped (4:24). We can learn lessons for our life, work & ministry the reasons why things get stopped and how to restart.

1. Accusations : False accusations were brought against the people of God. (4:6,13)

2. Bribe : The officials were bribed to frustrated the work (4:5). People may take the favour of influential people & can use them to stop the work.

3. Cause to Remember the Past : The opposers were recalling the past to stop the work (4:15). When our unpleasant past is called to remember it can discourage & stop the work.

4. Discouragement : The people of God were discouraged by those who wanted the work to stop. (4:4).

Discouragement can come in many forms.

5. Enforcement & power : They used force & power to stop the people from working. (4:23)

6. Fear : They made them afraid to build (4:4).

I can either be a discourager or the discouraged or one who receives encouragement from the Spirit of God who is the greatest Comforter & Help!

Allow not anything to stop you from doing God's work. Strengthen yourself in the Lord, receive comfort & encouragement from the Holy Spirit & focus on God's purpose.

Steps to Overcome & Restart

 When the accusations are false don't worry about that or meditate on it. If there is anything true correct yourself or if it's false meditate on God's promises.

 No one can take away what God has kept for you. If your trust is completely on the Lord, His favour is enough!

 When you have reconciled & repented of your past, the Lord has forgotten it. Thank God for the new beginning and forgetting the past, strain forward.

 When arrows of discouragement come, strengthen yourself in the Lord so that you can be protected by the shield of the Spirit.

 The Lord is above every power and authority. When your trust in Him who is on the throne, He will show His might.

 When you have the assurance of God's presence, you don't have to fear anyone or anything. Allow not any anxiety to cause fear, for the Lord is in control.

When we place God's plan & purpose over our 'self' we can overcome any & every stopping or discouraging element.

Today's Intercession:

# Pray for the inauguration of the new school building scheduled this month.

# Pray for the plan of God alone to prosper and God's name to be glorified.

# Pray that the Spirit of God may take complete control over every plans & proceedings of the inauguration.

Have a blessed day!

ABCs of Responding to Fear, Pain & Needs

Meditation from Ezra Chapter 3

By the end of the chapter two we understand that the returned Israelites began to settle in towns; they have nothing left here and are also in fear of the neighbours (3:3).

The third chapter shows how they responded which is a great lesson to learn to respond to fear, pain & needs.

1. Aligned with God's Purpose : The people followed the leaders who set to build the altar. The leaders did as prescribed in the Word. (3:2)
We need to align ourselves with God's word and His purpose to start with. Unless our life is centered around God's word and His purpose, we have nowhere to begin and everything will seem meaningless.

2. Build the Altar : The very first response of the people of God is to build the altar. (3:2,3). Likewise wherever Abraham went and pitched his tent, he built the altar (Genesis 12:8; 13:18).
Our first response to fear or pain should be to repair & built the altar, that is our spiritual life. So that we can be assured that God is pleased with us & to come closer to Him.

3. Consistency : After building the altar they sacrificed the regular and freewill offerings. (3:5)
We should not only set right our spiritual life, but grow towards being consistent; where it's not irregular or forced, but regular and out of love for the Lord.
Disciple without discipline is a disaster. Character is formed only thru consistency.

4. Devoted (Priority) : Though the people had just returned and also had the fear of neighbours, they spent their money in building the house of God. (3:7).
Our life needs to be completely devoted to God and we need to prioritise God & God's kingdom works above all.
When the same people became slag in future is when Haggai exhorts that it's time to build God's house & not to build theirs & not to hurry off to their own houses (Haggai 1:4,9).

5. Exalt God : At a time when they are surrounded by foes & have nothing the people of God are not crying but praising and thanking God (3:10,11).
We can either meditate our troubles or meditate God's word; either cry about problems or praise God & be grateful.
Most importantly we cannot serve God by crying over the problems, but we need to rejoice in the LORD, praising Him and do His work.

6. Fondness (or Fear) : Among the people of God, some were weeping and some were shouting aloud for joy. (3:12,13). This wasn't a response because of fear or personal problems, rather their response seeing the foundation being laid to the house of God.
It shows their fondness. When the Lord, His kingdom and His work becomes our fondness, it only will be our cry and joy! God's concern will be our concern and we will rejoice at the works of His kingdom.

How are you going to respond? Take a moment to think about what is bothering you & what has filled your mind & heart.
Set right the altar, become consistent, prioritise God & His work, be grateful & praise Him and let God & His kingdom become your fondness!

Today's Intercession:

# Pray for the ongoing IMPACT seminar of GEMS in Sikaria, Bihar.

# Pray that the pastors, missionaries and all the participants will be exhorted & encouraged in God's kingdom work.

# Pray for the arrangements, organisers, speakers and the sessions to fulfil God's plan & purposes.

Have a blessed day!