Phillipians 2 has always been one of my favorite passages of scripture. It has given me a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and how I ought to live. I have been most provoked and challenged by our Servant King - being in the very nature God , chose to be born in a lowly state and serve the very ones who would betray, abandon and be ungrateful to Him - the Author of Life.
When life and different circumstances get me down, I lift my eyes to Him and everything falls into place.
Be blessed as you listen to this. Share it with your friends.
Some quiet thoughts : Reflections: Perspective: "'To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest criti..."
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is it. Nothing else matters really. Thinking about this, all lofty thoughts are leveled and wild emotions tamed. We are called to be LIGHT and SALT. Nothing more , nothing less. The Great Teacher, Master and Lord of our souls said, what you do to the least of my brothers you do it for me. Be faithful in the little things. What is done is secret , the Father in heaven will reward. He does not forget those long hard hard hours, those tears of frustration , those dark depressing days when you wondered if sunrise could come quicker. He knows when you have been that listening post for someone, the one who shared salvations great message with them, the one who quietly prayed for the sick and needy. the one who lent a helping hand to a struggling brother/neighbor. When some one's face lights up because of you, it is enough. When some one is confident that their last breath on earth will be their first breath in heaven because you shared Jesus with them, that is enough .
Lets measure our lives and how we live by what truly matters - most of all to hear the King of Kings say "Well done good and faithful servant"
Through nearly four decades of walking with the Lord , there is one thing and only one thing that I am 100% certain about i.e Jesus is the Solid Rock - everything else is shifting sand. I have known His faithful hand guide and lead me through troubled waters, in fiery situations, in times of plenty and want.
Eighteen years ago God called Colin and I to leave our secular employment and serve the church. They have been 18 good years but not without its ups and downs, challenges and churning.The most testing times of all has been our 8 1/2 years in Church planting in Pune. We heard God speak to us about "having stayed on the mountain too long" and that it was time to move on - from a thriving church back home in Mumbai to a new city, new people, and a lot of uncertainty.
We came with all our belongings a 7 year old son and a 6 month old baby - that's what the church planting team comprised of. This meant the 3 of us were the serving team, hospitality team, worship leading, preaching, prayer meetings, follow up, administration etc etc etc. We had much joy and faith in our hearts and enjoyed serving God's people and had great visions and plans to this plant and ones we hoped would come in the future.
However very soon all hells fury was hurled at us and it came in various forms : freak accidents on Andrew our son, ill health, wild accusations , gossip , slander, divisiveness, and more. We were in the firing line of the most evil flaming darts. Loniless was our companion.
As we continued to march on we began to see a little fruit here and there only to be snatched away very quickly. Being in a transient city meant physical mobility because of job s was very high - so we virtually had a new congregation every nine months or so.
With inflation increasing at a pace we just could not keep up with we felt the Lord lead us in the most amazing way to start our own tent making enterprise. We saw God's favour and grace rest upon us.
With Rs 2000/- ( the last of what we had ) , like Elijah and the widow with the jar of oil, we took that and invested in art material to make glass art and then greeting cards. Thus our company More2Art was born. Truly the Lord will never leave or forsake His own. We have seen His faithful hand of provision month after month.
Two years into being in Pune, and a new business venture just taking root we were miraculously led to buying a beautiful 3 bedroom apartment for which we did not even have 1% of the total cost. It's sheer madness anybody would tell you. But - the Lord's way is not ours. He made gracious provision come to us through loving members of the family. Can one doubt His eye on us?
Years of drought and hardship on the church front persisted till the 7th year.God was teaching us many things through all of this - the most important being humility, faithfulness, walking closely to Him and dong His will, amongst other lessons.
Yet through it all , God has only been faithful , more than we could ask or imagine. The tide is finally turning. We are entering a new season of harvesting and reaping what has been sown in tears and pain. It is in this season that many a song got birthed but lay between the leaves of my book. Confusion and doubt cause them to lie there.. till the God of second and third chances gently nudged me yet again to get them out into the world. Feeling utterly helpless and in adequate despite, the deep desire to pen line after line in praise of my King, I took that plunge to bring out the songs written .
His Eye Is On Me is a tribute to the ever faithful God , the keeper of my heart. Psalm 121, 91 and Romans 8:28 onward have been some of my favourite passages of scripture. This song is based on those passages. As you listen to it, recall God's faithfulness in your own life and remind yourself that "His eye is on me". Be Blessed.
I wrote this song as my own prayer as while back. I became very aware of the needy state of my heart and how badly I needed the work of the Holy Spirit in my life in a deeper way.
Then this year started with the holy spirit prompting us to a deeper sense of devotion and a call to desire the presence of God in our lives in a fresh and deeper way. That is when this song finally took shape .
My prayer is that as we listen to this the holy Spirit will do a deep work in our hearts.
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
- Rudyard Kipling
This is my prayer for my son today as he finishes his last day of school and carries the school flag at an Award giving function, and gives the final vote of thanks.
As a parent my utmost desire for him is that he will grow to be a man of good character and heart. That he will always be able to walk with his head held high because he has kept his heart pure.
I pray that he will realize that a man's worth is not in the abundance of his possessions but who he is.
I pray that he will learn that the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" .
I pray that he will learn to Trust in the Lord with all his heart and not lean on his own understanding alone. He will learn to acknowledge God in all his ways and see God make his path straight.
I pray he will learn to keep the main thing the main thing i.e seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...
When he has done this, I know that all his efforts at adding skill and knowledge to his life will bear much fruit. He will be successful in all that he puts his hands to.
