Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night... Ps 91:5

For the most recent long weekend, we thought we will go on a trip to some place outside Houston. Therefore, we set out for Austin early Saturday morning. After a long and full day, my husband suddenly had this inspiration to go not home, but to San Antonio!!! So we drove to San Antonio only to find no room to stay :) Having enquired in about six or seven inns we thought we could afford, and being told they were all full for the weekend, we decided to drive back home to Houston. About 30 miles into the drive, my husband began to feel sleepy and tired from having driven all day. So we stopped at the Rest Area that we luckily came upon in about five minutes, and I started to drive. About an hour into the drive, there was a fog starting to come on, and I turned on my windshield wipers. All of a sudden, out of nowhere came an egg and smashed right onto the front of the car and splattered over the windshield! 

Now about a little more than a year ago, while in conversation, one of my friends told me that if one were driving on lonely highways, and if someone were to throw an egg at the car, one should just keep driving, and not turn on the wipers to clear the egg, or attempt to wash it away since this would make the egg spread all over the windshield and limit visibility to such an extent that we will be forced to stop. She said that this was a method used by some people to stop cars on lonely highways to rob them. 

As soon as the egg hit the car and I saw the splatter, this whole conversation came rushing to my mind. I immediately turned off my wipers and kept driving. I would rather squint through the fog than turn on the wipers! 

We reached home that day with no further incidents and went to bed. The next morning, when my husband and I went to inspect the car, we saw that the egg had smashed not onto the windshield but onto the car's bonnet. This had in fact prevented the egg from splashing too much over the windshield.

Thinking over this incident made me understand anew, the promise of God I have quoted as the title of my post. When God promises something, He will never go back on any of His promises. I did not know what was waiting for me on the highway. I did not even know that that conversation I had had two years ago would stay in my mind and help me to handle the situation. This proves to me, once again, that nothing is a coincidence in the life of a child of God. We may not always know why certain things happen or what importance there is to certain conversations, but everything is part of a bigger plan. As the Bible says, He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). 

This reinforced to me a very valuable lesson I learnt long back - and which is what I want to tell you all today - trust in the Lord and know that everything has a purpose in your life. You may not see it right now, but even the smallest things in your life are ordained by God. And always, He does all things for our good. 

Know Who You Are

In I Samuel : 17, we read a very familiar story - the story we have heard from when we were this small - the story of David and Goliath. And this story appealed to me afresh the other day when i was reading it. What made David different from everyone else? What set him apart? What made David defeat Goliath? All these questions are answered by just one thing - David knew one really vital thing that King Saul and the entire Israelite army had for a moment forgotten - that they served a LIVING GOD. 

In verse 26, we see the supreme scorn that David had for Goliath - "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?". His perspectives were all right! Saul's and the army's eyes were blocked by Goliath's height, weight, and fierceness. Only David saw him for what he really was - a wretched, uncircumcised Philistine who dared to come against the army of the living God. David did not for even a second forget what the Lord had done for the Israelites all their lives. He knew that the Israelites - that included him - served a living God - the only God - and that therefore, they were practically invincible. He knew who he was.

Not only did he know who he was, but he also knew whom he served. It is this complete trust in the Lord and His provision that made David unlike the others around him. while the others were trembling with fear, David went boldly up to Goliath and defeated him with nothing but a stone! what the trained Israelite army and an anointed king could not achieve, the shepherd boy did because he knew whom he served. if we are this certain all the time about whom we serve, there will be revival and miracles everywhere and everyday. 

David also knew whom to trust. He did not put his faith on anything else - the army behind him, the King, or the King's armour. He put his trust in the one who really and truly mattered - the Lord most high. He gave the battle over to the Lord and went in His name. no wonder then that the Philistine fell. He never had a chance!

Get the right perspective! See the Lord for who He is - the almighty God who is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. also see the devil for what he is - not a roaring lion but a defeated beast trying his best to confuse and trick us into believing he still has power - a dead beast who dares to defy the people of the Living God!

The Story of Christmas

Narrator: Christmas is joy, fun, gifts, new clothes, good food and a lot of other good things for most of us. But did you know for that one group of creatures, Christmas is nothing but sorrow and crying? Yes. It’s a day of mourning observed each year in the realms of hell. Here is a scene of one Christmas in hell.

A devil daughter walks into the house where her devil mom is cooking.

Devil daughter (DD): Mom.

Devil mom (DM):  (looking up) yes my dirty mess.

DD: I went up to the earth today.

DM: oh yes?

DD: do you know that they have fun during Christmas on earth?

