Tag: Practical living

Being Constant

Featured ~ Sowmya Gali

Colossians 3: 12 – 17

12. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13. bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Please allow me to indulge in a topic of constants in Math, Physics and/or Chemistry. Many of us who pursued advanced science in high school and later in college have certainly come across constants when solving equations. A constant is a fixed value that doesn’t change. No outside force affects its value or composition. However, when used in an equation or a chemical/physical reaction, it’s value definitely affects the result of the equation or reaction. Constants are essential as their fixed values provide a baseline or reference point for comparison and analysis.

Recently, I embarked on a long trip to take care of my aging parents. Before the trip, I spent ample time in prayer asking the Lord to strengthen me physically, protect me emotionally, secure me mentally and above all keep me steadfast spiritually. I requested my prayer partners to intercede on my behalf based on these requests. Lo and behold, I was given supernatural strength to do various tasks despite the heat and humidity. My energy levels were at a totally different level, much to my surprise. Whenever I became emotional, the Holy Spirit nudged me to remind that I should keep my emotions under check. Whenever I was mentally drained, His overwhelming peace just blanketed me. Spiritually, I seem to be relying more on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and learning to be alert to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Through it all, the spiritual aspect remained constant while the other three factors were in all places.

The fact that being constant in spiritual matters affects other aspects of my life in a good way but doesn’t affect my spiritual well-being in a negative way. If it is affecting, then it is time to check our spiritual thermometer. Where do we stand in our faith? Is the world affecting us or are we affecting the world? In all aspects, I, mindfully, acknowledged God, thanked Him often, spoke about His goodness and faithfulness, shared inspiring testimonies of people that I knew who walked through trials and came out successful, prayed at the drop of a hat and gave God the glory in every situation.

King David’s life is a testament of his constancy of faith in God. No matter what situation he faced, he acknowledged God. From a lowly shepherd to the throne of the kingdom of Israel, through betrayals, heartaches and losses, one thing remained constant in his life: his love for the Lord and to remain in His presence. Apostle Paul advises us to adorn ourselves with love, patience, meekness, gentleness, kindness, forgiveness and do everything in the name of Jesus. When we do that, our lives, our actions, even our demeanor reflects the love of Christ to the world around us. It is time to check if the spiritual constant is constant in our lives. Being spiritually constant reflects Christ through our lives and affects other aspects of our lives and of people around us in a positive way bringing glory to God.

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.