Category: Practical Apps

GPS

~ Sowmya Gali ~ 1 Comment

Genesis 12: 1Now the Lord said to Abraham, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you…”

God called Abraham out of the land of Chaldeans to a land that He will show him. Abraham who probably never heard of Yahweh, the Creator of everything, left his family, his gods, and went in search of the country that Almighty God was going to show him. Can you imagine firstly to hear the voice of God? Secondly, to leave everything he was familiar with and everyone he loved behind? Finally, to trust a strange God and walk in search of the unknown?

Abraham was already a wealthy man when he left his father’s household and moved to Canaan. He, his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot and a large caravan of servants and cattle moved out of Chaldea. Yet to leave everything and follow a voice requires a lot of courage and trust. Imagine the ridicule he could have faced when he announced he heard a voice from heaven! The Book of Hebrews says that by faith Abraham left Ur and went where God called him. His act of obedience has been credited to him as righteousness.

Back in the day, when they didn’t have maps, they probably followed a trade route or a well-trodden path. Traveling in large caravans on unknown roads would have given them some sense of safety from marauders. Abraham, however relied on GPS – not Global Positioning System but God Positioning System. Wherever God led him, he went there. He parked where God asked him to park. He turned where God asked him to turn. As long as Abraham relied on GPS, he was safe, well taken care of and made progress.

After several days of journeying through strange lands, Abraham and his caravan reached the land of Canaan. God appeared to him in Canaan and said that He will give this land to Abraham’s descendants. Abraham now realized that he arrived at his destination. He built an altar to worship the Lord and pitched his tents in between Bethel and Ai. After staying there for a while, famine struck the land. Instead of trusting his GPS, he packed up his tents and went south to Egypt. He must have reasoned that Bethel is not the place to settle if there is famine in the land. Since he didn’t hear God’s voice, he had to take matters into his own hands. He had to lie to save his skin in Egypt. It took a heathen Pharaoh to correct Abraham of his lie. Abraham realizing his mistake returned to Bethel. He strayed from GPS again much later in his life despite seeing God’s handiwork, when he lied to King Abimelech. Despite his straying from the GPS, God appeared to Abraham several more times to assure him of His promise.

As believers in Christ, we all have a special calling from God. When we harken to His voice and in obedience do His bidding, all goes well. We will be blessed, protected and provided. When we stray from the GPS, that is when we land ourselves in trouble. When we question God’s call or His provision, that is when we take matters into our own hands. We try to carve our own path or search for greener pastures and hope that is what God wants us to do. We expect God to fulfill our dreams even though a nagging feeling bothers us. When we stick to the GPS, there is neither second guessing nor there is confusion. With confidence, we march on.

Dear Saints of God, hold on to your GPS. He is forever faithful and true. He never disappoints us. Even though you are going through wilderness, when the horizon seems bleak, God is walking ahead of you – clearing the path, behind you – protecting you from the enemies/threats of the past, and beside you – assuring you of His promises. He is a loyal leader who leads His sheep to greener pastures and running waters. Don’t get discouraged when traveling through the desert. Don’t get distracted by the mirages of life. They will disappoint you. Instead trust in the GPS that is within you – His Holy Spirit to lead you through this life until we reach the Eternal City. Just like Abraham who was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11: 10), let us remain faithful to God. Let us remain steadfast to the path that God has put us on until Christ returns for us to take us to that Eternal City or beckons us to our Eternal Home.

The Prodigal – When The Father Ran.

~ Sowmya Gali

Luke 15: 20

So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

We are familiar with the parable of the prodigal son. Even though Jesus was addressing the Jews at the time, he had every prodigal on His mind. The Jewish people were the ones who received God’s special blessing, the inheritance and the special privilege of being called as His own. God loves everyone equally but the Jews were the apple of His eye. The descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were indeed a chosen group of people.

Jesus, in his narrative of the prodigal son, reveals to the people about the heart of our Heavenly Father. When the prodigal son comes to his senses in the far away land, after spending all his inheritance on wild living, his first thoughts were of his father. He wondered if his father would even accept him back. Even if he didn’t accept him back, he would hire himself out to his father as one of his servants just so he could have a decent meal. With such thoughts, the son made his way home.

What keeps the prodigal away? Pride and ego could be the major factors. They have defied the truth and went away pursuing other truths. However, the ultimate Truth is always ringing in their ears. However much they would like to stifle the Truth, it still rings deafeningly loud.  Their initial quarrel with their loved ones was that they were right and the others were wrong. Now when they have realized that the people who loved him/her were right all along, it is difficult to accept it and return with humility. In such state, they are going through much stress, which in some cases has led to anxiety and depression. In some severe cases, it has led to suicide. Humbling oneself is a very bitter pill to swallow.

In some cases, confusion plays a major role. If the person hasn’t been exposed to the Word of God in it’s true light, then the enemy is ready to sow seeds of confusion. With such multiplicity of conflicting thoughts, the person struggles to accept the Truth of the Word of God and continues to spiral down into depression. The confusion is not mitigated but fueled into more confusion. Jesus says unless we receive the Truth like a little child in its simplicity and in faith, we will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. God’s Word is simple and if we accept it as it is and not complicate it, our faith also would be simple and true.

Nevertheless, if the prodigal swallows his/her pride, untangles himself/herself from the complicated web of lies, and decides to return home, our Heavenly Father sees the changing heart. He doesn’t even wait for a changed heart. Just a hint of change is good enough for Him to accept the prodigal back into the fold. He, who never took His eyes off of the horizon, longingly waits for the shadow of His prodigal to appear. The moment He sees the child coming towards Him, He runs to His beloved child. His compassionate heart knows no bounds of joy that fills His heart just to see His child back in front of His eyes and in His embrace. Such is the love of our Heavenly Father!

Dearly beloved, you may have a prodigal in your life or you yourself may be the prodigal. It is time to return home into the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father. He is waiting eagerly with open arms and with no questions or conditions. Saints, you who have been praying expectantly for your prodigal to return to the fold of God, do not despair. God knows your heart and sees your tears. The seed that you have sown will sprout, flourish and one day bear fruit. Whether you will be alive or not to see that, be rest assured that our God sees and He will bring to fruition multifold. Beloved, if you are struggling to accept the truth of the Word of God, please try again to accept His Word in all its simplicity. God is absolute. God’s truth is absolute. God’s love is absolute. God’s mercy is absolute. God’s grace is absolute. Nothing about Him is conditional. As you are returning, don’t be surprised to see your Heavenly Father running towards you to sweep you up in His arms and shower His love on you.