DM: (sighs) yes I do my rotten tomato. (continues to stir)

DD: How come they have fun on the saddest day of the year? They were laughing and playing and eating and making merry. They had even decorated their homes and streets.

DM: (stops cooking and starts walking to a chair on left corner of the stage) I think it’s time I told you the story of Christmas.

DD: hold on mom. Let me go get my friends who came up with me today. We would all like to know.

She rushes out and comes back with a bunch of girls and boys. They all settle down around the DM.

DM: once upon a time, long long ago, we were all up in the heavens…we were angels too. And we were serving God.

All the kids look at each other in astonishment and make comments to each other (what!, huh? Etc)

DM: we used to dress in white, and sing praise to God all the time, and do everything He told us to do.

Light fades in left corner as center stage lights up. God is sitting on a throne in the center. Around him stand a few angels. One angel is dressed more splendidly than the others –lucifer. He is talking to his friends while God is in conversation with another angel.

Lucifer (L): I am sick and tired to doing everything the Lord tells me to do. I don’ t see why I can’t do as I please sometimes.

L’s Friend 1: I know. Some of the things these “men” do deserve a good whacking. But He is always giving them time to repent and stopping us from doing anything bad to them. I don’t know how He stands them!

L’s F2: I think we should talk to Him about it. What do you think Lucifer?

L: I think so too. In fact, I am going to talk to Him about it right now. (he clears his throat) ahem….God….(says it with a hint of fear mixed with defiance)

God(G): stops talking to the angel and turns around to look at L. One moment Lucifer. (continues to talk to the other angel. Then the other angel nods, bows to the Lord and leaves) Yes Lucifer?

L: God my friends and I need to talk to you.

G: here I am Lucifer. Talk to me.  Be very careful what you say though.

L: (looks shocked that somehow God has guessed his thoughts). Uhhh….sometimes I don’t…I mean I don’t like..i mean…..why should we always do what you ask us to do? (he speaks hesistatingly, and then rushes through the last sentence)

G: (looks long at him, considering him. Then, gently, He says) Because it is I my dear Lucifer. You should know that.

L: I don’t…I mean, my friends and I don’t feel like doing your bidding anymore.

(all the friends slowly move up behind Lucifer as though cringing from the Lord’s sight as He slowly looks at each of them.)

G: (sadly) then I do not think you have a place with me anymore Lucifer. I have seen you conspire and cause dissention. Leave me Lucifer, you and your friends, and don’t come back.

L: (is taken aback. But then he starts getting angry.) This is my home. Why should I leave? I have a right to stay here.

G: you have chosen to go against me Lucifer. You are banished from heaven forever.

L: No! I will not go away! I will fight and stay here!

G: You have no say in the matter Lucifer. GO!

All the devils are rushed out by some good angels.

Lights fade center and come up on the corner where the mother and group of little devils are sitting.

DM: This is how we came to be down here in hell.

DD: But that doesn’t explain why we mourn on Christmas mom!

DM: I’m coming to it. Don’t rush me. Since the time we were pushed down to hell, our life work has been to give God’s people hell. We try to make them sin so God will dislike them. We fool them into doing drugs, killing each other in the name of religion, cast, creed and other useless demarcations, and so much more. Our hope has always been that we will, by doing all this, cheat God of His people, for He is Holy and cannot stand sin. But all that changed one day more than 2000 years ago. You see, although we knew that God hated sin, we didn’t bargain for the fact that God loved the sinner!!!! According to the law, sin can only be paid for with blood. And God did the unthinkable. On the first Christmas day, God sent His only son – Jesus – to this earth to die once and for all, for all the sins of all the people of this earth!

At this, all the little devils look astonished.

DD: so now no one is a sinner?

DM: no. everyone’s sin has already been paid for. All the people need to do now is to believe that Jesus died for them.

DD: that’s it?

DM: yup. It’s that simple. Once they believe that, they are on their way to heaven, and nothing we do can change that.

DD: WOW! That’s a huge blow for us isn’t it?

DM: So you see now why Christmas is a day of mourning for us? It is the day all our purposes were defeated! It is the day Hope dawned for the people of the world. The day our fates were sealed. It is the day God’s love for His people was displayed. (sighs)  Since then, we have strived to make men believe that their sins can never be forgiven. We make them believe they are bad.

DD: is that all we can do? Make them believe a lie?

DM: Yes my spoilt egg. That is all we can ever do. Jesus already paid the price.

All the little devils look sad and mournful.

Lights come up center stage on the manger scene. 

Narrator: Yes. Love came down on Christmas day. God loved us so much that He paid the price for our sins with the blood of His own son. Remember, God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. Merry Christmas everyone.