Tag: Faithful

Being Preoccupied

Featured ~ Sowmya Gali

Psalm 19: 7 – 11

The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much of the fine gold; sweeter than honey and the dripping of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 27: 4 – 5

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Psalm 119: 10 – 11, 14 – 16

With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.  

King David was always delighting in the Word of God. He may not have been a learned man as he rose from being a shepherd boy to the king of Israel. However, he was aware of the law of God. He meditated on His word. Before he became the king, he sought the Lord in every aspect of his life. He sought the counsel of Urim and Thummim in many situations when he was on the run from Saul and when he had to wage war against the enemies of Israel. Later, when he became king, he sought the counsel of the Lord and of the prophets in the land. Whatever situation he was in, he thought of God first.  More than anything else in the world, his delight was in the law of the Lord. He favored the temple courts than any place else. The reason being there was constant praise and worship in the Tabernacle of the Lord by the priests of God and he could join the throngs to worship Him.

David’s preoccupation was God Almighty. He meditated on His law night and day. No wonder he did not fear his enemies. He knew the Lord his banner would be with him. When he wanted to make important decisions, he sought the Lord his wisdom for wise counsel. When he wanted to satisfy the desire of his heart, he delighted his soul with the law of the Lord. Such was the passionate love of David towards His Maker. No matter what circumstance he was in, David was always preoccupied with the Lord, His Word, His laws, His precepts and His presence.

In our present times, we have numerous things to be preoccupied with. We have come up with ways to kill boredom. We have 24/7 television, other forms of entertainment, our careers, families, hobbies, health, etc., to keep our minds occupied. On the flip side, we have the cares of the world, the responsibilities we have to bear, illness of a loved one, the state of our country and world around us, etc., that have become our primary preoccupation. In all situations, it is not a sin if our minds and hearts are preoccupied with these pressing matters. However, are we steering our hearts and minds to the precepts of the Lord? Do we seek the presence of the Lord in all our circumstances?

Dear Saint of God, let us delight ourselves with the Word of God even in dire circumstances. Instead of the worries and anxieties of the world wearing us down, let us wear the garment of praise so that all the cares of the world are washed away from us. For our Lord will take up our burdens upon Himself and He will give us His yoke which is light and easy. King David was confident that if his delight was in the Lord and His house, then His Almighty God would shield him in His Holy Tabernacle. Yes, the cares, the worries, the responsibilities are real and present every day of our lives. Jesus Himself said these words, “But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6: 33 – 34)

Let us be preoccupied with the Word of God, seeking His presence, and His counsel every minute of our lives. Let His laws steer our every thought and every action. Even when we sleep, let His precepts guide us. It is delightful to be preoccupied with His Word for He alone can satisfy us like no other. Once we taste the sweetness of His presence, there is no going back. We become so addicted that we seek His presence constantly. Our Heavenly Father becomes our primary preoccupation. Nothing in this world will delight us like His presence. Yes, we may be distracted for a bit, but our hearts’ desire causes us to refocus on Christ, our Redeemer. For He is beautiful beyond description. Soon will come a day when our Lord will descend and take us home to be with Him where we can truly delight in His presence for all eternity.

Psalm 119: 97 – 98O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.

Wilderness Wanderings – Part 2

Featured ~ Sowmya Gali

Numbers 33: 51 – 53

“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.

Numbers 33: 55 – 56

‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live. And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.’”

Caleb and Joshua were the only two people from the original group of Israelites that entered the Promised Land because they fully obeyed the Lord and fully believed in Him. The Lord, in His anger towards these unbelieving Israelites, caused them to wander in the desert of Sinai for forty years until the last person of that evil and unbelieving generation died. Yet, in His loving kindness, God continued to protect them from enemies and the weather, and provided them sumptuous food and water. He cared for them so much that the clothes and shoes they were wearing did not wear out for those forty years.

God’s commandment for the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land was that they should drive all the people and destroy their idols and high places. Only then they could possess the Land. The Canaanites were idol worshippers. Almighty God did not want the Israelites to be part of that pagan culture. He just redeemed them from the idolatry of Egypt. He wanted a nation that fully followed Him, obeyed Him and worshipped Him. His instructions were clear: no idol or high place should be present in the Promised Land. He will never share His glory with another.

We, as believers, in Jesus Christ, have been redeemed from the idols in our past. We must completely destroy each and every idol that we worshipped in the past. We used to serve at the feet of the idols of success, money, fame, health, etc. All those gave us temporary fulfillment but there is no lasting satisfaction. They may have consumed us. We may have been accustomed to having them around and in us. However, each time, we’ve come to the end of ourselves. And yet failed to recognize that our deep desires are only fulfilled in Christ.

When we enter into the Kingdom of God, we are supposed to drive out all these old habits, demolish all those idols which we held close to our bosoms, and destroy every trace of our old self. If we failed to do that, then these same habits, demons of the past, become snares, stumbling blocks and thorns in our sides. All what God promised, we won’t be able to possess completely. We cannot be sailing in two boats. We cannot have one foot in the world and one foot in the Promised Land. Jesus Himself said that “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9: 62).

We must be willing to take a full head-long plunge into the Promised Land. Looking back to our old life, stoking our old habits thinking they are harmless, revisiting our old sins are all symptoms of one foot in the Kingdom and one foot in the world. If we are not fully enjoying the blessings of God in our lives at the moment, we must introspect as to what old habit or sin is still a shadow that is following us. Is it too difficult to stop lying, stop complaining, stop gossiping, or coveting or some other habit/sin? We cannot pour new wine in old wineskin. We must be completely cleansed, purged of every trace of the world for our Lord to fill us with His goodness.

Unable to fully obey and fully trust in the Lord has deadly repercussions. God said He will punish those who are sailing in two boats. Lives and time were lost in the wilderness due to disobedience and lack of faith. Instead of enjoying the abundance of the Promised Land, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. Even the righteous people had to suffer for the faithlessness of the people. Are we walking in the footsteps of these disobedient and faithless Israelites? Are our faithless actions causing us to miss out on God’s best? Are our actions robbing others around us of God’s blessings?

Dear Saint of God, it is time. Time to let go off the past. Time to give up our old habits/sins. Time to die to self. The Promised Land awaits us. The fullness of God’s goodness is at hand. We are missing out on it due to our own disobedience. We could be more alive than we are right now if only we learn to trust Him completely. We could stop wandering aimlessly if only we learn to focus on Christ and follow Him. We could come out of this wilderness we have created around ourselves and enter into the Promised Land.

Psalm 16: 5 – 6

The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed my heritage is beautiful to me.